On 10 February 2026, we announced the Local Power Plan (LPP): a joint DESNZ‑Great British Energy (GBE) publication setting out the UK’s largest ever public investment in community energy, up to £1 billion. GBE will aim to support at least 1000 local and community energy projects by 2030.

Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes Council may wish to engage with GBE through its Expression of Interest process, now open on the GBE website. This non‑binding process allows communities, local government and businesses to share proposals so that support can be targeted effectively as funding tools and advisory services are rolled out.

The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety and security of Jewish communities, and to tackling antisemitism wherever it manifests. All communities should feel safe to practise their faith and participate in public life free from intimidation or fear.

The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant, administered on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust (CST), provides funding for protective security measures, such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems, at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other communal locations across the United Kingdom, including in Buckinghamshire.

This work sits alongside the Government’s wider package of support for Jewish communities, and our ongoing efforts to tackle antisemitism in all its forms. On 30 April, the Government announced £25 million of immediate funding in 2026/27 to strengthen policing, protect Jewish communities and provide reassurance in response to the awful terrorist attack in Golders Green and the wider spate of antisemitic attacks seen this year. This funding package included an additional £4 million for Jewish community protective security, taking the total available in 2026/27 to a record £32.4 million.

The Home Office does not provide detailed information on funding allocated to individual sites or local areas, as disclosure of such information could inadvertently reveal details about the security needs of specific communities. Nonetheless, the Government continues to work closely with CST, the police and other partners to monitor threats and ensure that effective and proportionate protective measures are in place where they are needed most.

The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety and security of Jewish communities, and to tackling antisemitism wherever it manifests. All communities should feel safe to practise their faith and participate in public life free from intimidation or fear.

The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant, administered on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust (CST), provides funding for protective security measures, such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems, at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other communal locations across the United Kingdom, including in Buckinghamshire.

This work sits alongside the Government’s wider package of support for Jewish communities, and our ongoing efforts to tackle antisemitism in all its forms. On 30 April, the Government announced £25 million of immediate funding in 2026/27 to strengthen policing, protect Jewish communities and provide reassurance in response to the awful terrorist attack in Golders Green and the wider spate of antisemitic attacks seen this year. This funding package included an additional £4 million for Jewish community protective security, taking the total available in 2026/27 to a record £32.4 million.

The Home Office does not provide detailed information on funding allocated to individual sites or local areas, as disclosure of such information could inadvertently reveal details about the security needs of specific communities. Nonetheless, the Government continues to work closely with CST, the police and other partners to monitor threats and ensure that effective and proportionate protective measures are in place where they are needed most.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protect all wild birds and some wild animals in England. There are strict penalties in place for offences under this and other wildlife legislation.

Defra supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and is providing £530,000 to it in 2026-27. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime, assists law enforcers with investigations – supporting Thames Valley Police with 25 wildlife crime cases since 2024 - and provides training on wildlife crime. Ninety-six wildlife crime training modules were completed by Thames Valley Police staff in the year up to February 2026.

As set out in the Farming Roadmap, nature‑friendly farming systems can sustain or enhance production while strengthening resilience and reducing input dependency. These approaches are not at odds with food security but are increasingly central to it. The most resilient farms are profitable precisely because they work with the environment, not against it.

The Government is backing a shift towards lower input and more sustainable farming systems. This is already under way, with 69% of English farmland currently being managed under agri-environment schemes. This includes 1091 live CS and SFI Agreements in Buckinghamshire, and the Ock and Thame Freshwaters and Floodplains Restoration Project.

The Government is unlocking export opportunities and supporting businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK to capitalise on them. Recent examples include the newly agreed trade agreements with India and the GCC, and 55 trade barriers resolved last year worth around £127m annually.

In March, the Secretary of State led a dedicated agri‑food trade mission to the United State. This is the first of a programme of food and drink missions to priority export markets.

We work with industry to identify trade barriers, including those impacting businesses in Buckinghamshire, and expedite their resolution. Businesses can report barriers through the online report a barrier service or through trade associations.

Last week we ran a series of business engagements to identify how we can further strengthen support for SMEs. We have launched an attache newsletter to update businesses on opportunities opened up for them and signpost to export support.

The Government is unlocking export opportunities and supporting businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK to capitalise on them. Recent examples include the newly agreed trade agreements with India and the GCC, and 55 trade barriers resolved last year worth around £127m annually.

In March, the Secretary of State led a dedicated agri‑food trade mission to the United State. This is the first of a programme of food and drink missions to priority export markets.

We work with industry to identify trade barriers, including those impacting businesses in Buckinghamshire, and expedite their resolution. Businesses can report barriers through the online report a barrier service or through trade associations.

Last week we ran a series of business engagements to identify how we can further strengthen support for SMEs. We have launched an attache newsletter to update businesses on opportunities opened up for them and signpost to export support.

The Government is unlocking export opportunities and supporting businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK to capitalise on them. Recent examples include the newly agreed trade agreements with India and the GCC, and 55 trade barriers resolved last year worth around £127m annually.

In March, the Secretary of State led a dedicated agri‑food trade mission to the United State. This is the first of a programme of food and drink missions to priority export markets.

