Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve bus services in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Buckinghamshire County Council has been allocated over £6.7 million of this funding, with Milton Keynes Council allocated £3.6 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding has been allocated to grassroots sports facilities in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active. We are committed to protecting time for physical education in school and supporting the role grassroots clubs play in expanding access to sport.

We provide the majority of our funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes received over £3.9 million from Sport England to enhance sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities.

The expansion of Sport England’s Place Partnerships will invest up to £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer funding and enhance engagement in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Sport England recently announced Milton Keynes as one of their 53 Place Partnerships.

More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment. Funding will ensure that sites can provide a more inclusive and sustainable offer throughout the year for local communities, including for children and young people.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase participation in youth sport in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active. We are committed to protecting time for physical education in school and supporting the role grassroots clubs play in expanding access to sport.

We provide the majority of our funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes received over £3.9 million from Sport England to enhance sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities.

The expansion of Sport England’s Place Partnerships will invest up to £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer funding and enhance engagement in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Sport England recently announced Milton Keynes as one of their 53 Place Partnerships.

More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment. Funding will ensure that sites can provide a more inclusive and sustainable offer throughout the year for local communities, including for children and young people.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to support the development of local arts and cultural organisations in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Secretary of State announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund on 20 February. This will include support to museums, arts and music venues across the country and is a critical step that this Government is taking to help create jobs, boost local economies, and expand access to arts and culture for communities.

This is in addition to steps already being taken to support arts and culture via Arts Council England (ACE). In Buckinghamshire, ACE has provided over £19 million of funding between 2021-2025, of which over £11 million has gone to organisations in Milton Keynes.

For example, organisations receiving ACE funding include local 2023-2026 ACE National Portfolio Organisations, such as the Milton Keynes islamic Arts Heritage and Culture Organisation (£195,000 per annum), Milton Keynes Arts Centre (£99,803 per annum) and Milton Keynes Gallery (£390,360 per annum).

The Museum Estate and Development Fund is also part of the support provided by ACE: Bletchley Park received just under £3m from the fund between 2021-2025 towards building modernisation works.

Separately, DCMS has directly supported Discover Bucks Museum through the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, awarding grants totalling £260,000 between 2018-2024.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many museums have received funding from Arts Council England in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Secretary of State announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund on 20 February. This will include support to museums, arts and music venues across the country and is a critical step that this Government is taking to help create jobs, boost local economies, and expand access to arts and culture for communities.

This is in addition to steps already being taken to support arts and culture via Arts Council England (ACE). In Buckinghamshire, ACE has provided over £19 million of funding between 2021-2025, of which over £11 million has gone to organisations in Milton Keynes.

For example, organisations receiving ACE funding include local 2023-2026 ACE National Portfolio Organisations, such as the Milton Keynes islamic Arts Heritage and Culture Organisation (£195,000 per annum), Milton Keynes Arts Centre (£99,803 per annum) and Milton Keynes Gallery (£390,360 per annum).

The Museum Estate and Development Fund is also part of the support provided by ACE: Bletchley Park received just under £3m from the fund between 2021-2025 towards building modernisation works.

Separately, DCMS has directly supported Discover Bucks Museum through the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, awarding grants totalling £260,000 between 2018-2024.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses to transition to clean energy sources in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government committed £163 million to continue delivery for all existing projects in Phases 1 and 2 and the first Phase 3 competition window of the IETF (Spring 2024) through to completion.

Businesses are eligible to claim up to £7,500 towards the cost of a heat pump up to 45 kWth under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

We encourage SMEs to visit the UK Business Climate Hub, which provides information and advice to SMEs on how to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

Ministers are considering opportunities to support UK businesses to decarbonize and reach Net Zero as part of the Spending Review. Further announcements will be made in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of illegal waste dumping have been recorded in Buckinghamshire in each of the last five years.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local authorities are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which the department has published annually since 2012 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england. This data excludes the majority of private-land incidents.

This data shows that Buckinghamshire Council has reported the following fly-tipping incidents since it was established in 2020/21. Prior to this, incidents were reported by the relevant district councils.

2023/24 - 4272

2022/23 - 3293

2021/22 - 3140

2020/21 - 3954

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the capacity to support increased renewable energy generation of the electricity grid in (i) Buckinghamshire and (ii) Milton Keynes.

