Written questions by Uppal.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consultations he plans to hold with (a) humanitarian and (b) international development (i) partners and (ii) stakeholders on changes to Official Development Assistance.

The Government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.We are currently working through the details of the Prime Minister's announcement, including engagement with a range of stakeholders. We will continue to work with British International Investment to focus and maximise the impact of its work in line with our missions and the wider geopolitical situation.

Whether he plans to change food-labelling regulations to make sugar levels in in food products clearer.

The level of sugar in food and drink is already shown on food and drink packaging, in the majority of cases, which enables consumers to make informed choices. There are no plans at this time to change food labelling regulations regarding sugar levels in food. However, we continue to monitor the evidence on how food labelling impacts the choices and consumption habits of consumers.General food labelling legislation sets out requirements for food labelling. It is mandatory for food and drink packaging to include a nutrition declaration, which shows the quantities of nutrients contained within them, including sugar. The legislation also allows for the inclusion of voluntary additional information on the packaging, which may help to inform consumers.The United Kingdom has implemented the multiple traffic lights (MTL) label, which is a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system. It provides nutritional information for products at a glance in a simple and easy way that consumers can understand. The MTL label shows the quantity of energy, fat, saturates, sugar, and salt contained in the food or drink. The UK was one of the first countries to introduce a national front-of-pack labelling system and it continues to be widely used by consumers and some businesses.

What support is available to companies seeking to (a) train and (b) employ autistic job seekers.

Neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to workplaces but face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. As a government, we want to support all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work.On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise.The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices.Employers have a key role to play. Our support to employers includes the online Support with Employee Health and Disability service, to support employers managing health and disability in the workplace. This includes questions of disclosure and equipping employers to feel confident having conversations about health and disability. The Disability Confident scheme also signposts employers to expert resources which support the employment of disabled people, including neurodivergent people.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to encourage conflict parties in Sudan to remove (a) travel permits, (b) internal travel notifications for humanitarian staff, (c) unpredictable visa procedures and (d) other bureaucratic barriers to humanitarian access.

The UK continues to raise the critical issue of humanitarian access and the bureaucratic impediments placed by the warring parties on relief agencies. At the UN Security Council in December 2024 and again in January this year, we called for the warring parties to lift bureaucratic impediments and let aid get to those who need it. The former Minister for Development also engaged directly with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on the UN response and the bureaucratic obstacles it faces. In recent bilateral engagements with the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, the UK lobbied against impediments including lengthy delays in the provision of visas for international humanitarian personnel.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help ensure that conflict parties in Sudan facilitate consistent humanitarian access through (a) cross-border and (b) crossline routes.

The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access. Through a commitment of £226.5 million we are delivering lifesaving aid to over one million people. In April, the Foreign Secretary will convene Foreign Ministers in London to host an event marking the two year anniversary of the conflict. The event aims to increase international attention to the human cost of the conflict and to help deliver a more effective and scaled-up humanitarian response, including more consistent cross-border and crossline access. In February, the former Minister for Development also convened a meeting with her counterparts which sought to strengthen the UN-led international humanitarian response and improve aid access.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local food partnerships.

The Government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including Local Food Partnerships, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support local authorities to provide statutory services for young people.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, 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. At the Autumn Budget, we announced £1.3 billion of extra funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for the next financial year.In 2025/26, we will be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot which will support local authorities to build back capability in the youth space and improve local youth offers.We are developing a new National Youth Strategy co-produced with young people, which will set out a new vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this. We will be publishing an interim report this spring and the Strategy will be published this summer.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of youth services on public health outcomes.

