Written questions by Anderson.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department has established measurable targets for rural business productivity improvements supported by public funding in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

We have not set productivity targets specifically for businesses in rural areas. Defra provides funding to rural businesses via the Rural England Prosperity Fund. Each individual eligible local authority is responsible for running their own rounds of funding and establishing their own delivery targets based on local priorities. The Fund is devolved to local authorities, and they have been given responsibility for delivery of REPF – including setting priorities and delivery targets for the funding they have been allocated, assessing and approving project applications, processing payments and the day-to-day monitoring of delivery. Each eligible local authority reports every 6 months on spend and outcomes via the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, who administer the Fund on Defras’ behalf. The Department provided Buckinghamshire with an allocation of £1.828m in financial years 2023/24 & 2024/25 and a further £548k in financial year 2025/26 via the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Food and Rural Affairs, what performance indicators are used to review the effectiveness of food sector capital incentives.

Investment is through grants to sustainable farming and food production businesses and prioritised in terms of where it delivers most value. Applications are assessed against published criteria.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department takes to record UK public sector participation in EU-linked research consortia.

Information on European Commission-led programmes, such as Horizon Europe, is collected by the Commission. This data is publicly available and includes details on successful consortia, including UK public sector organisations. It can be found in the R&I Projects section of the Funding and Tenders Portal under the Key Figures page using the relevant filters: R&I Proposals - Summary | Sheet - Qlik Sense. DSIT uses this and other relevant sources to assess UK participation and measures to keep improving this.

What criteria are used by his Department to determine which public systems require mandatory zero-trust security measures.

The Department applies a risk-based assessment framework, underpinned by secure by design methodology including structured threat modelling, to determine which public systems require mandatory zero-trust security measures. Systems handling sensitive data, supporting critical services, or presenting elevated threat exposure are prioritised. This approach ensures that zero-trust controls are applied proportionately, focusing effort on the environments with the highest risk profile.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department has formal requirements for suppliers receiving support to report on waste-reduction outcomes.

We are responding on the basis that this question relates to reporting under the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme and the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) system for domestic waste, and specifically on the support that obligated producers may receive in meeting the reporting requirements under these regulations. Under the pEPR regulations, producers are required to report detailed data on the packaging they place on the UK market, including material types and tonnages. This reporting underpins the calculation of fees and recycling obligations (PRNs) and ensures that costs for household packaging waste management are recovered in line with the polluter pays principle. These obligations are designed to incentivise waste reduction by linking fees to recyclability and packaging weight, with modulation of fees from 2026 to further encourage sustainable packaging choices. Similarly, the PRN system requires accredited reprocessors and exporters to issue evidence notes for packaging waste that has been recycled. These notes form part of the compliance mechanism for meeting recycling targets and provide transparency on the amount of packaging waste recovered and recycled within the UK. Under the regulations, obligated producers may receive support from compliance schemes in meeting their reporting obligations and recycling targets. Regulation 43 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 specifies the obligations of compliance schemes, and Schedule 6 outlines the approvals framework ensuring schemes are able to provide guidance and assistance to producers. This ensures producers have access to help in fulfilling their legal responsibilities effectively.

What specific measures his Department will offer companies located in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to help them navigate any non-tariff barriers emerging from Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership dialogues.

My officials engage extensively across the UK and overseas to assess opportunities and identify non-tariff barriers arising from CPTPP membership. This includes hosting targeted events and webinars to promote the utilisation of the Agreement, providing updates on the latest developments, and gathering feedback from businesses on how CPTPP is working in practice. The Department’s business-facing teams are equipped with the tools and information they need to confidently engage with businesses, helping them understand and navigate non-tariff barriers, and access commercial opportunities across CPTPP markets.

What the cost of a standard class annual rail season ticket from (a) Bletchley and (b) Milton Keynes to London Euston was in 2010.

The cost of an annual season ticket in 2010 between London and a) Bletchley was £3,316 and b) Milton Keynes was £3,832.

What assessment he has made of the likely effect on regulatory alignment for UK businesses resulting from future Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership rule-reviews.

Assessment of the effects of regulatory alignment under the CPTPP Agreement relate to the CPTPP Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Chapter.While this chapter does not require regulatory alignment, it encourages greater transparency for CPTPP members to be better informed about the development of product regulations and conformity assessment requirements. The chapter enables members to request technical discussions and provides routes to address issues.For CPTPP to remain of the highest possible standard, the UK has engaged in the General Review process in a way which seeks to protect and promote UK interests, including on the TBT chapter.

What steps his Department will take to assess the opportunities for businesses in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to benefit from recent developments in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Last week, I met with other CPTPP Ministers in Melbourne, where they agreed to launch accession talks with Uruguay, held trade and investment dialogues with both the EU and ASEAN, and agreed on areas where the CPTPP Agreement can be improved. These developments demonstrate our strong commitment to the continued expansion of high-standard, rules-based trade to benefit businesses across the UK, as outlined in the Trade Strategy. Access to new markets, closer relations with other trading blocs and improved rules will create opportunities for businesses across the UK, including those in Bletchley and Buckingham.

What framework his Department intends to put in place to help small and medium sized enterprises in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency engage with Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership markets.

The Department for Business and Trade provides practical CPTPP guidance for businesses via business.gov.uk market pages. This covers policy areas such as rules of origin, preferential tariffs and digital trade, as well as sector-specific guidance for CPTPP countries. Small and medium sized businesses can access export support through our UK and overseas teams using our digital enquiry service, and tailored assistance is available on business.gov.uk to help businesses enter new markets and expand their presence in existing ones. We actively engage through events and working with the wider business community to promote CPTPP opportunities.

