Written questions by Anderson.

What estimate he has made of the potential return on funding for the the supervised brushing scheme in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Supervised toothbrushing is an evidence-based intervention. The most recent assessment suggests that supervised toothbrushing schemes have a five-year return on investment of £3.06 for every £1 spent where the rate of decayed, missing due to decay, and filled teeth is two or greater. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-oral-health-of-children-cost-effective-commissioning

What criteria his Department applied to define deprived areas for the provision of free dental products in early years settings in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

National supervised toothbrushing programme funding and free dental products are based on the Office for National Statistics’ Indices of Multiple Deprivation mid-2020 population estimates. These were used to identify the number of three to five-year-olds living in the 20% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas of local authorities, including Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes City Council.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of discussions at the Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum on UK capital markets reform.

Financial regulatory dialogues, including the Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum, are important in supporting cross-border trade in financial services and managing financial stability in the global financial system. They form a core part of the government’s approach to strengthening international partnerships, as set out in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy published in July. Dialogues feed into HM Treasury’s development of international financial services policy and joint statements are typically published after meetings. The most recent Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum was held in Brussels on Wednesday 1 October, where officials discussed bilateral cooperation on financial regulatory issues including capital market reforms, where the government’s long-term vision for the UK’s world-leading markets is to encourage more retail investment to benefit our citizens, support British businesses to grow and position ourselves for the future. Further details of the discussion can be found in the Joint Statement.

What mechanisms his Department has put in place to track the potential impact of UK-Singapore co-operation on digital trade.

The UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA), and associated Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), support cooperation on key themes of digital trade. We monitor impact via regular dialogue with the Singaporean government, as part of the UK-Singapore free trade agreement subcommittee, and through regular engagement with businesses. Recent business engagement resulted in analysis (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identifying-new-growth-opportunities-within-the-uk-singapore-dea/identifying-new-uk-growth-opportunities-within-the-uk-singapore-dea-and-future-digital-partnerships) showing that stakeholders believe these MoUs support collaboration and lead to tangible benefits as seen, for example, in pilot projects conducted under the Digital Trade Facilitation MoU. For more on the DEA’s impact on reducing non-tariff barriers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer to UIN 44934: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed water-saving measures on water availability in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills. The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.

How many new UK-US regulatory alignment agreements he plans to make in the next 12 months.

Following the landmark economic deal with the US which we signed in May, we are continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal which will look at addressing specific non-tariff barriers, increasing digital trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We cannot comment on the specifics of live negotiations, but we are discussing mutual recognition agreements. We will only make any mutual recognition agreements if we believe they benefit UK businesses.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department plans to provide to developers to implement proposed water efficiency standards.

We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills. The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.

What metrics her Department will use to measure the success of HMRC’s transformation programme.

HMRC will use the metrics published in Annex A of HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap to measure the success of HMRC’s transformation programme. This is available online here: Annex A: HMRC's Transformation Roadmap metrics - GOV.UK

Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to evaluate the long-term impact of proposed water-saving measures on water consumption.

We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills. The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed water efficiency standards on new home construction costs.

We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills. The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.

What steps her Department is taking to align dematerialisation reforms with other financial market infrastructure initiatives.

In July, the Digitisation Taskforce published its final report. The Taskforce, chaired by Sir Douglas Flint, assessed how the UK can eliminate the use of paper share certificates for traded companies, which create inefficiencies and costs for companies and investors, and improve the intermediated system of share ownership so that investors are better able to exercise rights associated with shares which intermediaries hold on their behalf.These are important steps as part of the government’s Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy to make UK capital markets more efficient, resilient and competitive. The government has recently established the Dematerialisation Market Action Taskforce, led by Mark Austin, to take forward the recommended reforms.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of dematerialisation on retail investor participation in UK capital markets.

In July, the Digitisation Taskforce published its final report. The Taskforce, chaired by Sir Douglas Flint, assessed how the UK can eliminate the use of paper share certificates for traded companies, which create inefficiencies and costs for companies and investors, and improve the intermediated system of share ownership so that investors are better able to exercise rights associated with shares which intermediaries hold on their behalf.These are important steps as part of the government’s Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy to make UK capital markets more efficient, resilient and competitive. The government has recently established the Dematerialisation Market Action Taskforce, led by Mark Austin, to take forward the recommended reforms.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential value of financial services trade as a result of the UK–Switzerland financial dialogue.

