Written questions by Morello.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to attract US Alzheimer’s research scientists to UK institutions.

The Immigration White Paper and Modern Industrial Strategy emphasised the importance of enabling high-skilled international researchers to come to the UK with ease, and committed to improvements to key visa routes, including the Global Talent Visa.The £54 million Global Talent Fund will attract around 60-80 leading researchers across Industrial Strategy sectors including Life Sciences to UK institutions. The Fund includes targeted visa and relocation cost support, and complements existing funding and talent schemes from UKRI, the National Academies and NIHR.The new Global Talent Taskforce will promote UK strengths and opportunities to exceptional talent, including international Life Sciences talent.

What recent assessment he has made of the progress made towards delivering 5 million tonnes of engineered carbon removals by 2030.

We remain committed to developing and deploying Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs) at scale in the UK, recognising the important role they play in achieving net zero. The Government will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors of the economy, including GGRs, by October 2025. The Government will also set Carbon Budget 7 by June 2026, in line with our statutory duties.

What steps his Department is taking to support the scale-up of technologies needed to achieve 23 million tonnes of engineered carbon removals per year by 2035.

Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs) will be important to Net Zero - balancing residual emissions from hard-to-abate sectors whilst providing economic opportunities. In August Government published details of the GGR Business Model and published the Carbon Capture and Storage HyNet Track-1 expansion Project Negotiation List, which includes two GGR projects. To support demand, Government published a response to the consultation on the integration of GGRs into the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and consulted on options to ensure integrity of the Voluntary Carbon and Nature Market. To ensure removals are measurable and verifiable, in July the British Standards Institution, commissioned by Government, published interim methodologies for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage. The Government has also invested £100 million in research and innovation for GGRs, including the GGRs Innovation Programme.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has held discussions with UK research bodies on opportunities to recruit American scientists impacted by US budget cuts.

The Immigration White Paper and Modern Industrial Strategy emphasised the importance of enabling high-skilled international researchers to come to the UK with ease, and committed to improvements to key visa routes, including the Global Talent Visa.The £54 million Global Talent Fund will attract around 60-80 leading researchers across Industrial Strategy sectors including Life Sciences to UK institutions. The Fund includes targeted visa and relocation cost support, and complements existing funding and talent schemes from UKRI, the National Academies and NIHR.The new Global Talent Taskforce will promote UK strengths and opportunities to exceptional talent, including international Life Sciences talent.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the criteria for approving operators to take over NHS community pharmacies is sufficiently robust to prevent service failures.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.

Whether he has made an assessment of the the suitability of Jhoots Pharmacy as a provider of NHS pharmacy services.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he will make a decision on the deployment of the cattle BCG vaccine.

We are continuing to work on the development of a cattle BCG vaccine and accompanying DIVA (Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals) test but will only deploy the vaccine and DIVA test when we have all the right steps in place. Our aim is to deliver an effective cattle TB vaccination strategy within the next few years, helping drive down the disease burden for future generations and advance progress towards achieving Officially Tuberculosis Free status for England by 2038.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the field trials of the Cattle BCG vaccine to conclude.

Field trials to test a cattle BCG vaccine and accompanying DIVA (Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals) skin test began in June 2021. The next phase of the field trials commenced in September 2025, and we hope to be able to start using an authorised vaccine and companion diagnostic test within the next few years.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide subsidies for farmers who diversify into beekeeping.

Figures from the annual hive count suggests that the number of beekeepers has remained relatively stable and is not declining. Defra supports beekeepers through the work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit which operates our bee pest surveillance programmes and provides free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Effective pest and disease control is important for preventing spread to other apiaries and pollinators. Defra supports pollinators through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery, in that the schemes offer a choice of support for more regenerative approaches to farming, and creation or restoration of habitats in appropriate areas. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding, and further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing subsidies to support farmers to (a) introduce and (b) maintain beekeeping.

Figures from the annual hive count suggests that the number of beekeepers has remained relatively stable and is not declining. Defra supports beekeepers through the work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit which operates our bee pest surveillance programmes and provides free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Effective pest and disease control is important for preventing spread to other apiaries and pollinators. Defra supports pollinators through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery, in that the schemes offer a choice of support for more regenerative approaches to farming, and creation or restoration of habitats in appropriate areas. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding, and further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing vaccination as part of the national bovine TB control strategy.

