Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the potential number of firms in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency that may request support to improve their energy management practices.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In order to keep the level of reporting on businesses to a minimum, DESNZ does not collect information detailing the uptake of energy management improvements by businesses.
However, Buckinghamshire Business First is a local organisation that works closely with Buckinghamshire Council and has so far provided support to 3,600 businesses in the local area to date to help businesses reach net zero targets.
Small businesses can search for other local grant and advice schemes on the finance and support for businesses page on gov.uk.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth economic inactivity in rural communities.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is investing in all young people’s futures irrespective of where they live in Great Britain. At Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:
Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up. This support could be delivered at a Youth Hub.
Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.
c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers – Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.
The Youth Guarantee ensures paid work for eligible 18–21-year-olds in Great Britain who have been on Universal Credit and seeking work for 18 months. Through the Jobs Guarantee scheme, participants get six months of government-funded employment at minimum wage for 25 hours weekly, plus extra support to build skills and experience. The program aims for an 80% employment rate and includes safeguards for quality and fairness. It will benefit about 55,000 young people over three years.
Prevention: We are improving support for young people at risk of becoming NEET by enhancing data sharing, monitoring further education attendance, and using new tools to help local areas target assistance effectively. We are also funding work experience opportunities for high-risk pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings. These efforts build on measures from the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper announced earlier this autumn.
The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are also working closely with the seven Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England who are delivering the eight Youth Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working white paper.
The West of England Combined Authority is running a Rural Access Pilot as part of its Youth Guarantee Trailblazer. This pilot focuses on supporting young people in rural areas by providing tailored employment coaching and practical transport solutions, alongside bursaries to cover work-related costs. A free travel pass is designed to remove transport barriers for young people in these areas, enabling them to access employment opportunities, training, and support services.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of tourism’s contribution to Buckinghamshire's rural economy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS recognises the vital contribution of tourism to rural economies across England, including in Buckinghamshire, home to historic and cultural attractions including Bletchley Park and Waddesdon Manor as well as family attractions such as Bekonscot Model Village & Railway.
The British Tourist Authority, which is an arms-length body of DCMS, provides research and insights on domestic and inbound tourism in the UK. Their data reveals that for inbound travel, Buckinghamshire welcomed 305.6K visitors and a spend of £140.2 million in 2024. For domestic visits, Buckinghamshire welcomed 1.2 million trips and a spend of £191 million in the 24 months up to September 2024.
DCMS also works with the British Tourist Authority to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience with the aim of ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are felt by all regions and nations.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the data-gathering requirements needed to support future green bond issuances.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
In 2024-25, the government raised £10.0 billion through green gilts and green savings bonds. The government plans to issue a total of £10.0 billion of green finance in 2025-26, subject to demand and market conditions. The amount of Green Financing to be issued in each financial year will be announced by HM Treasury as part of the annual government financing remit.
The Green Financing Framework, published in 2021 and updated in 2025, explains how proceeds from green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds will finance public expenditures that demonstrate a direct and positive environmental impact.
The Framework includes guidelines on the types of expenditures that can be included in the Programme and commits the government to annual allocation reporting. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed Spending Review settlements and assessed on the basis of their contribution to the government’s climate and environmental objectives. Details of the allocation of expenditure are normally published each year in the Green Financing Allocation Report, most recently published in October2024.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the proportion of future sovereign financing expected to be raised under the Green Financing Framework.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
In 2024-25, the government raised £10.0 billion through green gilts and green savings bonds. The government plans to issue a total of £10.0 billion of green finance in 2025-26, subject to demand and market conditions. The amount of Green Financing to be issued in each financial year will be announced by HM Treasury as part of the annual government financing remit.
The Green Financing Framework, published in 2021 and updated in 2025, explains how proceeds from green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds will finance public expenditures that demonstrate a direct and positive environmental impact.
