Written questions by Johnson.

If he will publish guidance on the sugar and salt content of baby foods.

A 2019 evidence review showed that babies and young children are exceeding their energy intake requirement and are eating too much sugar and salt. Some commercial baby foods, particularly finger foods, had added sugar or salt, or contained ingredients that are high in sugar or salt.More recently, the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) highlighted in their report on Feeding Young Children aged 1-5 years, published in 2023, that free sugar intakes are above recommendations for children at all ages where recommendations have been set; and that commercial baby food and drinks contributed to around 20% of free sugar intake in children aged between 12 and 18 months old. SACN also recommended that in diets of children aged between one and five years old, foods, including snacks that are high in salt, free sugars, saturated fat, or are energy dense should be limited and that commercially manufactured foods and drinks marketed specifically for infants and young children are not needed to meet nutrition requirements.We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government is committed to raising the healthiest next generation. We can therefore confirm that we will publish voluntary industry guidelines to limit the levels of salt and sugar in commercially available baby food and drink in the near future.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing kitchen facilities available to primary schools, in the context of the roll-out of new breakfast clubs.

The government is committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in every primary school with primary aged pupils whilst ensuring effective implementation.Departmental officials are working closely with schools and sector experts on various matters, including facilities and space, to develop a programme that effectively meets the needs of children, schools and parents.From April 2025, free breakfast clubs will be available in up to 750 early adopter schools, as part of a test and learn phase in advance of national roll out.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start.

The Healthy Start scheme is being kept under review. The scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.Healthy Start now supports over 355,000 beneficiaries. This figure is higher than the previous paper voucher scheme. The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, the NHS Business Services Authority is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, we remain open to all viable routes to improve uptake.

What assessment he has made of the potential link between poor (a) mental health and (b) access to nutritious food.

Whilst there has been no direct assessment of a potential link, the relationship between food security, nutritional intake and physical and mental health in the United Kingdom is currently unclear. However, international data suggests that in the long-term, food insecurity may be associated with poorer diets and poorer mental and physical health.UK dietary recommendations are based on advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). SACN’s risk assessments consider a broad range of health outcomes, including mental health where evidence is available.Working together as a mission led Government, we will move from a model of sickness to one of prevention, reducing health inequality and closing the gap in healthy life expectancy, as well as delivering on our commitment to raise the healthiest next generation. As part of this we are working with civil society, industry and the public to address some of the biggest drivers of ill-health and health inequalities, including tackling poor diet.To help break down barriers to opportunity and confront child poverty we are rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school, with an early adopter scheme launching in April 2025. All children in Reception, year 1 and year 2 in England's state-funded schools are already entitled to universal infant free school meals and disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools, as well as students aged between 16 and 18 years old in further education, receive free meals on the basis of low income.In addition, our Healthy Food Schemes already provide support for those who need it the most. The Healthy Start scheme aims to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula; beneficiaries also have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins.

Pursuant to the Answers of 15 October 2024 to Questions 7571, 7572, 7573, 7574, 7575, and 7576 on Radicalism and Counter-terrorism, what the terms of reference are for the rapid review of extremism; and what criteria she is using to choose who to consult from (a) government, (b) academia, (c) communities and (d) international partners for that review.

The Home Secretary has commissioned a rapid review of extremism and our current approach to tackling this issue. This review will map and monitor extremist trends, understand the evidence about what works to disrupt and divert people away from extremist views, and identify any gaps in existing policy which need to be addressed to crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs and violence.This review is due to conclude in the autumn and will provide a series of recommendations including whether it is necessary to develop a new Counter-Extremism Strategy.We engage with government stakeholders currently or potentially involved in the delivery of any counter extremism approach; academic experts who have published work on and are specialising in extremism and associated themes; international partners who could provide relevant learning from their own implementation of countering extremism: and community representation to speak to concerns facing communities on the ground.

How many and what proportion of people serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence in prison were originally given a tariff of (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) 18 months, (d) two years, (e) three years and (f) five years or under.