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

Electricity network capacity information is available at the website of each Distribution Network Operator that serves Buckinghamshire. For National Grid Electricity Distribution (which covers Milton Keynes) this can be found at: https://www.nationalgrid.co.uk/our-network/network-capacity-map/. For UK Power Networks https://ukpowernetworks.opendatasoft.com/pages/network-infrastructure-usage-map/?grid=true. For Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks https://network-maps.ssen.co.uk/. The National Energy System Operator also has information on transmission network capacity at: https://www.neso.energy/industry-information/connections/connections-360.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many new homes have been built in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply. This includes estimates of new homes built in each local authority, including Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, in each financial year. Statistics to 2023-24 can be found in Live Table 123 on gov.uk here.

The Department also publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build starts and completions in England and in each local authority district. Statistics to the quarter ending December 2024 can be found in Table 253a on gov.uk here. This dataset covers new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of new housing in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes has been built on brownfield land in each of the last five years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department publishes a release entitled ‘Land use change: new residential addresses’, which includes information on new residential addresses and the previous land use - including previously developed - on which the addresses were created. This is available at England level, as well as each local authority district, including Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Statistics covering 2019-20 to 2021-2022 can be found in Table P302 on gov.uk here. Figures for more recent years are due to be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The number of households on social housing registers (waiting lists) in England and for each local authority in England is available each year since 1987 in live table 600 on gov.uk here.

The number of households on the housing register (waiting list) is not the same as the number of households waiting.

Local authorities periodically review their registers to remove households who no longer require housing, so the total number of households on housing registers may overstate the number of households who still require social housing at any one time. Housing register size may also be affected by other factors. For example, there is the potential for some households to be on the housing register of more than one local authority.

The frequency of reviews varies between local authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department has provided for local infrastructure improvements related to housing development in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The table below lists infrastructure projects in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes that have received capital funding through the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), the Land Release Fund (LRF), or the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) to unlock housing developments in the last five years, up to 31 December 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes to deliver infrastructure alongside new housing developments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The table below lists infrastructure projects in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes that have received capital funding through the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), the Land Release Fund (LRF), or the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) to unlock housing developments in the last five years, up to 31 December 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the level of affordable housing in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

The government has also announced the £450 million third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund, followed by an uplift of £50 million, enabling councils to grow their housing stock.

We also confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts. Having reduced Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels, we have allowed councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales.

The government recognise that Registered Providers need support to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. Between 30 October 2024 and 23 December 2024, the government consulted on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement, to give Registered Providers the certainty they need to invest in new social and affordable housing.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a number of changes that make the planning system more supportive of affordable housing, in particular Social Rent homes. These include new Golden Rules for development on the Green Belt. Prior to development plan policies for affordable housing being updated in accordance with the revised NPPF, the affordable housing contribution required to satisfy the ‘Golden Rules’ is 15 percentage points above the highest existing affordable housing requirement that would otherwise apply to the development, subject to a cap of 50%. We estimate that under this model, the median Green Belt local planning authority affordable housing requirement will be 50%.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of recent trends in levels of rural crime rates in Buckinghamshire in the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes estimates, from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), on the proportion of adults who had been a victim of crime. This is broken down by whether the household was located in a rural or urban location. The latest data can be found here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesannualtrendanddemographictables/current

Data is not available for county areas such as Buckinghamshire.

This Government is determined to tackle rural crime and is committed to safeguarding rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing, and stronger laws to prevent farm theft.

We are taking a new approach by working closely with the National Police Chief’s Council to develop the next iteration of the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, to ensure the government’s Safer Streets Mission benefits every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.

This new financial year the Home Office will be providing the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). This will allow these specialist units to continue their work in tackling rural and wildlife crime which can pose unique challenges for policing given the scale and isolation of rural areas.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Buckinghamshire Council and (b) Milton Keynes City Council on (i) housing targets and (ii) local plan development.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As the hon. Member will know, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024 which included a revised standard method designed to direct residential development to where it is most needed and least affordable.

The government expects each local planning authority to use the revised standard method to assess local housing needs as a starting point to inform plan-making. Once an assessment has been made, local authorities should take into account land availability, environmental constraints, such as National Landscapes, and other relevant matters, to determine how much of the assessed housing need can be met.

The government is clear all local planning authorities should continue work on their local plans and get them in place as soon as possible.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the demand for housing in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes in each of the next ten years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As the hon. Member will know, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024 which included a revised standard method designed to direct residential development to where it is most needed and least affordable.

