Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what performance metrics his Department will use to evaluate the employment outcomes of participants in construction training initiatives.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) is a Department for Work and Pensions initiative designed to help unemployed people move into work. It offers sector-specific training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview, supporting claimants to develop the skills and behaviours that employers are looking for in key industries such as construction.

A SWAP is demand-led and generally run in sectors with high volumes of vacancies; this includes the construction sector. From April 2021 to December 2025, there have been 65,930 starts on construction SWAPs. This represents 15% of all SWAP starts in that timeframe. We publish management information on SWAPs quarterly (Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) Management Information - GOV.UK). This includes SWAP starts by sector, and the proportion of SWAP starts with earnings at 6 and 9 months following a SWAP start.

DWP also collect and publish information about Skills Bootcamps starts, completions and employment outcomes. Further information about the methodology can be found on the relevant Explore Education Statistics page: Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes, Financial year 2023-24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of food imports are subject to sanitary and phytosanitary checks.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Food is not a category used to record import checks within sanitary and phytosanitary controls as it covers a large range, of varying types, of imports. Imports are subject to controls based upon their composition or commodity type. Products are categorised as high, medium or low risk, with controls appropriately weighted against the risks posed both by the commodity and the country of origin. The current risk levels are identified on GOV.UK Import risk categories for animals, animal products, plants and plant products - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of food supply chain resilience in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK has a resilient food supply chain underpinned by diverse sources, robust domestic production and reliable import routes. Defra works with industry and across Government, including Cabinet Office, to monitor risks to food supply chain resilience that may arise.

This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. At the local level Defra engages with local resilience forums, with support from MHCLG, to build additional resilience to supply chain shocks and emergencies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental appointments were provided in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the last three 12-month periods.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The table below shows the available data for the number of National Health Service dental treatments delivered each year between 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 in the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Data for dentistry is measured in courses of treatment, not appointments. One course of treatment can be more than one appointment.

Source: NHS Business Services Authority monthly statistics, available at the following link: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/dental-activity-data-england-july-2023-to-october-2025

Source: NHS Business Services Authority, available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425

The data for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are not directly comparable with the 2025/26 data due to the 2025/26 data being provisional. Final data for 2025/26 will be published in August 2026. Furthermore, the 2025/26 data covers seven months of activity, but the 2023/24 and 2024/25 data covers the full 12-month period.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the funding required to meet demand for NHS dental services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the next 12 months.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their population. For the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, this is the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB. Further information on ICB allocation funding for 2026/27 to 2027/28 is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/

In 2024/25, we invested around £3.7 billion on primary care dentistry. We want to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.

We have reduced the National Health Service dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with rail industry partners on the commencement of passenger services between Oxford and Milton Keynes.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department continues to work closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the first East West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on improving the rights of self-employed workers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is enhancing rights and protections for the self-employed in several ways. Measures announced in September 2024 will tackle late payment and long payment terms, including requiring large companies to report on payment performance and the introduction of a Fair Payment Code.

We also plan further consultations, including on extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections, a new right to a written statement for the self-employed, and the extension of measures which void Non-Disclosure Agreements in cases of relevant harassment and discrimination. Furthermore, our review of parental leave and pay will consider the needs of self-employed parents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made regarding the potential merits of adopting a new National Dementia Care Pathway which includes i) end of life care, and ii) clear minimum service standards.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.

Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services.   We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia MSF to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

The Frailty and Dementia MSF will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care and redirecting NHS and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. In developing the Frailty and Dementia MSF, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposals put forward by the European Commission to restrict exports of UK steel on the steel industry.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Steel is a priority for this Government. We are committed to defending our critical steel industry, protecting skilled jobs and supporting economic growth.

The Government is assessing the potential impact of the European Commission’s proposal and is engaging extensively with them to ensure the best possible outcome for UK producers and the wider steel supply chain. We expect the EU to fulfil its obligations under the TCA.

We will set out a long-term vision for the steel sector in our forthcoming Steel Strategy, including support provided to domestic producers to remain competitive in a challenging global market.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of updating public procurement policy to (a) incentivise and (b) mandate greater use of UK made steel in publicly funded projects.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government wants to see more use of UK‑made steel in publicly funded projects, whilst respecting our national and international legal obligations. The latest steel public procurement data shows that in the financial year 2024–25, where all the steel required could be produced in the UK, 95% of the steel procured by central government buyers was UK‑produced.

That said, we continue to strengthen mechanisms to enable the public procurement of UK‑made steel. Updated steel procurement guidance (Public Procurement Policy Notice 022), introduced in June 2025, requires in‑scope organisations to consult UK Steel’s digital catalogue for all new relevant steel procurements before making decisions, and encourages them to consider whether the national security exemption under the Procurement Act applies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of recognising dementia as a complex and palliative condition in the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of life care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Almost one million people in the United Kingdom are living with dementia, and that figure is expected to rise. Each of those people, alongside their friends, families, and unpaid carers, have their own unique and important story of living with dementia.

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. Everyone with dementia should have meaningful care following their diagnosis. This includes information on local services and access to relevant advice and support on what happens next.

