Callum Anderson Portrait

Callum Anderson

Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley

2,421 (5.1%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


Callum Anderson is not a member of any APPGs
1 Former APPG membership
Formula 1 and Motorsport
Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL]
26th Feb 2025 - 11th Mar 2025


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Callum Anderson has voted in 136 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Callum Anderson Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Sarah Jones (Labour)
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
(3 debate interactions)
Emma Reynolds (Labour)
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
(2 debate interactions)
Justin Madders (Labour)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
HM Treasury
(6 debate contributions)
Department for Business and Trade
(4 debate contributions)
Department for Work and Pensions
(2 debate contributions)
Home Office
(2 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Crime and Policing Bill 2024-26
(490 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Callum Anderson's debates

Buckingham and Bletchley Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Callum Anderson has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Callum Anderson

17th July 2024
Callum Anderson signed this EDM on Wednesday 17th July 2024

Gareth Southgate resignation as England Manager

Tabled by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
That this House notes with sadness the resignation of Gareth Southgate OBE from his role as manager of the England men’s national team on Tuesday 16 July 2024; appreciates Mr Southgate’s commitment, leadership and his steadfast support for grassroots sport; celebrates the brilliant performance of the England squad in the …
35 signatures
(Most recent: 18 Nov 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 25
Independent: 5
Liberal Democrat: 4
Green Party: 1
View All Callum Anderson's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Callum Anderson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Callum Anderson has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Callum Anderson has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Callum Anderson has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Callum Anderson has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to review the effectiveness of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government power to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security, whilst also supporting secure and resilient growth. All sectors are within scope of the NSI Act, with acquisitions of entities related to 17 sensitive areas of the economy having to notify and receive approval from the Government before the acquisition can be completed.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

  • The previous Government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and Government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

  • The Government will review and produce a report on the mandatory notification areas under the NSI Act, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations 2021, before January 2025.

  • The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

  • The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on the NSI Act, including speaking events, meetings and feedback exercises.

The Government has published extensive guidance for businesses and investors. The NSI Act Market Guidance sets out what businesses and investors, including small and medium-sized businesses, need to be aware of and is available on GOV.UK. The guidance is kept under review to ensure it remains up to date.

The “National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024” published in September shows that the NSI system is continuing to run well and as intended. It demonstrates that we have the powers to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment. Analysis to date has not found evidence of the Act affecting the total volume of investment into the UK.

The UK’s approach to investment screening is in line with many other countries, including our close allies. We continue to work closely with international partners to draw on global best practice.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) adding and (b) removing sectors from the scope of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government power to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security, whilst also supporting secure and resilient growth. All sectors are within scope of the NSI Act, with acquisitions of entities related to 17 sensitive areas of the economy having to notify and receive approval from the Government before the acquisition can be completed.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

  • The previous Government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and Government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

  • The Government will review and produce a report on the mandatory notification areas under the NSI Act, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations 2021, before January 2025.

  • The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

  • The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on the NSI Act, including speaking events, meetings and feedback exercises.

The Government has published extensive guidance for businesses and investors. The NSI Act Market Guidance sets out what businesses and investors, including small and medium-sized businesses, need to be aware of and is available on GOV.UK. The guidance is kept under review to ensure it remains up to date.

The “National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024” published in September shows that the NSI system is continuing to run well and as intended. It demonstrates that we have the powers to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment. Analysis to date has not found evidence of the Act affecting the total volume of investment into the UK.

The UK’s approach to investment screening is in line with many other countries, including our close allies. We continue to work closely with international partners to draw on global best practice.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to increase the effectiveness of processing notifications under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government power to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security, whilst also supporting secure and resilient growth. All sectors are within scope of the NSI Act, with acquisitions of entities related to 17 sensitive areas of the economy having to notify and receive approval from the Government before the acquisition can be completed.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

  • The previous Government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and Government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

  • The Government will review and produce a report on the mandatory notification areas under the NSI Act, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations 2021, before January 2025.

  • The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

  • The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on the NSI Act, including speaking events, meetings and feedback exercises.

The Government has published extensive guidance for businesses and investors. The NSI Act Market Guidance sets out what businesses and investors, including small and medium-sized businesses, need to be aware of and is available on GOV.UK. The guidance is kept under review to ensure it remains up to date.

The “National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024” published in September shows that the NSI system is continuing to run well and as intended. It demonstrates that we have the powers to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment. Analysis to date has not found evidence of the Act affecting the total volume of investment into the UK.

