Written questions by Morello.

If he will ringfence funding for general practice nursing pay in line with the NHS Agenda for Change.

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. Funding for GP nursing pay is not ringfenced and contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions.The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for NHS staff, including both contractor and salaried GPs. They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2025/26. 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 is also intended to provide uplifts for other salaried GP staff, including nurses.We expect GP contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they have received.The Government has committed to a new substantive GP Contract within this Parliament, and we will continue to engage constructively with the General Practitioners Committee England on issues such as staffing. The maximum reimbursable amounts for roles employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), including practice nurses, have also been uplifted in line with the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations, and ARRS budgets have been increased to reflect this.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of benefit allocation rules on children in shared care arrangements.

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.

What funding he has allocated to support innovation in greenhouse gas removals in each year of this Parliament.

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 has had discussions with rooftop solar panel manufacturers on the minimum commercially-viable price for exports.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

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.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce child poverty in West Dorset constituency.

In developing a Child Poverty Strategy, the Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom. The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Strategy will be UK-wide, drawing on devolved and reserved levers and working closely with Devolved Governments, recognising the progress that has been made on their poverty strategies and policies, and in England, with mayors and other local leaders. Local authorities are a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway. Both the Taskforce and officials in the Child Poverty Unit have engaged with local communities regularly throughout the development of the strategy. This includes through a ministerial taskforce meeting with local leaders from combined and local governments in England, who joined Ministers to discuss the experience of poverty in their local communities, and innovative solutions underway. The Child Poverty Unit also consulted local authorities across England through a virtual webinar in December 2024, allowing authorities to feed into the development of the strategy. and visits to Manchester, Ashton-Under-Lyme, Cheshire and Merseyside. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty including an expansion of Free School Meals and a £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing. At the 2025 Spending Review we also announced a new March 2025 £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including the first ever multi-year settlement to transform the Household Support Fund into a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. This longer-term funding approach enables local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assist people when faced with a financial crisis.

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.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of US bioethanol imports on (a) animal feed prices and (b) UK producers.

Defra continue to monitor potential impacts on feed prices and the wider food sector from the recent changes. By-products of the bioethanol process are used in the agri-food sector. These include Distillers’ Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) which is used in high protein animal feed as well as CO2 which is used in slaughter, packaging, and beverage carbonation. DDGS also comes from other sources and there are other ingredients that can be used.

What steps his Department plans to take to help tackle misinformation in relation to cases which are sub judice.

Rules and restrictions on what can be said during ongoing court proceedings are vital to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered. However, the Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. The Law Commission are considering these issues as part of their review of the law on contempt of court. We have asked them to expedite those elements of the review relating to our ability to counter misinformation and advise on any changes needed to address the challenges this raises. The Commission are due to report later this year.

If she will undertake a review of police funding allocations in West Dorset constituency.

The funding formula used for distributing Home Office Police Main Grant to police forces in England and Wales as part of the annual police settlement divides funds between different activities that the police undertake. A portion of total funding is also distributed according to population sparsity, to address the specific needs of rural forces.This Government is committed to ensuring that policing has the resources it needs. Dorset Police will receive up to £194.8 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £14.7 million when compared to 2024-25.The Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years. The allocation of funding to police forces remains an important consideration and as with previous years more details on force funding allocation for 2026-27 will be made via the provisional police funding settlement later in the year.

Whether his Department plans to work with international counterparts to align standards and share intelligence on counter-drone systems and tactics.

Yes, the Defence Uncrewed Design Authority (DUxDA) is actively engaging partner nations to establish relationships and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration on all facets of Uncrewed Systems (UxS).

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to provide alternative financial support to communities in West Dorset following the removal of Government funding for neighbourhood plans.

Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards. Two neighbourhood planning groups in West Dorset are in receipt of technical support which has already been awarded but must be completed by March 2026. The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish.

What the policy objective is of advising police forces to release (a) ethnicity and (b) other details of suspects before trial.

