Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of public finance institutions to support companies through successive stages of growth.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The government continually reviews the capacity of its Public Finance Institutions alongside reviewing the availability of finance for businesses and recognises the importance of supporting firms through every stage of growth. The government has strengthened the capacity of its public finance institutions to do this, including increasing the capacity of the British Business Bank by £9.6 billion at Spending Review 2025, taking its total financial capacity to £25.6 billion.

The Government has set a five-year strategic mandate for the British Business Bank, including supporting high-growth firms to scale, improving finance markets for smaller businesses and mobilising institutional capital at scale.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the relationship between access to international finance and the ability of UK creative businesses to scale.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Creative Industries Tax Reliefs have been highly effective in attracting investment into the UK Creative Industries, particularly across film, high end television (HETV) and games. The British Film Commission indicates that inward investment into Film and HETV production in 2023 totalled £5.8 billion, representing 85% of UK production expenditure.

The Government recognises that access to international finance can support the ability of UK creative businesses to scale by providing growth capital, enabling investment in intellectual property, and supporting market expansion.

Research has identified access to finance as a key challenge for creative industries businesses seeking to scale. As a response the Creative Sector Plan sets a target of making the UK the "best place to invest in creative businesses”.

My Department’s Creative Industries team is working in collaboration with the Office for Investment to attract international capital, increasing the capacity for investment in UK creative business growth.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with international partners on establishing common regulatory standards for non-animal methods in medicines development.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is engaging with international regulators and partners to support the global acceptance of validated non-animal methods for medicines development. Through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, we are strengthening regulatory confidence and supporting UK leadership in the development and adoption of alternative methods. The UK also works through the OECD Working Group of National Co-ordinators of the Test Guidelines Programme, which directs, reviews and adopts internationally harmonised non-animal methods. We continue to explore further bilateral and multilateral engagement to support internationally recognised approaches to non-animal methods.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the (i) Financial Conduct Authority and (ii) Bank of England on the regulatory implications of increased cross-border use of stablecoins between the UK and the United States.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has had close and ongoing engagement with the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England on the UK approach to stablecoin regulation, including the risks and opportunities associated with cross-border use cases.

This engagement has supported the development and implementation of the UK’s domestic stablecoin regime, and facilitated international cooperation through initiatives such as the UK-US Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future. The Taskforce recommendations set out a shared, forward-looking agenda to advance UK-US financial services collaboration, focussing on digital assets and capital markets.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of greater co-ordination between public finance institutions to increase investment in strategically important sectors identified in the industrial strategy.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has assessed how Public Financial Institutions can work together more effectively while each institution addresses specific market gaps.

This has led to the establishment of the UK’s Public Investment Roundtable. This forum strengthens coordination through driving strategic alignment, facilitating practical collaboration between the Public Financial Institutions, and promoting a “no wrong door” approach to ensure customers can access suitable financing options from across the public finance landscape. The work of Public Finance Institutions supports the Industrial Strategy and the government’s wider priorities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with the Environment Agency to monitor levels of a) E. coli and b) other harmful bacteria in the River Great Ouse.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) monitors the River Great Ouse for a range of ecological and chemical parameters, including biological and physico-chemical elements, specific pollutants and priority substances.

There are currently no designated bathing waters on the River Great Ouse. It is therefore not routinely monitored for E. coli or intestinal enterococci as part of the statutory bathing water monitoring programme. At designated bathing waters, the EA monitors these bacteria as indicators of faecal contamination and potential risks to human health. Anyone can apply to designate a bathing water and the current application window is open until 15 October 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed payments innovation objective on the time taken by innovative payments businesses to obtain regulatory approval.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has announced that it will seek to introduce a new secondary objective for the Bank of England to support safe innovation in vital payment systems and new forms of digital money, while ensuring that financial stability remains the Bank’s first priority.

This should help regulation keep pace with new technology, supporting the attractiveness of the UK as a location for payments innovation and investment.

The objective would not directly affect the process by which individual firms obtain regulatory authorisation or approval. The Bank does not operate an FCA-style authorisation regime for entities within scope of this objective. The objective instead concerns how the Bank exercises regulatory functions in this area.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed payments innovation objective on private investment in UK payments infrastructure.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has announced that it will seek to introduce a new secondary objective for the Bank of England to support safe innovation in vital payment systems and new forms of digital money, while ensuring that financial stability remains the Bank’s first priority.

This should help regulation keep pace with new technology, supporting the attractiveness of the UK as a location for payments innovation and investment.

The objective would not directly affect the process by which individual firms obtain regulatory authorisation or approval. The Bank does not operate an FCA-style authorisation regime for entities within scope of this objective. The objective instead concerns how the Bank exercises regulatory functions in this area.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed payments innovation objective on the international competitiveness of UK financial services.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has announced that it will seek to introduce a new secondary objective for the Bank of England to support safe innovation in vital payment systems and new forms of digital money, while ensuring that financial stability remains the Bank’s first priority.

This should help regulation keep pace with new technology, supporting the attractiveness of the UK as a location for payments innovation and investment.

The objective would not directly affect the process by which individual firms obtain regulatory authorisation or approval. The Bank does not operate an FCA-style authorisation regime for entities within scope of this objective. The objective instead concerns how the Bank exercises regulatory functions in this area.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the barriers to adoption of agricultural robotics by small and medium-sized farms.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recognises that small and medium-sized farms can face barriers to adopting any new technology, including high upfront costs, access to finance, skills requirements, uncertainty over returns, connectivity constraints, and integrating new technologies into existing farm businesses. Through the Farming Innovation Programme and ADOPT, Defra is supporting innovation, testing and adoption.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that farmers in Buckinghamshire can benefit from Government funding in agricultural robotics.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is supporting the development and adoption of agricultural robotics through the Farming Innovation Programme. Through this programme, farmers, growers, foresters, researchers and businesses across England, including in Buckinghamshire, can apply for funding to develop, test and adopt innovative robotic and automated technologies that improve productivity, sustainability and resilience.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of UK-based institutional investors participating in early-stage venture capital markets.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Through the Government's financial services strategy and the Pension Schemes Act 2026, the Government is taking action to improve outcomes for pension savers, support growing British businesses and increase investment in the UK economy.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with pension schemes and the wider investment industry on a range of issues, including long-term investment opportunities in UK infrastructure.

