Written questions by Morello.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) benefits and (b) conditions for general practice nursing staff.

As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on practices with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate that good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.

If she will make it her policy to introduce a Dorset Railcard.

There are many local concessionary passes that are valid on National Rail, such as the Cornwall and Devon Railcard, which have been introduced by local authorities and train operators. Any discussions for a Dorset based railcard would be subject to engagement between the local area and South Western Railway as the relevant train operator.

If he will make it his policy review the minimum export value for rooftop solar electricity to support investment.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism in which energy suppliers, not government, set both tariff levels and structure. This is designed to encourage innovation and competition in the sector and minimise costs to consumers. The Government monitors the SEG to ensure it continues to support the Clean Energy Mission. Any introduction of a minimum export price would need to be carefully balanced against potential costs to consumers.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of allowing police forces to release details of a suspect's (a) ethnicity, (b) nationality and (c) immigration status on the fairness of subsequent trials.

The Home Office does not direct operational policing decisions, including those related to the disclosure of information about a person suspected or charged with committing an offence. These matters rightly fall under the purview of Chief Constables.The murders and subsequent riots in Southport in July 2024 raised questions about how the Government may best counter misinformation and disinformation without creating a risk of being in contempt of court in relation to ongoing criminal proceedings. There are restrictions on what can be said before and during a trial to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered. At the same time, however, social media is putting these long-established rules under strain, especially in cases such as Southport where partial or inaccurate information appears online.The NPCC and the College of Policing issued interim guidance to police forces in August, which aims to support forces in managing sensitive investigations and mitigating risks associated with them.The interim guidance encourages police forces to confirm a suspect’s ethnicity and nationality (where known or recorded) in certain high-profile or sensitive investigations where they determine it is necessary to maintain public safety and reassure the public.

If he will make it her policy to allocate resources in the Autumn Budget 2025 to support the recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in West Dorset.

The 2025 Autumn Budget has not yet been announced, however access to National Health Service dentistry and addressing the issue of under-served areas remains a priority for the Government.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) prevalence of phoenixing and (b) potential impact of phoenixing on small businesses.

The Insolvency Service is committed to working closely with HMRC and Companies House to tackle the harm caused by companies who use ‘Phoenixing’ as a means of avoiding liabilities. There is a range of ongoing activity set out in the recent Treasury Minutes – CP 1306 including a desire to develop a detailed cross-government threat assessment.

Whether his Department plans to introduce (a) additional regulatory and (b) enforcement measures to prevent directors of insolvent companies from engaging in phoenixing.

The Government is keenly aware of concerns around “phoenixing”, and officials at The Insolvency Service are currently conducting a comprehensive review of the civil enforcement regime to evaluate how best to tackle and prevent wrongdoing by directors of insolvent or dissolved companies. Measures were also announced at both the Autumn Budget 2024 and the Spring Statement 2025 committing HMRC, the Insolvency Service and Companies House to increase collaboration to tackle those using contrived corporate insolvencies and dissolutions (often referred to as ‘phoenixism).

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a Dorset Railcard to support residents with travel costs.

There are many local concessionary passes that are valid on National Rail, such as the Cornwall and Devon Railcard, which have been introduced by local authorities and train operators. Any discussions for a Dorset-based railcard would be subject to engagement between the local area and South Western Railway as the relevant train operator.

If she will have discussions with local stakeholders on a Dorset Railcard scheme.

There are many local concessionary passes that are valid on National Rail, such as the Cornwall and Devon Railcard, which have been introduced by local authorities and train operators. Any discussions for a Dorset-based railcard would be subject to engagement between the local area and South Western Railway as the relevant train operator.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the US trade deal on levels of bioethanol production in the UK.

The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel. Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of moving from E10 to E20 petrol on vehicles and consumers.

The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel. Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.

What her planned timeline is for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK.

The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel. Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.

If he will take steps to ensure parity between pay awards for (a) practice nurses, (b) other primary care staff and (c) staff whose pay is determined by national NHS pay review bodies.