The UK’s approach to investment screening is in line with many other countries, including our close allies. We continue to work closely with international partners to draw on global best practice.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that small and medium-sized businesses are aware of their obligations under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government power to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security, whilst also supporting secure and resilient growth. All sectors are within scope of the NSI Act, with acquisitions of entities related to 17 sensitive areas of the economy having to notify and receive approval from the Government before the acquisition can be completed.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

  • The previous Government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and Government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

  • The Government will review and produce a report on the mandatory notification areas under the NSI Act, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations 2021, before January 2025.

  • The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

  • The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on the NSI Act, including speaking events, meetings and feedback exercises.

The Government has published extensive guidance for businesses and investors. The NSI Act Market Guidance sets out what businesses and investors, including small and medium-sized businesses, need to be aware of and is available on GOV.UK. The guidance is kept under review to ensure it remains up to date.

The “National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024” published in September shows that the NSI system is continuing to run well and as intended. It demonstrates that we have the powers to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment. Analysis to date has not found evidence of the Act affecting the total volume of investment into the UK.

The UK’s approach to investment screening is in line with many other countries, including our close allies. We continue to work closely with international partners to draw on global best practice.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of the National Security and Investment Act 2021 on foreign direct investment since 1 April 2023.

The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government power to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security, whilst also supporting secure and resilient growth. All sectors are within scope of the NSI Act, with acquisitions of entities related to 17 sensitive areas of the economy having to notify and receive approval from the Government before the acquisition can be completed.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

  • The previous Government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and Government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

  • The Government will review and produce a report on the mandatory notification areas under the NSI Act, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations 2021, before January 2025.

  • The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

  • The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on the NSI Act, including speaking events, meetings and feedback exercises.

The Government has published extensive guidance for businesses and investors. The NSI Act Market Guidance sets out what businesses and investors, including small and medium-sized businesses, need to be aware of and is available on GOV.UK. The guidance is kept under review to ensure it remains up to date.

The “National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024” published in September shows that the NSI system is continuing to run well and as intended. It demonstrates that we have the powers to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment. Analysis to date has not found evidence of the Act affecting the total volume of investment into the UK.

The UK’s approach to investment screening is in line with many other countries, including our close allies. We continue to work closely with international partners to draw on global best practice.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consultation has been undertaken with industry stakeholders on the effectiveness of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government power to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security, whilst also supporting secure and resilient growth. All sectors are within scope of the NSI Act, with acquisitions of entities related to 17 sensitive areas of the economy having to notify and receive approval from the Government before the acquisition can be completed.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

  • The previous Government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and Government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

  • The Government will review and produce a report on the mandatory notification areas under the NSI Act, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations 2021, before January 2025.

  • The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

  • The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on the NSI Act, including speaking events, meetings and feedback exercises.

The Government has published extensive guidance for businesses and investors. The NSI Act Market Guidance sets out what businesses and investors, including small and medium-sized businesses, need to be aware of and is available on GOV.UK. The guidance is kept under review to ensure it remains up to date.

The “National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024” published in September shows that the NSI system is continuing to run well and as intended. It demonstrates that we have the powers to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment. Analysis to date has not found evidence of the Act affecting the total volume of investment into the UK.

The UK’s approach to investment screening is in line with many other countries, including our close allies. We continue to work closely with international partners to draw on global best practice.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
26th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help improve the representation of women in senior leadership positions within large (a) public and (b) private companies.

Promoting equal opportunities for women is a key part of this Government's Plan for Change, ensuring fair access to the best jobs. To that end, the Department for Business and Trade sponsors the FTSE Women Leaders Review, which collaborates with the UK's top public and private companies to achieve at least 40% representation of women on boards and at senior management levels.

The 2025 report evidences real progress in representation of women leaders across the top of UK businesses. The Government will continue to work with UK business and the Review to ensure the continuation of this promising momentum.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the Office for Investment will assess the potential impact of foreign direct investment on domestic businesses in key sectors.

Investment is at the heart of the government’s growth mission, increasing the number of good, well-skilled jobs and improving productivity across the country. Foreign direct investment is one part of this and can support domestic businesses directly through supply chains and indirectly through spillover benefits. The new Office for Investment will work closely with all businesses to increase facilitation of investment from UK and overseas businesses.