The government expects each local planning authority to use the revised standard method to assess local housing needs as a starting point to inform plan-making. Once an assessment has been made, local authorities should take into account land availability, environmental constraints, such as National Landscapes, and other relevant matters, to determine how much of the assessed housing need can be met.

The government is clear all local planning authorities should continue work on their local plans and get them in place as soon as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding has been allocated to community safety initiatives in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Funding of £627.4 million has been allocated to Thames Valley Police in 2025-25, an increase of up to £40.8 million when compared to the 2024-25 funding settlement.

It is for locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, or Mayoral equivalents, to make decisions on how they use their funding and deploy their resources using their knowledge of local need.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional police officers have been recruited under the Police Uplift Programme in Thames Valley Police.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Table U2 of the data tables accompanying the final ‘Police Officer Uplift’ release, covering the position as at 31 March 2023, provides a breakdown of additional officers recruited through the Police Uplift Programme by month since October 2019. These data can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b6d5d30ea2cb000d15e560/police-officer-uplift-final-position-as-at-march-2023-tables-260723.ods. Data are provided on a headcount basis and broken down by Police Force Area.

During the Police Uplift Programme, Thames Valley recruited 784 additional police officers attributable to the Police Uplift Programme. This was against an allocation to recruit 609 additional police officers for the three-year programme.

Reporting on the size and composition of the police workforce continues on a bi-annual basis in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to allocate capital funding to improve stroke care infrastructure within the (a) Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board and (b) Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to shifting the focus of the National Health Service out of hospitals and into the community through our 10-Year Health Plan, and recognises that delivering high-quality NHS healthcare services requires the right infrastructure in the right places.

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has been provisionally allocated £2.8 million from our Primary Care Utilisation fund for 2025/26 to upgrade existing buildings and space, boosting productivity and enabling practices to deliver more patient appointments. In addition, the ICB has been provisionally allocated £39.3 million from our Constitutional Standards Recovery fund to deliver new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds to increase capacity for elective and emergency care.

The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB has been provisionally allocated £1.7 million from our Primary Care Utilisation fund and £32.5 million from our Constitutional Standards Recovery fund for 2025/26.

In addition to national programme allocations, the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire ICB and the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB have been provisionally allocated £123 million and £62 million respectively in operational capital for 2025/26, including primary care business-as-usual capital, which can be used to improve stroke care infrastructure where this is a local priority.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Switzerland Financial Services Mutual Recognition Agreement on cross-border financial services trade.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Berne Financial Services Agreement is a ground-breaking mutual recognition agreement which enables financial services firms to provide certain services on a cross-border basis to wholesale and sophisticated clients. It is rooted in the high quality of each country’s regulation.

The Agreement will enhance an already thriving financial services trade relationship with Switzerland. Between 2016 and 2023, UK trade in financial and insurance services with Switzerland grew by 85%. The ease of doing business under the agreement combined with the unprecedented new market access it opens will boost client choice and drive efficiencies in the financial sector – delivering growth in the UK economy and bolstering job opportunities in the sector. A document outlining the benefits for the UK can be found on the Berne Financial Services Agreement gov.uk page alongside the text of the Agreement.

The Government’s priority is to implement the Agreement as soon as possible, by the end of 2025 at the latest, and enter the Agreement into force shortly thereafter

The Agreement includes a mechanism for the UK and Switzerland to expand in scope, including adding entirely new financial service sectors. The Agreement also commits the UK and Switzerland to enter into negotiations with a view to potentially expanding the Agreement to include sustainable finance at the appropriate time.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her Department's timetable is for thee next phase of the UK-India financial services regulatory dialogue.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

India is an important emerging market, and we maintain several collaboration vehicles for discussing regulatory and market access barriers in financial services. Most recently there was a UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue held in GIFT City in December 2024 and we are looking forward to the upcoming UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in April 2025 which is jointly chaired by the Chancellor and the Indian Finance Minister. Both dialogues are an opportunity for both the UK and India’s finance ministries and regulators to table important FS issues for collaborative working.

Boosting trade abroad is essential to delivering growth at home. That is why the UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Officials are continuing to negotiate the UK-India FTA, which includes FS provisions that will not undermine our future relationship and support our continued cooperation. A trade deal could unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers in all regions and nations of the UK.