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 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.

Whether she plans to review funding allocations to police forces to ensure that rural areas receive sufficient resources to maintain (a) police stations and (b) community policing.

The funding formula used for distributing Home Office Police Main Grant to police forces in England and Wales as part of the annual police settlement divides funds between different activities that the police undertake. A portion of total funding is also distributed according to population sparsity, to address the specific needs of rural forces.The Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years. The allocation of funding to police forces remains an important consideration and as with previous years, more details on force funding allocations for 2026-27, including decisions on police force funding allocations, will be made via the provisional police funding settlement later in the year.It is the responsibility of Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), including Mayors who exercise PCC or equivalent functions, to take decisions around their resourcing and estates. They are best placed to make decisions with their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

What comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) West Dorset, (ii) Dorset, (iii) the South West and (iv) England.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being  Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, 2,307 (17.0%) children (under age 16) in West Dorset were in relative low income before housing costs. In Dorset, 9,886 (17.2%) children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs, as were 0.2 million (18.3%) children (under age 16) in the South West. In England, using a three-year average for 2021/22 to 2023/24, 2.4 million (21.9%) in children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers as part of our strategy, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. We have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays. We do not hold data on rates of homelessness.

What recent discussions she has had with the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner on police station closures and funding in West Dorset.

Decisions regarding the management of local police resourcing and estates, including police stations, is a matter for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need and their experience, in line with their existing budgets. The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure.Police stations are just one of the ways in which people can access their local police, including reporting online and by phone 24/7 via 999 for emergencies and 101 for non-emergency calls.A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing, and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing, The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a considerable difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams. We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of police station front counter closures on community policing in rural areas.

Decisions regarding the management of local police resourcing and estates, including police stations, is a matter for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need and their experience, in line with their existing budgets. The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure.Police stations are just one of the ways in which people can access their local police, including reporting online and by phone 24/7 via 999 for emergencies and 101 for non-emergency calls.A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing, and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing, The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a considerable difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams. We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

What funding his Department has allocated to the research and development of (a) drone detection and (b) counter-drone technologies in the last three years.

It is not possible to differentiate, in funding terms, between Research and Development (R&D) supporting drone detection and counter-drone technologies – our counter-drone systems R&D takes a full systems approach to support the delivery of military capability. However, through Defence’s centrally funded science and technology budget, Defence has invested a minimum of £35 million in counter-drone systems science and technology research over the past three years.

What steps his Department is taking to support the estates of deceased infected blood victims to access interim payments of compensation.

Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Additional Report, the UK Government has announced further interim payments of £210,000 for eligible estates of someone registered with an IBSS or predecessor scheme (on or before 17 April 2024) who sadly passed away.This is in addition to the £100,000 interim payments to the estates of deceased infected beneficiaries which opened in October 2024. Since then, 600 interim payments of £100,000 have already been paid to estates.On 26 September, the Government announced that applications for these interim payments will open on 23 October.These payments will be made by the administrators of the existing Infected Blood Support Schemes, on behalf of the UK Government. The UK Government is working closely with the devolved administrations and the Infected Blood Support Schemes to make the necessary arrangements to make these payments as swiftly as possible.

If he will make it his policy to ensure that all (a) interim and (b) full infected blood compensation scheme payments are made sooner than 2029.

The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). As of 7 October, IBCA has contacted 3,614 people to start their compensation claim, and 3,350 have started the claim process. 2,204 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £1.6 billion, and so far 1,761 people have accepted their offers with more than £1 billion paid in compensation.The IBCA Framework Document, published in March, sets out the timelines agreed between IBCA and Cabinet Office; namely for the bulk of infected people to be paid no later than the end of 2027 and the bulk of affected people to be paid no later than the end of 2029.These timescales have been agreed with IBCA, to ensure that the door is kept open for those who have not yet identified themselves as being infected or affected. In my oral statement to the House on 21 July, I set out that these dates are not targets for delivery, but ‘backstops’.