The number of prisoners serving a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) who have never been released, as of 30 June 2024, and were sentenced to tariffs of six months, 12 months, 18 months, two years, three years and five years or under, five years to ten years are set out in the table below.Original Tariff Count Proportion of those unreleased in prisonLess than 6 months50.4%6 months to less than 12 months151.3%12 months to less than 18 months474.2%18 months to less than 2 years12110.7%2 years to less than 3 years25322.3%3 years to 5 years37233.0%5 years to 10 years28024.7%Tariff not recorded2 Notes:1. Tariff length is the time between date of sentencing and tariff expiry date and does not take into account any time served on remand.2. 'Tariff not recorded' includes cases where a confirmed tariff expiry date has yet to be received, and any unmatched records. It is right that IPP sentences were abolished, and we are committed to working at pace to support the progression of all those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that undermines public protection.

Pursuant to the Answers of 14 October 2024 to Question 7569 on Special Educational Needs and Question 7570 on Pupil Referral Units, how many and what proportion of children who had been excluded from school were then registered at Pupil Referral Units by (a) sex, (b) ethnicity, (c) free school meals status and (d) region in each of the last 10 years.

The department does not currently hold statistics showing how many children who had been excluded from school were then registered at Pupil Referral Units. However, there are legal duties on schools and local authorities to provide suitable full-time education from the sixth day of a suspension or permanent exclusion.The duties on schools and local authorities to provide alternative provision, and the standards that this should meet, are also set out in statutory guidance. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-provision.

Whether she plans to consult civil society before publishing the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

The King’s Speech on 17 July confirmed the Government will introduce the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to deliver enhanced powers to tackle organised immigration crime whilst providing for strong and effective border security. Work is underway to prepare this legislation and it will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.The measures will provide a framework for the Border Security Command to operate, improve investigative capability into organised immigration crime, enable smarter, faster and more effective interventions to protect UK border security; and make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter those seeking to engage in and benefit from organised immigration crime, limiting the permissible environment and its impact. Throughout the development of the legislation, the Government has engaged with a range of partners including operational teams and will continue to do so throughout the Bill’s passage.

What steps she is taking to minimise unnecessary data (a) collection and (b) sharing through Equifax during the fee waiver application process.

The Home Office have had contracts to enable financial checking since at least 2014 and therefore financial checks may have been used as part of fee waiver considerations from this date.As outlined in the Fee Waiver guidance, checks may be undertaken with agencies such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and credit checking agencies (for example Equifax or Experian) to verify information provided by the applicant with regard to their income and finances.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applications-for-a-fee-waiver-and-refundsThe declaration that is completed by customers as part of their application outlines the fact that such checks are undertaken. Decision makers will also gain written consent from individuals for checks to be undertaken where we do not already hold it.

Whether her Department confidentially destroys third party data received as part of Equifax checks conducted in fee waiver applications.

The Home Office have had contracts to enable financial checking since at least 2014 and therefore financial checks may have been used as part of fee waiver considerations from this date.As outlined in the Fee Waiver guidance, checks may be undertaken with agencies such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and credit checking agencies (for example Equifax or Experian) to verify information provided by the applicant with regard to their income and finances.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applications-for-a-fee-waiver-and-refundsThe declaration that is completed by customers as part of their application outlines the fact that such checks are undertaken. Decision makers will also gain written consent from individuals for checks to be undertaken where we do not already hold it.

When her Department began using Equifax checks as part of the fee waiver assessment process for leave to remain applications.

The Home Office have had contracts to enable financial checking since at least 2014 and therefore financial checks may have been used as part of fee waiver considerations from this date.As outlined in the Fee Waiver guidance, checks may be undertaken with agencies such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and credit checking agencies (for example Equifax or Experian) to verify information provided by the applicant with regard to their income and finances.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applications-for-a-fee-waiver-and-refundsThe declaration that is completed by customers as part of their application outlines the fact that such checks are undertaken. Decision makers will also gain written consent from individuals for checks to be undertaken where we do not already hold it.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the end of the Household Support Fund on the number of people in poverty.

No assessment has been made of the impact of the Household Support Fund on poverty. The Government announced funding to extend the Household Support Fund for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million has been provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual. The objective of the Household Support Fund is to provide crisis support to vulnerable households in England in most need with the cost of essentials such as food and energy. The Household Support Fund is intended to cover a wide range of low-income households in need, including households with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people, larger households, single-person households, and those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events. Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for the fund. This is because they have the ties and the knowledge to best determine how support should be provided in their local communities.