Alongside the Pension Schemes Act, the Government is encouraging pension funds to diversify and invest in private markets. The Government strongly welcomes the Mansion House Accord, an industry-led commitment by major pension providers to invest 10 per cent of their default defined contribution funds in private markets by 2030, with at least half of that invested in the UK.

The Government is also helping facilitate more institutional investment into the UK economy. The expanded British Business Bank is helping to address market gaps and crowd in investment, and the National Wealth Fund is mobilising investment into sectors and infrastructure that support long-term economic growth.

The Government keeps the impact of its policies under review and is strengthening the information available on pensions, including through the Value for Money Framework and related data collection. Regulators and the Government continue to monitor risks in financial markets to ensure that financial stability is maintained.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures are in place to evaluate the economic impact of increased pension investment in innovative businesses.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Through the Government's financial services strategy and the Pension Schemes Act 2026, the Government is taking action to improve outcomes for pension savers, support growing British businesses and increase investment in the UK economy.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with pension schemes and the wider investment industry on a range of issues, including long-term investment opportunities in UK infrastructure.

Alongside the Pension Schemes Act, the Government is encouraging pension funds to diversify and invest in private markets. The Government strongly welcomes the Mansion House Accord, an industry-led commitment by major pension providers to invest 10 per cent of their default defined contribution funds in private markets by 2030, with at least half of that invested in the UK.

The Government is also helping facilitate more institutional investment into the UK economy. The expanded British Business Bank is helping to address market gaps and crowd in investment, and the National Wealth Fund is mobilising investment into sectors and infrastructure that support long-term economic growth.

The Government keeps the impact of its policies under review and is strengthening the information available on pensions, including through the Value for Money Framework and related data collection. Regulators and the Government continue to monitor risks in financial markets to ensure that financial stability is maintained.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased exposure to private markets by pension funds on UK financial stability.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Through the Government's financial services strategy and the Pension Schemes Act 2026, the Government is taking action to improve outcomes for pension savers, support growing British businesses and increase investment in the UK economy.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with pension schemes and the wider investment industry on a range of issues, including long-term investment opportunities in UK infrastructure.

Alongside the Pension Schemes Act, the Government is encouraging pension funds to diversify and invest in private markets. The Government strongly welcomes the Mansion House Accord, an industry-led commitment by major pension providers to invest 10 per cent of their default defined contribution funds in private markets by 2030, with at least half of that invested in the UK.

The Government is also helping facilitate more institutional investment into the UK economy. The expanded British Business Bank is helping to address market gaps and crowd in investment, and the National Wealth Fund is mobilising investment into sectors and infrastructure that support long-term economic growth.

The Government keeps the impact of its policies under review and is strengthening the information available on pensions, including through the Value for Money Framework and related data collection. Regulators and the Government continue to monitor risks in financial markets to ensure that financial stability is maintained.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what outcome targets have been set for the Listings Taskforce for (i) the number of UK companies listing in the UK, (ii) the number of overseas companies choosing UK markets and (iii) the value of capital raised through UK listings.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. This document sets out the government’s ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets as a core pillar of the strategy.

As part of this strategy, the government established a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury continues to work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Since 2025, more than £25.8bn of equity capital has been raised in London through follow-on issuances and IPOs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Listings Taskforce has made towards increasing the number of (i) domestic and (iI) international companies listing on UK markets since its establishment.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. This document sets out the government’s ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets as a core pillar of the strategy.

As part of this strategy, the government established a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury continues to work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Since 2025, more than £25.8bn of equity capital has been raised in London through follow-on issuances and IPOs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which sectors the Listings Taskforce has identified as having the greatest potential to increase the number of companies listing on UK markets.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. This document sets out the government’s ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets as a core pillar of the strategy.

As part of this strategy, the government established a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury continues to work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Since 2025, more than £25.8bn of equity capital has been raised in London through follow-on issuances and IPOs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the progress of the Listings Taskforce in reducing the barriers identified by businesses considering a UK listing.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. This document sets out the government’s ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets as a core pillar of the strategy.

As part of this strategy, the government established a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury continues to work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Since 2025, more than £25.8bn of equity capital has been raised in London through follow-on issuances and IPOs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what metrics the Listings Taskforce is using to assess whether its work is improving the attractiveness and competitiveness of UK capital markets.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. This document sets out the government’s ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets as a core pillar of the strategy.

As part of this strategy, the government established a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury continues to work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Since 2025, more than £25.8bn of equity capital has been raised in London through follow-on issuances and IPOs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with pension schemes on long-term investment in UK infrastructure.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Through the Government's financial services strategy and the Pension Schemes Act 2026, the Government is taking action to improve outcomes for pension savers, support growing British businesses and increase investment in the UK economy.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with pension schemes and the wider investment industry on a range of issues, including long-term investment opportunities in UK infrastructure.

Alongside the Pension Schemes Act, the Government is encouraging pension funds to diversify and invest in private markets. The Government strongly welcomes the Mansion House Accord, an industry-led commitment by major pension providers to invest 10 per cent of their default defined contribution funds in private markets by 2030, with at least half of that invested in the UK.

The Government is also helping facilitate more institutional investment into the UK economy. The expanded British Business Bank is helping to address market gaps and crowd in investment, and the National Wealth Fund is mobilising investment into sectors and infrastructure that support long-term economic growth.

The Government keeps the impact of its policies under review and is strengthening the information available on pensions, including through the Value for Money Framework and related data collection. Regulators and the Government continue to monitor risks in financial markets to ensure that financial stability is maintained.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support farmers in diversifying and expanding businesses in the context of the publication of the Farming Roadmap.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Farming Roadmap provides long-term certainty so farmers can plan, invest, diversify and grow.

