Written questions by Morello.

Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the Charity Commission’s powers to (a) regulate and (b) take action against (i) misconduct and (ii) mismanagement in charities.

As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities.In 2023-24 the Charity Commission concluded 3,710 regulatory concern cases, 65 statutory inquiries, and exercised its legal powers on 2,189 occasions.Concerns about links to hostile states are taken seriously. Any evidence that there is misconduct or mismanagement within a registered charity should be referred to the Charity Commission.Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission and I met with the Commission last week to discuss these and other matters. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the powers of the Charity Commission when allegations are made about links between UK charities and hostile states.

As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities.In 2023-24 the Charity Commission concluded 3,710 regulatory concern cases, 65 statutory inquiries, and exercised its legal powers on 2,189 occasions.Concerns about links to hostile states are taken seriously. Any evidence that there is misconduct or mismanagement within a registered charity should be referred to the Charity Commission.Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission and I met with the Commission last week to discuss these and other matters. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of streamlining the visa processes for overseas-qualified dentists seeking to work in the UK.

Dentists are eligible for the Health and Care visa. They usually receive a decision within 3 weeks and have a dedicated UKVI team that assists them with the application process.

What estimate he has made of the number of redundancies there will be as a result of the reorganisation of integrated care boards in Dorset.

Proposed changes to integrated care board (ICB) functions and geography are being discussed as part of a wider National Health Service reform programme, to reduce management costs and focus more money on the front line.All ICBs in England are being asked to significantly reduce running costs and shift to a more strategic role, with different responsibilities. Specifically, ICBs have been asked to reduce pay costs by approximately 50%.It is too early to predict the impact of potential redundancy numbers. The Dorset ICB is discussing proposals to form a wider ICB “cluster” with neighbouring colleagues at the NHS Somerset ICB and the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire ICB.Clustering will allow the ICBs to realise efficiencies, releasing resources for frontline care, while maintaining teams of sufficient size in order to be resilient and specialised.

What guidance his Department has provided to Integrated Care Boards on levels of redundancies due by the end of May 2025.

Integrated care boards have been asked to submit plans about how they will reduce their operating costs throughout this financial year. These are currently being assessed. The process of implementing any reductions will follow local employment change processes which will occur over several months. This will include local trade union involvement.

With reference to the letter from the Chief Executive of NHS England entitled Working together in 2025/26 to lay the foundations for reform, published on 1 April 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) proposed funding reductions and (b) organisational reorganisation on staff (i) training, (ii) retention and (iii) morale.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, to achieve reductions in their running cost allowance. NHS England will work closely with the ICBs to ensure these changes do not compromise the quality of care or the statutory responsibilities of ICBs. ICBs will also consider how these changes impact on staff, and will take the necessary steps to ensure continuity of staff training and support for staff morale, thereby protecting frontline staff.ICBs have drafted and shared their delivery and resource plans in accordance with the guidance set out in Sir Jim Mackey's letter of 1 April and the Model ICB framework. NHS England is working with ICBs to review and implement these plans, including is supporting staff through the transition.

If he will publish the risk assessment for the abolition of NHS England.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure that the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the (a) planning and (b) delivery of primary care services.

Ministers and senior Department officials are working with the new executive team in NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to form a new joint centre. As we bring the two organisations together, we will continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, and will put plans in place to mitigate any identified risks.

What steps his Department is taking to support farmers experiencing mental health difficulties in rural areas.

We know that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we recognise that those living and working in isolated communities, including farmers, may face particular challenges in accessing the mental health services that they need.Specifically in relation to farmers and agricultural communities, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting access to farmer mental health support services by funding the Farmer Welfare Grant. This aids organisations in delivering projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand their FarmWell platform. This online resource provides business and personal resilience advice on topics including mental health, isolation, depression, and suicide.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also developing options in consultation with communities, farming support organisations, and experts across the Government, as to how it can further support the Department for Health and Social Care’s investment in mental health interventions for those in agricultural communities.

Whether he has held discussions with his EU counterparts on negotiating changes to the 90 in 180-day visa rule to allow British citizens to stay in the EU for longer for (a) leisure, (b) family visits and (c) seasonal work.

HMG officials and Ministers regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third country nationals travelling visa-free. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

What assessment she has made of the barriers to mental health support for farmers in isolated communities.

We know that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we recognise that those living and working in isolated communities, including farmers, may face particular challenges in accessing the mental health services that they need.Specifically in relation to farmers and agricultural communities, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting access to farmer mental health support services by funding the Farmer Welfare Grant. This aids organisations in delivering projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand their FarmWell platform. This online resource provides business and personal resilience advice on topics including mental health, isolation, depression, and suicide.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also developing options in consultation with communities, farming support organisations, and experts across the Government, as to how it can further support the Department for Health and Social Care’s investment in mental health interventions for those in agricultural communities.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the cost of care home placements.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of weekly care home fees.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on preparedness for a future pandemic.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.Ensuring the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a top priority for the Government, embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and aiming to have flexible, adaptable and scalable capabilities that can respond to any infectious disease or threat.The Government will continue to ensure pandemic preparedness throughout the transition and beyond, while also using the opportunities presented by the two organisations coming together.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure access to NHS dentistry in new housing estates.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure all new and existing housing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure. This is alongside guidance on how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better negotiated and used towards delivering local health services and infrastructure.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to involve patient groups, and for undertaking oral health needs assessments, to identify areas of need. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB.

What steps his Department is taking to monitor health outcomes linked to water pollution in West Dorset.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) South West Health Protection Regional team provides specialist advice and guidance on a range of public health threats to system partners across the South West region, which includes rivers and coastal waters of the West Dorset Constituency.The UKHSA’s South West Health Protection Regional team monitors outbreaks, clusters, and statistical exceedances of gastro-intestinal illness. This includes risk and needs assessments and includes routine surveillance to detect and manage exceedances of gastro-intestinal and other illnesses across the South West.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the level of risk in medical care.

As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.Patient safety will remain paramount over this transformation period. We will put plans in place to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.

Whether Integrated Care Board mergers are planned for Dorset.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health services and reduce duplication of responsibilities within their structure. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025 where ICBs were tasked to develop plans setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/Dorset ICB is discussing proposals to form a wider ICB “cluster” with neighbouring colleagues at NHS Somerset and NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. This is very much a proposal, which will need to be worked through in more detail over the coming months.

What plans his Department has to support the (a) training and (b) recruitment of optometrists in underserved areas.

NHS England provides an annual grant for supervisors of optometry trainees. This payment is an essential element of ensuring that adequate training provision is available for new optometrists.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their local population. Any decisions about the recruitment of optometrists are a matter for individual employers, to ensure they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to eye care services for low-income populations.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet local needs, and have a duty under the Health and Care Act 2022 to reduce inequalities.Free National Health Service sight tests and NHS optical vouchers, to help with the cost of glasses, are available for individuals on income-related benefits. Help may also be available through the NHS low-income scheme.