Previous research in 2021 by DBT found that on average a £1 million FDI project into Great Britain leads to a net increase in national levels of GVA of around £98,000 and a net increase in employment.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the estimated economic impact of foreign direct investment projects in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire has been in the last five years.

Official Statistics at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbt-inward-investment-results-2023-to-2024 show 13 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects landed in Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in 2023-24. This includes single site and multiple site projects. It was not possible to publish the number of new jobs created due to confidentiality issues. Statistics are not published at Local Authority level due to confidentiality concerns, but Milton Keynes is within South East Midlands LEP where 38 FDI projects landed and 3,010 jobs were created in 2023-24. The estimated economic impact of FDI projects is only published at a UK level.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many jobs were created in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire as a result of foreign direct investment in the last year.

Official Statistics at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbt-inward-investment-results-2023-to-2024 show 13 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects landed in Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in 2023-24. This includes single site and multiple site projects. It was not possible to publish the number of new jobs created due to confidentiality issues. Statistics are not published at Local Authority level due to confidentiality concerns, but Milton Keynes is within South East Midlands LEP where 38 FDI projects landed and 3,010 jobs were created in 2023-24. The estimated economic impact of FDI projects is only published at a UK level.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the Office for Investment plans to engage with local authorities and combined authorities to (a) identify and (b) promote investment opportunities.

We work with local and combined authorities to promote the most significant investment opportunities, by providing compelling products for use by the department’s UK and international teams.

With the expanded Office for Investment, we will build further on this approach, working in partnership, to turn the Industrial Strategy and regional growth plans into a clear, commercially attractive pipeline of investment opportunities. We are piloting an enhanced way of supporting transformational local projects, connecting them with specialist support or expertise from across government to develop opportunities at scale and with commercial credibility to pull in large scale investment.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations of the policy paper entitled The Harrington Review of Foreign Direct Investment, published on 22 November 2023.

The Department for Business & Trade is leading and supporting on many initiatives that deliver the recommendations set out in the Harrington Review. This includes; developing the Industrial Strategy to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth through securing investment into crucial sectors of the economy.

We are supporting HM Treasury to develop a National Wealth Fund to mobilise private capital and simplify investor access to financial support. We are supporting regional growth by working with local leaders to realise investment opportunities in every region of the UK, such as working with Mayors in England to develop Local Growth Plans.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Office for Investment has taken to build and strengthen international partnerships that promote inward investment to the UK.

The Government’s international investment partnerships will be crucial for driving economic growth in the UK. The Office for Investment continues to work with teams in the Department for Business and Trade and other departments across government to amplify opportunities for collaboration and the pursuit of shared goals through these partnerships, where stability, predictability, and trust are key. The International Investment Summit on 14 October will be a significant next step to deliver this message to our existing and potential new partners.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Office for Investment is taking in response to global economic trends to maintain the attractiveness of the UK as an investment destination.

To respond to global economic trends and increasing competition for future industries, the Government has announced a set of first steps to improve the UK’s attractiveness as an investment destination, including through driving planning reform and launching our new National Wealth Fund and GB Energy. The Office for Investment (OfI) helps to improve the competitiveness of the UK’s overall offer for investors through focused support for the most globally mobile investment projects.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what metrics his Department uses to assess the performance of the Office for Investment; and how it has performed against those metrics in the last year.

The Department for Business and Trade uses a range of metrics and data to review the performance of its investment promotion function, of which the Office for Investment is a part. These include internal evidence, for instance on the number of projects DBT has been involved in, the Gross Value Added, and the number of jobs created, as well as external evidence from various sources. During 2023-24 DBT supported the delivery of 1,018 FDI projects, creating 57,037 jobs and generating an estimated £5.8 billion GVA over the next three years. The department also supported over £7 billion in large capital investments and £0.86 billion in Venture Capital injections.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what initiatives the Office for Investment has introduced to attract investment in small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK.

The service the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) offers is tailored to investors’ needs and the value of their projects. The Office for Investment (OfI) focuses on supporting a select number of the highest value investments. For lower value investments DBT provides support through Expand Your Business, an online portal designed to address the ‘information gap’ for foreign investors. The Government also works through the British Business Bank to improve access to investment for small and mid-sized businesses through targeted interventions. The Bank’s programmes support over £17 billion of finance to small and high-growth businesses, backing almost 64,000 businesses across the UK.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the Office for Investment's strategy.

