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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure local communities are involved in the management of new national forests.

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

Community engagement is central to the approach we will encourage these new national forests to apply, and reflects the approach embedded by the original National Forest in the Midlands, which is managed by the National Forest Company. As an illustration of their dedication to community engagement, in 2021 the National Forest Company brought together its 70 community woods groups and conservation organisations under the Community Woods Network.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how she plans to (a) monitor and (b) report progress on establishing new national forests.

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

All grants funded by the Nature for Climate fund are subject to the appropriate scrutiny as outlined in Defra’s Integrated Assurance and Approvals Strategy including checks on feasibility and value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support NHS trusts to increase same-day elective procedure capability.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Same-day elective procedures, or day surgeries, allow patients to be treated and discharged on the same day, helping to reduce waiting times, minimising cancellations due to bed pressures, and supporting patients to recover more quickly, in the comfort of their own home.

To expand same-day capability, we are investing in dedicated elective surgical hubs focused on high-volume, low-complexity procedures. These hubs improve productivity and support more patients to return home the same day, in line with the Right Procedure, Right Place principles.

There are currently 124 operational hubs in England, 23 of which have opened since the Government took office. Over the next three years, we are committed to increasing the number of hubs to boost surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures.

NHS England also continues to run the Getting It Right First Time programme, as part of which trusts are supported to maximise hub productivity and increase the proportion of inpatient procedures completed as day surgeries.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the resources allocated to improve export advisory capacity within UK business support services.

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

The Department for Business and Trade is putting in place the policies and support needed to drive export-led business growth.

DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service – designed to help businesses across the UK start, scale, and succeed globally. From tailored market advice to free training through the Export Academy, we are making it easier for businesses to navigate global markets, seize opportunities, and build resilience.

Our Export Champions are also sharing their experience and encouraging and inspiring new and fledgling exporters.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with (a) local authorities and (b) regional growth bodies on export-capability development.

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

Working with local delivery bodies is a central part of our Plan for Small Businesses and Business Growth Service. A core principle of the Business Growth Service is local partnership working, including working with Growth Hubs and Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

Our Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the ways in which we will work with local authorities to deliver our ambitions of supporting businesses to grow.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's press notice entitled Nation to benefit from two new national forests backed by £1 billion investment in tree planting, published on 5 November 2025, what her planned timetable is for planting trees.

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

We intend to announce further details on the planned timetable for the OxCam corridor national forest in due course. Details of the competition for the third new national forest will also be published in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Nation to benefit from two new national forests backed by £1 billion investment in tree planting, published on 5 November 2025, what proportion of trees planted will be native species.

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

The design of the new forests will be led by delivery partners on the ground, so exact species mix is not known at this time.  The woodlands created will be designed for multiple functions including recreation, flood management, timber production and wildlife habitat – the species will be selected to reflect these functions will differ from site to site.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure smaller food and drink producers in Buckinghamshire can access government support for reducing trade barriers.

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

Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.

Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of support for reducing trade barriers relates to non-tariff barriers.

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

Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.

Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

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 trade facilitation interventions on export volumes from Buckinghamshire.

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

Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.

Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of support for reducing trade barriers has been allocated to food and drink producers in Buckinghamshire.

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

Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.

Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria she uses to prioritise businesses in accessing support for reducing trade barriers.

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

Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.

Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the HS2 Woodland Fund on Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

A Phase One Ancient Woodland Strategy was published in 2017. It provided a full assessment for how building HS2 would affect ancient woodlands and details each individual woodland that was forecast to be impacted, based on the design at the time of submission of the hybrid Bill.

As the scheme has moved into detailed design and construction HS2 Ltd have sought to avoid or minimise the impacts of construction on sensitive ecological receptors like ancient woodlands, wherever practicable. The latest design data shows that the forecast impacts on ancient woodland are now 17.7 hectares. This is a 33% reduction on the 26.6 hectares of loss that had been expected in the HS2 Environmental Statement.

Where there are unavoidable impacts on ancient woodland, HS2 Ltd have implemented a range of compensatory measures including new woodland planting, enhancement of existing woodlands and a £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund to support third party landowners to deliver tree planting projects near the HS2 route. The Woodland Fund has successfully allocated all its funding and supported the creation of hundreds of hectares of new tree planting. It is therefore now closed to new applications.