The Government is supporting this through fairer supply chains and routes to market; planning reforms for infrastructure; and investment in technology and innovation.

The Farmer Collaboration Fund will support peer learning, specialist advice and new commercial opportunities, while the Farming and Food Partnership Board and sector-led growth plans will help remove barriers to investment and drive productivity.

The Government is also working to expand access to private finance and diversified income alongside food production.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of agricultural robotics on the future agricultural workforce.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are committed to increasing long-term labour resilience and robotic and autonomous applications could help with this. A 2025 Checkpoint evaluation of the Farming Innovation Programme, which funds several R&D projects developing robotics for the farming sector, found emerging evidence that supported technologies could help address labour shortages and improve productivity, efficiency and environmental performance. However, most automation projects are still in R&D or trial testing and it is too early to assess their wider impact.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics her Department will use to assess the success of Government investment in agricultural robotics.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government will assess the success of its investment in agricultural robotics through the Farming Innovation Programme’s long-term evaluation. Metrics will include the volume of technologies developed and commercialised, their uptake by farmers and growers, changes in farm productivity and environmental outcomes, and any wider or unintended impacts. Evidence will be drawn from programme monitoring data, follow-up surveys and longitudinal case studies, recognising that some impacts may take several years to materialise.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the Listings Taskforce increasing the number of UK listings.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. This document sets out the government’s ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets as a core pillar of the strategy.

As part of this strategy, the government established a Listings Taskforce to support businesses to list and grow in the UK. HM Treasury continues to work in partnership with the Office for Investment, and industry, to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from around the world, and right here in the UK, to list on UK markets.

Since 2025, more than £25.8bn of equity capital has been raised in London through follow-on issuances and IPOs.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that publicly funded research which results in a commercially viable spin-out is accompanied by sufficient access to later-stage finance to support its growth in the UK.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since 2015, the UK has grown share of global VC investment at all stages. It now matches the Bay Area at early stage, though still lags at breakout and late stages. UK companies also progress between VC rounds at a higher rate than European peers.

To improve later-stage capital, alongside wider government measures, we have increased the British Business Bank’s total financial capacity to £25.6 billion, including £5 billion for growth-stage funds such as the £1 billion+ UK S&T Scale Up Fund. Pensions reforms could unlock up to £50 billion, supported by British Business Bank programmes helping pension funds invest in venture. In parallel, Innovate UK is working with the public finance institutions to create a connected investment pipeline to support science and technology firms from innovation to capital at scale.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the availability of later-stage capital on the ability of university spin-out companies to scale in the UK.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since 2015, the UK has grown share of global VC investment at all stages. It now matches the Bay Area at early stage, though still lags at breakout and late stages. UK companies also progress between VC rounds at a higher rate than European peers.

To improve later-stage capital, alongside wider government measures, we have increased the British Business Bank’s total financial capacity to £25.6 billion, including £5 billion for growth-stage funds such as the £1 billion+ UK S&T Scale Up Fund. Pensions reforms could unlock up to £50 billion, supported by British Business Bank programmes helping pension funds invest in venture. In parallel, Innovate UK is working with the public finance institutions to create a connected investment pipeline to support science and technology firms from innovation to capital at scale.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking with local authorities to ensure that rural communities in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency have access to adequate bus services at convenient times.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 which puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England. This is to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, improving the passenger experience and increasing bus usage nationwide.

The Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 for long-term investment in bus services. This includes nearly £700 million per year through multi-year Local Authority Bus Grant allocations, giving councils certainty to plan ahead and improve services for local communities. Milton Keynes Council will receive £11.2 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

Rural communities face particular challenges where services can be less frequent and more expensive to run. The Local Authority Bus Grant includes rurality in its funding formula, ensuring funding is directed to where it is most needed. This funding will help the council plan and support local bus services, including in rural areas where services can be more difficult to sustain.

Milton Keynes Council are also receiving additional government funding through the Franchising Support Fund to explore different franchising options to improve their bus services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with (1) Milton Keynes City Council and (2) Buckinghamshire Council on improving local bus networks.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to helping local leaders improve local bus services and improve reliability across England, including in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.

We are taking action to give local leaders the powers they need to deliver better bus services for passengers, including through the Bus Services Act 2025 which devolved powers to local authorities who know their local areas the best.

The Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 for long-term investment in bus services. This includes nearly £700 million per year through multi-year Local Authority Bus Grant allocations, giving councils certainty to plan ahead and improve services for local communities. Buckinghamshire County Council will receive £15.6 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, whilst Milton Keynes City Council will receive £11.2 million over the same period.

Buckinghamshire County Council and Milton Keynes City Council are receiving additional government funding through the Franchising Support Fund. This funding will be used by Buckinghamshire to undertake bus franchising feasibility studies, and support Milton Keynes City Council to prepare a bus franchising assessment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connectivity between towns and villages in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department's Better Connected strategy sets out our long-term vision for making transport work well for more people across England, wherever they live. The strategy recognises that passengers want journeys that are simple, reliable and joined-up, and sets out actions to improve how the transport system works to ensure people can easily access opportunities and services.

To deliver on Better Connected, we will continue to work with local transport authorities, operators and other partners to deliver better outcomes for passengers, for example by providing £6m to fund an integrated rural transport demonstrator to explore how delivering simpler ticketing and clearer information, alongside integrating existing public transport can create a rural public transport system that works for local residents and visitors.

The Department expects partners across the transport sector to work together to deliver on this vision for passengers. We recently announced plans to bring forward an eastern station entrance at Bletchley station to boost access to the town centre and support economic growth. Another example has been Arriva rerouting its X6 service between Buckingham and Bletchley following feedback from passengers and stakeholders, providing a faster connection between the two locations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport links between rural communities in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department's Better Connected strategy sets out our long-term vision for making transport work well for more people across England, wherever they live. The strategy recognises that passengers want journeys that are simple, reliable and joined-up, and sets out actions to improve how the transport system works to ensure people can easily access opportunities and services.

