Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what metrics her Department will use to assess the potential impact of additional investment on fostering support models.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have announced an ambitious reform programme to urgently address the sharp decline in foster carers and modernise fostering. The reforms establish a clear direction built on relationships, stability and trust: simplifying outdated rules, strengthening national recruitment, expanding regional collaboration and improving support and respect given to carers.

Our primary metric will be the number of approved fostering places in local authorities and third sector providers, with a target of 10,000 more approved fostering places by the end of this Parliament. We will also monitor wider trends such as conversion from enquiry to approval, assessment timeliness, placement stability, and reduced reliance on residential care.

We will improve the approval process by strengthening expectations on timeliness and reducing bureaucracy. We are also consulting on removing fostering panels for initial approvals while retaining strong oversight. For fostering recruitment hubs, we will introduce a new performance framework so that hubs are both clear on expectations on data collection and accountable for outcomes and continuous improvement.

The department does not hold data centrally on the number of fostering placements at constituency level. Nationally, placement sufficiency remains under strain, which is why reforms are essential to renewing fostering and improving support for carers and children.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of an enhanced UK-Switzerland trade agreement on jobs in the UK.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The current UK-Swiss Free Trade Agreement dates back to 1972 and covers goods but not services. UK-Swiss services trade is worth around £30 billion annually and our exports to Switzerland support over 100,000 jobs across the UK. Negotiations on an enhanced trade deal with Switzerland are focused on unlocking more opportunities for UK services firms with our 6th largest services export market, to help support jobs across the UK. The Department will publish an assessment of the finalised agreement.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what evaluation framework he will use to measure the economic impact of the High Street Strategy.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that too many high streets are facing significant social and economic pressures, including high vacancy rates, dwindling footfall and the loss of local businesses. That is why the Government committed this January to bring forward a new High Streets Strategy to help reverse these trends.

This strategy will be backed by at least £150 million to support some of the most in-need high streets. Funding will be directed towards areas that have felt the harshest impact of high street decline. Further details on the strategy, including the evaluation approach, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of betting shops on town centre vitality.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Some high streets have become increasingly dominated by certain types of premises – including gambling establishments – which don’t always meet the needs of their communities. According to the Gambling Commission, the number of adult gaming centres (AGCs) rose by 7% between 2022 and 2024, with additional data showing that AGCs are most concentrated in areas of higher deprivation.

My Department will take action to tackle the number of gambling premises in vulnerable areas by introducing Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he us taking to help ensure new regeneration tools like Community Right to Buy deliver outcomes for independent retailers.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is committed to supporting independent retailers and the high streets on which they operate. Community right to buy, which we are introducing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will empower local communities to bring a wide range of assets into community ownership and protect them for future use, including shops.

This is part of a wider suite of regeneration tools the Government is introducing, including High Street Rental Auctions and a more streamlined Compulsory Purchase Order process, which offer councils and communities the chance to preserve valuable spaces and create a higher quality trading environment for independent retailers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she has taken to ensure UK firms are impacted the designation of the Bank of China’s London Branch as the UK’s second renminbi clearing bank.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The agreements reached at the first UK‑China Financial Working Group in Beijing will strengthen cooperation with China in ways that support the UK’s position as an open, competitive and well‑regulated international financial centre, supporting jobs and growth in the UK.

As set out in HM Treasury’s press release and the joint readout of the first UK-China Financial Working Group meeting (FWG), the FWG provides a new formal mechanism for structured, substantive and technical dialogue between UK and Chinese financial authorities on issues including financial stability and resilience, capital markets, market development and sustainable finance.

Specific outcomes include the designation of Bank of China’s London Branch as the UK’s second renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, which will broaden the range of services available to UK businesses trading with China and strengthen London’s role as a leading international financial centre. Technical discussions were also held on long-term initiatives to support the UK’s capital markets, as well as green finance and asset management sectors. Alongside the FWG and the Prime Minister’s visit, the UK and China also agreed to pursue new cooperation on innovative financing, such as RMB-denominated sovereign biodiversity bond issuances, cementing the City's role as the global hub for green finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the outcomes of the UK-China Financial Working Group on UK-China trade flows.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The agreements reached at the first UK‑China Financial Working Group in Beijing will strengthen cooperation with China in ways that support the UK’s position as an open, competitive and well‑regulated international financial centre, supporting jobs and growth in the UK.