The Framework includes guidelines on the types of expenditures that can be included in the Programme and commits the government to annual allocation reporting. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed Spending Review settlements and assessed on the basis of their contribution to the government’s climate and environmental objectives. Details of the allocation of expenditure are normally published each year in the Green Financing Allocation Report, most recently published in October2024.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what processes HM Treasury uses to co-ordinate Green Financing Framework reporting with other government departments.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
In 2024-25, the government raised £10.0 billion through green gilts and green savings bonds. The government plans to issue a total of £10.0 billion of green finance in 2025-26, subject to demand and market conditions. The amount of Green Financing to be issued in each financial year will be announced by HM Treasury as part of the annual government financing remit.
The Green Financing Framework, published in 2021 and updated in 2025, explains how proceeds from green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds will finance public expenditures that demonstrate a direct and positive environmental impact.
The Framework includes guidelines on the types of expenditures that can be included in the Programme and commits the government to annual allocation reporting. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed Spending Review settlements and assessed on the basis of their contribution to the government’s climate and environmental objectives. Details of the allocation of expenditure are normally published each year in the Green Financing Allocation Report, most recently published in October2024.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanisms her Department plans to establish to co-ordinate Illicit Finance Summit outcomes with domestic enforcement agencies.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has announced plans to host a major Illicit Finance Summit on 23-24 June next year, which will bring together governments, civil society organisations, and private sector representatives to build an international coalition to tackle flows of dirty money around the world and strengthen the UK's national security. All further details such as the frameworks for monitoring commitments made at this summit, and coordination with domestic agencies on implementing the outcomes, will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department intends to publish a framework for monitoring international commitments made at the Illicit Finance Summit.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has announced plans to host a major Illicit Finance Summit on 23-24 June next year, which will bring together governments, civil society organisations, and private sector representatives to build an international coalition to tackle flows of dirty money around the world and strengthen the UK's national security. All further details such as the frameworks for monitoring commitments made at this summit, and coordination with domestic agencies on implementing the outcomes, will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department has formal requirements for suppliers receiving support to report on waste-reduction outcomes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are responding on the basis that this question relates to reporting under the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme and the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) system for domestic waste, and specifically on the support that obligated producers may receive in meeting the reporting requirements under these regulations.
Under the pEPR regulations, producers are required to report detailed data on the packaging they place on the UK market, including material types and tonnages. This reporting underpins the calculation of fees and recycling obligations (PRNs) and ensures that costs for household packaging waste management are recovered in line with the polluter pays principle. These obligations are designed to incentivise waste reduction by linking fees to recyclability and packaging weight, with modulation of fees from 2026 to further encourage sustainable packaging choices.
Similarly, the PRN system requires accredited reprocessors and exporters to issue evidence notes for packaging waste that has been recycled. These notes form part of the compliance mechanism for meeting recycling targets and provide transparency on the amount of packaging waste recovered and recycled within the UK.
Under the regulations, obligated producers may receive support from compliance schemes in meeting their reporting obligations and recycling targets. Regulation 43 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 specifies the obligations of compliance schemes, and Schedule 6 outlines the approvals framework ensuring schemes are able to provide guidance and assistance to producers. This ensures producers have access to help in fulfilling their legal responsibilities effectively.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of energy-related cost pressures on low-income households in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency referenced in the Child Poverty Strategy.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Thanks to decisions in the Government's Autumn Budget, and as set out in the Child Poverty Strategy, the Government will deliver an average £150 of costs off household energy bills from April 2026. As a result of this action, people in Buckingham and Bletchley can expect to make a significant saving on their bills.
In addition, in 2024-2025, 3,489 households (7.8%) in Buckingham and Bletchley benefited from the Warm Home Discount - a £150 discount on their energy bill. This winter, we are expanding this discount so that around 6 million low-income households will receive this support, including an approximate additional 350,000 households in the South East region.
We will also be publishing a new fuel poverty strategy for England to ensure that many more fuel poor households are protected by 2030, in parallel to the Warm Homes Plan.