Written questions by Anderson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the role of agricultural cooperatives in supporting rural communities in Buckinghamshire.

The Government strongly supports the benefits co-operatives can bring in buying inputs, coordinating production, and selling outputs, and recognises the important role they play in promoting sustainable farming. The Government is developing the new Farmer Collaboration Fund to unlock broader benefits of collaboration. The Good Food Cycle recognises the key role that co-operatives and community initiatives can play in supporting delivery of the growth, health, sustainability, and food security/ resilience outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many agricultural technology projects in Buckinghamshire have received government innovation funding.

Twelve projects in Buckinghamshire delivered by nine organisations have been awarded a total of £2.4 million to date through the Farming Innovation Programme. Further information on this is not within Defra's remit and therefore the department would recommend reaching out to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as the department responsible for this policy area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of barriers to adoption of farm tech among farmers.

Farmers need evidence of the benefits and returns from investing in innovation and technology, as well as access to finance. That is why Defra is committing £30m to Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) funding competitions from FY26/27, as announced at the NFU Conference in February. This will help farmers and growers' trial practical solutions and approaches that support productivity, profitability and build resilience.

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of national water efficiency funding has been allocated to projects in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

At PR24 final determination, Anglian Water was allocated £167m to support smart metering, leakage reduction, and other water efficiency activities across the 2025-2030 period. Companies may choose where to spend allocated money within their regions, such as by targeting specific locations or spreading it evenly across their area. Additionally, Ofwat leads a £100m Water Efficiency Fund. A national campaign will launch later this year.  Winners of the first innovation competition will be confirmed in June 2026, and the money will be to the benefit of all consumers.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK support on Ukrainian communities in (i) Milton Keynes and (ii) Buckinghamshire.

The Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to understand the integration needs of Ukrainians and how we can work together to ensure positive integration outcomes in local communities.Homes for Ukraine guests have the right to work and full recourse to public funds with access to public services, including housing, healthcare and education.Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. We publish funding allocation data each quarter, which is broken down by local authority: Homes for Ukraine funding - GOV.UK.Councils have the flexibility to use the funding to support households as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation.In addition, MHCLG has provided £11.5 million of funding for language and employment support to over 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the STEP Ukraine Programme. The STEP Programme launched in October 2025 will provide intensive English language lessons and employment support for up to a further 4,000 individuals..We continue to engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available.

If she will assess the potential impact of her debt management policies on pension funds.

Consistent with the debt management objective, the government assesses a range of cost and risk factors when setting its financing plans, in addition to demand considerations and market conditions. HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office regularly consult with gilt market investors, including pension funds, to provide participants with the opportunity to inform decisions on debt management. The gilt holdings of pension funds will decline in the coming years as most private sector defined benefit pension schemes are closed to new members and will eventually wind down. This trend is well understood by the market – and it remains an important consideration when setting debt management policy. This was reflected in the 2026-27 UK Debt Management Office financing remit, which was announced on 3 March. The remit sets out a balanced and well-diversified gilt issuance programme across the range of maturities, in order to support maintaining an accessible, well-functioning gilt market.

What assessment he has made of the impact of current manufacturing investment incentives on national manufacturing output.

Effective monitoring and evaluation is integral to assessing manufacturing policy. Current investment incentives are tracked through operational metrics and economic indicators including business investment, productivity, exports, GVA, labour market outcomes and growth of large UK firms.Recent impact reports show that major programmes are delivering strong returns; for example, the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s R&D programme generated £2.20 of additional private investment for every £1 of public funding. Together, these assessments help ensure that incentives support increased manufacturing capability and long term national output.Delivery progress against new Industrial Strategy commitments, including for manufacturing, is captured in regular Quarterly Updates.

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.

What proportion of government debt over each of the past five financial years has been held by (a) domestic investors and (b) overseas investors.

