Written questions by Morello.

Whether she has had recent discussions with representatives from the (a) pub and (b) brewing industries on (i) the levels of duty payable on beer and (ii) fiscal support for those industries.

Treasury ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations on how the alcohol duty system can be improved. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staff turnover on the quality of care in retirement homes.

The Department continues to monitor adult social care (ASC) workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool which collates data from all ASC providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission and intelligence from key sector partners.With high rates of turnover and recruitment challenges, the ASC sector faces significant workforce challenges. In April 2025, we expanded the Care Workforce Pathway, the first ever universal career structure for the ASC workforce in England, and we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector; in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care. We have also launched an independent commission into social care as part of first steps towards a National Care Service.

What steps he plans to take to help improve (a) the delivery and (b) standards of patient care in dental practices following the dissolution of NHS England in 2027.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April 2025 to Question 46592.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending the current beer duty freeze on the pub industry.

At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor cut alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, including most draught beer – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85 million a year and is equivalent to a 1p duty reduction on a typical pint. This reduction, which came into effect on 1 February 2025, increased the relief available on draught products to 13.9%.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of new fire safety regulations on the workload of fire and rescue services.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are the main changes made to fire safety legislation in recent years, and both were subject to impact assessments which were published at the time of their introduction. We are providing £10 million Protection Uplift Grant to Fire and Rescue Services for 2025/26, with £5 million allocated for the first six months and a further £5 million to be confirmed later in the year. The Protection Uplift grant is ringfenced to fire protection and is used to bolster capability and capacity in protection departments. Decisions on future funding to Fire and Rescue Services to support the work of the Building Safety Regulator are under consideration and yet to be confirmed. Additionally, MHCLG’s Remediation Acceleration Plan sets out the Government’s intent to legislate to place stronger duties on landlords, including creating a legal duty on those responsible for buildings 11m and over to remediate their buildings within clear timescales, supplemented by further powers for regulators, including Fire and Rescue Authorities, to enforce. An impact assessment of any new legislation will be produced and published alongside this to capture the likely impact of the change including regulatory burden.

What steps his Department is taking to incentivise investment in UK-based carbon removal (a) manufacturing and (b) engineering capabilities.

The Government has been investing £100 million in research and innovation for Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGR) technologies, including the Direct Air Capture and GGR Innovation Competition. Phase 2 of the competition was announced in July 2022, with over £49 million of government funding awarded across 14 of the most promising projects to engineer and manufacture carbon removal pilot plant demonstrators. The Government has also been developing business models to incentivise private investment in large-scale UK GGR projects, and enabled GGR projects to apply for access to the Hynet Carbon Capture Usage and Storage cluster through the Track 1 expansion process.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help improve the cyber security resilience of fire and rescue services.

The government is committed to enhancing the UK’s resilience to threats, crises and emergencies. Fire and Rescue Authorities are subject to the full set of civil protection duties under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), to plan and prepare for disruptive incidents. This includes cyber security, and my department regularly engages with the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Digital Data and Technology Team and relevant service Cyber Leads. In addition, my department is working closely with all Fire and Rescue Services in England to support them to improve their cyber security and resilience. This includes:publication of a new Digital and Cyber Fire Standard, published in September 2024;understanding the landscape through FRS completion of the Cyber Assessment Framework for relevant ICT Systems;strengthening Capability, in partnership with NFCC including development of training materials and sharing of best practice; andincident Planning and Exercising, through delivery of Cyber Tabletop Exercises to FRSs aimed at improving skills and preparedness for responding to cyber incidents.

What steps his Department is taking to support the growth of UK-based manufacturing capabilities for engineered carbon removal technology.

The Government has been investing £100 million in research and innovation for Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGR) technologies, including the Direct Air Capture and GGR Innovation Competition. Phase 2 of the competition was announced in July 2022, with over £49 million of government funding awarded across 14 of the most promising projects to engineer and manufacture carbon removal pilot plant demonstrators. The Government has also been developing business models to incentivise private investment in large-scale UK GGR projects, and enabled GGR projects to apply for access to the Hynet Carbon Capture Usage and Storage cluster through the Track 1 expansion process.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of Gladis' Law.

The Countryside Code already provides comprehensive guidance for dog walkers and highlights that it is best practice to keep dogs on a lead around livestock. Although it is not mandatory under The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 for a dog to be kept on a lead around livestock, a person will be committing an offence under the Act if a dog attacks or worries livestock on agricultural land.The Government is supporting a Private Members’ Bill which will introduce new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying in England and Wales. The Bill will modernise definitions and scope, strengthen police powers, and increase the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.

