Written questions by Anderson.

What steps her Department is taking with other Government departments to improve (i) financial education and (ii) investment literacy among the public.

The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide, which will also benefit UK capital markets and the wider economy. That is why the Chancellor has set out a series of bold measures to get Britain investing again, including the reforms to ISAs announced at Autumn Budget. The Government and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are working closely with the industry-led initiatives to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing. In addition, HM Treasury has worked closely with the FCA on the introduction of targeted support, which went live on 6 April. This allows authorised firms, with the relevant permission, to provide customers with proactive help on investment decisions, including suggesting specific products – helping people to act on information and make choices that are right for their circumstances. In the longer term, HM Treasury is working closely with the Department for Education to strengthen financial education. As part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published in November 2025, the Government announced that financial education will be made compulsory in primary schools in England, alongside a renewed focus on financial education in secondary schools.

What steps she is taking to ensure that regulatory frameworks support greater access to low-cost retail investment products.

The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide, which will also benefit UK capital markets and the wider economy. That is why the Chancellor has set out a series of bold measures to get Britain investing again, including the reforms to ISAs announced at Autumn Budget. The Government and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are working closely with the industry-led initiatives to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing. In addition, HM Treasury has worked closely with the FCA on the introduction of targeted support, which went live on 6 April. This allows authorised firms, with the relevant permission, to provide customers with proactive help on investment decisions, including suggesting specific products – helping people to act on information and make choices that are right for their circumstances. In the longer term, HM Treasury is working closely with the Department for Education to strengthen financial education. As part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published in November 2025, the Government announced that financial education will be made compulsory in primary schools in England, alongside a renewed focus on financial education in secondary schools.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-Japan organic equivalency agreement on organic farmers and producers in Buckinghamshire.

Japan is the second largest organic market in Asia, valued at an estimated £1.4 billion in 2023, and expanding rapidly, driven by Japanese government initiatives to promote organic consumption domestically. The UK-Japan agreement to formally recognise the equivalency of each other’s organic livestock standards will help British exporters to meet growing consumer demand for organic products in Japan. Defra has a network of 16 agri-food and drink attaches who work to remove trade barriers and support UK agri-food businesses to export. This includes an attaché based in Japan. Last year the network removed over 50 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth £127million per annum. Businesses in Buckinghamshire can access a range of tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Business Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support organic food producers in Buckinghamshire to access export opportunities to Japan.

Japan is the second largest organic market in Asia, valued at an estimated £1.4 billion in 2023, and expanding rapidly, driven by Japanese government initiatives to promote organic consumption domestically. The UK-Japan agreement to formally recognise the equivalency of each other’s organic livestock standards will help British exporters to meet growing consumer demand for organic products in Japan. Defra has a network of 16 agri-food and drink attaches who work to remove trade barriers and support UK agri-food businesses to export. This includes an attaché based in Japan. Last year the network removed over 50 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth £127million per annum. Businesses in Buckinghamshire can access a range of tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Business Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

With reference to her Department's guidance entitled The Erasmus+ programme, published on 17 December 2025, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) schools and (b) other participating organisations listed in that guidance to engage with the Erasmus+ programme in advance of the UK rejoining the scheme.

The government will work closely with organisations and young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. The British Council is set take on the role of the UK National Agency.The National Agency will be in charge of managing the implementation of the Erasmus+ Programme in the UK. The National Agency will have a dedicated website, and will issue guidance to applicants in advance of the 2027 funding call.Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to schools, colleges and other eligible organisations. There will also be support for schools who wish to apply and make the most opportunities across Europe.Schools can find guidance about the Erasmus+ programme on the Erasmus+ GOV.UK pages.

What steps she is taking to align the UK’s regulatory framework for (i) digital assets and (ii) stablecoins with key international partners to support global market access for UK firms.

The government is maintaining close engagement with the UK’s international partners on digital asset and stablecoin market access opportunities. The government is committed to making the UK a leading global destination for digital assets.

What assessment she has made of the potential for greater regulatory interoperability between the UK and Japan to reduce barriers to financial services exports.

