Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the 55,000 Jobs Guarantee placements will go to each of the six specified regions.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years.
We know young people need support quickly and that is why we will begin delivery of the Jobs Guarantee in six areas from spring 2026 in: Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest & Southeast Wales. We will deliver over 1000 job starts in the first six months in these regions. This will be followed by national roll-out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the percentage uptake of flu vaccines in children in each region of England; and what is their target uptake for children this winter.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season.
Monthly regional level data for general practice patients, including two- and three-year-olds and school-aged children, is available throughout the season. The following table shows the provisional vaccine uptake for two- and three-year-olds in England, by region, for the 2025 to 2026 season:
National Health Service region | Two year olds | Three year olds |
East of England | 36.8% | 37.0% |
London | 27.9% | 27.0% |
Midlands | 31.8% | 32.0% |
North East and Yorkshire | 33.6% | 33.7% |
North West | 28.2% | 29.0% |
South East | 41.2% | 41.6% |
South West | 41.1% | 40.7% |
England | 33.8% | 33.9% |
In addition, the following table shows the provisional vaccine uptake for school-aged children in England, by region:
NHS region | All primary school-aged in reception to Year 6 | All secondary school-aged in Year 7 to 11 | All school-aged children (reception to year 11) |
East of England | 43.7% | 47.9% | 45.4% |
London | 25.9% | 16.9% | 22.1% |
Midlands | 27.7% | 23.8% | 26.0% |
North East and Yorkshire | 33.4% | 19.9% | 27.6% |
North West | 29.2% | 12.6% | 22.1% |
South East | 35.1% | 15.4% | 26.3% |
South West | 37.6% | 9.3% | 25.0% |
England | 32.7% | 20.8% | 27.6% |
Providers are expected to deliver a 100% offer to eligible groups. They should ensure they make firm plans to equal or improve uptake rates in 2025 to 2026, particularly in those cohorts where uptake has been lower.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what the current vacancy rate is for Crown Prosecutors, broken down by region.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The overall vacancy rate for ‘Crown Prosecutors’* across the 14 regional, geographic areas that make up the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is 4.5% (at the end of December 2025). The table below includes the regional breakdown for CPS vacancy rates applicable to these legal roles.
For context, the vacancy rates are shown alongside the number of vacancies within each geographic area, against the current area Full Time Equivalent (FTE).
*These figures include all legal staff designated as ‘Crown Prosecutors’ only.
| Actual FTE | Budget FTE (T2) | Vacancies | Vacancy Rate |
Cymru Wales Area | 151.85 | 163.28 | 11.43 | 7.0% |
East of England Area | 145.80 | 151.66 | 5.86 | 3.9% |
East Midlands Area | 176.25 | 192.83 | 16.58 | 8.6% |
London North | 253.48 | 278.48 | 25.00 | 9.0% |
London South | 248.80 | 239.43 | (9.37) | -3.9% |
Mersey Cheshire Area | 133.79 | 137.32 | 3.53 | 2.6% |
North East Area | 110.03 | 130.07 | 20.04 | 15.4% |
North West Area | 251.40 | 243.14 | (8.26) | -3.4% |
South East Area | 145.64 | 151.46 | 5.82 | 3.8% |
South West Area | 128.69 | 128.50 | (0.19) | -0.1% |
Thames and Chiltern Area | 127.48 | 144.01 | 16.53 | 11.5% |
Wessex Area | 121.19 | 122.75 | 1.56 | 1.3% |
West Midlands Area | 230.80 | 247.82 | 17.01 | 6.9% |
Yorkshire and Humberside Area | 237.70 | 247.53 | 9.82 | 4.0% |
14 Geographic Areas | 2,462.91 | 2,578.27 | 115.36 | 4.5% |
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, How many people in each of the following regions are expected to be exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeding each of (a) 5 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3), (b) 6 ug/m3 and (c) 7 ug/m3 or more in 2030: (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (j) England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not publish air quality data in the form requested.
The recently published Environmental Improvement Plan set out a target to reduce average exposure to PM2.5 in England by 30% by 2030 compared to the 2018 value. The emphasis of this approach is to continue reducing exposure across the whole of England.
Asked by: Jonathan Brash (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of trends in the level of the dispersal of homeless families from local authorities in the South East and the Midlands to the North East.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Published data shows only small numbers moving from the South East or Midlands to the North East, with most placements made within the same region.
The Code of Guidance makes clear families should be placed locally first. That’s why we are improving data, raising expectations, and working with councils to reduce poor practice.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work has been done to identify geographic disparities in farm profitability.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Data on Farm Business Income (output generated by the farm business minus total farm costs, essentially net profit) is published annually at regional level. While this shows geographic differences in farm profitability, it is also heavily influenced by the variation in the predominant type of farming in different parts of the country.
The survey covers farm businesses in England with a Standard Output of more than £21,000. Whilst it captures the majority of agricultural activity, it excludes smaller businesses (which account for 2% of output).
