Written questions by Morello.

What criteria are used to determine the allocation of funding for road resurfacing to local councils; and how these criteria have been applied to Dorset Council.

The main criteria used to determine the allocation of highway maintenance funding to local highway authorities are road length and road classification, along with the number of bridges and street lighting columns that each local authority is responsible for maintaining. The Department uses a bespoke formula to allocate funding to eligible authorities, including Dorset Council; details of the formula can be found on gov.uk.It is for Dorset Council to decide how much to spend in the West Dorset constituency and how much to spend elsewhere across its network. Funding allocations for Dorset Council for the last six years are set out in the table below. Funding for Dorset Council 2020/21 – 2025/26 Year £mHighways Maintenance Block needsHighways Maintenance Block incentivePotholes Fund*Budget 2023 top upNetwork North (Roads Resurfacing Fund)Total20/2110.5642.2019.112 21.87721/227.2851.8217.285 16.39122/237.2851.8217.285 16.39123/247.2851.8217.2852.9142.06821.37324/257.2851.8217.285 2.06818.45925/2618.2736.738** 25.011 * For 2020/21, this included the £500 million Pothole Fund, allocated funding from the £100 million Challenge Fund, and the final £50 million of the previous Pothole Action Fund, totalling £650 million. **25% of this funding is subject to authorities adhering to incentive measures as announced on March 24, 2025.

How much funding has been allocated to Dorset Council for road resurfacing projects in West Dorset for the fiscal years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how this compares to the last five years for which information is available.

The main criteria used to determine the allocation of highway maintenance funding to local highway authorities are road length and road classification, along with the number of bridges and street lighting columns that each local authority is responsible for maintaining. The Department uses a bespoke formula to allocate funding to eligible authorities, including Dorset Council; details of the formula can be found on gov.uk.It is for Dorset Council to decide how much to spend in the West Dorset constituency and how much to spend elsewhere across its network. Funding allocations for Dorset Council for the last six years are set out in the table below. Funding for Dorset Council 2020/21 – 2025/26 Year £mHighways Maintenance Block needsHighways Maintenance Block incentivePotholes Fund*Budget 2023 top upNetwork North (Roads Resurfacing Fund)Total20/2110.5642.2019.112 21.87721/227.2851.8217.285 16.39122/237.2851.8217.285 16.39123/247.2851.8217.2852.9142.06821.37324/257.2851.8217.285 2.06818.45925/2618.2736.738** 25.011 * For 2020/21, this included the £500 million Pothole Fund, allocated funding from the £100 million Challenge Fund, and the final £50 million of the previous Pothole Action Fund, totalling £650 million. **25% of this funding is subject to authorities adhering to incentive measures as announced on March 24, 2025.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of introducing additional diesel multiple units to the Great Western Railway fleet on the environment; and whether she plans to take steps to help mitigate the environmental impact of diesel trains on Great Western Railway services.

Great Western Railway (GWR) is introducing additional diesel units from the end of this year. This will enable older diesel units to be retired and provide more resilience across the network. The Department continues to work with the industry to develop plans to move towards decarbonisation in the longer term.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential return on investment of increasing funding for (a) cycling and (b) walking.

Investment in active travel supports the Government’s economic growth, health and net zero missions, and generally has a very positive benefit-to-cost ratio. Walking and cycling are among the cheapest and most accessible forms of physical activity and some of the most cost-effective interventions to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended physical activity levels. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February. This will deliver 300 miles of brand new pavements and cycle routes to enable 30 million more journeys by walking and cycling every year. It will lead to 43,000 less sick days a year to ease pressure on the NHS.

Whether she plans to request funds for (a) cycling and (b) walking as part of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Future government funding for cycling and walking is being considered alongside all other transport priorities as part of the Spending Review. On 28 March, I informed Parliament of my intention to publish a third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy following the conclusion of the Spending Review. This will allow us to say more on the long-term funding for active travel, as required by the 2015 Infrastructure Act.

How much funding her Department plans to provide to Dorset Council for (a) cycling and (b) walking infrastructure in each of the next three financial years.

On 12 February, the Department announced the funding allocations for the Combined Active Travel Fund (CATF), the dedicated revenue and capital funding round for 2025/26. Dorset Council was awarded £774,233 and it will be for the authority to decide on infrastructure projects it may wish to progress with this funding. Decisions on future Government funding for active travel will be a matter for the Spending Review, which is considering all transport expenditure in the round. Specific funding allocations to Dorset Council for 2026/27 and 2027/28 will be agreed after the Spending Review concludes.

If she will hold discussions with Great Western Railway on improving seat availability on services in West Dorset constituency.

