Written questions by Morello.

What plans his Department has to improve the recruitment and retention of Army Reservists.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 March 2025 to Question 33164 to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Alison Taylor).

What assessment his Department has made of the future (a) role of and (b) funding arrangements for the Army Reserve Centre in Dorchester.

The Department recognises the invaluable contributions made by the Army Reserves to Defence. Ensuring they have adequate support remains both a priority of mine, and the Ministry of Defence, demonstrated by the fact I have commissioned an internal review in Defence to ensure that we are making the most of the unique contribution our Reserve Forces offer. Any decisions about future investment in Reserve Centres occupied by the Army are pending the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the clarity of (a) deferred event fees documentation and (b) other documentation. .

Once commenced, measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will ensure all leaseholders receive minimum key financial and non-financial information on a regular basis, including introducing a standardised service charge demand form and an annual report, so that leaseholders can scrutinise and better challenge costs if they are considered unreasonable.As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS2440), the government will consult on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s provisions on service charges this year, bringing these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.We are giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, including that government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendations to regulate event fees.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards receive adequate funding to improve access to GP services in rural areas.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). In allocating budgets, it has two aims: equal opportunity of access for equal need, and reducing health inequalities. This process is independent of government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.General practices receive ‘global sum’ funding for providing core services, comprising approximately 50-60% of practice income. The global sum is a capitated payment calculated based on the size of a practice’s registered list of patients, weighted using the Carr-Hill formula. Through the Carr-Hill formula, payments to practices are adjusted in consideration of several factors, including geographical location of a practice. This includes accounting for the additional costs of delivering services in rural areas, and in areas where staff costs are higher.Although practices receive most of their funding through the contract, after contract payments have been made, ICBs can also use remaining funds from their primary care allocation as discretionary spend for general practice. ICBs can also opt to use their wider funding outside of their primary care allocation to invest in general practice services. This can be directed to best address local need, as determined by the ICB.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to help ensure that asset management plans are made available to prospective property buyers.

Providing essential information upfront during the home buying and selling process is important in supporting potential buyers to make informed decisions about whether a property is suitable for them.There is already a requirement under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 that any property information that would help a prospective homebuyer to make an informed decision is not hidden or omitted.On 9 February 2025, the government announced action to improve the availability of property information. Improving access to key home buying and selling data will help transactions run more smoothly by ensuring all parties are able to access the information they need at the right time.We recognise the benefits to leaseholders of Asset Management Plans. As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS2440), the government will consult on new reforms to the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure that leaseholders must go through when they face large bills for such works.    We continue to work with stakeholders across industry, government, and the public sector to understand the most effective way of supporting buyers to make the right decisions.

Whether her Department plans to provide further guidance on workplace adjustments and transition support for young people with SEND that do not qualify for an Education, Health and Care Plan.

As a government, we want to support young SEND adults in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. A range of measures are currently available. The Disability Confident scheme was developed in collaboration with disabled people, employers and organisations representing disabled people. The scheme aims to challenge perceptions of what it means to employ disabled people and provides employers with the knowledge skills and free resources they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people of all ages in the workplace. To support young people with the transition from education into work, Access to Work has developed a series of Adjustment Passports and Planners. They were developed with stakeholders and disability groups to ensure the format adhered to the social model of disability and met disability needs. They are completely voluntary, and can support the transitions into employment by providing: A transferable record of adjustments, reducing the need for the young person to repeat personal information about their disabilityA tool to support structured conversations with an employer about disability and adjustments and can highlight the in-work support Access to Work can provide.If an Access to Work application is made, the adjustment planner can support the application process by removing the need for an assessment. In November the Government launched its plan to Get Britain Working. We are working closely with employers, and through insights from the Keep Britain Working Review, to understand the barriers they face to employing disabled people. In addition to this, on 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper, published on 18 March, set out a £1 billion investment a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Integrated Care Board funding levels on GP recruitment and retention in West Dorset constituency.