Whether the child poverty taskforce plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of furniture poverty on families in social rented homes.

The Child Poverty Taskforce has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The taskforce is exploring a range of metrics and will make decisions alongside the publication of the strategy in Spring 2025.

With reference to Institute for Public Policy Research's report entitled Who is losing learning, the case for reducing exclusions across mainstream schools, published on 5 September 2024, what steps her Department is taking to reduce recent trends in the number of Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveler pupils placed in alternative provision.

The government has committed to taking a community-wide approach to improving inclusion of all children in mainstream schools, whatever their background. The department will see alternative providers working with mainstream schools to provide high quality early interventions and targeted support for children and young people that is targeted at their specific needs, which will ultimately reduce the numbers of referrals into alternative provision.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of households living in social housing without essential pieces of furniture.

The department does not collect data on the number of households living in social housing without essential pieces of furniture. Social housing residents in need may be able to get help with essential items from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’.

Communities & Local Government, whether she plans to respond to the report by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination entitled Concluding observations on the combined twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth periodic reports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 23 August 2024.

The UK condemns all forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia and related forms of intolerance and we remain steadfast in our commitment to combatting it, at home and abroad. This includes bringing forward new legislation to tackle persistent racial inequalities.We recognise the important work of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and are committed to working with them to ensure that no one should have to endure racism. In accordance with the Convention and as per the process outlined in the Committee’s report, we will be considering the Committee’s recommendations and will provide an update to the Committee on specific recommendations by August 2025, followed by a full periodic report on our progress by April 2028.

With reference to the Education Policy Institute's Annual Report 2024, published on 16 July 2024, what steps she plans to take to tackle disadvantage gaps identified in that report for (a) Gypsy and Roma pupils in (i) primary and (ii) secondary school and (b) other pupils; and whether she plans to implement that report's (A) policy recommendations for closing disadvantage gaps and (B) other policy recommendations.

Every child, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to progress and succeed in school and beyond. This government is committed to breaking the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success.The department recognises the issues faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) children and young people and has an active GRT stakeholder group, which includes representatives from GRT communities and the education sector. The group is a valuable source of information and challenge for the department and works to inform thinking, policy and delivery, addressing barriers faced by GRT pupils.In line with the recommendations of the Education Policy Institute’s annual report, the government has committed to developing an ambitious Child Poverty strategy, implementing several initiatives aimed at boosting children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as investing in improving inclusivity and expertise to support children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools.To support all young people to achieve and thrive, the department has started work to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers and launched an independent, expert-led curriculum and assessment review that will look closely at the key challenges to attainment. The department has also committed to provide breakfast clubs in all state funded primary schools, ensuring every primary school child is well prepared for school.In the 2024/25 financial year, over £7.8 billion of the schools’ national funding formula funding has been allocated based on deprivation and other additional needs. In addition, in the last academic year, of the £7 billion allocated to support 16 to 18 year olds in education, nearly £600 million was targeted to support the needs of disadvantaged students.

How many children attend special educational needs schools by (a) sex, (b) ethnicity, (c) free school meals status and (d) region.

Information on children attending special schools is reported within the school census, with the most recent publication available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. To access the data, use a table builder to find the required information. An example of the outputs from the table builder is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/06951e44-abeb-4c2b-4111-08dce44cbd16.

How many children are registered at pupil referral units by (a) sex, (b) ethnicity, (c) free school meals status and (d) region.

Information on pupil referral units is reported within the school census. The most recent publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. By following this link you will be able to use a table builder to find the information that you require. One example of the outputs from the table builder can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/90137e0b-149c-42fc-410d-08dce44cbd16.

If she will publish an equality impact assessment of the potential impact on groups with protected characteristics of the counter-extremism strategy review.

The Home Secretary has commissioned a rapid review of extremism and our current approach to tackling this issue. We are reviewing a range of work, as well as engaging and learning from a range of voices across government, academia, communities and international partners.This review is due to conclude in the autumn and will provide a series of recommendations, action subject to scrutiny and assessment in the usual way.