We work with industry to identify trade barriers, including those impacting businesses in Buckinghamshire, and expedite their resolution. Businesses can report barriers through the online report a barrier service or through trade associations.

Last week we ran a series of business engagements to identify how we can further strengthen support for SMEs. We have launched an attache newsletter to update businesses on opportunities opened up for them and signpost to export support.

The Government is unlocking export opportunities and supporting businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK to capitalise on them. Recent examples include the newly agreed trade agreements with India and the GCC, and 55 trade barriers resolved last year worth around £127m annually.

In March, the Secretary of State led a dedicated agri‑food trade mission to the United State. This is the first of a programme of food and drink missions to priority export markets.

We work with industry to identify trade barriers, including those impacting businesses in Buckinghamshire, and expedite their resolution. Businesses can report barriers through the online report a barrier service or through trade associations.

Last week we ran a series of business engagements to identify how we can further strengthen support for SMEs. We have launched an attache newsletter to update businesses on opportunities opened up for them and signpost to export support.

To date smaller farms have been less likely to be in agri-environment schemes such as SFI. A quarter of SFI money goes to just 4% of farms, which isn't fair.

SFI26 will have two application windows to ensure as many farmers as possible can benefit from a SFI agreement. Window 1 will open from June 2026 for small farms with between 3 and 50 hectares and also farms without an existing Environmental Land Management agreement.

The Government is specifically targeting these two groups (before opening to applications from all farmers) because it wants to bring more of them into SFI.

Window 2 will open from September 2026 for all farms.

The Farming Roadmap has been published, providing a clear long-term direction for the sector and a flexible framework for its journey through to 2050. The Roadmap sets out the Government’s approach to supporting a profitable, productive, resilient and sustainable farming sector. Nature markets will play a central role in shaping the future of the sector, enabled by an active and strategic state.

The Landscape Recovery scheme is continuing to help Defra understand how projects can secure co-investment from the private sector and which outcomes attract private demand. Defra will apply that learning across our policies where applicable.

Defra is also establishing a new ‘Task and Finish Group’ bringing together investors, retailers and industry bodies to develop proposals for channelling private finance into sustainable food production.

Active Travel England works collaboratively with local authorities, building their capability to enable more people to walk, wheel and cycle. Milton Keynes Council and Buckinghamshire Council each received a level 2 rating in Active Travel England’s 2025 Local Authority Active Travel Capability Ratings. Published in December 2025, the report accompanying the ratings describes level 2 as ‘Strong local leadership and organisational capability, with clear plans that form the basis of an emerging network with a few elements already in place.’

As part of the government’s £626 million investment in active travel over 2026/27 to 2029/30, Buckinghamshire were allocated £9,119,124 and Milton Keynes allocated £4,733,197.

Active Travel England works collaboratively with local authorities, building their capability to enable more people to walk, wheel and cycle. Milton Keynes Council and Buckinghamshire Council each received a level 2 rating in Active Travel England’s 2025 Local Authority Active Travel Capability Ratings. Published in December 2025, the report accompanying the ratings describes level 2 as ‘Strong local leadership and organisational capability, with clear plans that form the basis of an emerging network with a few elements already in place.’

As part of the government’s £626 million investment in active travel over 2026/27 to 2029/30, Buckinghamshire were allocated £9,119,124 and Milton Keynes allocated £4,733,197.

The UK‑GCC FTA puts SMEs across the country, including in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, at the forefront of the opportunities it creates. It will strengthen SME participation in international trade by fostering cooperation, improving access to trade-related information, simplifying customs processes, reducing tariffs and enhancing business mobility.

To help businesses access these opportunities, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works hand-in-hand with firms to ensure they have the tools and knowledge needed.

For each FTA, DBT delivers a utilisation programme including raising awareness, producing practical and informative guides on key provisions, and signposting SMEs to support through business.gov.uk.

The Government recognises the vital role community transport operators play in connecting people with their communities, enabling access to employment, education, and other essential services such as healthcare.

The Department makes available up to £3.8 million each year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to community transport operators. An uplift of 60% has been added to BSOG claims for community transport operators until 31 March 2027. This means community transport operators will receive £1.60 for every £1 claimed, reflecting the increased costs faced by the sector.

The Department gives the Community Transport Association (CTA) in England, a £200,000 annual grant to support their delivery of services to members and the sector. The Devolved Administrations provide grants to their branches of the CTA.

Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) funding allocated to local authorities can be used flexibly to deliver better services for passengers, including supporting and enhancing local bus provision and community transport where this aligns with local needs and priorities. It is for local transport authorities, including Milton Keynes Council and Buckinghamshire Council, to determine how best to use this funding to support and improve transport services in their areas.

At HMPs Guys Marsh, Kirklevington Grange, Warren Hill and the new prison in Buckinghamshire, work remains ongoing following ISG’s administration in September 2024. Pre-construction work is either underway or complete at these sites, including design work, and all have been appointed a new contractor.

40 Rapid Deployment Cells have been delivered at HMP The Verne and are operational.

At HMPs Guys Marsh, Kirklevington Grange, Warren Hill and the new prison in Buckinghamshire, work remains ongoing following ISG’s administration in September 2024. Pre-construction work is either underway or complete at these sites, including design work, and all have been appointed a new contractor.

40 Rapid Deployment Cells have been delivered at HMP The Verne and are operational.