Financial regulatory dialogues, including the UK-Switzerland Financial Dialogue, are important to supporting cross-border trade in financial services and managing financial stability in the global financial system. They form a core part of the government’s approach to strengthening international partnerships, as set out in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy published in July. Dialogues feed into HM Treasury’s development of international financial services policy and joint statements are typically published after meetings. The most recent UK-Switzerland Financial Dialogue was held on Thursday 9 October in Bern, where officials discussed bilateral cooperation on financial regulatory issues. Further details of the discussion can be found in the Joint Statement. Participants also discussed future opportunities to further develop the Berne Financial Services Agreement, noting that Article 12 of the Agreement commits the UK and Switzerland to enter into negotiations with a view to potentially expanding the Agreement to include sustainable finance at the appropriate time.

What mechanisms exist for monitoring mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the UK and EU under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement contains provisions which allow the UK and EU to agree recognition of professional qualifications arrangements for specific sectors where this is jointly proposed by UK and EU regulators. The annual Trade Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade oversees the implementation of these provisions. In the recent UK-EU Common Understanding, the UK and EU committed to setting up dedicated dialogues on the implementation of the recognition of professional qualifications provisions within the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These dialogues will provide a dedicated space for deeper UK-EU collaboration on the recognition of professional qualifications.

Whether her Department has identified any new areas of regulatory co-operation with Switzerland following the most recent financial dialogue.

Financial regulatory dialogues, including the UK-Switzerland Financial Dialogue, are important to supporting cross-border trade in financial services and managing financial stability in the global financial system. They form a core part of the government’s approach to strengthening international partnerships, as set out in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy published in July. Dialogues feed into HM Treasury’s development of international financial services policy and joint statements are typically published after meetings. The most recent UK-Switzerland Financial Dialogue was held on Thursday 9 October in Bern, where officials discussed bilateral cooperation on financial regulatory issues. Further details of the discussion can be found in the Joint Statement. Participants also discussed future opportunities to further develop the Berne Financial Services Agreement, noting that Article 12 of the Agreement commits the UK and Switzerland to enter into negotiations with a view to potentially expanding the Agreement to include sustainable finance at the appropriate time.

Food and Rural Affairs, how she plans to monitor compliance with proposed water efficiency standards.

We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills. The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the UK–Switzerland financial dialogue on financial services exports.

Financial regulatory dialogues, including the UK-Switzerland Financial Dialogue, are important to supporting cross-border trade in financial services and managing financial stability in the global financial system. They form a core part of the government’s approach to strengthening international partnerships, as set out in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy published in July. Dialogues feed into HM Treasury’s development of international financial services policy and joint statements are typically published after meetings. The most recent UK-Switzerland Financial Dialogue was held on Thursday 9 October in Bern, where officials discussed bilateral cooperation on financial regulatory issues. Further details of the discussion can be found in the Joint Statement. Participants also discussed future opportunities to further develop the Berne Financial Services Agreement, noting that Article 12 of the Agreement commits the UK and Switzerland to enter into negotiations with a view to potentially expanding the Agreement to include sustainable finance at the appropriate time.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential barriers to UK investment in Singapore.

UK companies and investors experience relatively few barriers to investment in Singapore. At the end of 2023, the stock of Foreign Direct Investment from the UK in Singapore was £15.9 billion, a 23% increase on the end of 2022. UK investors can benefit from provisions in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which provides guarantees on market access and treatment they will receive when accessing and operating in Singapore. This includes ensuring that they are not discriminated against relative to domestic investors. The Government continues to invite business views and feedback regarding any potential barriers.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum’s role in supporting cross-border investment between the UK and EU financial markets.

Financial regulatory dialogues, including the Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum, are important in supporting cross-border trade in financial services and managing financial stability in the global financial system. They form a core part of the government’s approach to strengthening international partnerships, as set out in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy published in July. Dialogues feed into HM Treasury’s development of international financial services policy and joint statements are typically published after meetings. The most recent Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum was held in Brussels on Wednesday 1 October, where officials discussed bilateral cooperation on financial regulatory issues including capital market reforms, where the government’s long-term vision for the UK’s world-leading markets is to encourage more retail investment to benefit our citizens, support British businesses to grow and position ourselves for the future. Further details of the discussion can be found in the Joint Statement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics her Department will use to assess the effectiveness of water-saving measures in new homes.

We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills. The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.