Fintech is an important sector for both the UK and India, we engage closely with the Indian Finance Ministry through an annual Joint Fintech Working Group. We also welcome advice from industry through the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP), including through their recent 2023 report ‘Harnessing the power of FinTech and data’.

We welcome the progress of the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) led by the City of London Corporation and the National Institute for the Transformation of India (NITI Aayog) in its first year, and we look forward to supporting the second year of the UKIIFB and any new areas of focus.

The UK supported the establishment and development of the ISSB as a global standard setter for sustainability reporting at COP26. The government have also supported world-leading work on transition plan disclosures by co-chairing the Transition Plan Taskforce. We will be taking a pro-growth, pragmatic approach to sustainable finance, combining support for international and interoperable standards like ISSB with an openness to feedback about what policies we should be pursuing. The upcoming UK-India EFD will present a renewed opportunity to engage with India on our shared areas of interest in sustainable finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the UK-Switzerland Financial Services Mutual Recognition Agreement to cover additional financial services sectors.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Berne Financial Services Agreement is a ground-breaking mutual recognition agreement which enables financial services firms to provide certain services on a cross-border basis to wholesale and sophisticated clients. It is rooted in the high quality of each country’s regulation.

The Agreement will enhance an already thriving financial services trade relationship with Switzerland. Between 2016 and 2023, UK trade in financial and insurance services with Switzerland grew by 85%. The ease of doing business under the agreement combined with the unprecedented new market access it opens will boost client choice and drive efficiencies in the financial sector – delivering growth in the UK economy and bolstering job opportunities in the sector. A document outlining the benefits for the UK can be found on the Berne Financial Services Agreement gov.uk page alongside the text of the Agreement.

The Government’s priority is to implement the Agreement as soon as possible, by the end of 2025 at the latest, and enter the Agreement into force shortly thereafter

The Agreement includes a mechanism for the UK and Switzerland to expand in scope, including adding entirely new financial service sectors. The Agreement also commits the UK and Switzerland to enter into negotiations with a view to potentially expanding the Agreement to include sustainable finance at the appropriate time.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on establishing formal structures to implement the proposed UK-India infrastructure finance collaboration platform.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

India is an important emerging market, and we maintain several collaboration vehicles for discussing regulatory and market access barriers in financial services. Most recently there was a UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue held in GIFT City in December 2024 and we are looking forward to the upcoming UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in April 2025 which is jointly chaired by the Chancellor and the Indian Finance Minister. Both dialogues are an opportunity for both the UK and India’s finance ministries and regulators to table important FS issues for collaborative working.

Boosting trade abroad is essential to delivering growth at home. That is why the UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Officials are continuing to negotiate the UK-India FTA, which includes FS provisions that will not undermine our future relationship and support our continued cooperation. A trade deal could unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers in all regions and nations of the UK.

Fintech is an important sector for both the UK and India, we engage closely with the Indian Finance Ministry through an annual Joint Fintech Working Group. We also welcome advice from industry through the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP), including through their recent 2023 report ‘Harnessing the power of FinTech and data’.

We welcome the progress of the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) led by the City of London Corporation and the National Institute for the Transformation of India (NITI Aayog) in its first year, and we look forward to supporting the second year of the UKIIFB and any new areas of focus.

The UK supported the establishment and development of the ISSB as a global standard setter for sustainability reporting at COP26. The government have also supported world-leading work on transition plan disclosures by co-chairing the Transition Plan Taskforce. We will be taking a pro-growth, pragmatic approach to sustainable finance, combining support for international and interoperable standards like ISSB with an openness to feedback about what policies we should be pursuing. The upcoming UK-India EFD will present a renewed opportunity to engage with India on our shared areas of interest in sustainable finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on UK-India cooperation to improve regulatory frameworks for (a) sustainable finance and (b) climate-related financial disclosures.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

India is an important emerging market, and we maintain several collaboration vehicles for discussing regulatory and market access barriers in financial services. Most recently there was a UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue held in GIFT City in December 2024 and we are looking forward to the upcoming UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in April 2025 which is jointly chaired by the Chancellor and the Indian Finance Minister. Both dialogues are an opportunity for both the UK and India’s finance ministries and regulators to table important FS issues for collaborative working.

Boosting trade abroad is essential to delivering growth at home. That is why the UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Officials are continuing to negotiate the UK-India FTA, which includes FS provisions that will not undermine our future relationship and support our continued cooperation. A trade deal could unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers in all regions and nations of the UK.

