Written questions by Morello.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to fund advice services.

At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25. The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of moving from early years to primary school on children in West Dorset constituency.

Starting school is a big step, and the department wants every child in reception to feel confident, supported and ready to learn. Preparing children for this transition should be a partnership between parents, early years settings, health services and schools.Reception is a vital foundation year that sets children up for success. That’s why we are expanding support through tailored improvement offers, helping parents feel confident in their child’s progress, and strengthening teaching in early literacy and numeracy.From September 2026, schools will benefit from specialist training and support, reaching around 10,000 more children. Our regional improvement for standards and excellence teams have made reception a national priority, offering universal, enhanced and intensive support to schools.The department is also funding new partnerships between schools and nurseries to improve transitions, strengthen relationships and share best practice. This joined-up approach will help children feel ready and at home in the classroom.Finally, the department is enhancing professional development, including more early years content in the national professional qualification (NPQ) for headship, new training for reception teachers, and more places on the NPQ in early years leadership.Together, these measures will ensure every child gets the best possible start to their school journey.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent supermarkets from cancelling orders from vertical farms at short notice.

The Government is committed to tackling unfairness in the supply chain wherever it exists. Using the 'Fair Dealings' powers in the Agriculture Act 2020, we can introduce regulations to increase transparency and protect growers, across the range of horticultural production systems, from unfair commercial practices. We are currently developing ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations for the fresh produce sector, which will cover growers that sell directly to retail. These regulations are designed to strengthen supply chain fairness and ensure all horticulture producers have clear and balanced contracts, which may include prohibiting practices such as cancelling orders at short notice. As part of this work, we are engaging with retailers, producers, experts and other representatives of the horticulture sector to ensure the regulations are workable and effective.

What steps her Department is taking to improve support for children transitioning from early years education to primary school in West Dorset constituency.

Starting school is a big step, and the department wants every child in reception to feel confident, supported and ready to learn. Preparing children for this transition should be a partnership between parents, early years settings, health services and schools.Reception is a vital foundation year that sets children up for success. That’s why we are expanding support through tailored improvement offers, helping parents feel confident in their child’s progress, and strengthening teaching in early literacy and numeracy.From September 2026, schools will benefit from specialist training and support, reaching around 10,000 more children. Our regional improvement for standards and excellence teams have made reception a national priority, offering universal, enhanced and intensive support to schools.The department is also funding new partnerships between schools and nurseries to improve transitions, strengthen relationships and share best practice. This joined-up approach will help children feel ready and at home in the classroom.Finally, the department is enhancing professional development, including more early years content in the national professional qualification (NPQ) for headship, new training for reception teachers, and more places on the NPQ in early years leadership.Together, these measures will ensure every child gets the best possible start to their school journey.

Whether his Department plans to allocate additional funding to Integrated Care Boards to help improve (a) support and (b) treatment for people living with secondary breast cancer in (i) Dorset and (ii) rural constituencies.

Improving early diagnosis, access to treatments, and support across England are key priorities for the Government for all cancer types, including for those living with secondary breast cancer in West Dorset and rural constituencies.To ensure that people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer have timely access to new and innovative treatments, NHS England commissioned a National Audit of Metastatic Breast Cancer, which provides timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary. The purpose of the audit was to identify information to increase the consistency of access to treatments and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. The National Health Service is now acting on those findings, including for patients in West Dorset.NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs), including those in Dorset and rural constituencies. This process is independent of Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. ICB’s are responsible for commissioning healthcare which best meets the needs of their local populations, including treatment and support for secondary breast cancer.To improve early diagnosis rates all over the country, including in West Dorset and rural areas, the Department and NHS England are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. The Department is also committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment, so that people with cancer, including secondary breast cancer, can get access to the care they need more quickly. The NHS is now delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

How many non-VAT registered companies there are in the UK.