Department officials have regular discussions with Great Western Railway (GWR) about the provision of capacity across its network, including in the West Dorset constituency. Additional capacity was added in May 2023 to ensure trains run consistently once every two hours but there are no immediate plans to increase capacity at this time.

If her Department will allocate 10% of the transport budget to active travel to increase cycling levels.

Decisions on future Government funding for active travel will be a matter for the Spending Review, which is considering all transport expenditure in the round. Investment in active travel supports the Government’s economic growth, health and net zero missions, and the Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February.

Whether she has had recent discussions with Great Western Railway on improving customer satisfaction of services in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other areas.

Department officials have regular discussions with Great Western Railway (GWR) on matters related to customer satisfaction on its services, including those that run through West Dorset. The operator is held to account for its performance both at stations and on trains.

Whether her Department is taking steps to help support Great Western Railway to procure additional rolling stock.

Great Western Railway and Network Rail have been working together to develop plans to replace ageing rolling stock with trains that will better meet the needs of passengers in the future. Any specific proposals are subject to both business case approval and funding being available.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the consistency of decisions made by higher education providers on the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of incorrectly assessing people as ineligible for home fee status on students from the Cayman Islands.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

What steps his Department is taking to help promote the (a) recycling and (b) reuse of (i) Zimmer frames, (ii) walking sticks and (iii) other medical equipment within the NHS.

As set out in the Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by improving resilience and increasing the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical equipment.In October 2024, the Government published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products and towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The programme is expected to build on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings through reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medical devices and equipment, in line with their local Green Plans.NHS England continues to work to expand locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes, which include crutches, frames, and walking sticks, and savings from implementing these schemes are estimated at up to £46,000 a year per hospital, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with potential carbon savings estimated at 7.4kt of CO2e per annum.A range of resources and communication tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns, and these include the Walking Aids Reuse How-to Guide and the Walking Aids page on the Recycle Now website, which shows the nearest drop off location by postcode, with 272 drop off locations in total, including 72 recycling centres that have been established through close working with local authority partners.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that British citizens from the Cayman Islands with a right of abode in the UK are not mistakenly denied access to home fee status due to administrative misinterpretation of their (a) immigration and (b) nationality status.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) training and (b) qualifications of higher education administrative staff involved in determining eligibility for home fee status under the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of working with local authorities to facilitate the (a) collection and (b) redistribution of (i) Zimmer frames, (ii) walking sticks and (iii) other used medical equipment.

As set out in the Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by improving resilience and increasing the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical equipment.In October 2024, the Government published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products and towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The programme is expected to build on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings through reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medical devices and equipment, in line with their local Green Plans.NHS England continues to work to expand locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes, which include crutches, frames, and walking sticks, and savings from implementing these schemes are estimated at up to £46,000 a year per hospital, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with potential carbon savings estimated at 7.4kt of CO2e per annum.A range of resources and communication tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns, and these include the Walking Aids Reuse How-to Guide and the Walking Aids page on the Recycle Now website, which shows the nearest drop off location by postcode, with 272 drop off locations in total, including 72 recycling centres that have been established through close working with local authority partners.

What recent assessment he has made of the (a) availability and (b) accessibility of NHS ear wax removal services in West Dorset constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal.Across the West Dorset area, the NHS Dorset ICB is responsible for commissioning ear wax removal services in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/RecommendationsManual ear syringing is no longer advised by the NICE due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so general practitioners (GPs) will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.However, in line with the NICE’s guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP could then consider referring the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.When ICBs exercise their functions, including commissioning healthcare services such as ear wax removal, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between people with respect to their ability to access health services, and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

Whether his Department plans to issue formal guidance to higher education providers on assessing the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status under the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential (a) environmental and (b) financial merits of implementing nationwide recycling programmes for durable medical equipment.

As set out in the Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by improving resilience and increasing the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical equipment.In October 2024, the Government published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products and towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The programme is expected to build on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings through reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medical devices and equipment, in line with their local Green Plans.NHS England continues to work to expand locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes, which include crutches, frames, and walking sticks, and savings from implementing these schemes are estimated at up to £46,000 a year per hospital, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with potential carbon savings estimated at 7.4kt of CO2e per annum.A range of resources and communication tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns, and these include the Walking Aids Reuse How-to Guide and the Walking Aids page on the Recycle Now website, which shows the nearest drop off location by postcode, with 272 drop off locations in total, including 72 recycling centres that have been established through close working with local authority partners.

What recent discussions her Department has had with the Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK on improving access to home fees for students from the Cayman Islands.

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.