What guidance her Department issues to drivers on (a) verifying the accuracy of their driving licence entitlements and (b) what recourse is available to them if discrepancies to their licence entitlements are found.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sends leaflets with all driving licences which advise the licence holder to check that all details, including the vehicle categories or driving entitlements, are correct. The leaflet also explains the information contained on the licence and where it is found so that any issues can be easily identified. If a licence holder notices any errors or discrepancies on their licence, they should return it to the DVLA to be corrected.

What steps he plans to take to improve (a) service delivery and (b) patient care standards in community pharmacies after the abolition of NHS England.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the NHS, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.All services delivered within a community pharmacy are delivered under the supervision of a pharmacist, who are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The GPhC is the independent regulator of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacy premises in Great Britain, and will remain unaffected by any changes to NHS England. GPhC sets standards for the education and training of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support staff. They inspect pharmacies to ensure standards are met and act if there are concerns about a registered pharmacy or pharmacy professional.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase levels of public awareness of the responsibilities of dog owners to prevent livestock worrying incidents.

The Countryside Code highlights best practice for signage for livestock keepers, and comprehensive guidance for dog walkers. We encourage livestock keepers to adhere to this, raising public awareness by indicating the presence of animals with signs on walkways or field entrances. The Countryside Code also promotes messages on its social media pages and campaign web pages to raise awareness. The Government is supporting a Private Members’ Bill which will introduce new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying in England and Wales. The Bill will modernise definitions and scope, strengthen police powers, and increase the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.

What steps he plans to take to improve (a) service delivery and (b) patient care standards in GP practices after the abolition of NHS England.

The Government is working with the National Health Service to fix the front door of our health service and ensure everyone can access general practice (GP) services, and since October 2024, we have recruited over 1,500 more GPs through an £82 million funding boost. We will make sure the future of GPs is sustainable by training thousands more GPs, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one and delivering a modern booking system.We will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and will work collaboratively to put plans in place to ensure continuity of care, so that there are no risks to patient safety.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will consider extending existing site remediation funding to Community Land Trusts.

The government recognises the value of Community Land Trusts in developing homes for local communities. Community Land Trusts can apply for funding through a range of existing programmes, including the Brownfield Land Release Fund and the Affordable Homes Programme. The Department continues to engage with the sector and keeps funding options under review to support community-led housing delivery.

Communities and Local Government, what funding options are available to community land trusts for (a) site remediation and (b) preliminary infrastructure work following the abolition of the Derelict Land Grant.

The government recognises the value of Community Land Trusts in developing homes for local communities. Community Land Trusts can apply for funding through a range of existing programmes, including the Brownfield Land Release Fund and the Affordable Homes Programme. The Department continues to engage with the sector and keeps funding options under review to support community-led housing delivery.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he had made of the potential impact of organophosphate exposure from sheep dip on the health of (a) farmers and (b) agricultural workers.

The Government has commissioned a considerable amount of research to investigate whether there is a link between the use of organophosphate sheep dips and chronic ill-health. The outcome of this research was provided to the independent Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment who have published two statements in 2009 and 2014. The independent scientific advice is that the research evidence does not support a link between the use of sheep dips and chronic ill-health.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) support and (b) resources his Department has provided to farmers to protect livestock from dog attacks.

The Government recognises the distress livestock worrying can cause animals and their keepers. All reported crimes should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with appropriate penalties. The Government is supporting a Private Members’ Bill which will introduce new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying. The Bill will modernise definitions and scope, strengthen police powers, and increase the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to implement penalties for dog attacks on livestock; and when those penalties will be enforced.

The Government recognises the distress livestock worrying can cause animals and their keepers. All reported crimes should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with appropriate penalties. The Government is supporting a Private Members’ Bill which will introduce new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying. The Bill will modernise definitions and scope, strengthen police powers, and increase the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing compensation to people affected by exposure to organophosphates in sheep dip.

Whilst the Government is sympathetic to those who are ill, the Government is neutral on the issue of compensation claims between those who believe that their health has been affected by exposure to organophosphates and the manufacturers of those products.

Whether her Department provides funding for safe cycling routes to schools in rural areas.

The Government recently announced £222.5 million for local authorities outside London for the delivery of walking and cycling schemes. It is for local authorities to decide on local priorities for investment in local transport networks, including walking and cycling routes to schools.