Written questions by Morello.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed Inheritance Tax changes on family (a) businesses and (b) farms.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The Government has set out the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. The Government has also set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to pay more inheritance tax in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those estates only holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact. The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025 alongside the draft legislation. This is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

How and what proportion of major trauma hospitals operate 24-hour hospital helipads in England.

Air ambulances form a vital part of the emergency response to patients in critical need. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with NHS England and the Department for Transport to ensure that there is appropriate helipad accessibility available for air ambulances across the country. However, there are no plans to make it national policy that all major trauma hospitals have access to 24-hour helipad facilities.The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government to support and promote the interests of the health and care system throughout the planning process, including improving the participation of all relevant health stakeholders in the creation of local plans to ensure that necessary service provision is maintained. Information on the proportion of major trauma hospitals that operate 24-hour hospital helipads in England is not held centrally.

If he will make it his policy that all major trauma hospitals to have access to 24-hour helipad facilities.

Air ambulances form a vital part of the emergency response to patients in critical need. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with NHS England and the Department for Transport to ensure that there is appropriate helipad accessibility available for air ambulances across the country. However, there are no plans to make it national policy that all major trauma hospitals have access to 24-hour helipad facilities.The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government to support and promote the interests of the health and care system throughout the planning process, including improving the participation of all relevant health stakeholders in the creation of local plans to ensure that necessary service provision is maintained. Information on the proportion of major trauma hospitals that operate 24-hour hospital helipads in England is not held centrally.

What the average per-patient spend is in (a) all hospitals and (b) the top quartile of efficient hospitals.

NHS England collects information on the costs of NHS trusts delivering services to patients, the detail of which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/costing-in-the-nhs/national-cost-collection/.Comparing the average cost per patient per hospital is not meaningful, because to ensure fair comparisons, differences in service mix and patient complexity must be taken into account and this varies significantly across hospitals. The costing data does however enable comparisons of the costs of certain activities, or episodes of care, across different providers.The National Cost Collection Index (NCCI) compares a trust’s average cost with the national average cost for that service across all the services it delivers. An NCCI value of 110, for example, means that the trust has costs that are 10% more expensive than the national average (adjusted for its mix of services and patient complexity).

Which hospitals are in the top quartile of most efficient hospitals.

The Department and NHS England do not measure efficiency by hospital. Instead, the NHS Oversight Framework measures National Health Service trust and foundation trust performance across a range of metrics. These reflect the delivery of NHS priorities, including performance against targets like reducing wait times for electives and accident and emergency, and improving ambulance response times.The framework assigns trusts to four equal-sized, or quartiled, performance categories referred to as segments. This year’s framework, however, emphasises the importance of maintaining financial control by limiting providers to no higher than segment 3 if they are not delivering a surplus or breakeven position.Segmentation under this year’s framework has now been published as part of newly developed league tables, designed to increase transparency and drive improvement. These tables are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-oversight-framework-nhs-trust-performance-league-tables-process-and-results/

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to the Physician Associate role on the number of redundancies of Physician Associates.

The principle question of the Leng Review was to assess whether the roles of physician and anaesthesia associate, which we recommend should now be known as physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia, are safe and effective. The review’s findings were clear that, with changes in line with its recommendations, there remains a place for these roles to continue as supportive, complementary members of medical teams. NHS England has written to National Health Service trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to the staff most affected by the recommendations setting out where they can find support if required. Whilst decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual NHS employers at a local level, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, can play a vital role in the delivery of the shifts set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England. Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care, and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.

Whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of lowering the VAT threshold on the economy.

Any change to the VAT threshold would have potential impacts on small businesses, the economy as a whole, and tax revenues, which the Government would need to consider carefully. The Government keeps all taxes under review and any changes are announced at fiscal events.

If she will commission an independent review of the proposed changes to Inheritance Tax.

The Government has set out the rationale, analysis, and expected impact of all the reforms to inheritance tax announced at Autumn Budget 2024. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified the costings are reasonable and central for these reforms. This includes the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026, the reform to the inheritance tax treatment of pensions from 6 April 2027, and the fixing of the nil-rate band and residence nil-rate band at their current levels for a further two years in 2028-29 and 2029-30. The Government has no plans to commission an independent review of the reforms.

What steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the Independent review of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate roles, published on 16 July 2025.

The Leng Review’s recommendations are far reaching and require cross-system partnership working to be considered, planned, and delivered effectively. The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other stakeholders including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations. Further information on implementation will be set out in due course. The Government intends to commence consultation on a modernised legislative framework for the General Medical Council by the end of this year. These proposals will include the change in role titles. Subject to parliamentary time, our expectation is that these changes will be put before the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments during 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of automatic planning permission for extending helipad operation hours at major trauma hospitals.

Operating hours are usually set locally, by condition, following the grant of planning permission. If there are conditions restricting operating hours, these can be varied or removed through a section 73 application following local consideration of the benefits and any local impacts.

