Written questions by Reynolds.

What steps his Department is taking to promote recognition of UK professional IT qualifications, including CITP status, in trade negotiations with international partners.

Provisions on the recognition of professional qualifications (RPQ) are an important part of the services chapters in the UK’s international trade agreements, including within the UK-Switzerland RPQ Agreement and our Free Trade Agreements with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Australia, New Zealand and India. DBT works closely with our overseas partners to promote the UK’s world-leading professional qualifications. Under our international arrangements DBT has committed to encourage our independent occupational regulators and professional membership bodies, including the British Computer Society, to consider pursuing RPQ agreements with international partners. DBT supports these bodies to do so.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for learner drivers seeking to book and take the car theory test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met.

What assessment has the Government made of the financial impact on UK small and medium-sized enterprises of the adverse effects on competition identified in the Competition and Markets Authority's Cloud Services Market Investigation, specifically regarding egress fees and technical barriers to switching cloud providers.

The Government has not assessed the impacts of the practices detailed in the CMA’s Cloud Service Market Investigation. In the Final Report published on 31 July 2025, the key recommendation was for the CMA Board to prioritise commencing investigations under the digital markets regime to consider designating the two largest providers - Microsoft and AWS - with strategic market status in relation to cloud services.

Innovation and Technology, what is the Government's proposed timeline for implementing the Competition and Markets Authority's recommendation to designate Microsoft and AWS with Strategic Market Status under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 following the Cloud Services Market Investigation published on 31 July 2025.

The Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) has completed 3 Strategic Market Status investigations this year. The CMA is independent of the Government and decisions on which markets to investigate is for its Board. The CMA has published guidance on its website on how it will prioritise Strategic Market Status designations.

What steps is the Government taking to review public sector cloud services procurement practices in light of the Competition and Markets Authority's finding that Microsoft and AWS hold approximately 70% market share between them; and will the Government publish guidance on competitive tendering to ensure value for money.

Further to the Competition and Markets Authority findings, the Crown Commercial Service, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office are exploring measures to strengthen value for money and promote supplier diversification.Procurement guidance is kept under regular review, and we will consider issuing further guidance as needed to support value for money.

What estimate he has made of the number of people in the Bracknell Forest wards of Maidenhead constituency who are unable to register with an NHS dentist.

Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. Therefore, data is not available on the number of people who are unable to register with a dentist in the Maidenhead constituency.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Maidenhead constituency, this is the Frimley ICB.The data for the NHS Frimley ICB shows that 40% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, which is the same as the average for England, and 56% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 57% in England.We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in underserved areas, and the Government is taking action to improve this. We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments across the country, with appointments more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The Government is also considering the outcomes of the consultation on immediate improvements to dental care and will publish a response shortly.ICBs are also recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We are committed to reforming the dental sector and we will deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of NHS dental services in the Bracknell Forest wards of Maidenhead constituency; and what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in the Ascot, Binfield with Warfield, and Winkfield and Cranbourne areas.

Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. Therefore, data is not available on the number of people who are unable to register with a dentist in the Maidenhead constituency.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Maidenhead constituency, this is the Frimley ICB.The data for the NHS Frimley ICB shows that 40% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, which is the same as the average for England, and 56% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 57% in England.We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in underserved areas, and the Government is taking action to improve this. We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments across the country, with appointments more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The Government is also considering the outcomes of the consultation on immediate improvements to dental care and will publish a response shortly.ICBs are also recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We are committed to reforming the dental sector and we will deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

Over what time period workforce reductions in export support services will take place.

The Department for Business and Trade’s new export structures in the UK are expected to be in place from 1 April, however the workforce reductions in teams involved in export work across the UK and overseas will be ongoing over the course of 2026.

How much funding has been allocated for redundancy packages related to workforce reductions in export support services.

A programme of transformation for the Department for Business and Trade’s export services is ongoing and will entail workforce changes. It is not yet possible to determine a level of redundancies that might result from that process. Any related funding needs will be addressed within the course of business planning.

What methods will be used to reduce staffing levels in export support services; and whether these will include (a) redundancy, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) redeployment to other departments, and (d) non-replacement of retiring staff.

All staff in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) were able to apply for a voluntary exit scheme, before the announcement of workforce reductions. Staff impacted in export support services and in other areas of DBT may be offered redundancy, voluntary redundancy and redeployment opportunities in line with the rest of the department.

What estimate has been made of the total savings to be achieved through workforce reductions in export support services.

The transformation of the department is ongoing and it is not yet possible to determine how many staff might be redeployed or may leave the department. Therefore, it is not yet possible to determine total savings that will be achieved.

