Written questions by Anderson.

What plans are in place to monitor the geographic distribution of SME lending facilitated by British Business Bank schemes.

Where possible, finance facilitated by the British Business Bank is mapped to a postcode level. Much of this data is published: for instance, the number and value of Start Up Loans data is published on the BBB website every quarter. Geographic data is also used in the evaluations of BBB programmes and on reporting on the BBB’s overall KPI of deployment of finance outside of London.In addition to publishing data on its own programmes, the BBB also publishes reports which highlight geographic patterns observed in UK small business finance. For example, the BBB's annual Small Business Finance Markets report and the annual Nations and Regions Tracker which is next due to be published in October 2025.

How many patients will be evacuated under the Gaza Medical Evacuation Scheme; and what his planned timetable is for those evacuations.

I refer the Hon. Members to My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s Written Statement to the House on 1 September 2025, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899

How many small businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors have accessed apprenticeship support schemes in the last three years in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The department’s Apprenticeships by Industry Characteristics publication contains apprenticeship starts figures, including by sector, constituency, and size of businesses. This data has been available since 29 May 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics/2022-23.Apprenticeship starts by constituency are available in the apprenticeships statistics publication. This data has been available since 17 July 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25.

What modelling his Department has undertaken on the anticipated economic impact of expanding SME access to growth capital.

The economic impacts of increased access to capital are modelled by the British Business Bank drawing on independent evaluation evidence. The Bank models impact on job creation and economic output in the form of incremental gross value added (GVA).Over its first decade to 2023/24, the Bank has supported more than 200,000 businesses with an estimated boost to UK economic output of approximately £43 billion over the lifetime of their finance.The 24,000 businesses newly funded by the Bank in 2024/25 are expected to increase UK economic output by a further £8 billion and create 38,000 jobs over the lifetime of their finance.

What mechanisms his Department uses to evaluate the effectiveness of export support services for SMEs.

DBT offers a range of support for SME’s, with the recent Small Business Plan unlocking billions of pounds in finance to support businesses to invest and revitalising the High Street as a place to do business. The new online Business Growth Service will deliver support for Digital Adoption and AI to unlock business potential. And our Trade Strategy offers a more targeted approach to export support, including the launch of the Ricardo Fund to help UK regulators remove regulatory barriers for businesses trading abroad.DBT has a robust monitoring and evaluation framework in place for export support and the Trade Strategy. The data will be published in DBT's Annual Report.

Whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to set statutory targets for levels of SME participation in public sector procurement.

The Government is determined to ensure the £385 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually, delivers economic growth and supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Government previously announced that all departments would set SME spend targets, and now plans to expand that requirement to the wider public sector - further prioritising and boosting spending with SMEs. The Government is analysing responses to our recent public consultation on further reforms to public procurement processes. These proposals aim to drive economic growth, support small businesses, and better support innovation. We will publish our conclusions and further actions to improve public procurement in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to support the development of local strategic delivery plans for early childhood outcomes under the Test, Learn and Grow programme in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

The Test, Learn & Grow programme is modelling and scaling an approach to public service reform and mission delivery that closes gaps between policy, delivery and service users, and speeds up learning and improvement. In July, the Programme announced the 10 places that it will be working with in England. These are: Barnsley, Wakefield, Manchester, Liverpool, Sandwell, Northumberland, Essex, Plymouth, Nottingham, and within London. Challenges the teams will look at will include increasing the uptake of Best Start Family Hubs to support parents and young children - and this is currently being scoped with input from the Department for Education, Cabinet Office and local partners. The Programme is committed to spreading practice and insights to local authorities across the country and will ensure that this opportunity is available to Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

What discussions she has had with stakeholders on the potential impact of pay transparency requirements on workplace equality.

As part of our ongoing commitment to advancing workplace equality, we launched a Call for Evidence on Equality Law, including questions on pay transparency. This will help us to better understand how increased transparency may impact women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and other groups in the workplace. We are now analysing responses to the Call for Evidence, which closed on 30 June, and will give careful consideration as to whether additional pay transparency measures would be proportionate and effective in improving pay equality in Great Britain. We thank all respondents—individuals, employers, trade unions, and civil society—for their valuable input.

What data her Department plans to collect to assess the effectiveness of its targeted support to help SMEs offer apprenticeships.

Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are important to the economy and to apprenticeships. They provide valuable opportunities for younger apprentices and apprentices from disadvantaged areas.The department collects and publishes data on apprenticeship starts in SMEs. Around 40% of apprenticeship starts are in SMEs and they account for more than 100,000 apprenticeship starts each year.The government pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16-21, and for apprentices aged 22-24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been, or are, in local authority care, when they undertake apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers.For all other apprentices, employers that don’t pay the levy are required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs.The government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHC plan or have been, or are, in local authority care.

With reference to the document entitled Backing your business, published on 31 July 2025, what steps her Department plans to take to tackle sector-specific labour shortages identified by industry groups through its policies on future-proofing skills, outlined in Chapter 5 of that document.

Skills England aims to understand the nation’s future skills needs and drive growth by mobilising employers and partners to co-create solutions that address national and regional skills priorities. Skills England’s second report, ‘Skills for Growth and Opportunity’, outlines key sector-specific skills needs. The department is aligning our skills system with priority sectors to tackle labour shortages. This includes funding uplifts for priority 16-19 courses, establishing new Technical Excellence Colleges and introducing short courses funded through the Growth and Skills Levy. Recognising that not all parts of the skills system work as well for smaller businesses, we have introduced flexible apprenticeship models including flexi-job apprenticeship agencies to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in sectors with short-term, project-based work, such as construction. Within the construction package announced this year, the Construction Industry Training Board is doubling its new entrant support team programme to help SMEs overcome administrative barriers and better recruit, engage and retain apprentices.