As set out in HM Treasury’s press release and the joint readout of the first UK-China Financial Working Group meeting (FWG), the FWG provides a new formal mechanism for structured, substantive and technical dialogue between UK and Chinese financial authorities on issues including financial stability and resilience, capital markets, market development and sustainable finance.

Specific outcomes include the designation of Bank of China’s London Branch as the UK’s second renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, which will broaden the range of services available to UK businesses trading with China and strengthen London’s role as a leading international financial centre. Technical discussions were also held on long-term initiatives to support the UK’s capital markets, as well as green finance and asset management sectors. Alongside the FWG and the Prime Minister’s visit, the UK and China also agreed to pursue new cooperation on innovative financing, such as RMB-denominated sovereign biodiversity bond issuances, cementing the City's role as the global hub for green finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the agreements from the first UK-China Financial Working Group in Beijing on UK financial services.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The agreements reached at the first UK‑China Financial Working Group in Beijing will strengthen cooperation with China in ways that support the UK’s position as an open, competitive and well‑regulated international financial centre, supporting jobs and growth in the UK.

As set out in HM Treasury’s press release and the joint readout of the first UK-China Financial Working Group meeting (FWG), the FWG provides a new formal mechanism for structured, substantive and technical dialogue between UK and Chinese financial authorities on issues including financial stability and resilience, capital markets, market development and sustainable finance.

Specific outcomes include the designation of Bank of China’s London Branch as the UK’s second renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, which will broaden the range of services available to UK businesses trading with China and strengthen London’s role as a leading international financial centre. Technical discussions were also held on long-term initiatives to support the UK’s capital markets, as well as green finance and asset management sectors. Alongside the FWG and the Prime Minister’s visit, the UK and China also agreed to pursue new cooperation on innovative financing, such as RMB-denominated sovereign biodiversity bond issuances, cementing the City's role as the global hub for green finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help ensure regulatory co-operation with China does not impact on UK standards in financial supervision.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The agreements reached at the first UK‑China Financial Working Group in Beijing will strengthen cooperation with China in ways that support the UK’s position as an open, competitive and well‑regulated international financial centre, supporting jobs and growth in the UK.

As set out in HM Treasury’s press release and the joint readout of the first UK-China Financial Working Group meeting (FWG), the FWG provides a new formal mechanism for structured, substantive and technical dialogue between UK and Chinese financial authorities on issues including financial stability and resilience, capital markets, market development and sustainable finance.

Specific outcomes include the designation of Bank of China’s London Branch as the UK’s second renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, which will broaden the range of services available to UK businesses trading with China and strengthen London’s role as a leading international financial centre. Technical discussions were also held on long-term initiatives to support the UK’s capital markets, as well as green finance and asset management sectors. Alongside the FWG and the Prime Minister’s visit, the UK and China also agreed to pursue new cooperation on innovative financing, such as RMB-denominated sovereign biodiversity bond issuances, cementing the City's role as the global hub for green finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what mechanisms she will use to monitor the implementation of agreements reached on innovative biodiversity financing with China.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The agreements reached at the first UK‑China Financial Working Group in Beijing will strengthen cooperation with China in ways that support the UK’s position as an open, competitive and well‑regulated international financial centre, supporting jobs and growth in the UK.

As set out in HM Treasury’s press release and the joint readout of the first UK-China Financial Working Group meeting (FWG), the FWG provides a new formal mechanism for structured, substantive and technical dialogue between UK and Chinese financial authorities on issues including financial stability and resilience, capital markets, market development and sustainable finance.

Specific outcomes include the designation of Bank of China’s London Branch as the UK’s second renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, which will broaden the range of services available to UK businesses trading with China and strengthen London’s role as a leading international financial centre. Technical discussions were also held on long-term initiatives to support the UK’s capital markets, as well as green finance and asset management sectors. Alongside the FWG and the Prime Minister’s visit, the UK and China also agreed to pursue new cooperation on innovative financing, such as RMB-denominated sovereign biodiversity bond issuances, cementing the City's role as the global hub for green finance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children in care that are unable to access stable fostering placements in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have announced an ambitious reform programme to urgently address the sharp decline in foster carers and modernise fostering. The reforms establish a clear direction built on relationships, stability and trust: simplifying outdated rules, strengthening national recruitment, expanding regional collaboration and improving support and respect given to carers.

