Written questions by Garnier.

What progress she has made on the Retail Investment Campaign.

The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.The Government welcomes the industry-led retail investment campaign which will promote the benefits of investing to the public, and will launch in April 2026. The inaugural meeting of the campaign steering group was held on 22 September 2025, and the steering group has met regularly since then. The Investment Association is the secretariat to the campaign, and HM Treasury supports the campaign in an observer capacity.

How many meetings of the Retail Investment Campaign steering group have taken place.

The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.The Government welcomes the industry-led retail investment campaign which will promote the benefits of investing to the public, and will launch in April 2026. The inaugural meeting of the campaign steering group was held on 22 September 2025, and the steering group has met regularly since then. The Investment Association is the secretariat to the campaign, and HM Treasury supports the campaign in an observer capacity.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of the use of AI technologies in financial advice by (a) consumers and (b) industry.

The government believes that the safe and effective adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services is a major strategic opportunity, with the potential to power growth across the UK. As set out in the Government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, it is our ambition to make the UK the world's most technologically advanced global financial sector, leveraging our dual strengths in financial services and AI. AI is already widely used across the financial sector. A 2024 survey by the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that around three-quarters of UK financial services firms are now deploying AI. Industry estimates also suggest that the use of AI within the financial advice sector is rapidly growing, with the proportion of advice firms using AI more than doubling over the past year. The government has not made a formal assessment of the level of AI use by consumers, including the use of large language models for financial advice. In recognition of growing consumer interest in these tools, the FCA has published information for consumers on using AI for investment research. This sets out the pros and cons of such tools, including the risk of incorrect or out-of-date information, and makes clear that advice from general purpose AI tools is not regulated and does not benefit from protections such as the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. To support the effective and safe use of AI by industry, while protecting consumers and financial stability, the government has appointed Financial Services AI champions, Harriet Rees and Rohit Dhawan. They will focus on helping firms seize the opportunities for AI in a way that supports innovation, maintains trust in UK financial services, and ensures that consumers are appropriately protected.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving the delivery of financial education.

The government recognises the importance of financial literacy in helping people to manage their finances and make the most of their money, and is taking steps to improve provision of financial education across all age groups. In July 2024, the government established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review considered whether there is sufficient coverage of key knowledge and skills to prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world. The final report was published in November 2025, alongside the government’s response. As part of that response, the government committed to making citizenship compulsory at Key Stages 1 and 2 in England, which will include financial education. The government is also legislating through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill so that all state-funded schools in England will be legally required to teach the national curriculum up to the age of sixteen. This will mean that pupils at academies, which do not currently have to follow the national curriculum, will also benefit from the changes to the curriculum. The Treasury is working closely with the Department for Education on how we can support these changes and how they fit into the wider landscape of measures announced to support financial capability in adults as part of the government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy. My predecessor met the Minister of State (Minister for School Standards) last year ahead of the Strategy being published.

How many PIP assessment officers there were in each month since January 2025.

The information requested is not held in the format specified.However, while data on the monthly totals for average health professional (HP) full‑time equivalents (FTEs) working on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts, and overall HP FTE leavers, is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this information in a future statistical release.

How many PIP assessment officers left their role in each month since January 2025.

The information requested is not held in the format specified.However, while data on the monthly totals for average health professional (HP) full‑time equivalents (FTEs) working on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts, and overall HP FTE leavers, is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this information in a future statistical release.

What assessment she has made of the importance of appointing a Digital Markets Champion with experience and understanding of digital assets and distributed ledger technologies, to help position the UK as a global hub for digital finance and innovation.

Last July the government published the Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy. The strategy announced that the government will appoint an industry expert as Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, who will provide leadership from, and for, the sector on wholesale market digitalisation.The government is working at pace to appoint a suitable candidate for the role, taking into account their backgrounds and previous experience, and will provide an update in due course.

What steps the Department is taking to ensure that the recruitment process for the Digital Markets Champion includes interviewing candidates from a broad range of professional backgrounds, including those with experience in emerging technologies and digital assets.

Last July the government published the Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy. The strategy announced that the government will appoint an industry expert as Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, who will provide leadership from, and for, the sector on wholesale market digitalisation.The government is working at pace to appoint a suitable candidate for the role, taking into account their backgrounds and previous experience, and will provide an update in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that pension scheme communications are made more transparent and understandable for the general public.

Pension schemes are under legal obligations to provide key information to members. Schemes should ensure that all communications are accurate, clear, concise, relevant and in plain English.Simpler Annual Benefit Statements, introduced in 2022, make defined contribution automatic‑enrolment pension statements shorter and more consistent, helping members see what they’ve saved; what they might have at retirement; and what actions they can take. When launched, pensions dashboards will allow people to view their pensions, including State Pension, securely and in one place online. Dashboards will include clear contextual information alongside the values shown, supported by user testing, to ensure the information is easy to understand. Decision making about how to use pension assets to secure an income can be complex. The Guided Retirement provisions in the Pension Schemes Bill require trustees to provide information in plain and simple language to support informed member decision making. The Government intends to consult on the Guided Retirement communications journey, ensuring that communications are structured, accessible, and delivered at the right points to help savers understand both the default pension plan and the options available to them. The Government ensures everyone has access to free, impartial pensions guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for physical education and sports on child obesity.

