Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support employer engagement with the apprenticeship programme in SMEs in Milton Keynes.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Buckingham and Bletchley to the answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37179.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of foundation apprenticeships on addressing sectoral skills shortages in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that we need to support employers to invest in skills training and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.
That is why we are transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, to support greater flexibility for employers and learners. Foundation apprenticeships are a key part of this offer. They will support employers in key sectors to meet their current and future skills needs by developing new opportunities to engage with younger employees and build pipelines of talent. This is expected to drive up to 30,000 apprenticeship starts across this Parliament.
The first foundation apprenticeships will be focused on industrial strategy and priority areas including construction, engineering, health and social care, and digital. This will begin in August with the introduction of seven new foundation apprenticeship standards, including three in construction, enabling young people to earn a wage while developing vital skills. We will continue exploring how to make foundation apprenticeships work in other sectors, such as hospitality and retail.
The growth and skills offer is informed by Skills England’s engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, to ensure that levy-funded training meets the needs of employers and learners.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Business Bank's finance programmes, including the Start Up Loans scheme, help SMEs in Buckingham and Bletchley to access the finance they need.
Together with the Treasury, my department launched a call for evidence on SME access to finance to assess existing policies and identify barriers. The call aims to improve access to finance and support SME growth. We are considering the responses we have received and will announce further measures in due course.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the UK’s engagement in international financial institutions on debt relief for African countries facing debt distress.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK is committed to working with international financial institutions to address country debt vulnerabilities in a timely and coordinated way, providing swift debt treatments where required.
We progress this work through international fora and mechanisms, including the G20, Paris Club, IMF and World Bank Boards, and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR).
Through the GSDR – jointly convened by the IMF, World Bank and G20 Presidency – we have engaged closely with newer official creditors, private creditors and debtor countries, and discussions have helped to strengthen collaboration and build greater common understanding on debt issues, including the G20 Common Framework.
We fully support the World Bank and IMF’s ‘three pillars’ approach to countries facing liquidity (i.e. short-term payment) challenges. We are pushing the Bank and Fund to accelerate the roll-out in pilot countries and using our voice to encourage others to support
We are also actively engaging in the review of the IMF and World Bank’s Debt Sustainability Framework, pushing for more detailed incorporation of longer-term climate and nature risks and investments.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 the investment risk environment for firms seeking to operate in African growth markets.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade works across Africa offering direct support to UK businesses looking to expand their business in the region. This includes a dedicated team that advises UK businesses entering markets about doing business and investment environment. DBT focuses on markets, sectors, and deals where the UK has a competitive edge.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the criteria used to evaluate the economic risks associated with ending public ownership of NatWest Group were.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 30 May 2025, the government sold its remaining shares in NatWest Group (formerly Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS), bringing to an end the public ownership of banks resulting from the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.
It is not government policy to pursue state ownership of firms in the financial services sector. The government provided support to RBS, as part of a series of interventions in the financial sector, to protect ordinary savers and businesses from the collapse of a bank which was vital to the functioning of the UK economy and financial system.
With the original policy objective - to preserve financial and economic stability at a time of crisis – achieved, returning NatWest to the private sector was the right choice for both taxpayers and the bank, helping to promote financial stability and a more competitive banking sector in the UK.
Regarding the resilience of the sector, since the global financial crisis, the government has successfully implemented reforms to strengthen the ability to manage bank failures safely, and to do so in a way that protects the wider economy and minimises the need for taxpayer support. In addition, the development of a more robust regulatory framework since the financial crisis has helped strengthen the resilience and stability of both individual firms and the wider financial system.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis was conducted on the potential impact of ending public ownership of NatWest Group on the resilience of the financial sector.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 30 May 2025, the government sold its remaining shares in NatWest Group (formerly Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS), bringing to an end the public ownership of banks resulting from the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.
It is not government policy to pursue state ownership of firms in the financial services sector. The government provided support to RBS, as part of a series of interventions in the financial sector, to protect ordinary savers and businesses from the collapse of a bank which was vital to the functioning of the UK economy and financial system.
With the original policy objective - to preserve financial and economic stability at a time of crisis – achieved, returning NatWest to the private sector was the right choice for both taxpayers and the bank, helping to promote financial stability and a more competitive banking sector in the UK.
Regarding the resilience of the sector, since the global financial crisis, the government has successfully implemented reforms to strengthen the ability to manage bank failures safely, and to do so in a way that protects the wider economy and minimises the need for taxpayer support. In addition, the development of a more robust regulatory framework since the financial crisis has helped strengthen the resilience and stability of both individual firms and the wider financial system.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review its approach to state ownership of financial institutions.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 30 May 2025, the government sold its remaining shares in NatWest Group (formerly Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS), bringing to an end the public ownership of banks resulting from the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.
It is not government policy to pursue state ownership of firms in the financial services sector. The government provided support to RBS, as part of a series of interventions in the financial sector, to protect ordinary savers and businesses from the collapse of a bank which was vital to the functioning of the UK economy and financial system.
With the original policy objective - to preserve financial and economic stability at a time of crisis – achieved, returning NatWest to the private sector was the right choice for both taxpayers and the bank, helping to promote financial stability and a more competitive banking sector in the UK.
Regarding the resilience of the sector, since the global financial crisis, the government has successfully implemented reforms to strengthen the ability to manage bank failures safely, and to do so in a way that protects the wider economy and minimises the need for taxpayer support. In addition, the development of a more robust regulatory framework since the financial crisis has helped strengthen the resilience and stability of both individual firms and the wider financial system.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with representative bodies of small businesses on the impact of commercial lease conditions in high street premises on the financial viability of those businesses.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises that both landlords and tenants have raised concerns about the commercial leasehold framework. That is why the government supports the Law Commission's ongoing review of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, which aims to modernise the commercial leasehold framework, ensuring it is fit for today’s market. The Department has sought views on leasing issues from business representative organisations, including those representing small businesses, and is committed to supporting thriving high streets.
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, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund for farmers in Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) provides small capital grants to farmers, growers and foresters in England to help them invest in equipment and technology that improves productivity, manage slurry, and supports animal health and welfare.
Defra is conducting an evaluation to explore the impacts of grants on beneficiaries and their businesses, including environmental outcomes. This evaluation is focussed on Round 1 beneficiaries (launched in November 2021 and paid out in 2022).