Our primary metric will be the number of approved fostering places in local authorities and third sector providers, with a target of 10,000 more approved fostering places by the end of this Parliament. We will also monitor wider trends such as conversion from enquiry to approval, assessment timeliness, placement stability, and reduced reliance on residential care.

We will improve the approval process by strengthening expectations on timeliness and reducing bureaucracy. We are also consulting on removing fostering panels for initial approvals while retaining strong oversight. For fostering recruitment hubs, we will introduce a new performance framework so that hubs are both clear on expectations on data collection and accountable for outcomes and continuous improvement.

The department does not hold data centrally on the number of fostering placements at constituency level. Nationally, placement sufficiency remains under strain, which is why reforms are essential to renewing fostering and improving support for carers and children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to (a) monitor and (b) shorten the fostering approval process to meet the Government’s pledge for getting vulnerable children into foster homes.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have announced an ambitious reform programme to urgently address the sharp decline in foster carers and modernise fostering. The reforms establish a clear direction built on relationships, stability and trust: simplifying outdated rules, strengthening national recruitment, expanding regional collaboration and improving support and respect given to carers.

Our primary metric will be the number of approved fostering places in local authorities and third sector providers, with a target of 10,000 more approved fostering places by the end of this Parliament. We will also monitor wider trends such as conversion from enquiry to approval, assessment timeliness, placement stability, and reduced reliance on residential care.

We will improve the approval process by strengthening expectations on timeliness and reducing bureaucracy. We are also consulting on removing fostering panels for initial approvals while retaining strong oversight. For fostering recruitment hubs, we will introduce a new performance framework so that hubs are both clear on expectations on data collection and accountable for outcomes and continuous improvement.

The department does not hold data centrally on the number of fostering placements at constituency level. Nationally, placement sufficiency remains under strain, which is why reforms are essential to renewing fostering and improving support for carers and children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has assessed the adequacy of financial investment in (a) weekend, (b) short-break fostering and (c) supported lodgings.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have announced an ambitious reform programme to urgently address the sharp decline in foster carers and modernise fostering.

We are investing £88 million over the next two financial years to transform the foster care system. That will include direct action to recruit and retain a wide range of foster carers, including weekend and short-break foster carers.

This investment includes an innovation programme supported by £12.4 million to scale and spread new and existing models of care, including different models of foster care that push at the boundaries of how we achieve better results for children. This programme can also include initiatives that make greater use of supported lodgings to enable older children, where appropriate, to live more independently.

Our policy paper also sets out plans to ensure that carers can rely on their own trusted networks, and to tackle unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that carers often face when attempting to do this. The policy paper is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewing-fostering-homes-for-10000-more-children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support and training will be provided to teachers to deliver financial education, as part of the Government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has made a commitment to strengthen pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship, with digital resources to support teaching.

The department will engage with sector experts and young people in working out how best to reflect this in the updated curriculum. There will be a public consultation on the updated curriculum programmes of study in 2026, to seek views on the content before they are finalised.

​To support schools with teaching now and longer-term, Oak National Academy, an independent Arm’s Length Body, provides adaptable, optional and free curriculum support for schools, which can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/ . The department will be examining what further support and training may be needed to help deliver the new financial education curriculum.

No decision has yet been made on whether to participate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment financial literacy assessment and will confirm a decision in due course.

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Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to participate in the OECD PISA financial literacy assessment to benchmark pupils’ financial education.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has made a commitment to strengthen pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship, with digital resources to support teaching.

The department will engage with sector experts and young people in working out how best to reflect this in the updated curriculum. There will be a public consultation on the updated curriculum programmes of study in 2026, to seek views on the content before they are finalised.

​To support schools with teaching now and longer-term, Oak National Academy, an independent Arm’s Length Body, provides adaptable, optional and free curriculum support for schools, which can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/ . The department will be examining what further support and training may be needed to help deliver the new financial education curriculum.

No decision has yet been made on whether to participate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment financial literacy assessment and will confirm a decision in due course.

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