The Government recognises the value of deepening relationships with international partners, such as Japan, to support global financial stability, a cohesive regulatory landscape, and growth and investment in the UK. Financial regulatory dialogues, including the Japan-UK Financial Regulatory Forum (FRF), are important in supporting cross-border trade in financial services and form a core part of the government’s approach to strengthening international partnerships, as set out in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy published in July. The most recent Japan-UK FRF was on 18 March 2026 in Tokyo, alongside joint sessions with the seventh meeting of the Financial Dialogue. The Forum provided an opportunity for a deep and meaningful exchange across a broad set of economic, fiscal and financial regulatory issues, including alignment on international sustainability reporting standards, digital finance and international banking. Further details of the discussions can be found in the Joint Statement.

What steps she is taking to ensure the UK remains internationally competitive in (i) sustainable finance and (ii) transition finance.

The Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy set out the government’s vision for the UK’s sustainable finance regulatory framework, which prioritises championing the UK’s world leading sustainable finance sector to innovate and adapt to upcoming developments. The government published the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards for voluntary use on 25 February. These 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. These standards are closely aligned with the standards from the International Sustainability Standards Board and will support both companies and investors working across jurisdictional boundaries. The Financial Conduct Authority has also consulted on potential updates to its rules for listed companies. The UK is also taking decisive action to ensure its financial services sector in supporting the global transition and is well placed to capture the opportunity of transition finance. The government has been working closely with the Transition Finance Council, which the Chancellor co-launched with the City of London Corporation in February 2025. It has also consulted on potential implementation options to take forward transition planning in a way that supports the market’s need for credible and decision-useful information, while encouraging action in line with the UK’s climate commitments and supporting economic growth. The government will publish its response in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Land Use Framework on housing delivery in Buckinghamshire.

The Land Use Framework sets out a plan for how we can use our land in a more informed and more efficient way, showing there is enough land to deliver the homes our communities need, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment. The Land Use Framework is not intended to be used as material consideration in planning decisions for the preparation of development plans or for making decisions on planning applications. The impact of land use change for housing will be assessed as part of the implementation of the Land Use Framework and will inform policy on housing, infrastructure, food and the environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Land Use Framework on the availability of agricultural land for food production.

The Government has been clear that food security is national security. The Framework makes a clear, long-term commitment to maintain overall food production in England while increasing resilience to climate change and to protect the most productive farmland. Defra’s analysis shows that it is possible to achieve the scale of change required without reducing domestic food production. The UK will produce food more sustainably from less land using a mixture of productivity improvements and the expansion of highly efficient sectors.

What analysis she has undertaken of the potential impact of extending membership eligibility to students on credit union balance sheets.

The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond by: Increasing the potential membership cap on the locality bond from 3 million to 10 million, which will significantly expand the potential size of locality-based credit unions, which make up 79% of the sector, and reduce uncertainty around merger activity.Allowing credit unions to admit students to locality-based credit unions, if not otherwise eligible through residence or work.Expanding eligibility for members' relatives to allow credit unions to admit relatives of qualifying members regardless of whether they share a household.Allowing credit unions to retain retired members as fully qualifying members. The reforms will apply across Great Britain, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK. The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows. A full impact assessment will be published alongside the legislative reforms. The reforms to the credit union common bond form part of a broader package of measures to support improved access to financial products and services under the Financial Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy itself will be reviewed two years after publication to assess its overall progress.

What assessment she has made of the potential regulatory implications of allowing credit unions to retain members following retirement.

The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond by: Increasing the potential membership cap on the locality bond from 3 million to 10 million, which will significantly expand the potential size of locality-based credit unions, which make up 79% of the sector, and reduce uncertainty around merger activity.Allowing credit unions to admit students to locality-based credit unions, if not otherwise eligible through residence or work.Expanding eligibility for members' relatives to allow credit unions to admit relatives of qualifying members regardless of whether they share a household.Allowing credit unions to retain retired members as fully qualifying members. The reforms will apply across Great Britain, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK. The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows. A full impact assessment will be published alongside the legislative reforms. The reforms to the credit union common bond form part of a broader package of measures to support improved access to financial products and services under the Financial Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy itself will be reviewed two years after publication to assess its overall progress.

