Written questions by Morello.

What steps he is taking to ensure that CHC funding cuts do not reduce access to care in West Dorset constituency.

The Department and NHS England have made clear that any work to manage costs by integrated care boards (ICB) must be carried out with clear safeguards in place to protect frontline responsibilities.ICBs remain legally responsible for the operational delivery of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and must have regard to the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-careFunding for CHC is not ringfenced, but is calculated using the ICB allocation formula. Individual ICBs should decide how best to use their overall funding allocation to deliver their statutory functions, including CHC. Any ICB measures to manage costs should not impact on an individual’s eligibility for CHC, or their care. This means that eligible individuals must continue to receive appropriate care that meets their assessed needs.NHS England has issued a good practice guide for CHC to support National Health Service staff by providing practical ways for ICBs to enhance system efficiency and deliver sustainable services.

What measures are in place to prevent CHC funding reductions from compromising care for vulnerable patients in West Dorset constituency.

The Department and NHS England have made clear that any work to manage costs by integrated care boards (ICB) must be carried out with clear safeguards in place to protect frontline responsibilities.ICBs remain legally responsible for the operational delivery of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and must have regard to the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-careFunding for CHC is not ringfenced, but is calculated using the ICB allocation formula. Individual ICBs should decide how best to use their overall funding allocation to deliver their statutory functions, including CHC. Any ICB measures to manage costs should not impact on an individual’s eligibility for CHC, or their care. This means that eligible individuals must continue to receive appropriate care that meets their assessed needs.NHS England has issued a good practice guide for CHC to support National Health Service staff by providing practical ways for ICBs to enhance system efficiency and deliver sustainable services.

What assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of progression rates from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges in the South West.

Progression rates for further education achievers aged 16+ at Below Level 2 and Essential Skills into sustained further learning (by level of learning destination) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in i) England, ii) Dorset and iii) the South West are shown in the following tables:i) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3acffd22-b6d1-481d-b22c-08de39895a0e.ii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b40b83c-6389-4dd5-b22d-08de39895a0e.iii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de6ade41-7b19-4818-4a4b-08de398c3998.The department does not publish data on employment outcomes for learners progressing to other lower-level learning from foundation courses, but it does publish sustained employment outcome rates for learners achieving at Below Level 2 and in Essential Skills between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in England, as shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aa7ce8db-5a14-4898-4a4c-08de398c3998.These statistics are available in the ‘Further education outcomes’ publication. This answer is based on the latest statistics that were released on 18 December 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23. The next update to this series will be published in November 2026.

How many and what proportion of students progress from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges in Dorset.

Progression rates for further education achievers aged 16+ at Below Level 2 and Essential Skills into sustained further learning (by level of learning destination) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in i) England, ii) Dorset and iii) the South West are shown in the following tables:i) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3acffd22-b6d1-481d-b22c-08de39895a0e.ii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b40b83c-6389-4dd5-b22d-08de39895a0e.iii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de6ade41-7b19-4818-4a4b-08de398c3998.The department does not publish data on employment outcomes for learners progressing to other lower-level learning from foundation courses, but it does publish sustained employment outcome rates for learners achieving at Below Level 2 and in Essential Skills between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in England, as shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aa7ce8db-5a14-4898-4a4c-08de398c3998.These statistics are available in the ‘Further education outcomes’ publication. This answer is based on the latest statistics that were released on 18 December 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23. The next update to this series will be published in November 2026.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of (a) national progression rates from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges and (b) employment outcomes from those rates.

Progression rates for further education achievers aged 16+ at Below Level 2 and Essential Skills into sustained further learning (by level of learning destination) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in i) England, ii) Dorset and iii) the South West are shown in the following tables:i) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3acffd22-b6d1-481d-b22c-08de39895a0e.ii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b40b83c-6389-4dd5-b22d-08de39895a0e.iii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de6ade41-7b19-4818-4a4b-08de398c3998.The department does not publish data on employment outcomes for learners progressing to other lower-level learning from foundation courses, but it does publish sustained employment outcome rates for learners achieving at Below Level 2 and in Essential Skills between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in England, as shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aa7ce8db-5a14-4898-4a4c-08de398c3998.These statistics are available in the ‘Further education outcomes’ publication. This answer is based on the latest statistics that were released on 18 December 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23. The next update to this series will be published in November 2026.

What steps his Department is taking to improve integration between NHS services and social care provision in West Dorset constituency.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December 2025 to Question 95574.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of closer NHS and social care integration on reducing the time taken for hospital discharges in West Dorset constituency.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December 2025 to Question 95574.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the powers of the Communications Ombudsman.

The Government has not assessed the potential merits of increasing the powers of the Communications Ombudsman and has no plans to expand its remit.Ofcom, the independent regulator of communications services, approves Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes for UK communication and postal services, including the Communications Ombudsman. Ofcom is required to assess whether the schemes it has approved still meet the requirements under the relevant regulations and Ofcom can modify conditions of approval or withdraw approval at any time.

What steps he is taking to support consumers in West Dorset constituency with a) petrol and b) diesel costs.

Fuel price trends are monitored nationally and published in the Department’s weekly statistics on GOV.UK . The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversees market transparency and compliance and publish quarterly and yearly reports on Gov.UK. To support consumers, the Government introduced a voluntary scheme for retailers to share real-time price data, improving visibility for motorists. Building on this, UK consumers will also be able to compare prices more easily through DESNZ’s upcoming open data Fuel Finder scheme, encouraging competitive pricing among retailers, and helping households who own a car save an average of around £40 a year.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to bring forward proposals to expand the remit of the Communications Ombudsman.

