Written questions by Anderson.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of employee-owned business models on reducing the level of the gender pay gap.

The research surrounding effective actions employers can take to close the gender pay gap makes it clear that a positive workplace culture, in combination with support from leadership, underpins the success of actions to close the gap.While have not made an assessment of the impact of ownership structure on the gender pay gap in an organisation, the research available and the consultation we have undertaken forms the basis of voluntary action plans, with this government now encouraging large employers to publish the steps they are taking to close their gap, and support employees during the menopause, alongside their gender pay gap figures.

Whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of prison overcrowding on staff safety.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the health and wellbeing of workers in the logistics sector in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The Department for Transport is working with industry and across government to support workforce health in the logistics sector. Specifically, the department has been raising awareness among the road freight sector of a driver health training module, approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which forms part of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training. In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with the road freight sector, through the Men’s Health Strategy, to increase uptake of NHS Health Checks by HGV drivers. With industry, the Department for Transport and National Highways are investing in improvements to lorry parking facilities, including better welfare provision, additional capacity and enhanced security, which can contribute to the physical and mental wellbeing of drivers.More widely, the government is working with employers through initiatives such as the Keep Britain Working programme to support workforce health and help people to remain in work, including within the logistics sector and encourages industry-led efforts to improve working conditions and employee wellbeing.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of waiting times for NHS Talking Therapies in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency since July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support energy security through international co-operation following the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the clean energy sector procures UK manufactured steel.

Our Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan gives investors the certainty and stability they need to invest in and expand UK supply chains. We are committed to supporting and growing clean energy supply chains, creating good jobs across the UK. This includes ensuring there are opportunities for domestic products, including UK steel, to be used in our UK deployment projects; as well as leveraging our strong deployment trajectories to unlock even more investment into UK supply chains. We have recently set out our approach to supporting the UK steel industry in the Steel Strategy and have announced revisions to tariffs and quotas to protect UK producers. Additionally, the National Wealth Fund has at least £5.8 billion for investing in some clean energy sectors, and green steel.

What steps his Department is taking to help prison staff combat substance misuse by inmates in the prison estate.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to accelerate investment in electrification infrastructure for HGV charging in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The £171 million Depot Charging Scheme will support the uptake of zero emission vans, coaches, and HGVs by part-funding the installation of charging infrastructure at fleet depots up to £1 million. This builds on the Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, which has already provided more than £120 million in funding to deploy hundreds of zero emission HGVs and their associated charging and refueling sites. The Government is also working with National Highways to deliver a series of webinars to support truck stop operators to prepare for zero emission HGV charging.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Key target hit with 8,500 extra mental health workers in the NHS, published on 30 April 2026, how many of the additional mental health workers recruited since the end of June 2024 were (a) psychiatrists, (b) nurses, (c) therapists and (d) support staff.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment, training and retention of Parkinson’s nurse specialists.

The Government recognises the vital role that Parkinson’s nurse specialists play in supporting people with Parkinson’s disease, providing expert clinical input, coordinating care, and helping patients and families manage a complex, progressive condition.Responsibility for workforce planning, including the recruitment, training, and retention of specialist nurses, such as Parkinson’s nurse specialists, lies with the National Health Service. Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local population need and ensuring that appropriate specialist services, including neurology and nursing support, are in place to meet that need.At a national level, the NHS is supporting service improvement and workforce development for Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions through a range of programmes. This includes the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. Both aim to reduce unwarranted variation, promote best practice, and support more consistent access to specialist expertise across England.The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will support the recruitment and retention of specialist nurses by setting out a long‑term approach to growing, training, and supporting the NHS workforce, with a focus on ensuring that staff have the right skills, career development opportunities, and working conditions to deliver high‑quality care. By improving education and training pathways, promoting advanced and specialist roles, and supporting flexible and multidisciplinary ways of working, the plan will help the NHS build a sustainable workforce able to meet future patient needs.

What steps his Department is taking to provide development support for co-operative businesses located in (i) Milton Keynes and (ii) Buckinghamshire.