To deliver on Better Connected, we will continue to work with local transport authorities, operators and other partners to deliver better outcomes for passengers, for example by providing £6m to fund an integrated rural transport demonstrator to explore how delivering simpler ticketing and clearer information, alongside integrating existing public transport can create a rural public transport system that works for local residents and visitors.

The Department expects partners across the transport sector to work together to deliver on this vision for passengers. We recently announced plans to bring forward an eastern station entrance at Bletchley station to boost access to the town centre and support economic growth. Another example has been Arriva rerouting its X6 service between Buckingham and Bletchley following feedback from passengers and stakeholders, providing a faster connection between the two locations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lower bus fares on employment opportunities.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government announcement on 22 July that single bus tickets will be capped at £2 from 1 January 2027, slashing maximum fares by up to a third for millions of people. This scheme will help keep travel affordable for millions of passengers while supporting access to jobs, education, healthcare and other opportunities. Capped fares will particularly benefit people travelling longer distances and those living in rural and coastal communities, helping them access employment, education, healthcare and other essential services.

This Government recognises the challenges of running rural bus services, which is why we have amended the formula used to allocate the Local Authority Bus Grant to take rurality into account. Local authorities have the flexibility to use this grant to deliver the best outcomes for passengers in their area, whether through lower fares, more frequent services, or enhanced rural bus provision.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lower bus fares on rural connectivity.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government announcement on 22 July that single bus tickets will be capped at £2 from 1 January 2027, slashing maximum fares by up to a third for millions of people. This scheme will help keep travel affordable for millions of passengers while supporting access to jobs, education, healthcare and other opportunities. Capped fares will particularly benefit people travelling longer distances and those living in rural and coastal communities, helping them access employment, education, healthcare and other essential services.

This Government recognises the challenges of running rural bus services, which is why we have amended the formula used to allocate the Local Authority Bus Grant to take rurality into account. Local authorities have the flexibility to use this grant to deliver the best outcomes for passengers in their area, whether through lower fares, more frequent services, or enhanced rural bus provision.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions she has had with institutional investors on supporting university spin-outs.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The government is taking steps to encourage institutional investment. This includes working with major institutional investors – Aegon UK, NatWest Cushon and M&G – on the first £200m British Growth Partnership Fund, investing in promising British businesses including spinouts. The British Business Bank also launched Venture Link, which shares their venture fund due diligence with pension funds to help them invest. Alongside the City of London Corporation, the government has launched the Sterling 20; a new partnership between 20 of the largest institutional investors. The group will work to channel the nation’s savings into key sectors, from which spinouts will benefit.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on aligning immigration policy for researchers with the industrial strategy.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government wants to ensure that immigration policy supports the UK’s science and innovation sectors, including the growth driving sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy.

The UK’s competitive visa system offers multiple routes to attract highly skilled R&D individuals at all career stages to the UK, including the Global Talent, Skilled Worker and Innovator Founder visa. The government is delivering Immigration White Paper commitments to enhance our targeted routes and make it easier for highly skilled global talent to come to the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lower bus fares on car usage.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Evidence from the evaluation of the first 10 months of the £2 bus fare cap, which ran from January 2023 to December 2024, reported that lower bus fares encouraged some people to switch to bus travel from other modes.

Across four surveys conducted as part of the evaluation, between 29% and 38% of respondents who reported making additional bus journeys said that, without the fare cap, they would have made those journeys using a different mode of transport. Among those respondents, the car was the most commonly reported alternative mode, with between 21% and 31% reporting that they would otherwise have travelled by car or van as a driver and a further 15% to 18% reporting that they would have travelled as a passenger.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has considered introducing statutory requirements for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in England.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The National Planning Policy Framework requires all development which could affect drainage to incorporate SuDS and these should be designed and maintained in accordance with the National Standards.

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential benefits of establishing a statutory framework for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in reducing surface-water flood risk from new development.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The National Planning Policy Framework requires all development which could affect drainage to incorporate SuDS and these should be designed and maintained in accordance with the National Standards.

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 into force.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The National Planning Policy Framework requires all development which could affect drainage to incorporate SuDS and these should be designed and maintained in accordance with the National Standards.

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the contribution of university spin-out companies to regional economic growth.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

University spinouts make an important contribution to regional economic growth, creating high-skilled jobs, attracting investment, and developing local innovation clusters.

Research England’s analysis of the new UK University spinout register (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/business-community/spin-out-register) shows that spin-out formation broadly reflects the geographical distribution of university research capacity. Between 2013 and 2024 55% of spin-out activity was outside the Greater South East.

Across the spending review period, UK Research and Innovation is investing £7.4bn to support innovative companies’ and spin-out growth, including £284 million per year through the Higher Education Innovation Fund, and £30million through Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) to develop regional commercialisation ecosystems.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of regional disparities in the rate at which university research is converted into commercially successful spin-out companies.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

University spinouts make an important contribution to regional economic growth, creating high-skilled jobs, attracting investment, and developing local innovation clusters.

Research England’s analysis of the new UK University spinout register (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/business-community/spin-out-register) shows that spin-out formation broadly reflects the geographical distribution of university research capacity. Between 2013 and 2024 55% of spin-out activity was outside the Greater South East.

Across the spending review period, UK Research and Innovation is investing £7.4bn to support innovative companies’ and spin-out growth, including £284 million per year through the Higher Education Innovation Fund, and £30million through Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) to develop regional commercialisation ecosystems.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the extent to which university spin-out companies remain headquartered in the UK following their first significant institutional investment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In June 2025, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) published the first university spin-out register (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/business-community/spin-out-register), allowing us to understand the spin-out ecosystem better than ever.