The Office for Investment is a small joint unit between 10 Downing Street and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the department responsible for investment into the UK. It is a delivery-focused team whose strategic objectives are fully aligned with those of DBT. It was established to increase the UK’s chances of landing the most strategically important investments. It works alongside teams from DBT, the UK’s international network, and other departments, providing an additional level of support for a handful of high-value projects which are particularly complex and require cross-government convening to unblock barriers.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage (a) women and (b) people from ethnic minorities to found start-up companies.

Start-up companies, including those founded by women and people from ethnic minorities, are essential to our economic success.

All businesses can access support through the Business Support Service, the gov.uk website, their local Growth Hub, and Help to Grow.

The Start Up Loans Company, part of the government backed British Business Bank, provides loans and mentoring to new entrepreneurs. Since 2012, over 69,000 loans have been made to women and founders from an ethnic minority background.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of small businesses that will benefit from the Energy Bill Discount Scheme in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes, between 28 October 2024 and 31 March 2025.

The Energy Bills Discount Scheme closed on 31 March 2024, and so no businesses will benefit from the scheme during this time.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire are expected to benefit from the increase in the Early Years Pupil Premium to £1 per hour in 2025-26.

Early education gives all children the best start in life. That is why we are delivering the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the early years pupil premium rate by over 45%, from 68p per hour in the 2024/25 financial year to £1 per hour in the 2025/26 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. The early years pupil premium rate will be the same for all age groups.

Early years funding, including early years pupil premium, is paid on the basis of part-time equivalents (PTEs) where one PTE is equivalent to a child attending a setting for 15 hours a week over 38 weeks. We expect to fund 862.52 PTEs in Buckinghamshire and 547.01 PTEs in Milton Keynes at the increased early years pupil premium rate in the 2025/26 financial year. Final allocations will be paid on updated census and headcount data.

More information on the 2025/26 financial year early years allocations and estimated PTEs can be found on GOV.UK.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure early education providers in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire comply with the updated statutory guidance on additional charges for government-funded entitlements.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to secure funded early education and childcare for eligible children in their area. The early education and childcare statutory guidance sets out what local authorities must do as required by legislation, and what they should do to meet their statutory duties.

To support local authorities with their statutory duties, the department recently published updated statutory guidance, which will come into effect in April 2025, reaffirming that whilst providers can charge parents for some additional extras, these charges must not be mandatory. The updates to the guidance will support local authorities to take a more consistent approach to implementing the rules across providers, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Local authorities are responsible for implementing the guidance at a local level and can intervene where the guidance is not being followed.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the projected allocation of the expansion grant for early education providers in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire will be for financial year 2025-26.

In 2025/26, the government plan to spend over £8 billion on the early years entitlements. This government has increased the early years pupil premium by 45% and are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.

Buckinghamshire will receive £834,187 and Milton Keynes will receive £430,010 in Early Years Expansion Grant funding. We have now published full details of allocations and conditions of grant, which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-expansion-grant-2025-to-2026.

We expect local authorities to communicate all funding allocations to providers within six weeks of the publication of rates, that is by 10 April 2025.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with Buckinghamshire Council on (a) the adequacy of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in Buckinghamshire and (b) the level of funding for SEND support in that county.

The department is continuing to support and challenge Buckinghamshire to improve its delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.

The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Buckinghamshire was in March 2022, during which inspectors identified three areas of significant weakness. These areas were:

i) The lack of a cohesive area strategy to identify and meet the needs of those children and young people requiring speech and language, communication and occupational therapy.

ii) Waiting times for assessments on the autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis pathways, and the system-owned plans in place to address this.

iii) Waiting times to see a community paediatrician.

Following the inspection, Buckinghamshire produced a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) to address these areas of weakness, which was accepted by Ofsted and CQC. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas of weakness and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, including regular review meetings. At the most recent WSoA review meeting in July 2024, the local area demonstrated progress against the range of actions in place to secure clear and sustained improvement across all the areas of significant weakness. Buckinghamshire is also taking part in the Delivering Better Value (DBV) in SEND Programme.

Nationally, the government is providing schools with extra funding of almost £1.1 billion in this 2024/25 financial year through the new Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) to support them with overall costs, including the costs of supporting their pupils SEND. Of this total, special schools and alternative provision settings will be receiving over £140 million through the CSBG.

The additional funding through the CSBG comes alongside high needs funding for services and support for children and young people with complex SEND. Buckinghamshire County Council is receiving a high needs funding allocation of £127.5 million through their 2024/25 dedicated schools grant. Decisions on future funding levels beyond this financial year will be for the forthcoming Spending Review.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial education in schools.