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle that plays a role in tackling childhood obesity.Too many children and young people do not meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of 60 minutes of daily physical activity. The department is taking action to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality PE, physical activity and sport.Good PE lessons are important in securing a solid foundation for leading active lives. That is why we are reforming the PE curriculum to support participation and development across all four key stages.We are setting up a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, which will bring together schools, grass-roots clubs, and sport national governing bodies, so children and young people get a range of opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity inside and outside of school.

What plans her Department has for improving provision of financial education as part of the adult education curriculum.

The essential skills entitlements, funded through the adult skills fund (ASF), support adults without a GCSE maths grade 4 or higher, or equivalent qualification, or are assessed at working below this level, to undertake a range of free courses including maths GCSEs and functional skills qualifications.As part of the ASF, Tailored Learning funding can also be used to fund provision supporting learners to address specific needs such as financial education.Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.Alongside, there is a range of apprenticeships available which provide training in occupationally specific financial knowledge and skills, for example, in payroll, investment or financial services-related roles. We also continue to fund apprentices to secure up to a L2 maths qualification as part of their apprenticeship.

How many people receive the basic state pension and the additional state pension.

In Great Britain in 2025/26, around 8.1 million individuals were forecast to receive the basic State Pension (this is the State Pension under the pre-2016 system), with around 6.9 million of these individuals forecast to receive the Additional State Pension*. These estimates all refer to pensions administered by DWP for State Pensions accrued in Great Britain. *The Additional State Pension is an earnings-related element of the pre-2016 State Pension and could include Additional Pension, State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and State Second Pension (S2P) elements. Source: Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables 2025

How many people on the basic State Pension have inherited part of the additional State Pension from their deceased spouse or partner.

The Department does not hold published readily accessible data on the number of individuals in receipt of the Basic State Pension who have inherited part of the Additional State Pension from a deceased spouse or partner.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to expand the permitted development right for floating solar installations on reservoirs in England and Wales to allow the electricity generated by the floating solar projects to be exported to third parties.

Planning is a devolved matter within the competency of the Welsh Parliament. The government continues to keep permitted development rights in England under review.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to extend the permitted development right for floating solar installations to disused quarries and docks in England and Wales.

Planning is a devolved matter within the competency of the Welsh Parliament. The government continues to keep permitted development rights in England under review.

Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend permitted development rights for floating solar installations to on-farm reservoirs in England and Wales.

Planning is a devolved matter within the competency of the Welsh Parliament. The government continues to keep permitted development rights in England under review.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that the UK can attract private sector investment in nationally signification infrastructure projects.

The Department for Business and Trade is taking active steps to attract private sector investment into nationally significant infrastructure projects. Through the expanded Office for Investment, we provide enhanced relationship management for major and sovereign investors, supported by strengthened business development teams that work closely with delivery partners to originate and progress high-quality projects. Under the Government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, the Strategic Investment Opportunities Unit within the OfI identifies and develops demand-led opportunities, aligning them with investor priorities. In partnership with NISTA, we promote priority infrastructure projects with strong commercial potential to suitable institutional investors, helping to unlock long-term capital at scale.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of Network Rail’s approach to the proposed redevelopment of London Liverpool Street Station on inward foreign direct investment.

The Office for Investment, a joint unit across DBT, HMT & No.10, promotes the UK as one of the world’s leading destinations for Foreign Direct Investment, supported by our strong business environment, highly skilled workforce and globally competitive sectors. FDI plays an important role in driving growth, innovation and jobs across the country. The OfI has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of Network Rail’s approach to the proposed redevelopment of London Liverpool Street Station on inward foreign direct investment.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage private investors to help deliver the commercial structures used for (a) Liverpool Street Station and (b) other major rail infrastructure developments.

As set out in the Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy, the Government is committed to increased private investment alongside public funding to transform the UK’s infrastructure.Officials are engaged with Network Rail and Platform4 - the government’s new property development company, on the emerging proposition for the potential redevelopment of Liverpool Street station.Government encourages Network Rail to secure third-party funding contributions to minimise the use of taxpayer funding and to demonstrate value for money.The Government is already taking action to deliver the infrastructure the country needs, including around railway sites, recognising the opportunities stations present for housing, retail, commercial and community assets, as well as transport hubs.In the future, Ministers have been clear that Great British Railways (GBR) will be set up to be a commercially agile organisation able to provide the integrated leadership of Britain's railway and long-term strategic framework that supports private sector investment.

What oversight her Department exercises over Network Rail’s commercial approach to major station redevelopments involving private capital.

My Department’s oversight of such propositions varies, depending on factors such as the conditions of any private capital contributions and impacts on the operation of the network.