Among 2,307 spinouts in the Spinout Register (as of September 2025), 9.3% were acquired, of these 70% from abroad. Meaning 6.5% of all spinouts registered were acquired from abroad. Even when acquired from abroad, the operations and R&D of the spin-outs in many cases will continue to be based in the UK, creating jobs, and attracting investment locally.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the proportion of university spin-out companies that subsequently scale into companies employing more than 50 people in the UK.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In June 2025, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) published the first university spin-out register (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/business-community/spin-out-register), allowing us to understand the spin-out ecosystem better than ever.

Among 2,307 spinouts in the Spinout Register (as of September 2025), 9.3% were acquired, of these 70% from abroad. Meaning 6.5% of all spinouts registered were acquired from abroad. Even when acquired from abroad, the operations and R&D of the spin-outs in many cases will continue to be based in the UK, creating jobs, and attracting investment locally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with local authorities to ensure that school capacity is adequate for demand arising from new housing development in north Buckinghamshire.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure sufficient school places for children in their area. The department provides capital funding through the basic need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. Buckinghamshire Council has been allocated just under £67.7 million of basic need funding to support it to create mainstream school places needed between May 2024 and September 2028.

Developer contributions are also an important way of helping to meet demand for new school places when housing developments are driving pupil numbers. The department publishes guidance to support local authorities to secure contributions for education from developers.

The department engages with councils on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, we support them to find solutions as quickly as possible.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of business rates reform on high street regeneration.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Pubs provide a place for people to come together, support local jobs and help keep high streets vibrant — which is why the government introduced an additional 20 per cent cut in business rates for pubs, social clubs, and all but the very largest live music venues, building on the support already in place.

However, there are also properties on our high streets that benefit from reduced business rates but do not have a positive impact on the community. The Government is looking at how to tackle these harms and will set out action at Budget, following careful consideration of the impact of different policy options on different types of businesses.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of regional variations in household electricity costs.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that electricity costs vary by region. Electricity suppliers typically set their prices based on network charge differences, leading to regional variations in tariffs. The independent industry regulator Ofgem sets different price cap limits across regions to reflect differences in network costs for maintaining infrastructure.

The Government is committed to ensuring bills are fair and affordable, while maintaining a secure and resilient energy system. Ofgem are also reviewing how ‘fixed’ costs, which tend to be funded through standing charges, should be recovered in the future energy system. Ofgem plan to consult further this year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with Ofgem on long-term electricity pricing reform.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ofgem on a range of subjects including energy market reform.

The Government’s vision is for an energy market that works for consumers, is more resilient and enables households to benefit from cheap, clean power. We are also strengthening Ofgem so it can enforce higher standards and improve redress.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the contribution that ultra-long duration energy storage could make to reducing household exposure to wholesale energy price volatility.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

All forms of electricity storage have an important role to play in decarbonising the power sector by storing cheap renewable energy for use when it is most needed. Analysis by LCP Delta and Regen, published by DESNZ in January 2024, demonstrates that long duration electricity storage (LDES) reduces wholesale energy price volatility. A recent paper from the UK Energy Research Centre explains that ultra-long duration storage has significant system value and can reduce the energy system’s reliance on expensive gas, often used during periods of low wind and sun. In August 2026, £28 million of government funding was made available to support the development of ultra-long duration storage to supply electricity for 100 hours or more.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what metrics her Department will use to assess the effectiveness of measures to reduce household electricity bills.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Tackling affordability is this Government's number one priority. The effectiveness of measures to reduce household electricity bills is assessed through their impact on consumer energy bills, including changes in the Ofgem price cap, and through the support provided to households through schemes such as the Warm Home Discount.

Recent measures include the removal of VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October and action taken at the last Budget which took an average £150 of costs off energy bills.

The Government will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and explore ways to lower energy bills for consumers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of electricity prices on household electrification.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that electricity prices can affect households' decisions to adopt electrified technologies such as heat pumps. The Warm Homes Plan commits very clearly to making clean heating systems cheaper to own and run and exploring options to address the current price disparity between electricity and gas.

The Government has already taken significant action to reduce electricity bills for all consumers, including at the last Budget removing policy costs worth around £150 a year from the average household bill. In July, we initiated a further reduction by removing VAT applied to electricity bills, which is expected to take off around another £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap.

It’s worth noting as well that heat pumps are three times as efficient as traditional fossil fuel boilers – Government analysis suggests a typical household could already see lower energy bills when using one installed well and alongside a suitable smart tariff.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans further reforms to reduce electricity costs for households.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Tackling affordability is this Government's number one priority. The Government is removing VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October, in time to impact the next Ofgem price cap.

This comes on top of measures announced at the last Budget which took an average £150 of costs off energy bills and are now factored into bills for the years to come.

The Government will continue to explore ways to lower energy bills for consumers and reduce barriers to adopting clean technologies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of business rates on investment decisions by hospitality businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of business rates on independent hospitality businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes to venture capital tax incentives on investment in UK companies at Series (i) A and (ii) B stages.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

At the last Budget, the government announced a package of entrepreneurship tax measures designed to provide substantially enhanced support for scaling businesses across the UK.  

This includes doubling the maximum amount that a company can raise through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Venture Capital Trust (VCT) scheme.   

Overall, the changes we made are forecast to increase investment by around £100 million per year into high-growth scaling companies, including university spin outs, thanks to the increased scheme limits at Budget.

Further information on entrepreneurship tax incentives can be found in the Entrepreneurship prospectus published at Budget 2025 - Budget 2025 in full - GOV.UK

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with industry on strengthening supply chain resilience.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence engages regularly with industry to strengthen supply chain resilience through the Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) Readiness and Resilience Working Group and the Industrial Resilience Programme (IRP). These forums bring together Government and industry representatives to identify and address a range of resilience issues including sharing and mitigating strategic supply chain risks, improving industrial readiness, developing critical minerals security of supply issues, and fostering collaborative approaches to resilience challenges.