The Government has not assessed the potential merits of increasing the powers of the Communications Ombudsman and has no plans to expand its remit.Ofcom, the independent regulator of communications services, approves Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes for UK communication and postal services, including the Communications Ombudsman. Ofcom is required to assess whether the schemes it has approved still meet the requirements under the relevant regulations and Ofcom can modify conditions of approval or withdraw approval at any time.

What steps his Department is taking to improve integration between social care and NHS services in rural areas.

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally, including in rural areas. Our vision for neighbourhood health will see integrated teams and services designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations while ensuring strong partnership working between health and social care. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities.Through the Better Care Fund, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable National Health Service bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This money is spent across the country, including rural areas.As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan and starting in the financial year 2026/27, we will reform the Better Care Fund. This reform will provide a sharper focus on ensuring consistent joint NHS and local authority funding for those services that are essential for integrated health and social care, such as hospital discharge, intermediate care, rehabilitation, and reablement.

What assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of (a) petrol and (b) diesel prices in West Dorset.

Fuel price trends are monitored nationally and published in the Department’s weekly statistics on GOV.UK . The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversees market transparency and compliance and publish quarterly and yearly reports on Gov.UK. To support consumers, the Government introduced a voluntary scheme for retailers to share real-time price data, improving visibility for motorists. Building on this, UK consumers will also be able to compare prices more easily through DESNZ’s upcoming open data Fuel Finder scheme, encouraging competitive pricing among retailers, and helping households who own a car save an average of around £40 a year.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of developers reducing affordable housing delivery on local housing need in West Dorset.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Alongside measures to deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units, we intend to take steps to create a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system. As set out in the package of support for housebuilding in London announced by the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on 23 October, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government intends to clarify the use of Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so that an application under this section to vary a condition of a planning permission should no longer be used as an alternative means of reconsidering fundamental questions of scheme viability or planning obligations. We are also reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. Further details will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that development firms (a) meet national affordable housing targets and (b) do not reduce delivery on viability grounds.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Alongside measures to deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units, we intend to take steps to create a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system. As set out in the package of support for housebuilding in London announced by the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on 23 October, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government intends to clarify the use of Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so that an application under this section to vary a condition of a planning permission should no longer be used as an alternative means of reconsidering fundamental questions of scheme viability or planning obligations. We are also reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. Further details will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that development firms meet their agreed affordable housing commitments in West Dorset.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Alongside measures to deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units, we intend to take steps to create a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system. As set out in the package of support for housebuilding in London announced by the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on 23 October, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government intends to clarify the use of Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so that an application under this section to vary a condition of a planning permission should no longer be used as an alternative means of reconsidering fundamental questions of scheme viability or planning obligations. We are also reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. Further details will be set out in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of protocols for exchanging medical records electronically between NHS organisations on patients in West Dorset constituency.

Ensuring information can be shared between services is essential for safe and effective care. Improving this will enable better informed clinical and care decision-making that is empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information, enhancing the quality and safety of care for patients. NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information on electronic patient records for trusts and foundation trusts is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/ To ensure continuity of care and to reduce delays in treatment, NHS England is working with NHS Wales on improving the interoperability of services, sharing care records, technical collaboration on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources based messaging standards, and longer-term ambitions for a single patient record.The Government's 10-Year Health Plan includes the objective of delivering a single patient record. We will be engaging with the devolved administrations on the single patient record, to support appropriate cross-border referrals, and appropriate information sharing to inform good decision-making, support healthcare, and minimise risk to patients.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring electronic medical record systems in NHS England and NHS Wales can exchange patient information more easily.

Ensuring information can be shared between services is essential for safe and effective care. Improving this will enable better informed clinical and care decision-making that is empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information, enhancing the quality and safety of care for patients. NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information on electronic patient records for trusts and foundation trusts is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/ To ensure continuity of care and to reduce delays in treatment, NHS England is working with NHS Wales on improving the interoperability of services, sharing care records, technical collaboration on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources based messaging standards, and longer-term ambitions for a single patient record.The Government's 10-Year Health Plan includes the objective of delivering a single patient record. We will be engaging with the devolved administrations on the single patient record, to support appropriate cross-border referrals, and appropriate information sharing to inform good decision-making, support healthcare, and minimise risk to patients.

What steps he is taking to reduce risks to patients from the electronic exchange of medical records between NHS England and NHS Wales.

Ensuring information can be shared between services is essential for safe and effective care. Improving this will enable better informed clinical and care decision-making that is empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information, enhancing the quality and safety of care for patients. NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information on electronic patient records for trusts and foundation trusts is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/ To ensure continuity of care and to reduce delays in treatment, NHS England is working with NHS Wales on improving the interoperability of services, sharing care records, technical collaboration on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources based messaging standards, and longer-term ambitions for a single patient record.The Government's 10-Year Health Plan includes the objective of delivering a single patient record. We will be engaging with the devolved administrations on the single patient record, to support appropriate cross-border referrals, and appropriate information sharing to inform good decision-making, support healthcare, and minimise risk to patients.

What information her Department holds on the number of people who had visas sponsored by Jhoots Group who had those visas (a) transferred and (b) renewed to Allied Pharmacies in the last six months.

UKVI does not produce published visa data related to individual sponsors.

What information her Department holds on the number of people who had visas sponsored by Jhoots Group who had those visas renewed by Jhoots Group.

UKVI does not produce published visa data related to individual sponsors.