Information on companies that are not VAT registered is not centrally collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) experts and (b) representatives of (i) traditional and (ii) vertical farming sectors on improving the (A) fairness and (B) reliability of supermarket supply contracts.

The Government is committed to tackling unfairness in the supply chain wherever it exists. Using the 'Fair Dealings' powers in the Agriculture Act 2020, we can introduce regulations to increase transparency and protect growers, across the range of horticultural production systems, from unfair commercial practices. We are currently developing ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations for the fresh produce sector, which will cover growers that sell directly to retail. These regulations are designed to strengthen supply chain fairness and ensure all horticulture producers have clear and balanced contracts, which may include prohibiting practices such as cancelling orders at short notice. As part of this work, we are engaging with retailers, producers, experts and other representatives of the horticulture sector to ensure the regulations are workable and effective.

What recent discussions he has had with NHS Trusts on improving access to helipads for emergency air ambulance services.

No such discussions have been held. Air ambulances form a vital part of the emergency response to patients in critical need. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with NHS England and the Department for Transport to ensure that there is appropriate helipad accessibility available for air ambulances across the country.

Whether her Department plans to improve cross-border intelligence-sharing between regional counter-terrorism units and devolved Administrations.

Counter-terrorism – like all issues of national security – is a reserved matter. The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, outlines the importance of working together with the devolved governments on a shared strategic response to the threat of terrorism posed across the UK. Regional counter-terrorism units work around the clock with the UK intelligence agencies, local communities and partners to keep us safe. For security reasons, we do not comment on specifics of intelligence or operations.

What the projected annual loss of tax revenue is from non-VAT registered companies with turnover above the VAT threshold.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. The tax gap statistics and details of the estimate methodologies are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2025 edition: tax gap estimates for 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. The latest estimate of the tax gap for VAT is 5.0% of theoretical VAT liability, or £8.9 billion in absolute terms, for tax year 2023 to 2024. This figure implicitly captures, alongside other sources of non-compliance, companies failing to register for VAT, however a separate breakdown is not separately published due to the methodological approach used to calculate it and the associated uncertainties. HMRC does not make projections of the future loss of tax revenue due to companies failing to register for VAT. ‘Measuring tax gaps 2026 edition: tax gaps estimates for 2024 to 2025’ is scheduled for June 2026.

How many non-VAT registered companies there are in West Dorset constituency.

Information on companies that are not VAT registered is not centrally collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the criteria used to select Charmouth as a location for the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme.

The Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme helps communities that cannot sustainably be defended from coastal erosion aiming to support residents and businesses prepare and plan for the long term. In September 2023, Charmouth, West Dorset, was added to the programme, taking forward measures that will improve the resilience of local heritage and tourism assets. This was informed by an objective assessment from the Environment Agency (EA) of residential and non-residential properties at risk from coastal erosion. National and local EA coastal specialists also considered the capacity, capability, and willingness within the local authority and the actions needed for Charmouth. As a UNESCO Jurassic World Heritage Site and Site of Special Scientific Interest, Charmouth represents a good opportunity to invest in and showcase coastal change resilience measures with the aim of benefiting the community, visitors and the local economy.

Whether her Department plans to increase funding for technology to detect early online radicalisation in rural communities.

The Home Office is strengthening action to tackle online radicalisation and protect young people from harm. The Independent Prevent Commissioner, Lord Anderson, recommended that we explore how evidence of online activity can be used to identify potential subjects for Prevent. To fulfil this, we will take steps to strengthen our approach to tackling online radicalisation through working with tech companies, like-minded international partners, and consider new approaches to identifying and supporting susceptible individuals online. This includes developing new capabilities to better equip Prevent to manage online radicalisation risks across all of our communities.This renewed focus on online threats reflects the fact that the threat posed by radicalisation is not confined to a relatively small number of local authorities and is in fact increasingly diffuse. A local authority does not need to be high threat to be high risk. In response to this, we have evolved our Prevent local delivery model to ensure every local authority, including those in rural areas, has ready access to expertise, best practice, and support in tackling local radicalisation risks. Even while we continue to provide additional support and direct funding to those with the highest risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Dorset Council and (b) the Environment Agency on potential alternatives to the no active intervention policy for the Charmouth coastline.