The table below shows average Farm Business Income, in real terms, by region for 2023/24. These data will shortly be backdated to a new methodology introduced in 2024/25. Data for 2024/25 along with revised 2023/24 figures will be published on the 22nd of January in Farm Accounts in England.
Average Farm Business Income in real terms (£ per farm) by region, England 2023/24:
| £ per farm |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 52,200 |
North East | 67,900 |
North West | 51,600 |
East Midlands | 32,300 |
West Midlands | 57,700 |
East | 67,000 |
South East and London | 35,100 |
South West | 36,100 |
England | 47,900 |
Source: Farm Business Survey data dashboard Farm Business Survey dashboard.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of adults with a learning disability are registered on the learning disability register in (a) England (b) each region of England.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work is currently underway in NHS England to encourage children and young people to join the learning disability register at the age of 14 years old, and to support people who do not have a confirmed learning disability diagnosis to access the register and appropriate services.
NHS England has published guidance to support general practitioners (GPs) in identifying people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability are identified using specific codes within a patient record which are then grouped into a ‘code cluster’. Further information on the guidance is avaiable at the following link:
The learning disability register code cluster includes conditions and diagnoses that are highly likely to indicate that a person has a learning disability. Code cluster contents are dynamic and are updated regularly to account for new content. The latest cluster contents can be found in the Primary Care Domain Reference Set Portal, with further information available at the following link:
In addition, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently wrote to GPs, emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks.
As part of efforts to monitor uptake, NHS England data shows that, as of October 2025, there were 343,520 people aged 14 years old and over with a learning disability on the learning disability register in England. The following table shows the number of people on the learning disability register in each region of England:
Region | Register size age 14 years old and over |
London | 46,823 |
South West | 35,950 |
South East | 50,528 |
Midlands | 67,118 |
East of England | 38,983 |
North West | 43,676 |
North East and Yorkshire | 60,442 |
Source: NHS England published data on the Learning Disability Health Check Scheme for October 2025, a copy of which is attached.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to help increase the uptake of registration on the learning disability register.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work is currently underway in NHS England to encourage children and young people to join the learning disability register at the age of 14 years old, and to support people who do not have a confirmed learning disability diagnosis to access the register and appropriate services.
NHS England has published guidance to support general practitioners (GPs) in identifying people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability are identified using specific codes within a patient record which are then grouped into a ‘code cluster’. Further information on the guidance is avaiable at the following link:
The learning disability register code cluster includes conditions and diagnoses that are highly likely to indicate that a person has a learning disability. Code cluster contents are dynamic and are updated regularly to account for new content. The latest cluster contents can be found in the Primary Care Domain Reference Set Portal, with further information available at the following link:
In addition, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently wrote to GPs, emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks.
As part of efforts to monitor uptake, NHS England data shows that, as of October 2025, there were 343,520 people aged 14 years old and over with a learning disability on the learning disability register in England. The following table shows the number of people on the learning disability register in each region of England:
Region | Register size age 14 years old and over |
London | 46,823 |
South West | 35,950 |
South East | 50,528 |
Midlands | 67,118 |
East of England | 38,983 |
North West | 43,676 |
North East and Yorkshire | 60,442 |
Source: NHS England published data on the Learning Disability Health Check Scheme for October 2025, a copy of which is attached.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support young people to pursue careers in the logistics sector.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP is working to make logistics a sector of choice for young people by promoting awareness and creating clear entry routes. We support Generation Logistics, an industry-led campaign match-funded by the Department for Transport to promote careers in the sector to young people and other underrepresented groups.
Campaigns like Generation Logistics aim to change perceptions and highlight opportunities in the industry, while partnerships with trade bodies such as Logistics UK and UKWA help strengthen employer engagement.
DWP also supports schools through its adviser network and collaborates with organisations like the Careers & Enterprise Company to build a talent pipeline. These efforts focus on attracting young people, women and underrepresented groups to address skills shortages and improve diversity in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
DWP is also a member of the Freight Workforce Group, chaired by the Department for Transport, which provides a forum to share evidence, align activity and support initiatives that strengthen the long-term supply of skilled workers into the sector. Guidance will soon be published by the Department for Transport to support employers with coordinating work experience and recruiting from hard-to-reach groups.
DWP is currently piloting Road to Logistics training in the East Midlands to raise aspirations particularly in young people and those in less advantaged communities.
More generally, this Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. Further details of the announcement can be found in the Written Statement from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 8 December 2025 HCWS1137.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to help reduce the risk of a rolling stock shortage in 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are regular conversations with train operators who are responsible for operating and delivering the passenger timetable and ensuring they have enough rolling stock to meet their requirements. In 2026 there will be introduction of new modern fleets on South Western Railway and East Midlands Railway which have more passenger carrying capacity than the existing fleets.