The Department also works closely with industry through the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) and a programme of industry wargaming and scenario planning activities. These engagements help improve understanding of supply chain vulnerabilities, test resilience under a range of stress scenarios, and inform measures to strengthen supply chain visibility, surge capacity and support to Defence operations.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the strategy for replacing animals in science on the UK’s international competitiveness in pharmaceutical research and development.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has assessed that the Replacing Animals in Science strategy will strengthen the UK’s international competitiveness in pharmaceutical research and development by supporting the development, validation and uptake of more human-relevant methods. Building on the UK’s strengths in life sciences research and pharmaceutical innovation, the strategy will help the UK capitalise on the growing market for alternative methods and the scientific and economic advantages these approaches can offer for product development and testing.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the extent to which public investment through the Sovereign AI fund is expected to leverage additional private sector investment into the UK semiconductor sector.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Sovereign AI Fund invests alongside the private sector in areas of existing UK strength, where government action can materially improve scaling outcomes, and there is a credible path to success. These include compute and infrastructure, which span emerging semiconductor and AI hardware technologies.

The Fund’s integrated offer – combining equity investment, compute, R&D funding, procurement and talent support – will help crowd in follow-on finance, government demand and wider ecosystem engagement for supported companies.

More broadly, concentrating public funding into this sector through wider initiatives such as the Government's £1.1 billion AI Hardware Plan is expected to boost private investment into companies across the UK semiconductor sector.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies receiving support through the Sovereign AI fund retain their (i) headquarters, (ii) intellectual property and (iii) key research functions in the UK over the long-term.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Sovereign AI is designed to help the most promising UK AI companies start, scale and remain anchored in the UK. Before any equity investment, the Fund assesses a company's UK nexus, including its domicile, headquarters, key executives, technical staff and R&D activity.

Rather than attaching bespoke anchoring conditions, which would make companies less competitive and weaken the Fund's objectives, the Fund’s integrated offer of capital, compute, talent and procurement is designed to make the UK the most attractive place to build. This offer will help crowd in follow-on finance, government demand and wider ecosystem support as these companies scale.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's domestic semiconductor manufacturing capability to support long-term sovereign AI objectives.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

In June, the government published the AI Hardware Plan, which aims to secure Britain’s future capability and strategic advantage in the chips and semiconductor technologies that underpin AI, and to anchor a growing share of high-value AI hardware activity and industrial capability in the UK.

The plan is about supporting the sector for the long-term, building sovereign capability and anchoring growth in the UK in the years to come. Sovereign capability is about ensuring the UK can contribute meaningfully within global supply chains, working with international partners rather than trying to do everything domestically.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what metrics will be used to assess the success of the AI Taskforce.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The remit of the Taskforce will be to transform public services and unlock growth and prosperity across the country. The Taskforce will report to the Cabinet Secretary and the AI Minister, and Lord Vallance as Chair will report directly to the Prime Minister. These are the right individuals to assess the success of the Taskforce and hold it to account.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what priorities have been set for the AI Taskforce.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The PM’s AI Taskforce will drive the Government's overall strategy on AI. The remit of the Taskforce will be to transform public services and unlock growth and prosperity across the country. The Taskforce's fundamental purpose will be the direction and implementation of the government's strategy on AI.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what opportunities there are for SMEs to support government AI deployment.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Department recognises the important role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play in supporting the adoption of artificial intelligence across government and beyond. Through initiatives such as the Department's AI Cubed procurement, we have sought specialist AI, data and digital expertise from the market, engaging suppliers through market outreach and engagement activities to help ensure a broad range of organisations, including SMEs, were aware of opportunities to participate. AI Cubed was designed to draw on supplier innovation and expertise to support the delivery of AI capabilities alongside civil servants, with a focus on outcomes and practical deployment across government services.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what governance arrangements are in place to oversee cross-government AI implementation.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Taskforce will be based in the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (OPMC), where it will sit alongside No.10, No.10 North and core Cabinet Office functions. This location makes the Taskforce well situated to drive the direction and implementation of the overall government's strategy on AI.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of cross-border intelligence-sharing arrangements in disrupting organised immigration crime.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling organised immigration crime and disrupting the criminal networks that facilitate illegal migration. The recently published Border Security Command Annual Report sets out how the Border Security Command is bringing together intelligence, law enforcement and international cooperation to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks operating across borders.

The Border Security Command provides a whole-system response, working with domestic and international partners to share intelligence and coordinate operational activity against criminal networks operating in the UK and overseas.

We have provided a significant boost to border security system funding, increasing the number of dedicated National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tackling organised immigration gangs from 376 at the start of 2025 to nearly 800.

We continue to strengthen capabilities across the border security system and work closely with international partners to identify, target and disrupt those involved in organised immigration crime. For example, through closer cooperation between our countries, Germany made it illegal to facilitate illegal migration to the UK, equipping law enforcement with the tools they need to go after the criminal networks. This has already led to enforcement action, including NCA and German partners seizing over thirty boats in May.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the ability of Border Security Command to identify links between organised immigration crime networks operating (a) in the UK and (b) overseas.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling organised immigration crime and disrupting the criminal networks that facilitate illegal migration. The recently published Border Security Command Annual Report sets out how the Border Security Command is bringing together intelligence, law enforcement and international cooperation to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks operating across borders.

The Border Security Command provides a whole-system response, working with domestic and international partners to share intelligence and coordinate operational activity against criminal networks operating in the UK and overseas.

We have provided a significant boost to border security system funding, increasing the number of dedicated National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tackling organised immigration gangs from 376 at the start of 2025 to nearly 800.