Fintech is an important sector for both the UK and India, we engage closely with the Indian Finance Ministry through an annual Joint Fintech Working Group. We also welcome advice from industry through the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP), including through their recent 2023 report ‘Harnessing the power of FinTech and data’.

We welcome the progress of the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) led by the City of London Corporation and the National Institute for the Transformation of India (NITI Aayog) in its first year, and we look forward to supporting the second year of the UKIIFB and any new areas of focus.

The UK supported the establishment and development of the ISSB as a global standard setter for sustainability reporting at COP26. The government have also supported world-leading work on transition plan disclosures by co-chairing the Transition Plan Taskforce. We will be taking a pro-growth, pragmatic approach to sustainable finance, combining support for international and interoperable standards like ISSB with an openness to feedback about what policies we should be pursuing. The upcoming UK-India EFD will present a renewed opportunity to engage with India on our shared areas of interest in sustainable finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent progress her Department has made on financial sector reform to facilitate bilateral investment flows between the UK and India.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

India is an important emerging market, and we maintain several collaboration vehicles for discussing regulatory and market access barriers in financial services. Most recently there was a UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue held in GIFT City in December 2024 and we are looking forward to the upcoming UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in April 2025 which is jointly chaired by the Chancellor and the Indian Finance Minister. Both dialogues are an opportunity for both the UK and India’s finance ministries and regulators to table important FS issues for collaborative working.

Boosting trade abroad is essential to delivering growth at home. That is why the UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Officials are continuing to negotiate the UK-India FTA, which includes FS provisions that will not undermine our future relationship and support our continued cooperation. A trade deal could unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers in all regions and nations of the UK.

Fintech is an important sector for both the UK and India, we engage closely with the Indian Finance Ministry through an annual Joint Fintech Working Group. We also welcome advice from industry through the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP), including through their recent 2023 report ‘Harnessing the power of FinTech and data’.

We welcome the progress of the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) led by the City of London Corporation and the National Institute for the Transformation of India (NITI Aayog) in its first year, and we look forward to supporting the second year of the UKIIFB and any new areas of focus.

The UK supported the establishment and development of the ISSB as a global standard setter for sustainability reporting at COP26. The government have also supported world-leading work on transition plan disclosures by co-chairing the Transition Plan Taskforce. We will be taking a pro-growth, pragmatic approach to sustainable finance, combining support for international and interoperable standards like ISSB with an openness to feedback about what policies we should be pursuing. The upcoming UK-India EFD will present a renewed opportunity to engage with India on our shared areas of interest in sustainable finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department has taken to support the establishment of (a) fintech bridges and (b) equivalent co-operation frameworks with India.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

India is an important emerging market, and we maintain several collaboration vehicles for discussing regulatory and market access barriers in financial services. Most recently there was a UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue held in GIFT City in December 2024 and we are looking forward to the upcoming UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in April 2025 which is jointly chaired by the Chancellor and the Indian Finance Minister. Both dialogues are an opportunity for both the UK and India’s finance ministries and regulators to table important FS issues for collaborative working.

Boosting trade abroad is essential to delivering growth at home. That is why the UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Officials are continuing to negotiate the UK-India FTA, which includes FS provisions that will not undermine our future relationship and support our continued cooperation. A trade deal could unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers in all regions and nations of the UK.

Fintech is an important sector for both the UK and India, we engage closely with the Indian Finance Ministry through an annual Joint Fintech Working Group. We also welcome advice from industry through the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP), including through their recent 2023 report ‘Harnessing the power of FinTech and data’.

We welcome the progress of the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) led by the City of London Corporation and the National Institute for the Transformation of India (NITI Aayog) in its first year, and we look forward to supporting the second year of the UKIIFB and any new areas of focus.

The UK supported the establishment and development of the ISSB as a global standard setter for sustainability reporting at COP26. The government have also supported world-leading work on transition plan disclosures by co-chairing the Transition Plan Taskforce. We will be taking a pro-growth, pragmatic approach to sustainable finance, combining support for international and interoperable standards like ISSB with an openness to feedback about what policies we should be pursuing. The upcoming UK-India EFD will present a renewed opportunity to engage with India on our shared areas of interest in sustainable finance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of stroke care provision within the (a) Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board and (b) Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Integrated Stroke Delivery Network (ISDN) in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West aims to improve stroke care through collaborative service improvement across the stroke pathway, addressing the approximately 2,200 annual stroke admissions in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West, which cost £38.6 million in 2023/24.

