Written questions by Morello.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that rural areas receive adequate police funding to maintain (a) visible and (b) accessible policing.

The funding formula used for distributing Home Office Police Main Grant to police forces in England and Wales as part of the annual police settlement divides funds between different activities that the police undertake. A portion of total funding is also distributed according to population sparsity, to address the specific needs of rural forces.The Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years. The allocation of funding to police forces remains an important consideration and as with previous years, more details on force funding allocations for 2026-27, including decisions on police force funding allocations, will be made via the provisional police funding settlement later in the year.It is the responsibility of Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), including Mayors who exercise PCC or equivalent functions, to take decisions around their resourcing and estates. They are best placed to make decisions with their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the removal of Government funding for neighbourhood plans does not reduce community input into planning decisions in West Dorset.

Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards. Two neighbourhood planning groups in West Dorset are in receipt of technical support which has already been awarded but must be completed by March 2026. The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish.

How many police stations have closed in West Dorset constituency since 2010.

Decisions regarding the management of local police resourcing and estates, including police stations, is a matter for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need and their experience, in line with their existing budgets. The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure.Police stations are just one of the ways in which people can access their local police, including reporting online and by phone 24/7 via 999 for emergencies and 101 for non-emergency calls.A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing, and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing, The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a considerable difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams. We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of preventing the NHS Business Services Authority from withholding funding for staff payments where a community pharmacy owes significant money.

Pharmacies are private businesses. The National Health Service Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) pays all pharmacy contractors as set out in the Drug Tariff and based on the activity they declare which is then reconciled at a later stage to ensure that the total payment accurately reflects the prescriptions dispensed and the work done.The NHSBSA does not normally withhold funding from pharmacies unless there are good reasons to do so. If pharmacies do not give an accurate declaration of their activity, this can result in an overpayment which the NHSBSA recovers from future payments in line with the Managing Public Money guidance. This reduces the risk of financial loss to the NHS.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of GP contract uplifts on the ability of practices to fund pay rises for (a) practice nurses and (b) other non-doctor staff.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025-26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we have accepted the DDRB’s pay recommendation and have uplifted the pay elements of the GP contract by 4% on a consolidated basis (an increase of 1.2% on top of the 2.8% interim uplift in April). Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2025. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.

If he will align the terms and conditions for general practice nurses with those in the Agenda for Change.

As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.A letter was distributed to practices earlier this year recommending that practices pass on additional funding to uplift pay for salaried staff.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) job security and (b) employment conditions for general practice nurses.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the general practice (GP) nursing workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do.Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring that the National Health Service is able to recruit and retain staff, and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Later this year we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.As self-employed contractors to the NHS it is up to GPs how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. A letter was distributed to practices earlier this year recommending that practices pass on additional funding to uplift pay for salaried staff.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots women’s rugby.

We hosted a record breaking Women’s Rugby World Cup, it was a pleasure to attend 4 matches across the country and I congratulate the Red Roses on their well deserved victory. I would like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of the Rugby World Cup including the Chair of the Tournament Gill Whitaker and RFU President Deborah Griffin. Major events play an important role in inspiring people to get active.Since last summer we’ve provided £6.7m into the tournament's legacy programme Impact 25 which is reaching 850 clubs and supporting women and girls to get involved in rugby. This included Pontefract RUFC who I recently visited alongside the Foreign Secretary to see the work they are doing to get more women and girls playing Rugby.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing unmanned surface vehicle technologies.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommends that an immediate priority should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. The Royal Navy (RN) is already transitioning to uncrewed autonomous surface systems, particularly in the area of mine countermeasures, and the SDR announced the Atlantic Bastion transformation programme which should see the introduction of uncrewed surface vessels to support a wide variety of RN tasks. The RN continues to conduct research, trials, and capability development activity to assess potential operational utility and integration pathways for autonomous and remotely operated systems.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the discontinuation of funding of support services for the preparation of neighbourhood plans does not reduce community input into planning decisions.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 66166 on 21 July 2025.