An assessment of the potential merits of vaccination was made by a reconvened panel of independent experts, led by Professor Sir Charles Godfray. The panel’s updated report, published on 4 September 2025, considered the latest evidence on both cattle and badger vaccination, and will inform the development of the refreshed bovine TB strategy for England.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with farming organisations on subsidies for beekeeping.

Figures from the annual hive count suggests that the number of beekeepers has remained relatively stable and is not declining. Defra supports beekeepers through the work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit which operates our bee pest surveillance programmes and provides free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Effective pest and disease control is important for preventing spread to other apiaries and pollinators. Defra supports pollinators through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery, in that the schemes offer a choice of support for more regenerative approaches to farming, and creation or restoration of habitats in appropriate areas. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding, and further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of access to prescription medicines in towns where a single operator pharmacy fails to meet its contractual obligations.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.

If her Department will have discissions with Dorset Council on the adequacy of the scheduling of the X51 Bridport to Axminster bus service.

The government believes that local authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area, and the government does not intervene in local decisions regarding individual bus routes or services.

If her Department will have discissions with Dorset Council on the adequacy of the scheduling of the CR6 Bridport to Beaminster service.

The government believes that local authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area, and the government does not intervene in local decisions regarding individual bus routes or services.

If her Department will have discissions with Dorset Council on the adequacy of the scheduling of the X53 Weymouth to Axminster service.

The government believes that local authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area, and the government does not intervene in local decisions regarding individual bus routes or services.

If her Department will have discissions with Dorset Council on the adequacy of the scheduling of the X53 Weymouth College to Axminster service.

The government believes that local authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area, and the government does not intervene in local decisions regarding individual bus routes or services.

If her Department will have discissions with Dorset Council on the adequacy of the scheduling of the (a) Axminster to Exeter train and (b) its connecting bus services from Bridport and Lyme Regis.

Following the successful introduction of the Arterio fleet elsewhere on the South Western Railway (SWR) network, there will be an opportunity to look at the South Western timetable in detail. Relevant stakeholders, such as Dorset council, will have the chance to comment. The government knows that integrated public transport is vital to keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline for many and can be the only means of accessing services, including other modes of transportation such as rail links. The government believes that local authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area, including ensuring integration with other modes, and the government does not intervene in local decisions regarding individual bus routes or services.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the enforcement of existing regulations on e-bike use.

A modified e-cycle is only road-legal where it complies in full with the requirements set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983. Where this is not the case, the e-cycle is classed as a motor vehicle and needs to be approved and registered with the DVLA, as well as being taxed and insured. Enforcement of these requirements is a matter for the police, who already have powers to seize illegally modified e-cycles and to fine individuals who fail to stop when instructed to do so. While we have not carried out any formal review, the Government is providing the police with more powers to make it easier for them to seize any vehicle, including illegally modified e-cycles, where it is being used in an anti-social manner. Measures contained in the Crime and Policing Bill will allow the police to seize the vehicle without first being required to provide the rider with a warning.

Whether he plans to publish a description of the new job role for physician associates before implementation of the Leng Review.

NHS England has published a letter and a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document, setting out what the accepted Leng Review recommendations mean for employees and employers, both in the immediate and longer term. The document is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/leng-review-nhs-england-faqs-on-actions-for-nhs-organisations.pdfNHS England will consider the development of new model job descriptions for the roles of physician assistants (PAs) and physician assistants in anaesthesia (PAAs), still legally known as anaesthesia associates and physician associates, in consultation with key partners as part of any wider implementation plan. Whilst such model job descriptions would not be mandatory, they would provide guidance on the general duties of newly qualified PAs and PAAs for employers when recruiting.Prior to implementing new job descriptions, these should be evaluated either through local primary care approaches or the National Health Service job evaluation scheme for secondary care providers.In the meantime, employers of the roles should ensure their competencies and job activities are assessed to ensure they are appropriate, reflect the required work activities within the service, and that clinical governance and oversight of the roles is clearly documented.