What steps she is taking to ensure that Early Years Pupil Premium funding is aligned with the Government’s quality improvement objectives in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

The government is taking coordinated steps to ensure that early years pupil premium (EYPP) aligns with broader quality improvement objectives in early years education.Through the department’s Best Start in Life strategy, we are ensuring families across the country can access affordable, high-quality early education and family support services that support them to thrive.In April 2025, we increased funding for EYPP by an unprecedented 45%, to a maximum of £570 per year per child in all local authorities across England.The government’s new early years strategy, ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’, explicitly links EYPP with its wider goals of reducing inequalities early in life, improving early years provision, strengthening transitions into primary school and enhancing workforce development through training and professional recognition. This includes additional EYPP funding targeted at high-need areas and the creation of published guidance to drive quality of spend.From 2026, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education wants to provide additional funding to extend EYPP in areas most in need, and test different approaches to using this funding to understand how best to maximise its impact, ensuring that the children most at risk of falling behind receive high-quality evidence-informed support.

What comparative assessment he has made of the average time taken for planning decisions for solar farm applications in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) nationally.

Nationally Significant Infrastructure decisions are taken by this department and the majority of solar farm applications have been taken within the statutory deadline, although extensions are occasionally required. This department does not hold information on the time taken for solar application decisions taken by Local Authorities.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that new mental health staff are deployed in areas of greatest demand in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government is recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers to help ease pressure on busy mental health services across the NHS, including in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. More than 6,700 extra mental health workers have been employed since July, as per the latest data.We are working with NHS England to deliver a refreshed workforce plan, which will revolve around the three shifts to deliver our 10-Year Health Plan: moving more care from hospitals to communities; making better use of technology in health and care; and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.Responsibility for the onward commissioning of mental health services sits with integrated care boards (ICB). It is the role of local ICB decision-makers to consider the implications of mental health services, specific to each geography and including the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups, and local authorities.

What steps he is taking to ensure consistency in his planning decisions on applications for solar farm with proposed generating capacity above 50 MW.

Decisions on consent applications for ‘nationally significant’ projects are made in accordance with legislation set out in the Planning Act 2008, and the relevant National Policy Statement made in accordance with that Act. For solar, this is the Renewable Energy National Policy Statement, which sets out how nationally significant solar projects should be assessed. For solar farms with a generating capacity below the ‘nationally significant’ threshold, planning decisions are made by Local Planning Authorities in line with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The threshold for solar projects is currently 50MW but is increasing to 100MW from 31 December 2025.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of mandating the Listings Taskforce to consider sector-specific listing challenges for those priority areas identified in the Industrial Strategy.

The government is taking forward an ambitious programme of reforms to reinvigorate capital markets and ensure the UK is the best place for all firms to start, scale and list. As the Chancellor announced at Mansion House on 15 July, the government will establish a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury will work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the NHS dental workforce that will be required in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in each of the next five years.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan and will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

What discussions she has had with (a) the Financial Policy Committee and (b) Prudential Regulation Committee on their roles in ensuring macro-financial stability during the transition to a nature-positive economy.

The Government is committed to integrating nature into economic and financial decision-making. The Financial Policy Committee’s latest remit, as set out by the Chancellor in November 2024, sets out that the Committee should continue to consider the materiality of nature-related financial risks in relation to its primary objective of protecting and enhancing financial stability. The remits for the Financial Policy Committee and Prudential Regulation Committee also make clear that they should support the Government’s approach to accelerate the transition to a climate resilient, nature positive, and net zero economy. The Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England meet regularly to discuss the outlook for UK financial stability.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK Sustainability Disclosure Standards on the development of international sustainability reporting frameworks.

The government was a strong supporter of the establishment and development of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) as a global standard setter for sustainability reporting at COP26 to drive international alignment. The ISSB published international standards on sustainability disclosures in 2023, known as S1 and S2. On 25th June 2025, the government published its consultation on the draft UK-endorsed standards, which will be known as UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) and are based on the ISSB standards. These standards aim to support long-term, sustainable decision-making by the business and investment community by providing high-quality and comparable information about the sustainability-related risks and opportunities that businesses face. Greater use of these standards internationally will reduce the costs to businesses of reporting on sustainability matters in multiple jurisdictions and maximise the consistency of information for investors, allowing them to deploy their funding to maximum effect and support economic growth.

What steps she is taking to align the National Wealth Fund’s investment mandate with emerging international definitions of transition finance.

The National Wealth Fund is represented on the Strategic Steering Group of the Transition Finance Council which is considering how to build the UK’s transition finance market, including guidelines for credible transition finance. In the Statement of Strategic Priorities issued to the National Wealth Fund on 19 March 2025, the Chancellor set Growth and Clean Energy as key priorities. Blended finance solutions are being explored alongside the NWF’s standard financial instruments to effectively use public capital to crowd in private investment and support the transition to a low carbon economy.

What steps her Department is taking to help support the development of solar skills training programmes delivered through further education institutions based in Buckinghamshire.

The government is committed to the UK becoming a clean energy superpower, achieving clean power by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Skills have a crucial role to play in achieving this mission. The department is working to ensure the English skills system supports learners, workers, and employers to prepare for jobs in renewable energy.The department has provided over £500,000 to support the development of a brand-new Green Skills Energy Hub at the Aylesbury campus of the Buckinghamshire College Group. This facility will increase the number of people entering the construction sector and develop the skills of the workforce, closing the green skills gap within Buckinghamshire. The project includes capital funding for specialist, industry standard equipment, supporting training in renewables including solar power, electric vehicle chargers and heat pump engineering.