We continue to strengthen capabilities across the border security system and work closely with international partners to identify, target and disrupt those involved in organised immigration crime. For example, through closer cooperation between our countries, Germany made it illegal to facilitate illegal migration to the UK, equipping law enforcement with the tools they need to go after the criminal networks. This has already led to enforcement action, including NCA and German partners seizing over thirty boats in May.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure that technologies supported through the Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage Challenge can progress from research and development to commercial deployment at scale in the UK.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage (ULDES) Challenge is part of the Government's Research and Development Mission Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP). A key element of the Programme is a focus not only on technology development, but also on the wider policy, regulatory, market and commercial conditions needed for successful deployment. DESNZ is working closely with UK Research and Innovation, regulators and industry to identify how they can work together to ensure that technologies emerging from the Programme can achieve real-world deployment and impact.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of plug-in solar deployment on the capacity requirements of the electricity distribution network in the south east of England.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department expects the impact of plug-in solar on network capacity requirements to be small as the maximum power output is low and most of the electricity generated is expected to be self-consumed. We have worked with the Energy Networks Association (ENA) to develop a simple consumer registration platform to provide network operators with visibility of installations and support network planning.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of differences between UK and US approaches to artificial intelligence regulation on levels of competitive disadvantages for financial services firms.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK has strong foundations for AI adoption in financial services. The government has set out an ambition for the sector to remain a global leader in the safe, responsible and effective use of AI. The government is committed to continued collaboration between industry, regulators and government to ensure the UK remains an attractive place to develop, deploy and scale AI-enabled financial services.

Similarly, this Government will continue to ensure that its international relationships work to support global financial stability, a cohesive regulatory landscape, and growth and investment in the UK. Strong partnerships with global financial centres are essential for sustaining the UK's leadership as a world-leading financial hub and supporting economic growth.

The UK engages regularly with the United States through bilateral forums, including the UK-US Financial Regulatory Working Group (FRWG). The 13th official meeting of the FRWG was hosted by HM Treasury in London on 8 July 2026. The Group discussed ongoing U.S. and UK cooperation across several key themes, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Participants exchanged views on their approaches to AI in financial services, to support responsible adoption across the financial sector. Both UK and U.S. authorities discussed ways to work together and with the financial services industry to realise the potential of the technology, while mitigating potential risks.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what regulatory outcomes he is seeking from discussions with the United States on artificial intelligence in financial services.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK has strong foundations for AI adoption in financial services. The government has set out an ambition for the sector to remain a global leader in the safe, responsible and effective use of AI. The government is committed to continued collaboration between industry, regulators and government to ensure the UK remains an attractive place to develop, deploy and scale AI-enabled financial services.

Similarly, this Government will continue to ensure that its international relationships work to support global financial stability, a cohesive regulatory landscape, and growth and investment in the UK. Strong partnerships with global financial centres are essential for sustaining the UK's leadership as a world-leading financial hub and supporting economic growth.

The UK engages regularly with the United States through bilateral forums, including the UK-US Financial Regulatory Working Group (FRWG). The 13th official meeting of the FRWG was hosted by HM Treasury in London on 8 July 2026. The Group discussed ongoing U.S. and UK cooperation across several key themes, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Participants exchanged views on their approaches to AI in financial services, to support responsible adoption across the financial sector. Both UK and U.S. authorities discussed ways to work together and with the financial services industry to realise the potential of the technology, while mitigating potential risks.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to make the UK as a leader in establishing internationally recognised standards for validating non-animal methods for use in medicines development.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is positioning the UK as a global leader in alternative methods by strengthening regulatory confidence, investing in validation infrastructure and supporting the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods. Through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, we are working with regulators and international partners to support the acceptance of validated methods and help establish international best practice. This includes establishing the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM) and strengthening engagement with international regulators to support the global acceptance of alternative methods for medicines development.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that funding for the development of non-animal methods is co-ordinated across Government.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is taking steps to coordinate activity on the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods through delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The strategy sets out a cross-government programme with clear delivery responsibilities across departments, regulators and partner organisations. Governance arrangements include a cross-government Ministerial group and the Alternative Methods Strategy Delivery Group, which oversee progress and support coordination across policy areas. Funding is being delivered through strategic programmes led by UK Research and Innovation and other delivery partners, supported by multi-year funding secured through the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the use of public procurement to provide university spin-out companies with opportunities to demonstrate and scale innovative technologies.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Government recognises the key role that public procurement can play in helping innovative firms, including university spin-outs, demonstrate and scale new products and services.

The Procurement Act 2023 supports contracting authorities to take broader value into account when awarding contracts, while the National Procurement Policy Statement encourages the use of innovative solutions by public bodies.

To support this, we have established a Commercial Innovation Hub to help departments adopt innovative procurement practices and accelerate the deployment of new technologies across the public sector. Additionally, each department is appointing a Procurement of Innovation Champion to support and advocate for increased innovation within their own departments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of business rates policy on the night-time economy.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Earlier this year, the Government cut every pub and live music venue's bill by 15 per cent and ensured bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.

The Government is now going further by introducing an additional 20 per cent cut for pubs, social clubs, and all but the very largest live music venues, building on the support already in place.

When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

Businesses considered as part of the night-time economy may be eligible for the new permanently lower multipliers for eligible RHL properties. These provide nearly £1 billion per year of support to the RHL sector and benefit over 750,000 properties.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the British Business Bank on increasing investment into high-growth firms.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Secretary of State regularly meets with the British Business Bank to discuss their investments into high-growth companies. The Secretary of State secured an increase of the British Business Bank’s financial capacity to £25.6 billion at Spending Review 2025 and the Department has set a goal for the British Business Bank to support high-growth UK scale-ups.

In the last financial year the British Business Bank’s Investment arm made £1.5 billion of new commitments, including £100 million to Oxford Quantum Circuits. The British Business Bank also launched the British Growth Partnership, which will invest pension fund capital into high-growth businesses.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that increased investment by public finance institutions crowds in additional private capital.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Crowding in private capital is a core objective of public financial institutions (PuFIns), with investment principles and targets in place to ensure public capital provides additionality and mobilises private investment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK-US regulatory co-operation on the ability of smaller UK financial services firms to compete internationally.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains an open and connected financial centre, while upholding high international regulatory standards. The US is the UK's largest financial services trading partner and a key partner in promoting growth and competitiveness across the sector. Through the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future, the UK and US have agreed a forward-looking programme of collaboration focused on capital markets and digital assets.