Financial education currently forms a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for mathematics (at key stages 1 to 4) and citizenship (at key stages 3 and 4). The primary mathematics curriculum includes arithmetic knowledge that supports pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, calculations with money and percentages. In secondary mathematics, pupils are taught topics such as how to calculate compound interest, which is relevant for personal finance. In citizenship, pupils are taught the function and uses of money, how to budget and manage credit and debt, as well as concepts like insurance, savings and pensions.

High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The government‘s ambition is for a broad, rich and cutting-edge curriculum that equips children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills required to thrive as citizens, in work and throughout life. This is why the government announced a Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July 2024, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.

The review will be undertaken in close consultation with education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, and stakeholders. A call for evidence will be launched in the coming weeks, to direct the focus of engagement with the sector and stakeholders over the autumn term.

Following the independent review, the government will legislate to require all state schools teach the reformed national curriculum. This will give parents certainty over the core of their children’s education.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data she holds on the number of children in Buckinghamshire who are on waiting lists for education, health and care plan assessments; and what steps she is taking reduce waiting times.

The department publishes official statistics on education, health and care (EHC) plans annually, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. This includes data at local authority level on the rate of EHC plans issued within the deadline of 20 weeks.

The table below contains details of assessments in 2023 in Buckinghamshire, by the duration, in days, between the date of the request for assessment and the date of the assessment outcome. This includes those for whom a plan was issued and those with the decision not to issue a plan, but excludes cases where the assessment was withdrawn.

Number of assessments completed by time between date received and assessment completion date in Buckinghamshire for the 2023 calendar year:

Less than 6 months

Between 6 months to a year

Between 1 and 2 years

More than 2 years

Duration not available

Total assessments completed

617

336

2

0

0

955

To note:

  • Source: SEN2 Data collection
  • "Duration not available" includes cases where the date of request is not available or was recorded after the outcome date
  • ​In this table, “less than six months” refers to 180 days or less, “six months to a year” refers to between 181 days and 365 days, “1 to 2 years” refers to between 366 days and 730 days, and "more than 2 years" refers to over 730 days.

The person-level data collection on EHC plans is in its second year. As a result, the department expects the quality of data returns to improve over time, as the collection becomes established. In particular, the recording of the dates of the assessment request and the assessment outcome is subject to data quality issues, which become especially prominent when looking at a low level of granularity. For this reason, cases over two years have been aggregated, and where the date of request is missing or was recorded after the outcome date, this is marked in the table as ‘not available’. The department continues to work with local authorities in understanding and improving the data collection.

The department will continue to maintain close oversight of services in Buckinghamshire to ensure every child and young person with special educational needs and disabilities has access to high quality services.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the (i) quality and (ii) accessibility of special educational needs support services in Buckinghamshire, and (b) the adequacy of funding received by Buckinghamshire council for SEND services.

The department is continuing to support and challenge Buckinghamshire to improve its delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.

The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Buckinghamshire was in March 2022, during which inspectors identified three areas of significant weakness. These areas were:

i) The lack of a cohesive area strategy to identify and meet the needs of those children and young people requiring speech and language, communication and occupational therapy.

ii) Waiting times for assessments on the autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis pathways, and the system-owned plans in place to address this.

iii) Waiting times to see a community paediatrician.

Following the inspection, Buckinghamshire produced a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) to address these areas of weakness, which was accepted by Ofsted and CQC. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas of weakness and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, including regular review meetings. At the most recent WSoA review meeting in July 2024, the local area demonstrated progress against the range of actions in place to secure clear and sustained improvement across all the areas of significant weakness. Buckinghamshire is also taking part in the Delivering Better Value (DBV) in SEND Programme.

Nationally, the government is providing schools with extra funding of almost £1.1 billion in this 2024/25 financial year through the new Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) to support them with overall costs, including the costs of supporting their pupils SEND. Of this total, special schools and alternative provision settings will be receiving over £140 million through the CSBG.

The additional funding through the CSBG comes alongside high needs funding for services and support for children and young people with complex SEND. Buckinghamshire County Council is receiving a high needs funding allocation of £127.5 million through their 2024/25 dedicated schools grant. Decisions on future funding levels beyond this financial year will be for the forthcoming Spending Review.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how funding from the farming innovation programme will be allocated among different agri-technology research and development projects.