The Government is committed to supporting diverse business models and doubling the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. We have received strong engagement from the sector through our Call for Evidence and are now analysing responses to shape future business support, including what can be achieved within existing support services such as the Business Growth Service and Growth Hubs.Cooperatives play a vital role in Buckinghamshire’s agricultural sector and Government is developing the new Farmer Collaboration Fund to unlock the broader benefits of this sort of collaboration.

What steps she is taking to ensure the UK remains internationally competitive in financial technology innovation.

The UK is a world leader in Fintech, and attracted $3.6 billion of investment in 2025, second only to the US. The Government is committed to making the UK the world’s most technologically advanced global financial centre, and remaining a leading jurisdiction for Fintech firms to start, scale, list, and stay. In addition to measures announced in the Financial Competitiveness and Growth Strategy and at Budget, the Government set out at UK Fintech Week 2026 further detail on how it intends to modernise payment services regulation and update it to support new innovations in money and payments, ahead of soon publishing a consultation inviting the payments sector to feedback. This includes improving the regulation of payment services and electronic money by better integrating it with the UK’s core regulatory approach for financial services; regulating stablecoins for their use in payments, where these stablecoins have been issued under the forthcoming new regulated activity for stablecoin issuance in the UK; exploring how the regulation of payments services should adapt to payments conducted by AI agents; and providing the FCA new powers to regulate the future of Open Banking. The Government also published as part of the package draft secondary legislation to cut administrative burdens for companies wanting to provide stablecoin payments.The Government has also appointed Chris Woolard CBE as Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, to provide market leadership and support industry progress on the development of a tokenised wholesale financial markets ecosystem.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international financial institutions on mechanisms to mobilise private capital to support developing economies.

The UK Government firmly believes that mobilising private capital is critical to raise the finance needed to achieve our development and climate objectives and helping drive economic growth both in developing economies and at home here in the UK. That is why the UK is shifting from donor to investor and the International Financial Institutions are among our most important partners for mobilising private capital at scale.We have regular engagement with them both through our representation on their Boards and through Ministerial engagement, such as at the recent World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, which the Chancellor and Minister for Development both attended.We want to support Multilateral Development Banks to reform their business model to further scale financing to developing countries, help build strong project pipelines and mitigate risks to attract more private capital. We also want them to help improve investment conditions and build local financial sector and local currency markets and to share more data on their investments.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of community-led housing in breaking down discrimination in access to housing.

The government recognises that the community-led housing sector delivers a wide range of benefits including strengthening community participation in local decision-making, engendering community cohesion, achieving high quality design and strengthening the co-operative economy. In March, we announced a £20m 10-year social finance investment to provide capital finance for community-led housing, which is expected to directly support the construction of more than 2,500 new homes over the next decade. These housebuilding projects will be led by communities to specifically address local needs in their area. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December strengthened support for community-led housing, including through changes to the size limit on community-led exception sites and a broadening of the definition of organisations able to deliver community-led housing. The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme seeks to support an increase in the delivery of community-led and rural housing. The flexibility in grant rates provided for under the new programme will help community-led schemes achieve viability and help the sector grow towards its full potential.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support energy security through international co-operation following discussions at the IMF Spring Meetings.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of electricity cost reductions on the competitiveness of manufacturers located in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The British Industry Supercharger is already supporting the competitiveness of around 550 of the most electricity and trade-intensive firms across Great Britain, including in Buckingham and Bletchley, by reducing electricity costs by on average approximately £65 – £87 per megawatt hour.From 2027 the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour for over 10,000 eligible manufacturing businesses. This will help bring electricity costs more in line with other European economies and help support investment and economic growth across Great Britain including in Buckingham and Bletchley.

What estimate she has made of the volume of private capital that could be unlocked through partnerships with venture capital firms in the defence sector.

The Government recognises the important role that venture capital and other private investors play in backing innovation across the economy. The forthcoming Defence Finance Investment Strategy will be the Government’s blueprint for how we increase the capital available to improve warfighting readiness while also driving UK growth.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to support developing countries facing sovereign debt crises.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 April in response to Question 122705.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role the UK is playing in international efforts to reform global debt frameworks.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 April in response to Question 122705.

What assessment she has made of the role of employee-owned business models in reducing the gender pay gap.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.