Written questions by Morello.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increased labour costs on employment levels in the hospitality industry in West Dorset constituency.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK.Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more.The Government will protect the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

What steps his Department is taking to help support bars in West Dorset constituency.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000. Additionally, we recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

Whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the hospitality industry on the potential impact of increased labour costs on that sector.

I regularly engage with hospitality businesses, and I am aware of the current challenges they face. Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more through National Insurance contributions. However, we are raising the threshold at which employers start paying NI to protect the smallest businesses.Also, we are committed to creating a fairer business rates system to alleviate the pressure on hospitality businesses by introducing permanently lower business rates for RHL properties with a rateable value under £500,000.

What steps his Department is taking to help support cafes in West Dorset constituency.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000. Additionally, we recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

Whether his Department plans to monitor the potential long-term impact of increased employer National Insurance contributions on employment trends in the hospitality sector.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth.I chair the Hospitality Sector Council, which meets quarterly in which we discuss issues the sector faces. I also meet regularly with individual businesses to hear about the pressures they are facing.We’re increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, allowing 865,000 employers to pay no NICs this year. This, for example, means employers can hire up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a lower rate of employer National Insurance contributions for businesses in the hospitality sector which employ a high proportion of part-time workers.

The Government has taken difficult but necessary decisions to fix the public finances and create long-term stability in which businesses can invest and grow.The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from changes to employer National Insurance contributions by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. It means employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs.

What steps his Department is taking to help support restaurants in West Dorset constituency.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000. Additionally, we recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

What estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of increases in (a) employer National Insurance contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on annual costs to the hospitality sector.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK.We are pleased to deliver a significant increase to the minimum wage, and to take crucial steps towards the creation of a genuine living wage that supports millions of families across the country.The Government will protect the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.The Government published an Impact Assessment for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates which includes a breakdown of impact by sector.

What steps his Department is taking to help support hospitality businesses to maintain employment levels in the context of higher labour costs.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset constituency, are vital to our communities and support economic growth.We’re increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, allowing 865,000 employers to pay no NICs this year. This means employers can hire up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs. Additionally, we aim to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We are also working with the Hospitality Sector Council on issues the sector faces.We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold hospitality businesses back. We are expecting recommendations before the Summer recess.

Whether his Department plans to introduce regulatory measures to ensure rooftop solar is financially viable compared to utility-scale solar projects.

Deploying rooftop solar remains a key priority for the Government, and it continues to be one of the most popular and easily deployed renewable energy sources. The Government continues to support the installation of rooftop solar in various ways, including through tax relief, energy efficiency schemes and the Smart Export Guarantee. The Solar Roadmap will shortly be published, setting out actions for the Government and industry to remove barriers to further deployment. Officials are also exploring the potential of various measures to support a range of green retrofit improvements as part of the Warm Homes Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive were pending a decision on 11 March 2025.

As of 11 March, of the applications that had been submitted for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer, there were 4,225 that had not yet received an agreement offer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to communicate expected (a) processing and (b) payment timelines to applicants who submitted Sustainable Farming Incentive applications before 11 March 2025.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is (a) working through and will communicate with applicants individually through the application process. The RPA expects to complete all required checks and activity for the majority of eligible applications by late June. (b) The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly and the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of when applicants to the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme who submitted applications before its closure on 11 March 2025 will receive payments.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly, the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts. After that, payments are scheduled to be paid every three months, to ensure there is a regular, reliable income.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support hotels in West Dorset constituency.

The Government recognises that hotels in the West Dorset constituency are a major driver of the local economy, contributing to tourism revenue, creating jobs and supporting related industries like restaurants, retail, and transportation. The Government supports hotels across West Dorset through measures such as business rates relief, and funding opportunities like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the aim to alleviate operational costs, promote regional tourism, and drive economic growth.On Friday 2 May, it was announced that Dorset has acquired LVEP status. Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) work in partnership with VisitEngland. These LVEPs will provide strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country. They will work collaboratively with both local authority and private sector partners to communicate investment opportunities and to showcase Dorset's strengths as a place to live, work, study and invest in, as well as a premier destination for visitors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that eligible application to the Sustainable Farming Incentive submitted before 11 March 2025 are (a) processed and (b) agreements offered in a timely manner.

As of the 30 April 2025, of the 4225 submitted Sustainable Farming Incentive applications outstanding an offer on 1 March, there are 872 that have not yet received an agreement offer. The Rural Payments Agency are continuing to work at pace to assess the eligibility and process applications which were submitted prior the closure of the scheme and expect to have completed this for the majority of eligible applications by late June.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency has a schedule for issuing payments to applicants with approved Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements submitted prior to 11 March 2025.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly, the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts. After that, payments are scheduled to be paid every three months, to ensure there is a regular, reliable income.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the expected timeframe is for (a) processing and (b) decision-making on Sustainable Farming Incentive applications.

As of the 30 April 2025, of the 4225 submitted Sustainable Farming Incentive applications outstanding an offer on 1 March, there are 872 that have not yet received an agreement offer. The Rural Payments Agency are continuing to work at pace to assess the eligibility and process applications which were submitted prior the closure of the scheme and expect to have completed this for the majority of eligible applications by late June.

What steps his Department is taking to support the deployment of rooftop and carport solar on commercial buildings through guaranteed minimum export values.

The Government continues to support solar deployment on commercial rooftops and car parks through the Smart Export Guarantee. This ensures that businesses receive income for excess electricity exported to the grid.We also intend to support commercial rooftop deployment through other measures, including permitted development rights, and new building standards for newly built commercial buildings. As set out in the Clean Power Action Plan, we have published a call for evidence about solar canopies in car parks.Solar on car parks and electric vehicle charging - GOV.UK

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of street lighting reductions on road safety in West Dorset.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, such as Dorset Council. They have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Local authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Department is funding “Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK”, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme that aims to help decarbonise the local highway network. Learning and best practice from this programme will be shared with all highway authorities. One of the projects is trialling innovative ways to reduce the carbon emissions from streetlighting while also making roads safer. The Department has also started the process of reviewing the UK Roads Leadership Group’s (UKRLG) ‘Well Managed-Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’, which provides guidance for highway authorities and their contractors on all aspects of highway infrastructure, including street lighting. This will take account of lessons learned from the Live Labs 2 trials.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that police forces effectively allocate resources to help tackle speeding in rural communities.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement.How the police allocate their resources is a matter for individual Chief Constables, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.Enforcement of motoring offences and deployment of officers in West Dorset is an operational matter for Dorset Police’s Chief Constable to determine in line with local policing plans, in conjunction with the local Police and Crime Commissioner.Excess speed is a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads and anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face the full force of the law.