Written questions by Morello.

If he will take steps to ensure parity between pay awards for (a) practice nurses, (b) other primary care staff and (c) staff whose pay is determined by national NHS pay review bodies.

As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to GP practices how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. General practice contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GP practices with regard to general practice nurse (GPN) 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.The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for NHS staff, including both contractor and salaried general practitioners (GPs). They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS and trade unions to reach their recommendations.As different NHS and primary care staff groups do not all sit under the remit of one pay review body, the Government can receive different pay award recommendations for different groups. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) have recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2025-26. To implement this through the GP contract, as the DDRB’s recommendation was higher than the assumed pay growth of 2.8%, we have provided a 1.2% top-up to the pay elements of the contract on a consolidated basis.We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this 4% pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs. The additional funding will also allow for pay uplifts for other salaried general practice staff, including nurses.We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they have received.

Whether he plans to introduce reforms to ensure equal benefit access for separated parents with equal caring responsibilities.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.

Whether he plans to review benefit rules for parents with shared care.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.

What the total cost to the public purse was for the Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation Programme.

This initiative was part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. The total government investment in the Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation Programme has been £53m.

If he will ringfence funding for general practice nursing pay in line with the NHS 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. Funding for GP nursing pay is not ringfenced and contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions.The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for NHS staff, including both contractor and salaried GPs. They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2025/26. We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this 4% pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs. The additional funding is also intended to provide uplifts for other salaried GP staff, including nurses.We expect GP contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they have received.The Government has committed to a new substantive GP Contract within this Parliament, and we will continue to engage constructively with the General Practitioners Committee England on issues such as staffing. The maximum reimbursable amounts for roles employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), including practice nurses, have also been uplifted in line with the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations, and ARRS budgets have been increased to reflect this.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of benefit allocation rules on children in shared care arrangements.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.

What funding he has allocated to support innovation in greenhouse gas removals in each year of this Parliament.

The Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation programme, delivered under the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, developed 14 First-of-a-Kind Demonstrator plants nationwide. This Government has a clear focus on commercial deployment. The HyNet Track-1 expansion Project Negotiation List, which includes two Greenhouse Gas Removal projects, was published on 5 August 2025. These projects will now proceed to the negotiations phase of the selection process. Government has also made a significant funding commitment of up to £21.7billion, over 25 years, to kickstart the Carbon Capture Usage and Storage industry.Allocation of funding to UKRI for research and innovation is ongoing so forecasts on future innovation spend are not currently available.

Whether he has had discussions with rooftop solar panel manufacturers on the minimum commercially-viable price for exports.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of US bioethanol imports on (a) animal feed prices and (b) UK producers.

Defra continue to monitor potential impacts on feed prices and the wider food sector from the recent changes. By-products of the bioethanol process are used in the agri-food sector. These include Distillers’ Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) which is used in high protein animal feed as well as CO2 which is used in slaughter, packaging, and beverage carbonation. DDGS also comes from other sources and there are other ingredients that can be used.

Whether he plans to replace the Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation Programme.

The Greenhouse Gas Removals Innovation programme, delivered under the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, developed 14 First-of-a-Kind Demonstrator plants nationwide. This Government has a clear focus on commercial deployment. The HyNet Track-1 expansion Project Negotiation List, which includes two Greenhouse Gas Removal projects, was published on 5 August 2025. These projects will now proceed to the negotiations phase of the selection process. Government has also made a significant funding commitment of up to £21.7billion, over 25 years, to kickstart the Carbon Capture Usage and Storage industry.Allocation of funding to UKRI for research and innovation is ongoing so forecasts on future innovation spend are not currently available.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce child poverty in West Dorset constituency.