What steps he is taking to ensure continuity of export support services during workforce reductions.

We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective. We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of export support service workforce reductions on small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to export.

We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective. We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.

Whether he has undertaken consultation with (a) business organisations and (b) export-focused SMEs on workforce reductions in export support services.

We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective. We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.

How many staff positions in export support services will be reduced in each individual export market as a result of the Department's workforce reduction programme.

As set out in the Trade Strategy our overseas network will increasingly focus on the markets, sectors and opportunities that will drive UK economic growth for the next decade and beyond. We will have fewer export support staff in some markets as we focus more of our resource on attracting high value inward investment and tackling the market access barriers that hold British exporters back. We are working through the specific impact in each market, but directly supporting British exporters will remain the biggest part of what DBT teams do overseas.

How much funding his Department has allocated for AI and digital technology to replace staff removed from export support services.

DBT is making use of AI tools to improve our services to business, but we are not replacing staff with AI and digital technology.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for leaseholders undertaking informal lease extensions, in the context of the (a) absence of specialist qualification requirements for solicitors handling such transactions, (b) exclusion of lease extension advice from Financial Conduct Authority regulation and (c) lack of price controls in the informal extension process.

My Department has considered the adequacy of consumer protections for leaseholders undertaking informal lease extensions as part of the wider package of leasehold reform. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 already provides some protections by restricting the ground rent payable following a non-statutory lease extension. Given that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will make the statutory route cheaper and easier, we expect more leaseholders to use it in future. Solicitors must meet the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s strict education, training, and ethical standards and maintain competence throughout their careers. While there is no statutory requirement for specialist qualifications in lease-extension work, solicitors are professionally obliged to act only where competent and to provide a proper standard of service. Consumer protections include mandatory professional indemnity insurance, access to the Legal Ombudsman, and SRA enforcement powers. The government and Parliament set the rules for financial services and decide which activities require official approval. These rules are detailed because financial products are varied and complex. The costs and benefits of bringing activities into the regulatory perimeter can be finely balanced, which is why the government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) increases in costs and (b) recent trends in levels of economic uncertainty on the ability of (i) small and micro-businesses and (ii) other businesses to invest in cybersecurity measures.

Improving the cyber security of our nation’s small and micro organisations is critical to the resilience of our wider economy. We recognise many smaller organisations lack the resources to invest in their cyber security. As such, the government has developed a wide range of free tools, guidance and training to help SMEs implement cyber security measures, including the recently launched Cyber Action Toolkit which provides SMEs with tailored advice.NCSC-certified Cyber Advisors are available to provide advice and guidance on commercial terms. Additionally, the government’s Cyber Essentials scheme helps all organisations, including SMEs, implement critical cyber security controls, protecting them from most common cyber attacks. We recently completed a funding programme supporting over 1,000 SMEs to get certified to the scheme.Early next year, the Government will publish a new National Cyber Action Plan which will set out further work to help protect our nation’s smallest organisations.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the she is taking to support (a) small and (b) micro-businesses to prioritise cybersecurity spending.

Improving the cyber security of our nation’s small and micro organisations is critical to the resilience of our wider economy. We recognise many smaller organisations lack the resources to invest in their cyber security. As such, the government has developed a wide range of free tools, guidance and training to help SMEs implement cyber security measures, including the recently launched Cyber Action Toolkit which provides SMEs with tailored advice.NCSC-certified Cyber Advisors are available to provide advice and guidance on commercial terms. Additionally, the government’s Cyber Essentials scheme helps all organisations, including SMEs, implement critical cyber security controls, protecting them from most common cyber attacks. We recently completed a funding programme supporting over 1,000 SMEs to get certified to the scheme.Early next year, the Government will publish a new National Cyber Action Plan which will set out further work to help protect our nation’s smallest organisations.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the High Court judgment in Arc Time Freehold Income Authorised Fund and others v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government [2025] EWHC 2751 (Admin) on the timeline of implementing (a) the removal of the requirement for leaseholders to pay freeholders' legal and professional fees when extending leases, (b) the cap on ground rent calculations for lease extensions and (c) the changes to marriage value provisions for leases with 80 years or less remaining.

Following a robust defence from the government, the High Court comprehensively dismissed challenges brought to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. We warmly welcome the Court’s judgment. The reforms that were challenged will make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease or buy their freehold by removing the requirement for marriage value to be paid; and capping the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value. Valuation rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium will be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation. We will consult on valuation rates and commence the relevant provisions as soon as possible. As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), primary legislation will be required to rectify a small number of specific flaws in the 2024 Act before the Act’s enfranchisement provisions are commenced.