The Taskforce’s recommendations seek to address practical barriers faced by UK firms, including to reduce frictions between UK and US markets and fragmented digital asset markets. They include work to support UK firms accessing US markets, promote cross-border experimentation in tokenised assets and provide greater regulatory clarity. These recommendations are intended to reinforce the competitiveness and global leadership of both the UK and US financial sectors.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the resilience of the UK financial system to attempts by sanctioned Iranian entities to circumvent financial restrictions through (i) third countries, (ii) intermediaries or (iii) alternative payment channels.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK maintains a robust sanctions framework and works closely with industry, regulators and international partners to defend the system against attempts by designated persons and entities to circumvent financial sanctions, including through third-country networks and alternative payment methods.

The Government continues to monitor sanctions evasion risks and will take action where appropriate to support compliance with UK sanctions and protect the integrity of the UK financial system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that pupils have access to a broad range of modern foreign languages at GCSE and A level.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to increasing the uptake of modern foreign languages and strengthening the languages pipeline. We are taking forward the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review while going further to address barriers at every stage, from primary education to GCSE, A level and higher education. This includes learning from successful local approaches and continuing to support the quality of languages teaching through investment in the National Consortium for Languages Education. To help recruit specialist teachers, the department is also offering a £20,000 tax-free bursary for trainee language teachers starting courses in 2026, or a £22,000 tax-free scholarship for those training to teach French, German or Spanish.

The government also wants to see a broad range of languages qualifications. French, German and Spanish remain the most widely taught modern foreign languages at GCSE and A level, although qualifications are available in up to 15 languages at both levels. Decisions on which languages to offer at GCSE are made by the independent awarding organisations.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of future trade agreements on the ability of UK creative businesses to export digital services.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the important contribution that the UK’s creative industries make to exports and economic growth. Through digital trade chapters in our trade agreements, we seek to reduce barriers to cross-border trade by supporting trusted data flows, preventing unjustified data localisation requirements and promoting digital trading systems. These provisions can help creative businesses that export services digitally to reach overseas customers, collaborate internationally and operate more efficiently across markets. The Government assesses the potential impacts of trade agreements throughout their development, drawing on stakeholder engagement and evidence from businesses to help ensure that trade policy supports UK exporters.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that future proposals for a northern leg of HS2 adhere to the principle of no net loss of biodiversity and protect (a) ancient woodlands and (b) other natural habitats.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As part of the Northern Growth Strategy, the Government set out its long-term ambition to deliver a new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester. This is not a reinstatement of HS2. The first step is feasibility work, working closely with local partners, including consideration of environmental impacts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with schools on promoting healthy lifestyles.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

All state funded schools are required to teach about the importance of healthy lifestyles as part of statutory health education set out in the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.

The statutory RSHE guidance sets out the principles of a healthy lifestyle, with an emphasis on empowering young people to make good choices and adopt lifestyles that will increase their chance of living happy and healthy lives, supporting the agenda on tackling obesity.

The curriculum on health education should complement, and be supported by, the school’s wider education on healthy lifestyles through physical education, food technology, science, sport, extra-curricular activity and school food.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of regional trade missions focused on the creative industries on exports from businesses located (i) outside London and (ii) in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that trade missions can help creative businesses develop international commercial relationships, access new markets and identify export opportunities.

For businesses located outside London, they can help showcase the strengths of creative clusters across the UK and increase access to overseas customers and investors.

While the Government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of creative industries trade missions on exports from businesses in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, the constituency forms part of the wider Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, where creative, digital and technology businesses can benefit from opportunities to build international partnerships and grow exports.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing non-tariff barriers in overseas markets on the export performance of UK creative industries.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The creative industries are an important part of the UK economy and the Creative Industries Sector Plan positions the sector as a central pillar of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Growth Mission.

Through the delivery of that plan and our Trade Strategy, we are continuing to engage with the industry on the barriers they face and maintain and expand market access for our creative exports through a wider range of trade tools, including digital trade agreements, mutual recognition of professional qualifications agreements, sector-specific partnerships and free trade agreements, to secure faster and more targeted outcomes for UK businesses in priority markets.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of which overseas markets offer the greatest potential for additional UK exports as a result of enhanced diplomatic engagement.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) works closely with other government departments, including His Majesty's Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, to assess and prioritise overseas markets that offer the greatest potential for UK growth. This analysis informs the FCDO's diplomatic engagement to support economic growth, including support for UK exports.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing household electricity costs on levels of fuel poverty.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that energy bills remain too high and that tackling affordability is central to reducing fuel poverty. Reducing electricity costs benefits all households, while particularly helping low-income households and those with higher electricity use, including electrically heated homes. That is why the Government recently moved to give families some breathing space by cutting VAT on electricity bills, meaning that prices are around £45 per year lower than they would otherwise have been. This is on top of the action in April 2026 to take an average £150 of costs off domestic electricity bills, which remains factored into bills for the years to come.

In addition, 5.7 million households in Britain benefitted from our expanded £150 Warm Home Discount last winter and this will remain in place for the rest of the decade. Alongside this, the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan and 2026 Fuel Poverty Strategy aim to reduce energy costs for low-income households and lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of diplomatic networks supporting UK businesses in identifying and mitigating risks arising from foreign investment screening regimes.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We recognise that UK businesses face increasing geopolitical uncertainty, including in their investment strategies, when operating overseas. The UK respects the right of other countries to maintain investment screening mechanisms to protect their national security interests. Through our global diplomatic network, the Diplomatic Advisory Hub, and working with the Department of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade's overseas Trade Advisors and the Office for Investment, we provide businesses with country-specific insight on overseas regulatory and market environments, including, where relevant, investment screening regimes. Businesses can also access the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 'Doing Business in' country guides on GOV.UK. In addition, the National Protective Security Authority's Secure Business and Secure Innovation campaigns provide guidance to help businesses identify, understand, and where necessary mitigate security risks associated with sensitive international commercial activity and partnerships. Together, these services support UK businesses in making informed commercial decisions when operating overseas.