Our health and adult social care system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework (MSF) for Frailty and Dementia, complemented by a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care MSF. Together these MSFs will drive rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

The Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including those living with dementia, and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.

The MSF for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care, and redirecting NHS and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. It will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is underway and will report this year.

We intend to continue to engage with a range of partners over the coming months to enable us to build a framework which is both ambitious and practical, to ensure we can improve system performance for people with dementia both now and in the future.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle substance misuse by inmates in the prison estate.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We recognise that illicit drug use in prison is too high, and are committed to tackling this to improve safety, support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. We are investing over £40 million in physical security measures across 34 prisons this financial year, including £10 million on anti-drone measures, to help prevent drugs entering prison.

We work closely with health partners to identify prisoners with a drug problem and support them into treatment. To create the environment and incentives for prisoners to make the right choices, we have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 85 prisons, which provide a dedicated, supportive environment for any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison, using regular drug testing alongside incentives. We are also working to increase access to mutual aid fellowships in prison, which can provide vital ongoing support for people in recovery.

To bring together rehabilitative and security focused activity in custody, we have funded 54 Drug Strategy Leads to ensure local drug strategies are effectively implemented, and to coordinate a whole system approach to tackling drugs. We have also recruited 17 new Group Drug and Alcohol Leads, who support work on drugs and alcohol across their prison groups, and establish links with community providers and local authority partnerships.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is undertaking workforce planning to prepare for an increase in demand for heat-pump installations.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan sets out that to meet future heat pump deployment targets the workforce will need to grow from around 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) installers today to around 12,000 FTE by 2030. The Government is continuing to support workforce growth through a 3-year, £21 million extension of the Heat Training Grant. Government is also supporting new entrants through the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship. Government also recently established the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce, which will focus on growing a skilled and resilient net zero workforce.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to develop a (a) national training strategy for heat-pump installers and (b) dedicated heat pump training academy.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government has set out its long-term vision for the net zero workforce in the Warm Homes Plan, and through the Clean Energy Jobs Plan. This includes establishing the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce, and announcing a 3-year, 21 million extension of the Heat Training Grant, which supports existing heating engineers in upskilling.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to further support employee ownership in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Employee-owned businesses are a significant part of the UK economy, with 2,470 EOBs in the UK as of June 2025, employing over 335,000 people.

DBT, as part of the Autumn Budget announcements, launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals, which closed on the 18th February. DBT is now analysing responses and these will inform any potential business support policies to support the growth of the sector.

The government is committed to supporting the growth of the mutuals sector in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the sector. To deliver this, the Chancellor announced a multi-year programme of measures at Mansion House 2024 which government is now delivering.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support the growth of co-operatives in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises the contribution co-operatives make to local communities, to a diverse business sector and a resilient UK economy. In line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operatives and mutuals sector, HM Treasury is taking steps to support the growth nationwide, including in Buckingham and Bletchley.

This includes funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, which is exploring options to modernise and update the legislative framework. The review is expected to report in 2026 and the government will carefully consider its findings before responding.

At Mansion House 2024 the Chancellor set out a package of measures to support the growth of the co-operative and mutuals sector. This included welcoming the establishment of the industry-led Mutuals and Co-operative Business Council and asking the PRA and FCA to produce a report on the mutuals landscape. These reports were published in December 2025, and covered co-operatives through the FCA’s role as registering authority.

HM Treasury works with other Government departments on support for co-operatives. This includes on the Department for Business and Trade’s call for evidence on business support for co-operatives, which was launched at Budget 2025 and closed in February 2026. In addition, the Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government has announced the launch of a co-operative development unit as part of its Pride in Place Strategy.

Together, these actions will help support the growth of the co-operative sector in across the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to reform credit union common bond rules.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to supporting the growth of financial mutuals in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutuals sector. To deliver this, the Chancellor announced a multi-year programme of measures at Mansion House 2024 which HM Treasury is now delivering.

This included asking the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority to produce a report on the current landscape of the sector. This was published in December 2025 and included measures to support the development of financial mutuals, including the FCA’s establishment of their Mutual Societies Development Unit. The government also welcomed the Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council and published the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, which will support all organisations in the financial services sector.

For credit unions specifically, the government announced it is pursuing growth-focused reforms to the common bond in Great Britain. This was announced in the Financial Inclusion Strategy in November 2025 and followed a call for evidence on reforms. The government will provide a further update on this work in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of business support for financial mutuals.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to supporting the growth of financial mutuals in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutuals sector. To deliver this, the Chancellor announced a multi-year programme of measures at Mansion House 2024 which HM Treasury is now delivering.

This included asking the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority to produce a report on the current landscape of the sector. This was published in December 2025 and included measures to support the development of financial mutuals, including the FCA’s establishment of their Mutual Societies Development Unit. The government also welcomed the Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council and published the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, which will support all organisations in the financial services sector.

For credit unions specifically, the government announced it is pursuing growth-focused reforms to the common bond in Great Britain. This was announced in the Financial Inclusion Strategy in November 2025 and followed a call for evidence on reforms. The government will provide a further update on this work in due course.