Whether his Department plans to consult with stakeholders before implementing changes to the (a) role and (b) title of Physician Associates.

The Leng Review’s recommendations are far reaching and require cross-system partnership working to be considered, planned, and delivered effectively. The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other stakeholders including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations. Further information on implementation will be set out in due course. The Government intends to commence consultation on a modernised legislative framework for the General Medical Council by the end of this year. These proposals will include the change in role titles. Subject to parliamentary time, our expectation is that these changes will be put before the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments during 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to support people facing difficulties in obtaining mortgages for ex-Right to Buy properties.

HM Treasury is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their mortgage business to understand their position and current lending conditions. However, the pricing of mortgages, including the availability of mortgage finance for particular properties, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. I would encourage any prospective homeowner to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker in order to find the best possible mortgage product for their circumstances.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of trends in the complexity of cases handled by advice services.

At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25. The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to fund advice services.

At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25. The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to increase funding for advice services in West Dorset constituency.

At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25. The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve the resilience of farming infrastructure in extreme weather.

We are providing farmers and land managers with the support needed to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security and build resilience to climate change. There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive. As of April 2025, these schemes supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland being managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows being protected and restored. In the recent spending review, we allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history. This means: Funding for the Environmental Land Management Schemes paid to farmers will increase by 150% from £800 million in 2023/24 to £2 billion by 2028/29. Overall farmers and land managers will benefit from an average of £2.3 billion a year through the Farming and Countryside Programme. And up to £400 million from additional nature schemes, including those for tree planting and peatland restoration.

What discussions her Department has had with mortgage providers on access to finance for ex-Right to Buy properties.

HM Treasury is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their mortgage business to understand their position and current lending conditions. However, the pricing of mortgages, including the availability of mortgage finance for particular properties, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. I would encourage any prospective homeowner to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker in order to find the best possible mortgage product for their circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support vineyard businesses in West Dorset constituency.

The Government is committed to supporting rural economies and ensuring the UK has a thriving and diverse economy that promotes local jobs and boosts growth. The English wine sector is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors, which continues to attract domestic and foreign investment. Defra is committed to working with the sector to support its ambitions, drive growth and exports and ensure it provides high-quality jobs in rural communities.

What proportion of Prevent-funded community resilience projects in the last three years have targeted far-right extremism.

The Home Office recognises the importance of this issue, and the Prevent Duty Guidance notes that “Extreme Right-Wing ideology is resurgent.”Prevent tackles the ideological causes of terrorism and provides early intervention for people at risk of radicalisation. We work continually to ensure Prevent is ready to respond to all radicalisation risks. This includes developing our understanding of the range of factors that lead to someone being drawn into terrorism.Prevent is run locally by experts who understand the risks and issues in their area, and how best to support their communities. These experts include local authorities, the Police, charities and community organisations.Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to address radicalisation risks through targeted projects, under the Preventing Radicalisation Fund.In the year March 2023 to March 2024, 19% of Prevent funded projects focused solely on building resilience to Extreme Right-Wing (ERWT) ideology, and a further 57% focussed on both Islamist Extremist (IE) and ERWT ideology.In the current funding year March 2025 to March 2026, the Home Office has received 78 project bids from local authorities. Of those bids, 15% solely focus on Extreme Right Wing ideology with a further 54% of bids covering both Islamist Extremism and Extreme Right Wing ideologies.Our Prevent local delivery model ensures every local authority has ready access to expertise, guidance and support in tackling local radicalisation and extremism risks via a team of region-based expert Prevent Advisers, who work hand-in-hand with local partners across England, Scotland and Wales.By working with and upskilling these local experts who best understand the risks and issues in their area, we are improving our ability to help frontline workers identify and protect those most susceptible to radicalisation.Analytical teams within the Home Office assess all available information, including material from these local experts, in order to maintain the most up to date picture of the current risks and threats pertaining to radicalisation. This includes issues affecting rural areas and communities, and at a regional level across England, Scotland and Wales.Due to operational and legal sensitivities, the Home Office does not publish specific details of the current intelligence assessment picture.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Dorset Council and (b) the Environment Agency on potential alternatives to the no active intervention policy for the Charmouth coastline.

The Government is investing £36 million in the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme to support communities, including in Dorset, to explore innovative approaches to adapt to coastal change. The Environment Agency has published updated National Coastal Erosion Risk Map data, including future climate change scenarios. Shoreline Management Plans, developed by local councils, guide long-term strategies for managing flood and erosion risks. The SMP policies for Charmouth were considered during the development of SMP16 ‘Durlston Head to Rame Head’ and will be reviewed as part of the current SMP refresh process. Dorset Council and the Environment Agency are part of the SMP16 management group for South Devon & Dorset, who can consider any new data for this area which may have implications for the current SMP policies.