Applicants to the Farming Innovation Programme are assessed by the Programme’s delivery partner, Innovate UK, on how they address a particular challenge identified by industry (for industry-led partnership competitions) or by Defra (for thematic competitions) following submission of their application. We seek a balanced portfolio approach, which means that funding can be allocated in a way to benefit all farming sectors, while projects are assessed on their individual merit.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed rail reforms on commuter services from Bletchley.

The Railways Bill will enable the biggest overhaul of the rail sector in a generation. It will create stronger leadership by establishing Great British Railways as a new ‘directing mind’ for the industry, unifying track and train under a single public body to deliver better services for passengers and customers, and better value for money for taxpayers.

The Government launched an eight-week consultation on 18 February seeking views on the key legislative proposals that will form part of the upcoming Railways Bill.

Services from Bletchley will benefit from the changes set out above, alongside the rest of the network.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the Aylesbury spur of the East-West Rail link for the (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) UK economy.

Along with East West Rail Company and Network Rail, the Department for Transport is considering the merits of providing an East West Rail link to Aylesbury, and shared both cost information and the results of business case analysis with the local authority. A final decision will be made in due course.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help meet the mental health needs of children from underserved communities in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

We know that waits for children and young people's mental health services are far too long and that some disadvantaged groups are less likely to access support. That is why the National Health Service’s planning guidance for 2025/26 makes it clear that one of the priorities for children's mental health services is to reduce local inequalities in access to children and young people’s mental health services between disadvantaged groups, including in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, and the wider population.

The Government will also recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across child and adult mental health services and provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams, so that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

Early intervention and prevention support in the community is vital. That is why we are providing £7 million of funding to extend support for 24 Early Support Hubs that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of community mental health services in Buckinghamshire.

We recognise that too many people in places like Buckinghamshire are not receiving the mental health care they need.

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board is responsible for providing health and care services, including community mental health services, to meet the needs of the people of Buckinghamshire.

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 will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

There are currently approximately 65 locally-funded early support hubs across England, offering early easy access mental health interventions to thousands of children and young people. The Department is running an £8 million Shared Outcomes Fund project throughout 2024/25 to boost and evaluate the impact of 24 of these existing early support hubs, which includes one based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, run by the Youth Enquiry Service.

In addition, work is ongoing across Government to deliver our commitment to set up Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for diagnostic services at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Cutting waiting lists, including for diagnostic tests, is a key priority for the Government. We will provide the number of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other tests that are needed to increase capacity and reduce elective and cancer waits. It is unacceptable that, as of August 2024, 23.9% of patients are waiting over six weeks for a test, against an objective in the 2024/25 Operational Planning Guidance for no more than 5% to wait six weeks.

The Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has implemented several initiatives to improve access to diagnostic services and to meet the needs of its growing community. This includes the opening of the Lloyds Court Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Milton Keynes and the Whitehouse Health Centre CDC in Whitehouse, as part of national efforts to bring essential diagnostic services into the local community.

Construction has also commenced for a new three-storey imaging centre at the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital through the New Hospital Programme. This facility will provide a modern central location for several imaging diagnostic services, and will include two MRI scanners, two CT scanners, and a new Ultrasound Department. Locating imaging services in one place will improve efficiency and enhance patient’s experience of the service.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of patients referred to mental health services in Milton Keynes are seen within the target waiting time.

The following table shows information on the agreed mental health waiting time standards relating to the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, broken down by the services provided, and compared to their actual performance:

Service

Waiting time standard

Latest reporting period

Performance

Early Intervention in Psychosis

60% of referrals entering treatment within two weeks

June to August 2024

73%

NHS Talking Therapies

75% of referrals that finished a course of treatment waiting six weeks or less for first treatment contact

August 2024

98%

NHS Talking Therapies

95% of referrals that finished a course of treatment waiting 18 weeks or less for first treatment contact

August 2024

100%

Children and young people’s eating disorder services

95% of children and young people referred for assessment or treatment for an eating disorder receiving National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved treatment within one week if the case is urgent, and four weeks if the case is routine or non-urgent.

June to August 2024

Data suppressed due to fewer than five referrals entering treatment during the reporting period

Source: NHS England.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dentists are available to residents in (a) north Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For North Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes this is the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB.