Further information on HS2 Ltd’s approach to managing Ancient Woodland impacts, including annual summary reports, can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-ancient-woodland-reports

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with HS2 Ltd on the potential impact of HS2 construction on ancient woodland in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

A Phase One Ancient Woodland Strategy was published in 2017. It provided a full assessment for how building HS2 would affect ancient woodlands and details each individual woodland that was forecast to be impacted, based on the design at the time of submission of the hybrid Bill.

As the scheme has moved into detailed design and construction HS2 Ltd have sought to avoid or minimise the impacts of construction on sensitive ecological receptors like ancient woodlands, wherever practicable. The latest design data shows that the forecast impacts on ancient woodland are now 17.7 hectares. This is a 33% reduction on the 26.6 hectares of loss that had been expected in the HS2 Environmental Statement.

Where there are unavoidable impacts on ancient woodland, HS2 Ltd have implemented a range of compensatory measures including new woodland planting, enhancement of existing woodlands and a £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund to support third party landowners to deliver tree planting projects near the HS2 route. The Woodland Fund has successfully allocated all its funding and supported the creation of hundreds of hectares of new tree planting. It is therefore now closed to new applications.

Further information on HS2 Ltd’s approach to managing Ancient Woodland impacts, including annual summary reports, can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-ancient-woodland-reports

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to reduce the potential impact of HS2 construction on ancient woodland.

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

A Phase One Ancient Woodland Strategy was published in 2017. It provided a full assessment for how building HS2 would affect ancient woodlands and details each individual woodland that was forecast to be impacted, based on the design at the time of submission of the hybrid Bill.

As the scheme has moved into detailed design and construction HS2 Ltd have sought to avoid or minimise the impacts of construction on sensitive ecological receptors like ancient woodlands, wherever practicable. The latest design data shows that the forecast impacts on ancient woodland are now 17.7 hectares. This is a 33% reduction on the 26.6 hectares of loss that had been expected in the HS2 Environmental Statement.

Where there are unavoidable impacts on ancient woodland, HS2 Ltd have implemented a range of compensatory measures including new woodland planting, enhancement of existing woodlands and a £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund to support third party landowners to deliver tree planting projects near the HS2 route. The Woodland Fund has successfully allocated all its funding and supported the creation of hundreds of hectares of new tree planting. It is therefore now closed to new applications.

Further information on HS2 Ltd’s approach to managing Ancient Woodland impacts, including annual summary reports, can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-ancient-woodland-reports

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how his Department plans to monitor participation in trade promotion programmes by SMEs in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

As outlined in our 2025 UK Trade Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to the monitoring and evaluation of its performance to ensure continuous improvement.

DBT has developed a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for its existing export promotion activities, and data on participation is published in DBT’s Export Client Quality Survey.

In 2023/24, 17,449 businesses were supported by DBT export promotion services, of which 85% were classified as SMEs. We do not monitor participation by individual constituencies, but would be happy to be advised of any suitable SMEs in Buckingham and Bletchley.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on integrated occupational-health pathways.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate routinely works across Departments and health systems to develop cross cutting initiatives such as Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care programme and WorkWell.

The Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies (England), embeds Employment Advisors within the Talking Therapies service, enabling the provision of integrated therapeutic treatment and employment support to patients regardless of their work or benefit status.

The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care programme (IPSPC), is a Supported Employment model aimed at supporting disabled people and those with health conditions. IPSPC supports people who are out of work and those needing support with their health issues to stay in work.

The WorkWell pilot is a new way to deliver integrated work and health support that is designed by Integrated Care Boards in partnership with local government, Jobcentre Plus and community groups. These partnerships have had flexibility to design their WorkWell service according to their local needs, building on existing assets and resources, creating opportunities to integrate provision and pathways across places. Sites went live from October 2024 in 15 areas in England and provide low intensity holistic support for health-related barriers to employment, and a single joined up gateway to existing local work and health service provision. Multidisciplinary teams provide support to participants that can include employer liaison, work and health coaching, physiotherapy, and mental health services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of HS2 construction on ancient woodland in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

A Phase One Ancient Woodland Strategy was published in 2017. It provided a full assessment for how building HS2 would affect ancient woodlands and details each individual woodland that was forecast to be impacted, based on the design at the time of submission of the hybrid Bill.

As the scheme has moved into detailed design and construction HS2 Ltd have sought to avoid or minimise the impacts of construction on sensitive ecological receptors like ancient woodlands, wherever practicable. The latest design data shows that the forecast impacts on ancient woodland are now 17.7 hectares. This is a 33% reduction on the 26.6 hectares of loss that had been expected in the HS2 Environmental Statement.