Whether he plans to take steps with his international partners to provide unmanned surface vehicles to Ukraine.

The UK and its international partners remain committed to equipping Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to defend its sovereign territory, in line with its priority requirements. This includes the provision of unmanned surface vehicles. We continue to work closely with the Government of Ukraine to ensure that the support we provide aligns with the evolving tactical demands of the conflict, including through the UK-Germany joint leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

Whether Dorchester South station will be prioritised for funding under the Access for All programme following the feasibility study.

We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since 2006 the Access for All programme has installed accessible, step free routes at over 270 stations plus a range of smaller scale access improvements at around 1500 stations. In May 2024, the previous government agreed the publication of a list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work, which included Dorchester South railway station.Network Rail have now completed all 50 feasibility studies and we will shortly be announcing which of those stations will progress. I am pleased that Dorset Council have already pledged some funding for the project but would welcome any further contributions that could be found.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that South Western Railway rail replacement bus services are fully wheelchair accessible.

Regulatory requirements apply to South Western Railway (SWR) to ensure rail replacement buses meet the necessary standards on accessibility. SWR works with its rail replacement providers to ensure services are accessible as far as possible, but if accessible options are not available, SWR will arrange alternative accessible transport.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of step-free access for (a) disabled passengers, (b) older residents and (c) families with children at Dorchester South Station.

We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since 2006 the Access for All programme has installed accessible, step free routes at over 270 stations plus a range of smaller scale access improvements at around 1500 stations. In May 2024, the previous government agreed the publication of a list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work, which included Dorchester South railway station.Network Rail have now completed all 50 feasibility studies and we will shortly be announcing which of those stations will progress. I am pleased that Dorset Council have already pledged some funding for the project but would welcome any further contributions that could be found.

If she will hold discussions with mortgage providers on the potential impact of excluding Section 157 properties by default on rural housing markets.

HM Treasury is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their mortgage business to understand their position and current lending conditions. However, the pricing of mortgages, including the availability of mortgage finance for particular properties, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene.I would encourage any prospective homeowner to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker in order to find the best possible mortgage product for their circumstances.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent mortgage providers from excluding Section 157 properties by default.

HM Treasury is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their mortgage business to understand their position and current lending conditions. However, the pricing of mortgages, including the availability of mortgage finance for particular properties, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene.I would encourage any prospective homeowner to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker in order to find the best possible mortgage product for their circumstances.

When her Department plans to announce the outcome of the feasibility study into step-free access at Dorchester South station.

We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since 2006 the Access for All programme has installed accessible, step free routes at over 270 stations plus a range of smaller scale access improvements at around 1500 stations. In May 2024, the previous government agreed the publication of a list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work, which included Dorchester South railway station.Network Rail have now completed all 50 feasibility studies and we will shortly be announcing which of those stations will progress. I am pleased that Dorset Council have already pledged some funding for the project but would welcome any further contributions that could be found.

How much funding his Department has allocated for research and development on unmanned surface vehicle technologies in the last five years.

It will take time to collate the information needed to respond to the hon. Member’s Question. I will write to him and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Whether she has had discussions with mortgage providers on their policies in relation to excluding Section 157 properties by default.

HM Treasury is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their mortgage business to understand their position and current lending conditions. However, the pricing of mortgages, including the availability of mortgage finance for particular properties, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene.I would encourage any prospective homeowner to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker in order to find the best possible mortgage product for their circumstances.

If she will make it her policy to require train operating companies to guarantee that rail replacement services will be accessible for disabled passengers.

Rail replacement services operated by train operating companies must meet the needs of disabled passengers. This includes using vehicles compliant with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR). The train operators can only use non-PSVAR compliant vehicles when no compliant vehicle is available under the current exemption which will expire in July 2026. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) collects data on the levels of compliance with the PSVAR from the train operators. The ORR’s Annual Consumer Report for 2024/2025 showed that 96 per cent of rail replacement vehicles met required standards.