In the years 2023/24, the number of dentists who performed NHS work in the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB was 481, which is equivalent to 47.4 dentists per 100,000 population. The average number of dentists per 100,000 at an ICB level in the same period was 49.8 dentists per 100,000 population. This data is published on NHS Business Services Authority, and is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of emergency department patients at Milton Keynes University Hospital were seen within four hours in each of the last three years.

The following table shows the percentage of accident and emergency attendances to Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, that were admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours, in each of the last three years:

Year

Percentage of total accident and emergency attendances admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours

2023/24

74.9%

2022/23

79.1%

2021/22

83.9%

Source: Hospital Accident and Emergency Activity statistics, published by NHS Digital, and available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of patients at (a) Milton Keynes University Hospital and (b) Stoke Mandeville Hospital are discharged to social care.

The data below shows the proportion of patients who were discharged via pathways 1, 2, and 3. These pathways include both National Health Service and local authority funded services, with each pathway being defined as follows:

  • pathway 1 involves discharge at home, or to a usual place of residence, with new or additional health or social care needs, or both;
  • pathway 2 involves discharge to a community bed-based setting which has dedicated recovery support, with new or additional health or social care support, or both, required in the short-term to help the person recover in a community bed-based setting, before they are ready to either live independently at home or receive longer-term or ongoing care and support; and
  • pathway 3 involves discharge to a new residential or nursing home setting, for people who are considered likely to need long-term residential or nursing home care, and should be used only in exceptional circumstances.

We do not collect hospital level data on discharge pathways, therefore this data is not available for Stoke Mandeville Hospital. However, we do collect data by trust. For the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which includes Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in September 2024, 4% of patients were discharged on pathway 1, 0.4% on pathway 2, and 0.4% on pathway 3.

For the Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in September 2024, 7.3% of patients were discharged on pathway 1, 1.3% of patients on pathway 2, and 1.3% on pathway 3.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support improvements in stroke care services at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) is demonstrating an ongoing commitment to delivering stroke services in line with the best practise, set out in the National Stroke Service Model.

MKUH operates a 24-bed Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit, providing a seven-day thrombolysis service from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with additional services outside these hours offered at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Rated B by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, the MKUH Stroke Unit had an average Door-to-Needle time of 31 minutes over the last year, compared to the national average of 55 minutes. MKUH is the second-best performing trust in England for door-in-and-out transfer time for thrombectomy to Oxford University Hospitals, with a median time of 84 minutes versus the national average of 133 minutes, and ranks 4th nationally for mechanical thrombectomy rates, at 5.9%, compared to 2.6% nationally.

MKUH also uses artificial intelligence powered software called e-Stroke to analyse computed tomography scans, identify brain damage, and automatically alert the clinical team, supporting quicker clinical decisions.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support cancer care in Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to make sure we have the right workforce with the right skills up and down the country, including in Milton Keynes. This also includes cancer care and treatment.

The Government believes that cancer patients are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster. We will improve patients’ experience across the system.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve mental health service provision for young people in Buckinghamshire.

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people, including in Buckinghamshire, are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long.

The Department is working across Government to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

Alongside this we are working towards rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community and working with colleagues at NHS England to consider options to deliver our commitment to recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services.

It will be important that these commitments can provide appropriate support for children and young people with a range of mental health needs.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
4th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps British International Investment is taking to ensure that investments strengthen commercial relationships between the UK and partner countries.

British International Investment's (BII) investments are building markets in partner countries that are stimulating economic growth. This also develops future UK trade and investment opportunities.

BII invest in sectors where it can have the most developmental impact. These tend to also align with areas of UK commercial strength, including financial services, clean energy, and digital. Examples of this modern approach to development include BII's partnership with Standard Chartered Bank which has enabled $10 billion in trade volumes across Africa and Asia since 2013 and BII's partnership with Vodafone that has brought down the cost of mobile services by up to 70 per cent in Ethiopia, and a new £100 million Mobilisation Facility to de-risk institutional investors such as those in the City of London to accelerate climate-focussed investments in developing countries. We will continue to work with BII to focus and maximise the impact of its work in line with our missions and the wider geopolitical situation.

Stephen Doughty
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps British International Investment is taking to align investment decisions with the Government’s (a) missions and (b) development objectives.

