Written questions by Johnson.

How many Extended Sentence for Public Protection sentences were given in each year between 2005 and 2012.

An Extended Sentence for Public Protection (EPP) was a determinate sentence in use from 2005 until its abolition in 2012.The sentence was handed down to individuals convicted of specified offences where Section 227 or Section 228 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 applied, and where the courts believed there was a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public on commission of further specified offences.The table below sets out how many EPP sentences were given in each year between 2005 and 2012.2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 1,4931,2991,131671434453648332

How many people serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence have died while housed in approved premises in each of the last 10 years.

Deaths in Approved Premises are rare, accounting for less than 1% of deaths of offenders in the community during 2023/24, and the number of deaths annually has been decreasing. Some of the deaths, while resident in Approved Premises, occurred away from the premises.Five individuals serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence died whilst housed in Approved Premises between 2019/20 and 2023/24. The number of deaths can be broken down as follows:2020/21 - 32022/23 - 2The figure is 0 for all other years since 2019/20.As per previously published data to date, there have been no deaths of IPP-sentenced individuals under this Government.Data prior to April 2019 would require a manual matching exercise and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting on levels of surplus food redistribution in Liverpool.

No assessment of the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting on levels of surplus food redistribution in Liverpool has been made. Evidence in the 2022 consultation stage Impact Assessment showed that requiring food businesses to publicly measure and report their food surplus and waste can incentivise food waste reduction, including through surplus redistribution. As with all policies, if the policy were to be taken forward, a further assessment of costs and benefits would be published as part of the legislative process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on the potential impact of draining the aquifer under Dhakla, Western Sahara on the production by Moroccan companies of produce for export.

No such discussions have taken place. It is for companies to take their own decisions on whether to do business in Western Sahara, as elsewhere.

Whether the Child Poverty Taskforce has held discussions with the Department for Education on the potential inclusion of family hubs in the forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and to prosper.The Ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce co-chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has now met nine times to discuss the critical issues that drive child poverty. One such meeting in January focused on the crucial role of local services, including Family Hubs, in reducing the impact of poverty.Family Hubs offer vital services from birth to age 19, or to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities, supporting health, education, and wellbeing, particularly for families in poverty. In 2025/26, £126 million will be invested through Family Hubs and Start for Life to give every child the best start in life.The Taskforce will continue to explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term action across government to reduce child poverty, including Family Hubs.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a national outcomes framework for family hubs.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that all local authorities provide family hubs in their communities.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

What steps she is taking to ensure that integrated family hubs are available in all communities.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of family hubs on (a) neighbourhood health and (b) the delivery of integrated community-based health services.

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer.The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme supports the three reform shifts set out in the Government’s Health Mission, including the shift from hospital to community. It is already delivering a community-based model to transform health outcomes for babies, children, and their families.The effectiveness of the programme will take time to be realised, as long-term evaluation is required. The programme is subject to two national, independent evaluations to understand its implementation and impact.

Whether (a) officials and (b) Ministers in her Department have had recent meetings with (i) the Israeli Embassy and (ii) Elbit Systems.

I refer the Hon Member to the response I gave to UIN 41686 on 14 April.The Home Office engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry partners and diplomatic counterparts to support its departmental objectives, ensure the effective delivery of its responsibilities, and engage on stakeholder matters of concern.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early interventions in the early years sector.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that any produce originating in Western Sahara is labelled as such.

The Government is committed to ensuring that UK consumers are not misled about the origin of the food they purchase. In accordance with retained EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, food labelling must not be misleading, including in relation to the origin or provenance of food. The UK is responsible for enforcing this regulation within the UK.On 1 June, the Foreign Secretary endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. In that context, we continue to support the parties and the UN to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) parents and (b) carers reading to children in the early years on the mental wellbeing of (i) children and (ii) those (A) parents and (B) carers.

No such assessment has been made. We know that according to research, reading helps to reduce stress levels and could be beneficial to mental health and well-being.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of a targeted place-based approach to service provision in the early years sector.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of learning through play in early years on children's development.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of promoting a culture of reading for pleasure in the home learning environment on the development of children in (a) the early years and (b) school-age children.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of community activities to support families with children in the early years.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

What policies her Department has on early intervention in early years education (a) during a child’s first 1001 days and (b) for children aged up to five.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

What plans she has to improve home learning environments to support literacy in (a) the early years and (b) school age children.

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to hold discussions with Polisario on forthcoming discussions on trade agreements that affect Western Sahara.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) frequently engage on how best to deliver the Government's growth mission, including by supporting UK exports and investment across North Africa. DBT's team in Morocco focuses on the business opportunities that will create the most value for the UK economy. Trade agreements negotiated by the UK are conducted with sovereign states and in accordance with international law. The UK-Morocco Association Agreement, for example, is applied in a manner consistent with the UK's position on the status of Western Sahara. Senior officials meet regularly with Sahrawi representatives to discuss UK policy on Western Sahara, including trade.On 1 June, the Foreign Secretary endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. In that context, we continue to support the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.