Where there are unavoidable impacts on ancient woodland, HS2 Ltd have implemented a range of compensatory measures including new woodland planting, enhancement of existing woodlands and a £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund to support third party landowners to deliver tree planting projects near the HS2 route. The Woodland Fund has successfully allocated all its funding and supported the creation of hundreds of hectares of new tree planting. It is therefore now closed to new applications.

Further information on HS2 Ltd’s approach to managing Ancient Woodland impacts, including annual summary reports, can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-ancient-woodland-reports

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with HS2 Ltd on reducing the environmental impact of HS2 construction.

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

The Secretary of State requires that HS2 Ltd minimises its environmental impact throughout construction and operation. This includes through the Environmental Minimum Requirements (EMRs) for the scheme. The EMRs include an Environmental Memorandum and a Code of Construction Practice which sets out specific environmental controls that HS2 Ltd and its contractors must follow to minimise the effect of noise, air quality, waste, and water management and a range of other impacts. The Department for Transport has regular discussions with HS2 Ltd on the fulfilment of these obligations, including at the HS2 Ltd Environmental Sustainability Committee, and contractually requires the company to follow sustainable development principles and minimise adverse environmental effects through the Development Agreement between the Secretary of State for Transport (DfT) and HS2 Ltd.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the skills support required to help UK firms expand into new export markets.

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

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to providing businesses with the support, advice and skills they need to export across the globe.

Businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via business.gov.uk. This includes support via the UK Export Academy, a free, comprehensive learning and development programme that boosts British businesses’ global trading capability.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to assess supply chain readiness for increased export activity.

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

The government recognises that robust supply chains are fundamental to enabling businesses to capitalise on export opportunities and drive sustainable growth. As outlined in the UK’s Trade Strategy, we are committed to working with businesses of all sizes to strengthen their capacity to compete in global markets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of home-based NHS care on hospital admissions.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst no comprehensive quantitative assessment has been made, we recognise that home and community-based National Health Services play a crucial role in preventing admissions for people with conditions that can be safely managed in the community, thereby helping to manage demand pressures on accident and emergency departments, and improving patient experience.

Key features of home and community based services include: anticipating and preventing exacerbations using personalised care plans delivered through neighbourhood health teams for people with long-term conditions and frailty; directing people to the most appropriate service at first contact using clearly established routes for clinical advice supported by digital tools and neighbourhood teams; and delivering integrated community based services including Urgent Community Response, Hospital at Home, and therapy-led intermediate care.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan, published in June 2025, commits to increasing the number of patients receiving urgent care in the community by expanding these services.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring arrangements her Department has for measuring the performance of water companies in meeting service standards in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans must demonstrate how they will achieve a secure supply of water whilst protecting the environment over a minimum 25-year period. The Environment Agency (EA) assesses how companies perform against their published plans annually in July and advises the Secretary of State. Water companies must also produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP), setting out how they will ensure robust drainage and sewerage services over a 25-year period.

The WRMPs and DWMPs will demonstrate where and when investment will be needed to support the Government’s growth agenda and to ensure infrastructure is fit for purpose now and in the future.

The EA has strengthened its water industry regulation with new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. The EA has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets and completed over 4,600 last year and is on track to deliver 10,000 this year. The EA’s Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 1500 inspections since April 2025.

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 how water (a) supply and (b) drainage vulnerabilities will evolve in the next decade in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans must demonstrate how they will achieve a secure supply of water whilst protecting the environment over a minimum 25-year period. The Environment Agency (EA) assesses how companies perform against their published plans annually in July and advises the Secretary of State. Water companies must also produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP), setting out how they will ensure robust drainage and sewerage services over a 25-year period.

The WRMPs and DWMPs will demonstrate where and when investment will be needed to support the Government’s growth agenda and to ensure infrastructure is fit for purpose now and in the future.

The EA has strengthened its water industry regulation with new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. The EA has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets and completed over 4,600 last year and is on track to deliver 10,000 this year. The EA’s Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 1500 inspections since April 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what strategy her Department has to improve the resilience of water infrastructure in Buckinghamshire.

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

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans must demonstrate how they will achieve a secure supply of water whilst protecting the environment over a minimum 25-year period. The Environment Agency (EA) assesses how companies perform against their published plans annually in July and advises the Secretary of State. Water companies must also produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP), setting out how they will ensure robust drainage and sewerage services over a 25-year period.