British International Investment's (BII) investment decisions are taken within a framework agreed and aligned with the Government's mission and development objectives. BII is delivering on the Government's ambitions on growth, accelerating the clean energy transition, and unlocking private capital for development impact. In 2023 alone, BII-backed businesses operating in developing countries provided jobs for over one million people, paid $2.4 billion in taxes in partner countries, and generated 59 TWh of electricity.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and BII ensure this strategic alignment through governance arrangements that follow best practice guidance from Cabinet Office and HM Treasury with robust lines of accountability between FCDO and BII. We will continue to work with BII to focus and maximise the impact of its work in line with our missions and the wider geopolitical situation.

Stephen Doughty
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage inward investment into the UK.

The Foreign Secretary has tasked the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to use its diplomatic influence to champion the UK economy overseas. Our diplomats will be the sales force for UK plc, working with colleagues from across government to ensure we are attracting investment to the UK. This includes directly working with businesses and partner governments, such as a recent Foreign Secretary hosted business roundtable with senior UK representatives from top Japanese firms who have invested in the UK.

In addition, the National Security and Investment Act (NSI) will also aid the UK's growth ambitions by allowing the Government to intervene in transactions that threaten national security.

Stephen Doughty
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the World Bank Group on the Government's climate finance commitments.

Alongside the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, I attended World Bank Group Annual Meetings. As my Governor's statement set out, the UK will continue to be a leading contributor to international climate finance, including support for nature and forests and the Bank is a key partner for us. Alongside the Secretary of State, I called on the Bank to play a leading role in setting a new collective MDB climate finance target ahead of COP29. I discussed this with President Banga when he visited today.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Mar 2025
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department has taken to raise awareness of employee share schemes among small and medium-sized businesses.

The Government offers four tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which all enable employers to offer their employees tax-advantaged shares or share options in their business. These are Save as You Earn (SAYE), Share Incentive Plan (SIP), Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), and Company Share Option Plan (CSOP). These schemes are popular, generous and internationally competitive.

A call for evidence on SAYE and SIP ran from June to August 2023. It sought views on whether the schemes are meeting their policy objectives and opportunities to improve and simplify them. The Government is considering the responses to the call for evidence, and is grateful to those who took the time to respond.

In 2021-22, a review of the EMI scheme found that the scheme remained effective at achieving its policy aims, including employee retention. The review was expanded to consider if CSOP should be reformed to further support companies as they grow beyond the scope of EMI. Following this report, CSOP limits were expanded from April 2023.

The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, to ensure they continue to meet their policy objectives in a way that is fair and effective. HMRC release annual statistics on the tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which can be found at GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/employee-share-scheme-statistics

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Mar 2025
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of employee share schemes on staff retention in UK companies.

The Government offers four tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which all enable employers to offer their employees tax-advantaged shares or share options in their business. These are Save as You Earn (SAYE), Share Incentive Plan (SIP), Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), and Company Share Option Plan (CSOP). These schemes are popular, generous and internationally competitive.

A call for evidence on SAYE and SIP ran from June to August 2023. It sought views on whether the schemes are meeting their policy objectives and opportunities to improve and simplify them. The Government is considering the responses to the call for evidence, and is grateful to those who took the time to respond.

In 2021-22, a review of the EMI scheme found that the scheme remained effective at achieving its policy aims, including employee retention. The review was expanded to consider if CSOP should be reformed to further support companies as they grow beyond the scope of EMI. Following this report, CSOP limits were expanded from April 2023.

The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, to ensure they continue to meet their policy objectives in a way that is fair and effective. HMRC release annual statistics on the tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which can be found at GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/employee-share-scheme-statistics

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Mar 2025
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) Company Share Option Plans, (b) Save As You Earn and (c) Share Incentive Plans in encouraging employee ownership.

The Government offers four tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which all enable employers to offer their employees tax-advantaged shares or share options in their business. These are Save as You Earn (SAYE), Share Incentive Plan (SIP), Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), and Company Share Option Plan (CSOP). These schemes are popular, generous and internationally competitive.

A call for evidence on SAYE and SIP ran from June to August 2023. It sought views on whether the schemes are meeting their policy objectives and opportunities to improve and simplify them. The Government is considering the responses to the call for evidence, and is grateful to those who took the time to respond.

In 2021-22, a review of the EMI scheme found that the scheme remained effective at achieving its policy aims, including employee retention. The review was expanded to consider if CSOP should be reformed to further support companies as they grow beyond the scope of EMI. Following this report, CSOP limits were expanded from April 2023.

The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, to ensure they continue to meet their policy objectives in a way that is fair and effective. HMRC release annual statistics on the tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which can be found at GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/employee-share-scheme-statistics

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)