As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to GP practices how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. General practice contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GP practices with regard to general practice nurse (GPN) terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for NHS staff, including both contractor and salaried general practitioners (GPs). They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS and trade unions to reach their recommendations.As different NHS and primary care staff groups do not all sit under the remit of one pay review body, the Government can receive different pay award recommendations for different groups. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) have recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2025-26. To implement this through the GP contract, as the DDRB’s recommendation was higher than the assumed pay growth of 2.8%, we have provided a 1.2% top-up to the pay elements of the contract on a consolidated basis.We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this 4% pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs. The additional funding will also allow for pay uplifts for other salaried general practice staff, including nurses.We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they have received.

Whether he plans to ensure that there is nursing representation in national negotiations on primary care (a) funding and (b) workforce planning.

We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice, including on funding and workforce planning, and we would be happy to continue to engage with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on this, as we have done in previous pre-consultation engagement exercises.The Government is committed to ensuring the general practice nursing workforce is sustainable, supported and valued for the work they do. Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring the National Health Service is able to recruit and retain staff and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more. A formal call for evidence has been launched, which will provide stakeholders the opportunity to contribute directly to the Plan’s development.

Whether he plans to introduce a dedicated mechanism to fund pay increases for practice nurses and other non-doctor staff employed by GP practices.

General practices are independent businesses contracted to provide National Health Service services. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025-26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we have accepted the DDRB’s pay recommendation and have uplifted the pay elements of the GP contract by 4% on a consolidated basis (an increase of 1.2% on top of the 2.8% interim uplift in April). Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2025. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving.

Whether his Department is working with NATO allies to develop (a) joint standards, (b) data sharing and (c) operational protocols for integrated drone defence.

The UK has contributed to the establishment of the NATO Joint Capability Group for Counter small UAS (C-sUAS), which will ensure that NATO has a coherent and consistent approach to the C-sUAS challenge. In particular, it will focus on: establishing NATO training courses; ensuring common standards for equipment integration; and providing a common lexicon. To support the integration of equipment across NATO nations, the UK has funded and developed SAPIENT, a common architecture standard that enables interoperability between autonomous sensors and effectors. It has been used operationally, for example, at the recent NATO Summit in The Hague.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure UK drone defence capabilities are interoperable with NATO systems and frameworks.

The Defence Uncrewed Design Authority (DUxDA) has delegated authority to fulfil the UK Head of Delegation role at NATO Joint Capability Groups for Uncrewed Systems. This role provides the UK a voice at the NATO Standardisation Agreement (STANAG) fora to influence the development of NATO Standards for Uncrewed Systems (UxS). The DUxDA has also mapped out all the UK and NATO standards that are applicable to Uncrewed Systems and are developing recommendations that will identify and enforce specific standards are applied to all Uncrewed Systems development moving forward.

What steps his Department is taking to support the development of UK-made drone defence systems to protect critical national infrastructure.

The UK has procured advanced Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) capabilities from UK manufacturers which continue to be developed in response to the changing threat. The MOD regularly engages with subject matter experts, including DASA, DSTL, and UK industry partners, to conduct thematic C-UAS capability challenges. These challenges promote the development of C-UAS systems by British companies. In the last two years, the MOD has invested in the development of Directed Energy Weapons, the development teams for which are led by UK consortiums. All C-UAS systems that are currently in use or in development support a range of possible scenarios and user cases, including the protection of critical national infrastructure.

Whether he plans to replace the Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation Programme.

The Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation programme, delivered under the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, developed 14 First-of-a-Kind Demonstrator plants nationwide. This Government has a clear focus on commercial deployment. The HyNet Track-1 expansion Project Negotiation List, which includes two Greenhouse Gas Removal projects, was published on 5 August 2025. These projects will now proceed to the negotiations phase of the selection process. Government has also made a significant funding commitment of up to £21.7billion, over 25 years, to kickstart the Carbon Capture Usage and Storage industry.Allocation of funding to UKRI for research and innovation is ongoing so forecasts on future innovation spend are not currently available.

Whether he plans to introduce reforms to ensure equal benefit access for separated parents with equal caring responsibilities.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.