The ISDN's 2025/26 plan prioritises reducing stroke incidence and disability through acute care, rehabilitation, and prevention workstreams. Key achievements include artificial intelligence implementation, to reduce treatment times, and increased mechanical thrombectomy rates, particularly due to the 24/7 service at Oxford University Hospital and an agreed referral protocol, with Wycombe Hospital achieving the highest national referral rate for an acute stroke centre.

Rehabilitation efforts focus on improving consistency, with projects in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire demonstrating positive outcomes, such as increased access to support and improved patient wellbeing. Building on these positive outcomes will require sustained funding in Oxfordshire’s community rehabilitation services, alongside ongoing efforts to enhance the integration of services and patient engagement across the region.

NHS England leads the quarterly joint North and South East of England ISDN meeting, which reviews stroke provision across the region. The Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Integrated Care Board (ICB) and representatives from provider trusts attend these meetings to provide assurance. The ICB still has contract monitoring in place with trusts, and trusts have their own internal quality assurance processes. The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme is the main data source for monitoring, which all the above forums use. The last Getting It Right First Time review of stroke services, which included BLMK, was in 2022.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of T Level industry placements in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department works closely with education providers and employers to ensure the availability and quality of T Level industry placements across the country.

We do not hold industry placement data at regional level, but our latest national results data shows that 97.5% of T Level students from the 2022 cohort (those who finished their T Level in 2024) completed their industry placement.

Whilst it is the overall responsibility of T Level providers to source industry placements for their students, the department has a range of support in place to help ensure the availability and quality of placements. This includes online guidance, workshops, and practical tools to help providers identify, plan and design placements, and a 900+ strong ambassador network to raise the profile of T Levels across different industries, including representatives across Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. In January 2025 we also updated our industry placement delivery approaches to enable students to access a wider range of placement opportunities. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/678a7a302080f65f988bd3a1/T_Level_industry_placement_delivery_guidance.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support further education colleges to secure industry-standard vocational training facilities in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced an additional £625 million of funding to support construction skills training, with the detail set out in Spring Statement 2025. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers this Parliament. The funding includes capital investment through the establishment of Technical Excellence Colleges and the creation of an employer match funding pot worth £80 million.

Furthermore, on 5 March 2025 we gave details of 16 to 19 funding that means the department will be spending over £400 million more on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year. All national funding rates for students on 16 to 19 study programmes and T Levels will increase by 3.78% in the 2025/26 academic year. This means a full-time study programme student will attract a rate of £5,026, with T Level students attracting higher rates due to these being larger programmes.

On 1 April 2025, the department provided £302 million to further education (FE) colleges to support them to maintain, improve and ensure suitability of their estates. This new allocation for FE colleges in 2025/26 will help address the maintenance backlog and ensure a great environment for learning.

Under the FE college condition allocation, Milton Keynes College will receive £1.47 million and Buckinghamshire College Group will receive £1.3 million. The full list of FE college condition allocations can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-college-condition-allocation-2025-to-2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support further education colleges to provide post-16 literacy and numeracy education in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department considers level 2 English and mathematics to be essential for enabling students to develop the skills they need to seize opportunities in life, learning and work. That is why we have the mathematics and English condition of funding, which enables all students on 16 to 19 study programmes or T Levels, who have not yet attained grade 4+ GCSE, or equivalent, in English and mathematics, to access support that leads to the best outcomes for them.

The department is strengthening the support offered to students under the mathematics and English condition of funding. This includes requiring providers to offer planned minimum hours of in-person, whole class, stand-alone teaching in English and mathematics, and for more students to be offered this.

The department also supports adults aged 19+ to participate in mathematics and English provision through our ‘essential skills entitlements’ which fully-fund adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to and including level 2. This allows learners who have not previously attained a GCSE grade 4 or higher or equivalent, or who are assessed as having below level 2 skills to undertake a range of courses fully-funded through the Adult Skills Fund including GCSEs, Functional Skills and other relevant qualifications from entry level to level 2.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with further education colleges on the impact of post-16 assessment methods on student outcomes in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department knows the importance of ensuring that we have the right balance of assessment methods for students studying post-16 qualifications, so that we can best capture the strengths of every young person, while maintaining the important role of examinations. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has had no specific recent discussions with further education (FE) colleges in Milton Keynes and/or Buckinghamshire but is working on improving both curriculum and assessment for student outcomes, considering young people across the country.

