Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the total number of school days lost by teaching staff due to the incidence of infectious disease in (a) primary (b) secondary schools in England in the school years 2024/25 and 2025/26 and the proportion of all teacher school days this represents.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested is not held centrally.
The department collects absence data for teachers and teaching assistants employed directly by state-funded schools via the school workforce census. This includes absences due to sickness but does not include the reason for the sickness absence. Each census collects data for absences from the previous academic year. The latest data available covers the 2024/25 academic year and is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the World Health Organization and UNICEF's 2025 Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Community Settings; and whether he plans to take steps to promote their implementation in public places and workplaces.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recognise that effective infection prevention and control measures play an important role in reducing the transmission of infectious diseases in workplaces, public spaces, and other community settings. Current evidence continues to support targeted, risk-based hygiene measures as an effective means of reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF's guidelines highlight the role of hand hygiene in community environments, including public and institutional settings, and in reducing diarrhoeal disease and acute respiratory infections. These objectives are consistent with existing Government policies to prevent and control infections and support public health.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department and the UK Health Security Agency have made of the potential merits of promoting targeted hygiene in workplaces and public spaces as a means of reducing the spread of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recognise that effective infection prevention and control measures play an important role in reducing the transmission of infectious diseases in workplaces, public spaces, and other community settings. Current evidence continues to support targeted, risk-based hygiene measures as an effective means of reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF's guidelines highlight the role of hand hygiene in community environments, including public and institutional settings, and in reducing diarrhoeal disease and acute respiratory infections. These objectives are consistent with existing Government policies to prevent and control infections and support public health.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the total number of school days lost by pupils due to the incidence of infectious disease in (a) primary (b) secondary schools in England in the school years 2024/25 and 2025/26 and what proportion of all pupil school days this represents.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not collect data on absence due specifically to infectious disease.
The closest available measure is absence due to illness. In 2024/25, illness accounted for 2.83% of all possible sessions in state-funded primary schools and 3.61% in state-funded secondary schools. These figures are based on school census data, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/71a4148c-f739-4adc-9a80-08dee27f7d76.
For 2025/26 to date, illness absence has accounted for 2.81% of possible sessions in primary schools and 3.63% in secondary schools. Data for 2025/26 is based on daily attendance data and may be subject to change as registers update. Details are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cfdaf89b-050d-4c76-179f-08dee28a6f1d.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the need for formal guidance for employers and workplace operators on workplace cleanliness and hygiene standards to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Employers have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to assess and control risks to workers and others arising from their activities. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) already provides guidance on infections and biological hazards at work, including risk assessment, infection control measures, and preventing exposure to biological agents.
HSE's guidance makes it clear that employers should identify biological hazards, assess who may be harmed and implement proportionate control measures. These may include the use of disinfectants, appropriate hygiene arrangements and surfaces that can be easily cleaned where necessary to reduce the likelihood and spread of infection. Where no specific biological hazards are identified, employers should nevertheless ensure suitable workplace hygiene arrangements are in place.
For settings with specific infection prevention requirements, such as health and adult social care, additional sector-specific guidance is available from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.
HSE keeps its guidance under review and has not identified a need for additional formal guidance specifically on workplace cleanliness and hygiene standards to prevent the spread of infectious diseases or antimicrobial resistance.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the inclusion of fruit and nut bars in the location restrictions for high fat, sugar and salt products since October 2022 on businesses; and what steps he is taking to support investment by affected manufacturers of fruit and nut bars.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis to ease the strain on our National Health Service and create the healthiest generation of children ever.
Restrictions on the promotion by location of ‘less healthy’ food and drink products in stores and their equivalent places online have been in place since 2022. These restrictions apply to categories of products that impact most on childhood obesity, which were chosen following public consultation.
Only fruit and nut bars that are high in saturated fat, salt, or sugar are in scope of the restrictions. The products that are in and out of scope of the restrictions are set out in the Schedule to the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 and we have published guidance to support industry on complying with the restrictions.
We published a detailed impact assessment on the costs to industry and the benefits of this policy on the GOV.UK website. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the restrictions and will publish a Post Implementation Review within five years of the restrictions taking legal effect.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will publish an economic impact assessment on the potential impact of the 2018 Nutrient Profiling Model within the advertising and promotion regulations, specifically in relation to business investment, reformulation, and product innovation.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. As part of this, the Government committed to updating the standards behind the restrictions on advertising ‘less healthy’ food or drink products on television before 9:00pm and online at any time, as well as the restrictions on the promotion of ‘less healthy’ food and drink products by location and volume price by applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM).
The advertising and promotions restrictions currently rely on the outdated NPM 2004/05. The new NPM has been updated in line with the latest dietary advice from the United Kingdom’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, particularly in relation to free sugar and fibre. Applying it to the restrictions will strengthen these policies by bringing more products of concern for children’s health into scope.
The Government published the new NPM on 27 January. Application of the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions would be subject to a full public consultation. A consultation-stage impact assessment of the direct costs to businesses and intended health outcomes would be published alongside. A final impact assessment would be published prior to amending the advertising and promotions restrictions legislation.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary trade negotiations on the cut flower and plant sector; and when small flower‑selling businesses will be impacted by changes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and removing trade barriers for British producers and retailers. While those negotiations are ongoing, we cannot comment further on the SPS agreement.
The Government is aiming to conclude negotiations and have legislative arrangements in place no later than 2027, subject to discussion with the EU.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she has taken to appoint a Retail and Hospitality Envoy.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Government will make an announcement on the appointment of the Retail and Hospitality Envoy in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Linsey Farnsworth (Labour - Amber Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the rights of property buyers in the context of consultations on home buying and selling reform and the provision of material information in property listings.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must already not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the proposals set out in the home buying and selling consultations published on 6 October 2025. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.