What assessment he has made of the implications of UK-Spain economic co-operation for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Our bilateral cooperation with Spain is creating opportunities for British businesses, including the Spanish government’s decision to exempt British nationals from a visa requirement for the provision of services in stays of less than ninety days. This could be worth around £250 million in additional exports to UK businesses over a five-year period. This will benefit UK businesses of all sizes exporting to Spain.Our cooperation with the EU is also reducing barriers to trade. An SPS Agreement with the EU will make agrifood trade easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers, including small and medium enterprises that currently trade or want to trade with Spain and other EU countries.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in UK-Spain co-operation on levels of inward private sector investment into (i) Milton Keynes and (ii) Buckinghamshire.

According to figures published by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, the UK was the second largest destination for Spanish foreign direct investment stock at the end of 2023, supporting over 140,000 jobs in the UK in 2023.During her visit to Madrid, the Chancellor welcomed a £240m investment from Exolum while Indra will create 600 jobs in the UK after being awarded a contract by Transport for London. Spanish bank Santander has also developed its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, where it employs thousands of people.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the Land Use Framework for balancing infrastructure development with environmental targets.

The Framework’s focus on more informed decision making, including spatial targeting, shows how we can meet our homes and infrastructure goals while supporting nature recovery.

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria she will use to determine national spatial priorities under the Land Use Framework.

The Land Use Framework informs decision-makers at all scales of spatial planning to identify areas to be safeguarded for agriculture or prioritised for nature, and to find the right areas for development and infrastructure. The Framework will support a more strategic approach to spatial planning, which will help to manage trade-offs at a local level to ensure land use change is coherent and fair, and takes account of local knowledge and values. Publishing the Framework was the first step. This year we will establish a Land Use Unit to put the framework into action and share updated analysis online.

Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring arrangements will be established by the proposed Land Use Unit to assess progress against the Land Use Framework’s objectives.

The Land Use Unit will monitor land use change in England to assess progress against the Land Use Framework’s objectives. Specific monitoring plans will be announced later this year following the set up of the Unit.

What estimate she has made of the potential impact of increasing the locality common bond membership cap on the number of credit union mergers.

The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond by: Increasing the potential membership cap on the locality bond from 3 million to 10 million, which will significantly expand the potential size of locality-based credit unions, which make up 79% of the sector, and reduce uncertainty around merger activity.Allowing credit unions to admit students to locality-based credit unions, if not otherwise eligible through residence or work.Expanding eligibility for members' relatives to allow credit unions to admit relatives of qualifying members regardless of whether they share a household.Allowing credit unions to retain retired members as fully qualifying members. The reforms will apply across Great Britain, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK. The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows. A full impact assessment will be published alongside the legislative reforms. The reforms to the credit union common bond form part of a broader package of measures to support improved access to financial products and services under the Financial Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy itself will be reviewed two years after publication to assess its overall progress.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of proposed common bond reforms on levels of access to credit union services in (i) Milton Keynes and (ii) Buckinghamshire.

The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond by: Increasing the potential membership cap on the locality bond from 3 million to 10 million, which will significantly expand the potential size of locality-based credit unions, which make up 79% of the sector, and reduce uncertainty around merger activity.Allowing credit unions to admit students to locality-based credit unions, if not otherwise eligible through residence or work.Expanding eligibility for members' relatives to allow credit unions to admit relatives of qualifying members regardless of whether they share a household.Allowing credit unions to retain retired members as fully qualifying members. The reforms will apply across Great Britain, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK. The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows. A full impact assessment will be published alongside the legislative reforms. The reforms to the credit union common bond form part of a broader package of measures to support improved access to financial products and services under the Financial Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy itself will be reviewed two years after publication to assess its overall progress.

What monitoring arrangements will be put in place to evaluate the impact of common bond reforms on financial inclusion outcomes.

The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond by: Increasing the potential membership cap on the locality bond from 3 million to 10 million, which will significantly expand the potential size of locality-based credit unions, which make up 79% of the sector, and reduce uncertainty around merger activity.Allowing credit unions to admit students to locality-based credit unions, if not otherwise eligible through residence or work.Expanding eligibility for members' relatives to allow credit unions to admit relatives of qualifying members regardless of whether they share a household.Allowing credit unions to retain retired members as fully qualifying members. The reforms will apply across Great Britain, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK. The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows. A full impact assessment will be published alongside the legislative reforms. The reforms to the credit union common bond form part of a broader package of measures to support improved access to financial products and services under the Financial Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy itself will be reviewed two years after publication to assess its overall progress.