That is why last year we launched the independent expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review will consider the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system, and pathways for learners in 16 to 19 education. As part of the first phase of the Review, a call for evidence was undertaken. This included a wide range of educational institutions, including FE colleges. The Panel’s Interim Report was published on 18 March and the department will consider the Review’s final recommendations around assessments methods when the final report is published.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of specialist further education provision for students with special educational needs in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to improving access to educational opportunities for all young people in all parts of the country by ensuring that they can access a quality educational offer that adds value and helps them to achieve their long-term career aspirations and goals.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure enough suitable education and training provision to meet the reasonable needs of all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, or aged 19 or over and for whom an education, health and care plan is maintained. They must therefore ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review, including its sufficiency, working with parents, young people and providers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding structure on the number of apprenticeships available for 16-24-year-olds in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

To support younger people into apprenticeships, the government pays both employers and training providers £1000 when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18 or apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care. This is in recognition of the additional support that younger apprentices may require when entering employment. The government also pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care, when they undertake apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers. Additionally, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week, £50,270 a year.

The government is reforming the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible growth and skills levy that will include new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives. Construction will also be one of the key sectors that will benefit from new foundation apprenticeships backed by an additional £40 million, which will be launching in August 2025. This will inspire more young people into the construction industry and give them the tools they need for a sustained and rewarding career. As part of this new offer, employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in the construction industry.

The availability of apprenticeships in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire will be determined by employers choosing to offer apprenticeships. The department publishes data on apprenticeships starts by geographical area, including local authority district and parliamentary constituency at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/2325414e-eb99-439f-20ca-08dd18600198.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the recruitment and retention of staff in further education colleges in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department recognises the vital role that further education (FE) staff and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills that they need to succeed in their education and to drive growth in our economy.

The department will be spending over £400 million more on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year to ensure enough funding is available to respond to the significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system. We are making approximately £50 million of this funding available to colleges for April to July 2025 to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention.

In addition, the department is providing funding to colleges and schools to support them with increased National Insurance contributions, which will add a further £155 million to funding for post-16 education in the 2025/26 financial year.

The department’s Targeted Retention Incentive gives eligible early career teachers working in FE colleges in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and priority technical subjects up to £6,000 after tax annually, in addition to their usual pay. This includes those in eligible FE colleges in the Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire area.

The department has also continued to offer financial incentives for those undertaking teacher training for the FE sector in priority subject areas. FE teacher training bursaries will be offered for the 2025/26 academic year, and we have increased the top value of bursaries for STEM subjects to £31,000 each, tax free.

The national FE teacher recruitment campaign, Share Your Skills, targets those with industry skills to think about a career in FE teaching. The campaign raises awareness and increases consideration by encouraging industry professionals to think about using their skills to teach in FE.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding arrangements on the ability for further education colleges to expand existing provision in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government inherited a challenging fiscal context which means tough decisions are needed across the public sector. However, the department invested over £7.5 billion in 16-19 programme funding during the 2024/25 academic year to help to ensure that all young people have access to high-quality education and training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive.

On 5 March 2025 the department gave details of 16-19 funding that means we will be spending over £400 million more on 16-19 education in the 2025/26 financial year (over £100 million more than the £300 million announced at the Autumn Budget 2024) to ensure enough funding is available given the very significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system. In addition, we are providing funding to compensate colleges and schools for increased employer National Insurance Contributions, which will add a further £155 million to funding for post-16 education in the 2025/26 financial year.

We are spending around £87 million in the 2024/25 academic year to support In Year Growth costs, acknowledging the very large increase in students this year. The amount represents more In Year Growth Payment than in any previous year, despite amending the rules on how the department calculates in-year growth to ensure the affordability of payments for the exceptionally high growth in the 2024/25 academic year.

All the national funding rates for students on 16-19 study programmes and T Levels will increase by 3.78% in the 2025/26 academic year. This means a full-time study programme student will attract a rate of £5,026, with T Level students attracting higher rates due to these being larger programmes. The department will consider future needs as part of the spending review.

Found: Pensions Preet Kaur Gill MP Business and Trade Claire Hughes MP Business and Trade Callum Anderson