General practitioner (GP) retention initiatives are funded though System Development Funds within Primary Care Transformation budgets at an integrated care board (ICB) level. This year, within the NHS Dorset ICB, that funding has supported:a fellowship programme offered across all staff groups, with most successful candidates being from within the GP staff group and with one applicant being from West Dorset;a coaching and mentoring programme, with 14 GPs having signed up;Lantum, a locum platform used across Dorset; andfunding for the General Practice Alliance to represent the voice of GPs and to carry out initiatives that support the sustainability of GPs in Dorset.This year, the NHS Dorset ICB also received a one-off funding grant for health and wellbeing within GPs from NHS England. This funding is being used to pilot an Employee Assistance Programme, recruit a Social Prescriber fellow to support international medical graduates, and provide health and wellbeing training. An NHS Dorset and Dorset GP Education Centre taskforce to increase GP training placements has identified West Dorset as an opportunity for growth.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve workplace support for young people with SEND that do not meet the criteria for specialist provision.

As a government, we want to support young SEND adults in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. A range of measures are currently available. The Disability Confident scheme was developed in collaboration with disabled people, employers and organisations representing disabled people. The scheme aims to challenge perceptions of what it means to employ disabled people and provides employers with the knowledge skills and free resources they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people of all ages in the workplace. To support young people with the transition from education into work, Access to Work has developed a series of Adjustment Passports and Planners. They were developed with stakeholders and disability groups to ensure the format adhered to the social model of disability and met disability needs. They are completely voluntary, and can support the transitions into employment by providing: A transferable record of adjustments, reducing the need for the young person to repeat personal information about their disabilityA tool to support structured conversations with an employer about disability and adjustments and can highlight the in-work support Access to Work can provide.If an Access to Work application is made, the adjustment planner can support the application process by removing the need for an assessment. In November the Government launched its plan to Get Britain Working. We are working closely with employers, and through insights from the Keep Britain Working Review, to understand the barriers they face to employing disabled people. In addition to this, on 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper, published on 18 March, set out a £1 billion investment a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of employment support for young people with SEND that do not meet the threshold for specialist provision but require workplace adaptations.

As a government, we want to support young SEND adults in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. A range of measures are currently available. The Disability Confident scheme was developed in collaboration with disabled people, employers and organisations representing disabled people. The scheme aims to challenge perceptions of what it means to employ disabled people and provides employers with the knowledge skills and free resources they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people of all ages in the workplace. To support young people with the transition from education into work, Access to Work has developed a series of Adjustment Passports and Planners. They were developed with stakeholders and disability groups to ensure the format adhered to the social model of disability and met disability needs. They are completely voluntary, and can support the transitions into employment by providing: A transferable record of adjustments, reducing the need for the young person to repeat personal information about their disabilityA tool to support structured conversations with an employer about disability and adjustments and can highlight the in-work support Access to Work can provide.If an Access to Work application is made, the adjustment planner can support the application process by removing the need for an assessment. In November the Government launched its plan to Get Britain Working. We are working closely with employers, and through insights from the Keep Britain Working Review, to understand the barriers they face to employing disabled people. In addition to this, on 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper, published on 18 March, set out a £1 billion investment a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support.

How many fast charging points for electric vehicles are operational in West Dorset constituency.

Data on the number of public electric vehicle charging devices in the West Dorset constituency, provided by the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap as of 1 January 2025, are given in the table below, categorised by standard speed groupings. Higher power devices can deliver charging at quicker speeds. 3kW up to 8kW8kW to 49kW50kW to 149kW150kW and aboveWest Dorset constituency3047282Data on charging devices not available to the public installed under government grants are not available at parliamentary constituency level and so are excluded from this table.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support low-income households with water bills.

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030.This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector. These bill rises equate to around £3 additional per month on average before inflation. This will pay to fix crumbling infrastructure, which will dramatically reduce sewage spills and lead to cleaner rivers, lakes and seas. For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Whilst bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways, we fully understand the financial pressures hardworking families are currently facing. We are pushing the sector to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. The Government expects water companies to put robust support measures in place for customers to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that customers are sufficiently supported. Furthermore, the Government expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their commitment to end Water Poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to this end.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of post-16 transition arrangements on students in (a) Social, Emotional and Mental Health provisions and (b) Pupil Referral Units unable to access (i) mainstream and (ii) specialist post-16 education.

The statutory duty on local authorities to arrange alternative provision applies to children of compulsory school age. This includes a duty to arrange education for children who cannot attend school due to their mental or physical health needs.Although the duty only applies to children of compulsory school age, alternative provision schools, including pupil referral units, can offer post-16 provision if they wish to do so. 21 of the 334 state-funded alternative provision schools currently have a registered sixth form.If any alternative provision schools would like to offer post-16 placements, they should approach the department to discuss this. Funded post-16 education has a variety of provider types which deliver different provision, relevant to the different aspirations and needs of post-16 students. In addition, 16 to 19 study programmes should be tailored to meet the individual needs of the young person.

