Written questions by Anderson.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of pension scheme consolidation on investment in UK private markets.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate he has made of the proportion of defined contribution pension assets that will be managed by schemes with more than £25 billion in assets by 2030.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed pension reforms on member engagement with pension saving.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has modelled the potential impact of pension scheme consolidation on member charges over the next five years.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has undertaken international comparisons of pension value-for-money assessment frameworks.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the transition from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes on retirement outcomes for Generation X.

The Department carries out and publishes analysis of projected future retirement incomes, which provides estimates of the number and proportion of working age individuals under saving for their retirement against different measures of adequacy. This analysis is broken down by different characteristics such as decade of retirement and pension provision which can be found on GOV.UK: Analysis of Future Pension Incomes 2025 - GOV.UK.

What steps his Department is taking to improve engagement with pension planning among individuals before they reach their 50s.

The Government ensures everyone has access to free, impartial pensions guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). MaPS’ MoneyHelper guidance is available to individuals at any age and covers all areas of UK pensions. For those that wish to make decisions about their pension savings, we are transforming the advice and guidance landscape through targeted support, which went live earlier this month. This will enable FCA-authorised firms to proactively suggest appropriate products or courses of action to customers of any age, using limited information about the customer and their circumstances. MaPS is also making good progress in delivering pensions dashboards. Enabling individuals of any age to view their pensions picture securely in one place online will remove a significant barrier to engagement and support better retirement planning. Users will be signposted to further guidance and information within MoneyHelper to assist their decision making, and we are working closely with MaPS to develop this.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (i) employment history, (ii) health status and (iii) demographic characteristics on disparities in pension adequacy.

The Department carries out and publishes analysis of projected future retirement incomes, which provides estimates of the number and proportion of working age individuals under saving for their retirement against different measures of adequacy. This analysis is broken down by different characteristics such as decade of retirement and pension provision which can be found on GOV.UK: Analysis of Future Pension Incomes 2025 - GOV.UK.

What monitoring arrangements are in place to evaluate whether the Jobs Guarantee achieves its target of providing six-month paid employment opportunities for all eligible 18–24-year-olds.

We have previously set out our approach for monitoring arrangements and expected outputs for Phase One of the Jobs Guarantee in the response I gave on 9 February 2026 to Question UIN 109869. For the national rollout of the Jobs Guarantee, the scheme will be available to all eligible 18–24-year-olds. We will use learning from Phase One to inform and establish appropriate outcome and performance monitoring arrangements. This will ensure we are delivering the scheme as intended for all eligible young people.

What criteria his Department will use to prioritise allocation of Growth and Skills Levy funding to sectors and apprenticeship standards to support (a) youth employment and (b) industrial strategy objectives.

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers in England, more opportunities for young people, and support the industrial strategy.In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors as well as shorter duration apprenticeships, and from April 2026 we will introduce new short courses, called apprenticeship units, in critical sectors including artificial intelligence and engineering.We are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail from April and fully funding SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from August.We are also introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The policy will take effect for those starting apprenticeships from 1 October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months (i.e. from July 2026).These measures are backed by record investment, with funding for the growth and skills levy in England increasing to £3.3 billion for the 2026-2027 financial year.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) the expanded Youth Jobs Grant and (b) Apprenticeship incentives on youth employment levels in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The Youth Guarantee and changes to the Growth and Skills Levy to prioritise young apprentices will together support around 1 million young people and create almost 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, in partnership with employers and education providers. Young people in Buckingham and Bletchley will benefit from the full offer of support. In Buckingham and Bletchley, young people also benefit from a range of support offered through our jobcentres. For example, Aylesbury Jobcentre Plus offers Work Experience opportunities specifically for youth customers, through organisations such as NHS Bright Future Opportunities. Customers also benefit from dedicated Youth Work Coaches, Digital Skills Sessions and Sector based Work Academy (SWAPs). Milton Keynes Jobcentre Plus runs Mentoring Circles with local employers to support young people into employment, along with Work Experience opportunities with organisations, such as, Barnardos, Oxfam and B&M.

What enforcement powers are exercised by the Child Maintenance Service pending the commencement of the Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.When a paying parent does not make maintenance payments on time or in full, the CMS will initially negotiate a payment that is feasible for the parent to pay. If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS will request that ongoing child maintenance payments be deducted directly from their salary by issuing what we call a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO). The CMS also has powers to deduct maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts including joint and business accounts. If this is unsuccessful, the CMS will use further measures, including using Enforcement Agents to take control of goods, disqualification from driving or commitment to prison, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a UK passport. We continually assess the effectiveness of our enforcement action and in the year to September 2025, the CMS collected £214m through administrative and court-based enforcement actions (including deductions from earnings). This is the highest annual amount collected through enforcement since the CMS began in 2012, and represents a 21% increase compared with the year to September 2024.Following the Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 receiving royal assent in July 2023, secondary legislation is required to bring into force existing powers that allow the CMS to make an administrative liability order against a person who has failed to pay child maintenance and is in arrears. A liability order is a legal recognition of the debt and is required before the CMS can take certain enforcement actions against non-compliant parents to enforce those arrears. The administrative liability order (ALO) will replace the current requirement for the CMS to apply to the court for a liability order, a cumbersome process which can take a long time (in some cases up to 22 weeks). Introducing a simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and will get money to children more quickly. We expect the new liability order process in the majority of cases to take around 6 weeks. Changes will mean the CMS can use its strong enforcement powers more quickly to go after those who will fully avoid their financial obligations to their children. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament as soon as possible.

