Written questions by Snell.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of opening the Energy Intensive Industry Exemption scheme to all ceramics manufacturers.

Eligibility for relief through the British Energy Supercharger scheme is based on an assessment of the electricity and trade intensity of an individual sector and how exposed it is to the risk of carbon leakage. The list of eligible sectors is set out in legislation, meaning we are unable to add to it without a full public consultation. The Government plans to review eligibility of sectors in 2026 and my officials will keep interested stakeholders updated on developments.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing the business-level test from the Energy Intensive industry scheme eligibility requirements for UK ceramic manufacturers.

The business level test was introduced to focus support under the British Industry Supercharger at those individual businesses most at risk of carbon leakage and to balance the cost of the scheme to other electricity users with the benefits to Energy Intensive Industries. There are currently no plans to amend that business level test and any proposed amendments to the scheme criteria would be subject to consultation.

If his Department will convene a ceramics taskforce, chaired by a Minister.

The Department for Business and Trade works closely with the ceramics sector through Ceramics UK and directly with businesses to understand its challenges and provide support to help its global competitiveness. If we take a view that a ceramics taskforce is required, we will convene it. Our engagement includes the Energy Intensive Users Group which includes representation from the ceramics sector. I recently held a roundtable with members of EIUG and met with a ceramics sector delegation today.

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.

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.

How many students are studying an applied general qualification of 720 guided learning hours or more in a T level route.

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.

What the average programme funding is for 16 to 19 year olds studying T levels and other Level 3 qualifications.

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.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned research into the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting on (a) access to healthy foods, (b) sustainability targets, (c) expenditure by businesses and (d) access to healthier food distribution organisations.

The consultation stage Impact Assessment considered the potential impacts of mandatory food waste reporting on large food businesses. Furthermore, when businesses reduce their food waste, we expect to see progress towards sustainability targets and increases in surplus food redistribution, but these has not been quantified, and these benefits are indirect because they are not realised from measurement and reporting alone, they require action to be taken. No assessment has been made of the potential of reporting to increase access to healthy foods.

How many adrenaline auto-Injector (AAI) prescriptions were issued in each of the last 10 years.

The Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data release gives items and quantities of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The following table shows the total number of National Health Service prescription items dispensed in the community in England, regardless of where prescribed, for adrenaline auto-injectors, from 2015 to 2024, and in total: YearTotal prescription items2015303,8102016324,3772017338,6682018351,9312019381,7542020375,2402021343,7292022403,0462023407,0702024429,542Total3,659,167Source: the NHS Business Services Authority’s Open Data Portal, PCA dataNote: the term ‘items’ refers to the number of times a product appears on a prescription form, and not the quantity prescribed.The data does not include data on medicines used in secondary care, prisons, or those issued by a private prescriber.

How many anaphylaxis incidents on the rail network were recorded by Network Rail over the last 10 years.

Network Rail do not record this information centrally.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

If he will make an estimate of the number of children under the age of 18 that are currently diagnosed with an allergy.

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.

If he will make an estimate of the number of adults that are currently diagnosed with an allergy.

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.

If he will make an estimate of the number of 999 emergency calls that mentioned anaphylaxis in the last 10 years.

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.

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.

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.

If he will make an estimate of the number of recorded deaths due to anaphylaxis in the last 10 years.

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:Registration YearDeaths20141,42920151,59820161,56320171,64620181,73120191,59720201,67420211,46520221,64520231,665Source: ONS The following table shows the number of deaths in England and Wales where fatal anaphylactic reactions were mentioned on the death certificate:Registration yearDeaths20148,11220158,17020168,32420178,58020188,45520198,259202011,379202110,97220228,87920238,645Source: ONS

How many paediatric allergists are employed in the NHS.

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.

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.

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.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing tuition fees for foundation year in-classroom-based subjects on the finances of universities.

On 20 January 2025, the department published a regulatory impact assessment covering the reduction in tuition fee and loan limits for higher education foundation years in classroom-based subjects, which is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/13/pdfs/ukia_20250013_en.pdf.