Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what aspects of the (a) UK-Australia and (b) UK-New Zealand free trade agreements will be assessed as part of the biannual monitoring reports that will be published on those treaties.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The department is considering its approach to monitoring Free Trade Agreements, including the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand agreement. The government will provide an update on this in due course to align with the Trade Strategy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with which relevant stakeholders it plans to consult when preparing its biannual monitoring reports on the (a) UK-Australia and (b) UK-New Zealand free trade agreements.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Department for Business and Trade engages with and recognises the need to understand a range of stakeholder perspectives in its aims to monitor Free Trade Agreements, including UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's Statutory guidance for local authorities’ youth provision, published on 27 September 2023, what progress local authorities have made on conducting Needs assessments in their area; and whether her Department has plans to publish he results of what local authorities deliver.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area. Although there is no legal requirement for local authorities to publish their plans, the guidance encourages local authorities to publish their assessment of local needs for youth services as well as the rationale for their actions and decisions. The department does not hold this information centrally and has no plans for a publication on needs assessments

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of recorded deaths due to anaphylaxis in the last 10 years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data regarding anaphylaxis-related deaths in England and Wales is documented by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology also holds a register to capture and learn from fatal cases of anaphylaxis, the UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Register, which has been operational since 1992.

The following table shows the number of deaths in England and Wales where fatal anaphylactic reactions were reported as the underlying cause of death:

Source: ONS

The following table shows the number of deaths in England and Wales where fatal anaphylactic reactions were mentioned on the death certificate:

Source: ONS

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of 999 emergency calls that mentioned anaphylaxis in the last 10 years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on the number of 999 emergency calls that mention anaphylaxis. Neither does the Department hold data on the number of paediatric allergists employed in the National Health Service.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of adults or children under the age of 18 years old that are currently diagnosed with an allergy. The table attached shows the number of hospitalisations due to allergies in the last ten years, broken down by ages and type of allergy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of hospitalisations due to allergies that have occurred by (a) age and (b) type of allergy in the last 10 years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on the number of 999 emergency calls that mention anaphylaxis. Neither does the Department hold data on the number of paediatric allergists employed in the National Health Service.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of adults or children under the age of 18 years old that are currently diagnosed with an allergy. The table attached shows the number of hospitalisations due to allergies in the last ten years, broken down by ages and type of allergy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of children under the age of 18 that are currently diagnosed with an allergy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on the number of 999 emergency calls that mention anaphylaxis. Neither does the Department hold data on the number of paediatric allergists employed in the National Health Service.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of adults or children under the age of 18 years old that are currently diagnosed with an allergy. The table attached shows the number of hospitalisations due to allergies in the last ten years, broken down by ages and type of allergy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of adults that are currently diagnosed with an allergy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on the number of 999 emergency calls that mention anaphylaxis. Neither does the Department hold data on the number of paediatric allergists employed in the National Health Service.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of adults or children under the age of 18 years old that are currently diagnosed with an allergy. The table attached shows the number of hospitalisations due to allergies in the last ten years, broken down by ages and type of allergy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many paediatric allergists are employed in the NHS.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on the number of 999 emergency calls that mention anaphylaxis. Neither does the Department hold data on the number of paediatric allergists employed in the National Health Service.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of adults or children under the age of 18 years old that are currently diagnosed with an allergy. The table attached shows the number of hospitalisations due to allergies in the last ten years, broken down by ages and type of allergy.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities that have been issued a section 114 notice with the provision of youth work.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Local authorities hold the statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. Local Authorities fund youth services from their Local Government Settlement in line with local need, and this was increased to more than £69 billion in 2025/26 - a 6.8% increase in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

Additionally, we will be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot this year, which will support local authorities to build back capability to improve local youth offers. We will share more information in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students are studying an applied general qualification of 720 guided learning hours or more in a T level route.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has affirmed its commitment to T Levels as a high quality qualification and that these should be the qualifications of choice for 16 to 19-year-olds wishing to study large qualifications.

In the 2022/23 academic year there were 63,840 16 to 19-year-olds, enrolled on a study programme taking an Applied General Qualification over 720 guided learning hours, which appear on performance tables in the same sector subject areas as a T Level. The data is the total number of enrolled students on those qualifications, so will include students on the multiple years of study.

Students deserve high quality qualifications that meet their needs, and the department must continue to develop and improve qualifications so that they support the government’s key missions of spreading opportunity and supporting economic growth. Through our work on the qualifications reform rapid review and the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will ensure a curriculum that meets the needs of students and employers, which is backed up by high quality qualifications that deliver strong outcomes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average programme funding is for 16 to 19 year olds studying T levels and other Level 3 qualifications.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Autumn Budget 2024 provided an additional £300 million revenue funding for further education (FE) for the 2025/26 financial year to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs.

The department uses the 16 to 19 funding formula to calculate an allocation of funding to each institution, each academic year. The starting point for these allocations are the funding rates, which depend on the size of students’ study programmes or T Levels. The rates for 2024/25 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-information-for-2024-to-2025#national-funding-rate-for-2024-to-2025. The other elements of the funding formula are then applied, which include a number of adjustments, including for higher cost programmes. Further detail on how the funding formula works can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-how-it-works#funding-formula.

The average total programme funding per 16 to 19 student is £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year, according to published allocations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to include provisions in the English Devolution Bill on improving the provision of support to low-income households to access public services.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The English Devolution Bill will deliver on the vision set out in the English Devolution White Paper, published in December 2024. This included a role for Strategic Authorities in convening partners and driving cross-cutting public service reform, including looking at areas such as multiple disadvantage. The Bill will be introduced to Parliament in this session, when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is to respond to the consultation on fairer food labelling.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central, Gareth Snell on 23 December 2024, PQ 20692.