In developing a Child Poverty Strategy, the Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom. The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Strategy will be UK-wide, drawing on devolved and reserved levers and working closely with Devolved Governments, recognising the progress that has been made on their poverty strategies and policies, and in England, with mayors and other local leaders. Local authorities are a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway. Both the Taskforce and officials in the Child Poverty Unit have engaged with local communities regularly throughout the development of the strategy. This includes through a ministerial taskforce meeting with local leaders from combined and local governments in England, who joined Ministers to discuss the experience of poverty in their local communities, and innovative solutions underway. The Child Poverty Unit also consulted local authorities across England through a virtual webinar in December 2024, allowing authorities to feed into the development of the strategy. and visits to Manchester, Ashton-Under-Lyme, Cheshire and Merseyside. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty including an expansion of Free School Meals and a £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing. At the 2025 Spending Review we also announced a new March 2025 £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including the first ever multi-year settlement to transform the Household Support Fund into a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. This longer-term funding approach enables local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assist people when faced with a financial crisis.

What steps his Department plans to take to help tackle misinformation in relation to cases which are sub judice.

Rules and restrictions on what can be said during ongoing court proceedings are vital to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered. However, the Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. The Law Commission are considering these issues as part of their review of the law on contempt of court. We have asked them to expedite those elements of the review relating to our ability to counter misinformation and advise on any changes needed to address the challenges this raises. The Commission are due to report later this year.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of waiting until 2029 to make full infected blood compensation payments on (a) victims and (b) their families.

The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). As of 7 October, IBCA has contacted 3,614 people to start their compensation claim, and 3,350 have started the claim process. 2,204 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £1.6 billion, and so far 1,761 people have accepted their offers with more than £1 billion paid in compensation.The IBCA Framework Document, published in March, sets out the timelines agreed between IBCA and Cabinet Office; namely for the bulk of infected people to be paid no later than the end of 2027 and the bulk of affected people to be paid no later than the end of 2029.These timescales have been agreed with IBCA, to ensure that the door is kept open for those who have not yet identified themselves as being infected or affected. In my oral statement to the House on 21 July, I set out that these dates are not targets for delivery, but ‘backstops’.

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.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward the timetable for full compensation payments to (a) infected blood victims and (b) their estates.

The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). As of 7 October, IBCA has contacted 3,614 people to start their compensation claim, and 3,350 have started the claim process. 2,204 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £1.6 billion, and so far 1,761 people have accepted their offers with more than £1 billion paid in compensation.The IBCA Framework Document, published in March, sets out the timelines agreed between IBCA and Cabinet Office; namely for the bulk of infected people to be paid no later than the end of 2027 and the bulk of affected people to be paid no later than the end of 2029.These timescales have been agreed with IBCA, to ensure that the door is kept open for those who have not yet identified themselves as being infected or affected. In my oral statement to the House on 21 July, I set out that these dates are not targets for delivery, but ‘backstops’.

If she will undertake a review of police funding allocations in West Dorset constituency.

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.This Government is committed to ensuring that policing has the resources it needs. Dorset Police will receive up to £194.8 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £14.7 million when compared to 2024-25.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 allocation for 2026-27 will be made via the provisional police funding settlement later in the year.

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.

Whether his Department plans to work with international counterparts to align standards and share intelligence on counter-drone systems and tactics.

Yes, the Defence Uncrewed Design Authority (DUxDA) is actively engaging partner nations to establish relationships and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration on all facets of Uncrewed Systems (UxS).

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to provide alternative financial support to communities in West Dorset following the removal of Government funding for neighbourhood plans.

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.

What the policy objective is of advising police forces to release (a) ethnicity and (b) other details of suspects before trial.

The Home Office does not direct operational policing decisions, including those related to the disclosure of information about a person suspected or charged with committing an offence. These matters rightly fall under the purview of Chief Constables.The NPCC and the College of Policing issued interim guidance to police forces in August, which aims to support forces in managing sensitive investigations and mitigating risks associated with them.The interim guidance encourages police forces to confirm a suspect’s ethnicity and nationality (where known or recorded) in certain high-profile or sensitive investigations where they determine it is necessary to maintain public safety and reassure the public.