When her Department plans to publish an update on the work of the Motor Insurance Taskforce.

The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce was launched in October. It is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.The taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. The Department will provide updates on the motor insurance taskforce’s work and announce a date for the next meeting in due course.

Whether her Department has set a timetable for future meetings of the Motor Insurance Taskforce.

The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce was launched in October. It is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.The taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. The Department will provide updates on the motor insurance taskforce’s work and announce a date for the next meeting in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to enable (a) Social, Emotional and Mental Health provisions and (b) Pupil Referral Units to extend (i) academic and (ii) vocational education to post-16 students on the same site.

The statutory duty on local authorities to arrange alternative provision applies to children of compulsory school age. This includes a duty to arrange education for children who cannot attend school due to their mental or physical health needs.Although the duty only applies to children of compulsory school age, alternative provision schools, including pupil referral units, can offer post-16 provision if they wish to do so. 21 of the 334 state-funded alternative provision schools currently have a registered sixth form.If any alternative provision schools would like to offer post-16 placements, they should approach the department to discuss this. Funded post-16 education has a variety of provider types which deliver different provision, relevant to the different aspirations and needs of post-16 students. In addition, 16 to 19 study programmes should be tailored to meet the individual needs of the young person.

Food and Rural Affairs, what regulations exist to prevent leakage from private sewage systems into (a) soil and (b) groundwater.

Discharges to ground or watercourses from private sewerage systems are regulated by the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016. The requirements of these regulations are implemented through a combination of statutory general binding rules for small discharges and environmental permits for larger ones. Other relevant regulations are the responsibility of local authorities, in particular the relevant provisions set out in the Building Act 1984 and the Public Health Act 1936.

Food and Rural Affairs, what penalties exist for owners of private sewage systems which leak into (a) soil and (b) watercourses.

In cases where private sewerage systems cause pollution of either soil or watercourses the operator of that system may be committing an offence under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 and, as such, may be subject to the potential penalties set out in those Regulations. When determining what compliance or enforcement action is appropriate in any given case the Environment Agency uses its enforcement and sanctions policy. Penalties may also arise under legislation for which local authorities are responsible, including the Public Health Act 1936 and the Building Act 1984.

What plans she has to increase the number of fast charging points for electric vehicles in West Dorset constituency over the next five years.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. The Government and industry have supported the installation of 75,305 publicly available charging devices, including 15,082 rapid charging devices. There are currently over 5,250 open-access rapid and ultra-rapid chargers within one mile of the strategic road network. As of 1 January 2025, there were 107 public charging devices in West Dorset, including 30 rapid or ultra-rapid devices. Dorset Council, which includes West Dorset constituency, were allocated almost £3 million of capital and resource funding through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. The £381 million LEVI Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The funding, backed by private investment, will support the installation of at least 100,000 on-street chargepoints across England.

Food and Rural Affairs, how the criteria for the Water Restoration Fund ensure the prioritisation of projects with the highest impact on the environment.

The Water Restoration Fund is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects, which is administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). Water environmental improvement project applications were assessed through a competitive process against published scoring criteria. Applications were assessed against other applications within the water company region that applicants applied for, by both a technical assessment panel and a moderation panel. Following this rigorous assessment process, I am pleased to say that current applicants to the Water Restoration Fund have been contacted regarding the outcome of their application. Further details regarding which projects have been successful will be shared in due course once funding agreements have been finalised. Details of the assessment can be found online at Gov.uk

Whether her Department has considered allowing (a) Social, Emotional and Mental Health provisions and (b) Pupil Referral Units to offer post-16 education within existing frameworks.

The statutory duty on local authorities to arrange alternative provision applies to children of compulsory school age. This includes a duty to arrange education for children who cannot attend school due to their mental or physical health needs.Although the duty only applies to children of compulsory school age, alternative provision schools, including pupil referral units, can offer post-16 provision if they wish to do so. 21 of the 334 state-funded alternative provision schools currently have a registered sixth form.If any alternative provision schools would like to offer post-16 placements, they should approach the department to discuss this. Funded post-16 education has a variety of provider types which deliver different provision, relevant to the different aspirations and needs of post-16 students. In addition, 16 to 19 study programmes should be tailored to meet the individual needs of the young person.