What impact assessment his Department has made of increased Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership membership on trade flows to and from the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

According to the published Impact Assessment, the UK’s accession to CPTPP will help boost the South East’s economy by around £450 million in the long run. However, no analysis was undertaken at a constituency level. HMRC statistics show that 2024 trade flows between the South-East region of England and CPTPP markets (excluding Brunei) comprised goods exports worth £2.8 billion. The South-East had the third-highest goods exports to CPTPP countries in the UK. My Department will continue to measure trade flows across the UK to ensure that all businesses can make the most of the opportunities offered by the Agreement’s expansion.

What steps his Department will take to ensure integrated care boards covering the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency have the capacity to deliver palliative and end of life care closer to home.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming palliative care and end-of-life care framework on the provision of palliative care services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what strategy her Department has to improve the resilience of water infrastructure in Buckinghamshire.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans must demonstrate how they will achieve a secure supply of water whilst protecting the environment over a minimum 25-year period. The Environment Agency (EA) assesses how companies perform against their published plans annually in July and advises the Secretary of State. Water companies must also produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP), setting out how they will ensure robust drainage and sewerage services over a 25-year period. The WRMPs and DWMPs will demonstrate where and when investment will be needed to support the Government’s growth agenda and to ensure infrastructure is fit for purpose now and in the future. The EA has strengthened its water industry regulation with new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. The EA has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets and completed over 4,600 last year and is on track to deliver 10,000 this year. The EA’s Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 1500 inspections since April 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring arrangements her Department has for measuring the performance of water companies in meeting service standards in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans must demonstrate how they will achieve a secure supply of water whilst protecting the environment over a minimum 25-year period. The Environment Agency (EA) assesses how companies perform against their published plans annually in July and advises the Secretary of State. Water companies must also produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP), setting out how they will ensure robust drainage and sewerage services over a 25-year period. The WRMPs and DWMPs will demonstrate where and when investment will be needed to support the Government’s growth agenda and to ensure infrastructure is fit for purpose now and in the future. The EA has strengthened its water industry regulation with new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. The EA has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets and completed over 4,600 last year and is on track to deliver 10,000 this year. The EA’s Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 1500 inspections since April 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of how water (a) supply and (b) drainage vulnerabilities will evolve in the next decade in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans must demonstrate how they will achieve a secure supply of water whilst protecting the environment over a minimum 25-year period. The Environment Agency (EA) assesses how companies perform against their published plans annually in July and advises the Secretary of State. Water companies must also produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP), setting out how they will ensure robust drainage and sewerage services over a 25-year period. The WRMPs and DWMPs will demonstrate where and when investment will be needed to support the Government’s growth agenda and to ensure infrastructure is fit for purpose now and in the future. The EA has strengthened its water industry regulation with new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. The EA has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets and completed over 4,600 last year and is on track to deliver 10,000 this year. The EA’s Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 1500 inspections since April 2025.

What guidance her Department has issued to schools in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency on minimum attendance improvement targets.

Tackling absence is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Children attended over 5.3 million additional days in the 2024/25 school year compared to the 2023/23 school year, with over 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent. Our statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets clear expectations for schools to take a support-first approach, using data to identify patterns and intervene early. To support this, our attendance baseline improvement expectations (ABIEs) set out the minimum improvement expected over an academic year, based on each school’s context and previous year’s attendance. Schools’ progress against their ABIEs informs the type of support offered. ABIEs are a starting point, not a limit. Schools are encouraged to work, towards pre-pandemic attendance levels or better. Indicative ABIEs are available now, with full introduction in 2026/27. Alongside ABIEs, schools receive ‘similar schools’ reports which name higher-performing schools with comparable characteristics and provide advice on how to contact them to share strategies. Schools can also access an updated attendance improvement toolkit for practical advice on attendance improvement. For schools facing the greatest challenges, we are rolling out up to 90 Attendance and Behaviour Hubs, to deliver structured peer support and bespoke improvement plans.

What baseline data her Department uses to determine school-specific attendance improvement targets.

The department uses a combination of national and school-level data to determine each school’s attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE), which sets out the minimum improvement expected over an academic year. ABIEs include a context-based factor, which compares a school’s previous year attendance with that of statistically similar schools. Similar schools are identified using characteristics such as free school meal eligibility, special educational needs, deprivation, funding levels, and region. The reports headteachers receive also include pre-pandemic attendance benchmarks and local authority averages, providing schools with a “ladder of ambition” against which to benchmark improvements.

What monitoring arrangements her Department has in place to evaluate the impact of the attendance improvement roadmap on pupil outcomes.

To monitor progress against our journey to return to pre-pandemic levels of attendance and beyond, the department collects comprehensive attendance data to track trends and identify what is working well and where the system needs support. Our world leading data tools allow us to monitor real time attendance across all state-funded schools. By analysing this data at national, regional, and school level, we can assess progress towards pre-pandemic levels and ensure interventions are targeted where they will have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes. Support provided through Attendance and Behaviour Hubs and our expanded mentoring programme, is subject to ongoing monitoring and quality assurance by regional advisers and will be independently evaluated to assess their impact on attendance and pupil outcomes. Thanks to the efforts of the sector, absence is moving in the right direction, with children gaining over five million more days in school last year compared to the previous year.

What communication her Department has had with academy trusts in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency on attendance improvement plans.

The department engages regularly with academy trusts on attendance improvement through a range of channels. In the last academic year, we hosted 12 regional conferences for secondary school and trust leaders focusing solely on the attendance challenge through our regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme. The conferences covered data analysis and shared practical strategies. Feedback from school and trust leaders was strong, and was supported by increased engagement with our data tool. The department also provides targeted communications through webinars, newsletters and direct correspondence to school and trust leaders. This includes updates on new resources such as the Attendance Improvement Toolkit and support available through our RISE Attendance and Behaviour Hubs.