Youth services play a vital role in achieving positive outcomes for public health, by promoting healthy behaviours, building resilience, and improving mental and physical wellbeing among young people. These services provide early intervention and support that can prevent the development of more serious health and social issues, including mental health challenges, substance misuse, and physical health problems.The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever.  Through the Young Futures Hubs we will provide open access mental health support for children and young people in every community in England.In 2024/25, the Department is running a Shared Outcomes Fund project, backed by £8 million, to boost and evaluate the impact of 24 existing early support hubs. These drop-in centres offer mental health support and advice to young people without a referral by a doctor or school.On 12 November 2024, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced the co-production of a National Youth Strategy which will aim to provide more opportunities to young people, bring power back to young people and their communities, and rebuild a thriving and sustainable youth sector. The physical and mental health and wellbeing of young people will be considered when developing the strategy.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to increase funding for youth services.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, 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. At the Autumn Budget, we announced £1.3 billion of extra funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for the next financial year.We are developing a new National Youth Strategy co-produced with young people, which will set out a new vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this. We will be publishing an interim report this spring and the Strategy will be published this summer.Funding allocations for specific programmes in 2025/26 will be communicated in due course, following the completion of business planning. It will include:Over £85 million of capital funding to create fit-for-purpose spaces in places where it is most needed. This includes the Better Youth Spaces Fund - £26 million for youth clubs to buy new equipment and do renovations;The Local Youth Transformation Fund to start the journey of building back lost capability in local areas;Completion of Youth Investment Fund projects underway.

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on prosecuting knife offences.

I am aware of the terrible cases that have occurred in your constituency and these tragic cases are an example as to why we have committed to halving instances of knife crime in a decade as part of this Government’s Plan for Change.Violent crime is too high, too many lives are still being lost to knives, and we too often see the consequences of these heinous crimes in the press. By banning zombie knives, tackling online sales via Ronan’s Law and working closely with community leaders, this Government has already taken robust action to tackle this issue.We will continue to take action to reduce knife crime further. I am committed to the Crown Prosecution Service playing a full part in this critical work, and it requires a whole system effort.This is an issue that is regularly discussed at Mission Boards and which I will continue discussing with Ministerial colleagues and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of using enrichment activities on rates of student absenteeism.

For children to achieve and thrive, they need to be in school. The department is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities at school as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Absence is a key barrier we seek to break.High standards can only be built on a foundation of belonging at school. Thanks to the hard work of the sector there has been progress, but we remain a long way off pre-pandemic levels.The department recognises that enrichment activities are a vital way for children and young people to gain skills and strengthen their sense of school belonging, supporting them to achieve and thrive. We know how important it is to ensure that opportunities are available for all children and young people. For example, the department is providing over £2.9 billion this financial year for the pupil premium grant to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England. Schools must use this funding in line with the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is based on the evidence of how best to improve attainment for disadvantaged pupils. This includes the flexibility to use pupil premium to tackle non-academic barriers to success, including providing enrichment opportunities to benefit those pupils who may not be able to have access otherwise.Additionally, the National Wraparound Childcare Programme is improving the availability of childcare across the country and providing additional support for parents. The programme aims to ensure all parents are able to access full time wraparound childcare beyond the school day, enabling parents to work and supporting children with enriching opportunities.The department will continue to monitor the evidence base for the impact of enrichment activities and a variety of factors that support attendance. In addition to ensuring children have access to enrichment activities, we are also tackling absence by expanding our attendance mentor programme, rolling out breakfast clubs to all primary schools, and providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) youth and (b) other preventative services on (i) social cohesion and (ii) the economy.

Youth work is estimated to have an indirect economic value of £3.2 billion, including £0.5 billion from decreased crime, £1.7 billion from improved health, and £0.8 billion from increased employment and education. There is also evidence that youth social action has positive impacts on young people’s sense of belonging and active citizenship, as well as inter-generational relationships and communities’ feelings of pride in local areas.

Media and Sport, whether she has held discussions with representatives of young people on the development of the national youth strategy.

Both the Secretary of State and I have conducted roundtables with young people and over the coming months will conduct a number of different engagement activities with young people, including focus groups.In addition, a Youth Advisory Group was established in December 2024 to support DCMS to develop the National Youth Strategy. It will form a key part of the co-production of the National Youth Strategy, ensuring young people have a decision-making role throughout the process by providing expertise, challenge and a range of perspectives.

What steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of young people in work.

As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England set to receive grant funding to deliver the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers from Spring 2025. We will use the learning from these Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England. This is alongside a new national jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, work health and skills plans for the economically inactive, and the launch of Skills England to open new opportunities for young people. We will work in partnership with organisations and businesses at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include work experience, training courses or employability programmes. The Government is also reforming the apprenticeships offer into a more flexible growth and skills offer, aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships, in targeted sectors. These will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people. DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.

If he will make it his policy that decisions on the allocation of funding through the Children Hospices Grant are made by his Department.

We are providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices. It will once again be transacted by integrated care boards on behalf of NHS England. This is in line with National Health Service devolution and promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care.NHS England will set out the details of the 2025/26 funding allocation and dissemination to individual hospices shortly.In February 2025, I met with key palliative and end of life care, including hospice, stakeholders to discuss the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of consulting with young people on cross-government decision-making processes.

This Government recognises the value of effective youth participation in decision making at all levels. We understand this leads to impactful policy locally, regionally and nationally.Youth consultation opportunities are taking place across government: As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education have established a Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel to help shape the design and development of the Youth Guarantee.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government recently convened two roundtables with young people to inform work on their long term strategy for communities. Young people have been invited to participate in an online debate run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to help inform the revision of the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. The DCMS-led new National Youth Strategy will be co-produced with young people. We have already conducted Ministerial roundtables with young people and over the coming months will conduct a number of different youth engagement activities. We have set up a Youth Advisory Group to work alongside us throughout the development of the Strategy, and will shortly launch a national survey to ask young people about their issues and priorities.The Secretary of State has written to all MPs to encourage them to engage with young people in their constituencies in support of the Strategy. This included an engagement toolkit so MPs can run their own workshops and discussions with young people, or encourage organisations in their constituencies who work with young people to do the same.

When his Department plans to announce the allocation of funding to hospices through the (a) adult and children hospices grant and (b) the Children Hospice Grant.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of that funding, with Hospice UK allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. An additional £75 million will be available from April 2025.We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant. NHS England will set out the details of the 2025/26 funding allocation and dissemination to individual hospices shortly.In early February 2025, I met with key palliative and end of life care, including hospice, stakeholders to discuss the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

What progress he has made towards achieving the UK’s 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement.

The UK is a global leader in the fight against climate change, which is why at COP29, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s 1.5°C aligned 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This target is ambitious and is estimated to reduce emissions by more than 60% between 2019 and 2035, aligning with the reductions in the IPCC’s global pathways which limit warming to 1.5°C with low or no overshoot. Last week, this Government took a step further and was amongst the first few countries in the world to formally submit its 2035 NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. By submitting our 2035 early, the UK is championing mitigation ambition and will be leading by example to encourage and support other countries to come forward with their own ambitious target ahead of COP30. The UK is the first major economy to halve its emissions, having cut them by around 53% between 1990 and 2023, while also growing its economy by around 80%. We have also over-achieved against the first, second and third carbon budgets. We will deliver an updated cross-economy plan in due course, to outline the policies needed to deliver carbon budgets 4-6 on our pathway to net zero by 2050.

What discussions he has had with (a) his international counterparts, (b) the United Nations and (c) Cabinet colleagues on attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

The Secretary of State for Defence has regular conversations with international partners and Cabinet colleagues, including on the situation in Lebanon. As expressed in the G7 Defence Ministers joint statement on 17 October 2024, and in the joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of the UK, France, Germany and Italy on 14 October, the UK is concerned by the latest events in Lebanon and the risk of further escalation, as well as by all threats to UNIFIL's security. The UK has been clear that Israel and all parties must uphold their obligations to always ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and to allow UNIFIL to continue carrying out its mandate. The protection of peacekeepers is incumbent upon all parties to a conflict any deliberate attack against UNIFIL goes against international humanitarian law. The UK also reaffirms the importance of supporting UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces in their role of ensuring the stability and security of Lebanon.