The WRMPs and DWMPs will demonstrate where and when investment will be needed to support the Government’s growth agenda and to ensure infrastructure is fit for purpose now and in the future.

The EA has strengthened its water industry regulation with new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams. The EA has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets and completed over 4,600 last year and is on track to deliver 10,000 this year. The EA’s Thames and East Anglia Areas have completed over 1500 inspections since April 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support mechanisms her Department has in place for schools in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency considered at risk of failing to meet attendance improvement targets.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Tackling absence is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Children attended over 5.3 million additional days in the 2024/25 school year compared to the 2023/23 school year, with over 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent.

Our statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets clear expectations for schools to take a support-first approach, using data to identify patterns and intervene early.

To support this, our attendance baseline improvement expectations (ABIEs) set out the minimum improvement expected over an academic year, based on each school’s context and previous year’s attendance. Schools’ progress against their ABIEs informs the type of support offered.

ABIEs are a starting point, not a limit. Schools are encouraged to work, towards pre-pandemic attendance levels or better. Indicative ABIEs are available now, with full introduction in 2026/27.

Alongside ABIEs, schools receive ‘similar schools’ reports which name higher-performing schools with comparable characteristics and provide advice on how to contact them to share strategies. Schools can also access an updated attendance improvement toolkit for practical advice on attendance improvement. For schools facing the greatest challenges, we are rolling out up to 90 Attendance and Behaviour Hubs, to deliver structured peer support and bespoke improvement plans.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to schools in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency on minimum attendance improvement targets.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Tackling absence is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Children attended over 5.3 million additional days in the 2024/25 school year compared to the 2023/23 school year, with over 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent.

Our statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets clear expectations for schools to take a support-first approach, using data to identify patterns and intervene early.

To support this, our attendance baseline improvement expectations (ABIEs) set out the minimum improvement expected over an academic year, based on each school’s context and previous year’s attendance. Schools’ progress against their ABIEs informs the type of support offered.

ABIEs are a starting point, not a limit. Schools are encouraged to work, towards pre-pandemic attendance levels or better. Indicative ABIEs are available now, with full introduction in 2026/27.

Alongside ABIEs, schools receive ‘similar schools’ reports which name higher-performing schools with comparable characteristics and provide advice on how to contact them to share strategies. Schools can also access an updated attendance improvement toolkit for practical advice on attendance improvement. For schools facing the greatest challenges, we are rolling out up to 90 Attendance and Behaviour Hubs, to deliver structured peer support and bespoke improvement plans.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what baseline data her Department uses to determine school-specific attendance improvement targets.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department uses a combination of national and school-level data to determine each school’s attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE), which sets out the minimum improvement expected over an academic year.

ABIEs include a context-based factor, which compares a school’s previous year attendance with that of statistically similar schools. Similar schools are identified using characteristics such as free school meal eligibility, special educational needs, deprivation, funding levels, and region.

The reports headteachers receive also include pre-pandemic attendance benchmarks and local authority averages, providing schools with a “ladder of ambition” against which to benchmark improvements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what monitoring arrangements her Department has in place to evaluate the impact of the attendance improvement roadmap on pupil outcomes.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

To monitor progress against our journey to return to pre-pandemic levels of attendance and beyond, the department collects comprehensive attendance data to track trends and identify what is working well and where the system needs support.

Our world leading data tools allow us to monitor real time attendance across all state-funded schools. By analysing this data at national, regional, and school level, we can assess progress towards pre-pandemic levels and ensure interventions are targeted where they will have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes.

Support provided through Attendance and Behaviour Hubs and our expanded mentoring programme, is subject to ongoing monitoring and quality assurance by regional advisers and will be independently evaluated to assess their impact on attendance and pupil outcomes.

Thanks to the efforts of the sector, absence is moving in the right direction, with children gaining over five million more days in school last year compared to the previous year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what communication her Department has had with academy trusts in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency on attendance improvement plans.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department engages regularly with academy trusts on attendance improvement through a range of channels.

In the last academic year, we hosted 12 regional conferences for secondary school and trust leaders focusing solely on the attendance challenge through our regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme. The conferences covered data analysis and shared practical strategies. Feedback from school and trust leaders was strong, and was supported by increased engagement with our data tool.

The department also provides targeted communications through webinars, newsletters and direct correspondence to school and trust leaders. This includes updates on new resources such as the Attendance Improvement Toolkit and support available through our RISE Attendance and Behaviour Hubs.

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