What the planned commencement date is for the Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.When a paying parent does not make maintenance payments on time or in full, the CMS will initially negotiate a payment that is feasible for the parent to pay. If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS will request that ongoing child maintenance payments be deducted directly from their salary by issuing what we call a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO). The CMS also has powers to deduct maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts including joint and business accounts. If this is unsuccessful, the CMS will use further measures, including using Enforcement Agents to take control of goods, disqualification from driving or commitment to prison, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a UK passport. We continually assess the effectiveness of our enforcement action and in the year to September 2025, the CMS collected £214m through administrative and court-based enforcement actions (including deductions from earnings). This is the highest annual amount collected through enforcement since the CMS began in 2012, and represents a 21% increase compared with the year to September 2024.Following the Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 receiving royal assent in July 2023, secondary legislation is required to bring into force existing powers that allow the CMS to make an administrative liability order against a person who has failed to pay child maintenance and is in arrears. A liability order is a legal recognition of the debt and is required before the CMS can take certain enforcement actions against non-compliant parents to enforce those arrears. The administrative liability order (ALO) will replace the current requirement for the CMS to apply to the court for a liability order, a cumbersome process which can take a long time (in some cases up to 22 weeks). Introducing a simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and will get money to children more quickly. We expect the new liability order process in the majority of cases to take around 6 weeks. Changes will mean the CMS can use its strong enforcement powers more quickly to go after those who will fully avoid their financial obligations to their children. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament as soon as possible.

Who is responsible for registering liability orders with Registry Trust Limited.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not require a justice of the peace to issue a summons before making an application for a liability order.When seeking a liability order, the CMS writes directly to the paying parent to inform them of the intention to apply. This communication includes the outstanding debt amount, along with the court location and the date of the hearing.Use of such powers may have an impact on a parent’s future ability to pay. These powers are therefore only used in circumstances where the CMS believes the parent can pay but is refusing to do so. In such circumstances these powers will have a deterrent effect and as such the numbers are expected to be low.The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

Whether the Child Maintenance Service issues summons documents without the involvement of a justice of the peace.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not require a justice of the peace to issue a summons before making an application for a liability order.When seeking a liability order, the CMS writes directly to the paying parent to inform them of the intention to apply. This communication includes the outstanding debt amount, along with the court location and the date of the hearing.Use of such powers may have an impact on a parent’s future ability to pay. These powers are therefore only used in circumstances where the CMS believes the parent can pay but is refusing to do so. In such circumstances these powers will have a deterrent effect and as such the numbers are expected to be low.The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

Whether a justice of the peace is required to issue a summons before the Child Maintenance Service makes an application for a liability order.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not require a justice of the peace to issue a summons before making an application for a liability order.When seeking a liability order, the CMS writes directly to the paying parent to inform them of the intention to apply. This communication includes the outstanding debt amount, along with the court location and the date of the hearing.Use of such powers may have an impact on a parent’s future ability to pay. These powers are therefore only used in circumstances where the CMS believes the parent can pay but is refusing to do so. In such circumstances these powers will have a deterrent effect and as such the numbers are expected to be low.The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

What proportion of eligible pensioners in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency have applied for winter energy payments.

As of winter 2025/26, Winter Fuel Payments are made to all pensioners in England and Wales, with payments subsequently recovered via the tax system from pensioners with an annual income of more than £35,000 who have not previously opted out. This means no lower or middle-income pensioners will miss out, with the vast majority of pensioners – over three quarters – benefitting. Almost all Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically without any need to claim.A very small number of individuals, for instance those who have deferred their State Pension, may need to contact DWP to claim a Winter Fuel Payment. Claims can be made up to 31 March 2026. Winter Fuel Payment statistics are published annually, and the next publication for winter 2025/26 will be in September 2026: Winter Fuel Payment statistics - GOV.UK.

How many households in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency received cost of living support in winter 2025-26.

The Department provides funding to local authorities in England through the Household Support Fund, to provide crisis support to vulnerable households in the most need with the cost of essentials. Management Information on how local authorities have used this funding, including the number of awards made by each authority, is published on GOV.UK at:Household Support Fund management information - GOV.UK. This information is published at local authority level rather than by parliamentary constituency and is currently available up to March 2024. Management Information for subsequent iterations of the Household Support Fund, including the scheme running from April 2025 to March 2026, will be published in due course. People in receipt of certain benefits also automatically receive Cold Weather Payments if the average temperature in their area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days. Statistics on the estimated number of payments so far in the winter of 2025/26 are published on GOV.UK:Cold Weather Payment estimates: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK This information is available by weather station rather than parliamentary constituency. You can find out which postcodes are linked to each weather station using the published Postcode Checker:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692eda569c1eda2cdf03440e/weather-stations-and-postcodes-cold-weather-payment-scheme-2025-2026.ods.

What performance metrics his Department will use to evaluate the employment outcomes of participants in construction training initiatives.

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

What assessment he has made of the trends in the level of demand for construction-related skills in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency over the next three years.

The Department does not hold up to date data on the projections of construction-related skills at a constituency level. The CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) does produce the Construction Workforce Outlook which projects the growth in construction from 2024 to 2029 and is available at a national and regional level here: https://www.citb.co.uk/cwo/index.html.