Written questions by Morello.

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.

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.

Whether his Department plans to introduce compensation for pension claimants financially impacted by delays in pension processing caused by industrial action among MyCSP staff.

There are no plans to introduce compensation for members and there are no reported delays of pensions being processed caused by the ongoing industrial action in MyCSP.

Whether his Department plans to provide funding to the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery after June 2026.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery was originally awarded over £6.9 million 2017 with further funding of £7 million awarded in 2021 to establish a Global Surgery Network. The latest funding contract ends in June 2026. We encourage members to look out for and apply for future NIHR funding opportunities to build upon their strong foundations and continue to drive an evidence-informed approach to surgery. Applications to NIHR funding schemes are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The Department and NIHR continue to recognise the critical importance of global health research to drive the health and well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of delays in processing pensions on claimants.

There are no reported delays of pension processing caused by the ongoing industrial action in MyCSP.

Whether his Department plans to provide support to the Global Surgery Network for projects in (a) Nigeria, (b) India, (c) Mexico and (d) other countries.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery was originally awarded over £6.9 million in 2017 with further funding of £7 million awarded in 2021 to establish a Global Surgery Network. The latest funding contract ends in June 2026. We encourage members to look out for and apply for future NIHR funding opportunities to build upon their strong foundations and continue to drive an evidence-informed approach to surgery. Applications to NIHR funding schemes are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The Department and NIHR continue to recognise the critical importance of global health research to drive the health and well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable.

How many pension claimants have been affected by delays caused by the industrial dispute among MyCSP staff.

There have been no reports of pension delays arising from the ongoing industrial action in MyCSP

What steps his Department is taking to tackle delays in pension processing as a result of industrial action among MyCSP staff.

As MyCSP is a private company, the Cabinet Office cannot be directly involved in tackling any delays in the processing of pensions caused by industrial action. However, we are encouraging both MyCSP and the PCS Trade Union to engage in dialogue to resolve this dispute as soon as possible. We continue to monitor the situation closely. There have been no reports of pension delays arising from the ongoing industrial action in MyCSP

Whether his Department has had discussions with Jhoots Pharmacy on unpaid (a) staff wages and (b) suppliers.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to attract US Alzheimer’s research scientists to UK institutions.

The Immigration White Paper and Modern Industrial Strategy emphasised the importance of enabling high-skilled international researchers to come to the UK with ease, and committed to improvements to key visa routes, including the Global Talent Visa.The £54 million Global Talent Fund will attract around 60-80 leading researchers across Industrial Strategy sectors including Life Sciences to UK institutions. The Fund includes targeted visa and relocation cost support, and complements existing funding and talent schemes from UKRI, the National Academies and NIHR.The new Global Talent Taskforce will promote UK strengths and opportunities to exceptional talent, including international Life Sciences talent.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to attract US cancer research scientists to UK institutions.

The Immigration White Paper and Modern Industrial Strategy emphasised the importance of enabling high-skilled international researchers to come to the UK with ease, and committed to improvements to key visa routes, including the Global Talent Visa.The £54 million Global Talent Fund will attract around 60-80 leading researchers across Industrial Strategy sectors including Life Sciences to UK institutions. The Fund includes targeted visa and relocation cost support, and complements existing funding and talent schemes from UKRI, the National Academies and NIHR.The new Global Talent Taskforce will promote UK strengths and opportunities to exceptional talent, including international Life Sciences talent.

What recent assessment he has made of the progress made towards delivering 5 million tonnes of engineered carbon removals by 2030.

We remain committed to developing and deploying Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs) at scale in the UK, recognising the important role they play in achieving net zero. The Government will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors of the economy, including GGRs, by October 2025. The Government will also set Carbon Budget 7 by June 2026, in line with our statutory duties.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has held discussions with UK research bodies on opportunities to recruit American scientists impacted by US budget cuts.

The Immigration White Paper and Modern Industrial Strategy emphasised the importance of enabling high-skilled international researchers to come to the UK with ease, and committed to improvements to key visa routes, including the Global Talent Visa.The £54 million Global Talent Fund will attract around 60-80 leading researchers across Industrial Strategy sectors including Life Sciences to UK institutions. The Fund includes targeted visa and relocation cost support, and complements existing funding and talent schemes from UKRI, the National Academies and NIHR.The new Global Talent Taskforce will promote UK strengths and opportunities to exceptional talent, including international Life Sciences talent.

What steps his Department is taking to support the scale-up of technologies needed to achieve 23 million tonnes of engineered carbon removals per year by 2035.

Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs) will be important to Net Zero - balancing residual emissions from hard-to-abate sectors whilst providing economic opportunities. In August Government published details of the GGR Business Model and published the Carbon Capture and Storage HyNet Track-1 expansion Project Negotiation List, which includes two GGR projects. To support demand, Government published a response to the consultation on the integration of GGRs into the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and consulted on options to ensure integrity of the Voluntary Carbon and Nature Market. To ensure removals are measurable and verifiable, in July the British Standards Institution, commissioned by Government, published interim methodologies for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage. The Government has also invested £100 million in research and innovation for GGRs, including the GGRs Innovation Programme.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the criteria for approving operators to take over NHS community pharmacies is sufficiently robust to prevent service failures.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.

Whether he has made an assessment of the the suitability of Jhoots Pharmacy as a provider of NHS pharmacy services.

National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he will make a decision on the deployment of the cattle BCG vaccine.

We are continuing to work on the development of a cattle BCG vaccine and accompanying DIVA (Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals) test but will only deploy the vaccine and DIVA test when we have all the right steps in place. Our aim is to deliver an effective cattle TB vaccination strategy within the next few years, helping drive down the disease burden for future generations and advance progress towards achieving Officially Tuberculosis Free status for England by 2038.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the field trials of the Cattle BCG vaccine to conclude.

Field trials to test a cattle BCG vaccine and accompanying DIVA (Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals) skin test began in June 2021. The next phase of the field trials commenced in September 2025, and we hope to be able to start using an authorised vaccine and companion diagnostic test within the next few years.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide subsidies for farmers who diversify into beekeeping.

Figures from the annual hive count suggests that the number of beekeepers has remained relatively stable and is not declining. Defra supports beekeepers through the work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit which operates our bee pest surveillance programmes and provides free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Effective pest and disease control is important for preventing spread to other apiaries and pollinators. Defra supports pollinators through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery, in that the schemes offer a choice of support for more regenerative approaches to farming, and creation or restoration of habitats in appropriate areas. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding, and further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing subsidies to support farmers to (a) introduce and (b) maintain beekeeping.

Figures from the annual hive count suggests that the number of beekeepers has remained relatively stable and is not declining. Defra supports beekeepers through the work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit which operates our bee pest surveillance programmes and provides free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Effective pest and disease control is important for preventing spread to other apiaries and pollinators. Defra supports pollinators through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery, in that the schemes offer a choice of support for more regenerative approaches to farming, and creation or restoration of habitats in appropriate areas. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding, and further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.