The ONS publishes estimates of holdings of government debt by sector. The latest available data, as at end 2025 Q3, splits holdings by overseas and domestic investors. ONS data shows a split of holdings between overseas and domestic investors of 28% and 72% respectively in 2021 Q3 and 33% and 67% respectively in 2025 Q3.

How many UK businesses have participated in Ukraine trade support programmes.

Under the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, the Department for Business and Trade has provided trade support to hundreds of UK businesses in Ukraine through:The Free Trade Agreement and tariff liberalisation to simplify trade;Tackling market access barriers which reduce or prevent trade;Maintaining up to £3.5bn in UK Export Finance cover through UKEF;DBT’s Project Development Programme to embed British involvement in reconstruction projects;A procurement dashboard providing easy access to World Bank, EIB, and EBRD opportunities;Business promotion and introduction opportunities such as trade missions, round tables, and international conferences including the ReBuild Ukraine Expo.

Innovation and Technology, what proportion of national manufacturing research and development grants are allocated to SMEs.

The government is committed to delivering record R&D funding, and recognises the significant impact of innovative SME’s on the UK’s economic growth. The government delivers grant funding to innovative businesses through Innovate UK, which is a part of UK Research and Innovation.Since 2023/24, 84% of Innovate UK’s manufacturing research and development grants awarded directly to businesses have been allocated to SMEs. If including the grants awarded to universities and other research partners collaborating with businesses, 58% of all of Innovate UK’s manufacturing research and development grants since 2023/24 have been allocated to SMEs.

Innovation and Technology, what steps are being taken to ensure that small and medium-sized manufacturers located in (i) Buckinghamshire and (ii) Milton Keynes can access innovation funding.

The government is committed to supporting innovative SMEs and delivers innovation funding through Innovate UK.Since 2020/21, SMEs in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes have received over £43 million across more than 200 Innovate UK-funded projects.Innovate UK works with local authorities on innovation initiatives such as MK Tech Week 2025 and Innovate Local Buckinghamshire 2024. Regional Catapults, including the Satellite Applications Catapult at Westcott and the Connected Places Catapult in Milton Keynes, support SMEs to develop advanced technologies, whilst Innovate UK’s Talent & Skills Connect strengthens workforce pipelines. Innovate UK Business Growth and Innovate UK Business Connect provide embedded local support for innovative SMEs.

How her Department tracks the exposure of financial institutions to UK sovereign debt.

The ONS publishes estimates of holdings of government debt by sector. The latest available data, as at end 2025 Q3, can be found here - UK Economic Accounts - Office for National Statistics - via the July to September 2025 dataset. HMT works closely with the Bank of England (“the Bank”), including through its membership of the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC), to monitor and manage risks to UK financial stability, including any risks that may occur from the exposure of financial institutions to UK sovereign debt. As part of this the FPC conducts regular stress tests of the banking sector, which assess how banks’ capital and liquidity would withstand a severe macroeconomic shock, ensuring institutions are able to continue to provide core financial services through severe economic shocks which may impact the value of their UK sovereign debt holdings. You can read more about the Bank’s approach to stress testing and the results of the latest stress tests here. We also work closely with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which supervises individual firms, to understand the risks arising from those individual firms exposure to UK sovereign debt and ensure that these are managed prudently within the regulatory framework. You can read more about the supervision of financial institutions here. In 2024, the Bank conducted a world first System‑Wide Exploratory Scenario (SWES), to explore how a broad range of financial institutions (including banks, insurers, pension funds and other non‑bank financial intermediaries) would respond to a severe market shock. The 2024 SWES focused on the functioning and resilience of key markets such as the gilt and gilt repo markets. It sought to understand the behaviour of firms in stress, and how market dynamics can amplify a shock. The Bank’s final report found that actions following previous market shocks have improved gilt market resilience, with the broader financial system showing an improved ability to absorb large price swings in assets, including sovereign bonds, while also highlighting areas for further policy work. You can see the final report from the SWES here. Taken together these actions – HMTs work with the FPC, regular bank stress tests, PRA supervision, insights from the SWES and ongoing monitoring – ensure that risks arising from financial institutions exposures to UK sovereign debt are well understood and effectively managed.

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 assessment his Department has made regarding the potential merits of adopting a new National Dementia Care Pathway which includes i) end of life care, and ii) clear minimum service standards.

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. 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 and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services.   We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia MSF to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. The Frailty and Dementia MSF will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care and redirecting NHS and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. In developing the Frailty and Dementia MSF, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of updating public procurement policy to (a) incentivise and (b) mandate greater use of UK made steel in publicly funded projects.

The Government wants to see more use of UK‑made steel in publicly funded projects, whilst respecting our national and international legal obligations. The latest steel public procurement data shows that in the financial year 2024–25, where all the steel required could be produced in the UK, 95% of the steel procured by central government buyers was UK‑produced.That said, we continue to strengthen mechanisms to enable the public procurement of UK‑made steel. Updated steel procurement guidance (Public Procurement Policy Notice 022), introduced in June 2025, requires in‑scope organisations to consult UK Steel’s digital catalogue for all new relevant steel procurements before making decisions, and encourages them to consider whether the national security exemption under the Procurement Act applies.

What progress his Department has made on improving the rights of self-employed workers.

The government is enhancing rights and protections for the self-employed in several ways. Measures announced in September 2024 will tackle late payment and long payment terms, including requiring large companies to report on payment performance and the introduction of a Fair Payment Code. We also plan further consultations, including on extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections, a new right to a written statement for the self-employed, and the extension of measures which void Non-Disclosure Agreements in cases of relevant harassment and discrimination. Furthermore, our review of parental leave and pay will consider the needs of self-employed parents.

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

We recognise that illicit drug use in prison is too high, and are committed to tackling this to improve safety, support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. We are investing over £40 million in physical security measures across 34 prisons this financial year, including £10 million on anti-drone measures, to help prevent drugs entering prison. We work closely with health partners to identify prisoners with a drug problem and support them into treatment. To create the environment and incentives for prisoners to make the right choices, we have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 85 prisons, which provide a dedicated, supportive environment for any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison, using regular drug testing alongside incentives. We are also working to increase access to mutual aid fellowships in prison, which can provide vital ongoing support for people in recovery. To bring together rehabilitative and security focused activity in custody, we have funded 54 Drug Strategy Leads to ensure local drug strategies are effectively implemented, and to coordinate a whole system approach to tackling drugs. We have also recruited 17 new Group Drug and Alcohol Leads, who support work on drugs and alcohol across their prison groups, and establish links with community providers and local authority partnerships.

What steps his Department is taking to further support employee ownership in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Employee-owned businesses are a significant part of the UK economy, with 2,470 EOBs in the UK as of June 2025, employing over 335,000 people.DBT, as part of the Autumn Budget announcements, launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals, which closed on the 18th February. DBT is now analysing responses and these will inform any potential business support policies to support the growth of the sector.The government is committed to supporting the growth of the mutuals sector in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the sector. To deliver this, the Chancellor announced a multi-year programme of measures at Mansion House 2024 which government is now delivering.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of recognising dementia as a complex and palliative condition in the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of life care.

Almost one million people in the United Kingdom are living with dementia, and that figure is expected to rise. Each of those people, alongside their friends, families, and unpaid carers, have their own unique and important story of living with dementia.The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. Everyone with dementia should have meaningful care following their diagnosis. This includes information on local services and access to relevant advice and support on what happens next.Our health and adult social care system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services.We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework (MSF) for Frailty and Dementia, complemented by a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care MSF. Together these MSFs will drive rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.The Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including those living with dementia, and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.The MSF for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care, and redirecting NHS and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. It will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is underway and will report this year.We intend to continue to engage with a range of partners over the coming months to enable us to build a framework which is both ambitious and practical, to ensure we can improve system performance for people with dementia both now and in the future.