The Government is investing £36 million in the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme to support communities, including in Dorset, to explore innovative approaches to adapt to coastal change. The Environment Agency has published updated National Coastal Erosion Risk Map data, including future climate change scenarios. Shoreline Management Plans, developed by local councils, guide long-term strategies for managing flood and erosion risks. The SMP policies for Charmouth were considered during the development of SMP16 ‘Durlston Head to Rame Head’ and will be reviewed as part of the current SMP refresh process. Dorset Council and the Environment Agency are part of the SMP16 management group for South Devon & Dorset, who can consider any new data for this area which may have implications for the current SMP policies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department provides to support the development of sustainable coastal defences (a) by communities living in coastal areas at risk of erosion and (b) in Charmouth.

As part of the £2.65 billion FCRM Investment programme for flood and coastal risk reduction, approximately £500 million is being invested in coastal projects across the country to better protect people and properties. The Environment Agency manages the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes (FCIP) which runs between 2021-2027. £3 million is allocated to Future Coast Dorset, which includes Future Coast Charmouth. This will help communities to manage their changing coasts and become more resilient. Defra’s Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant also provides financial assistance to local authorities to support them with the cost of demolishing properties at imminent risk of loss from coastal erosion.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) business rates and (b) VAT on the financial sustainability of hotels in (i) rural areas and (ii) West Dorset constituency.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality and tourism businesses, including those in rural areas, to economic growth and social life in the UK. To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026/27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including hotels, with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. Ahead of these new multipliers being introduced, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025/26. As such, we prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we froze the small business multiplier. When the new, permanently lower tax rates are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. The UK’s VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent. The UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD, at £90,000. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether.

Whether she plans to commission new research into the drivers of far-right radicalisation among young men in rural areas.

The Home Office recognises the importance of this issue, and the Prevent Duty Guidance notes that “Extreme Right-Wing ideology is resurgent.”Prevent tackles the ideological causes of terrorism and provides early intervention for people at risk of radicalisation. We work continually to ensure Prevent is ready to respond to all radicalisation risks. This includes developing our understanding of the range of factors that lead to someone being drawn into terrorism.Prevent is run locally by experts who understand the risks and issues in their area, and how best to support their communities. These experts include local authorities, the Police, charities and community organisations.Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to address radicalisation risks through targeted projects, under the Preventing Radicalisation Fund.In the year March 2023 to March 2024, 19% of Prevent funded projects focused solely on building resilience to Extreme Right-Wing (ERWT) ideology, and a further 57% focussed on both Islamist Extremist (IE) and ERWT ideology.In the current funding year March 2025 to March 2026, the Home Office has received 78 project bids from local authorities. Of those bids, 15% solely focus on Extreme Right Wing ideology with a further 54% of bids covering both Islamist Extremism and Extreme Right Wing ideologies.Our Prevent local delivery model ensures every local authority has ready access to expertise, guidance and support in tackling local radicalisation and extremism risks via a team of region-based expert Prevent Advisers, who work hand-in-hand with local partners across England, Scotland and Wales.By working with and upskilling these local experts who best understand the risks and issues in their area, we are improving our ability to help frontline workers identify and protect those most susceptible to radicalisation.Analytical teams within the Home Office assess all available information, including material from these local experts, in order to maintain the most up to date picture of the current risks and threats pertaining to radicalisation. This includes issues affecting rural areas and communities, and at a regional level across England, Scotland and Wales.Due to operational and legal sensitivities, the Home Office does not publish specific details of the current intelligence assessment picture.

How many people referred to the Prevent programme were identified as linked to far-right extremism in West Dorset constituency in the last 12 months.

The Home Office produces annual statistics setting out the number of individuals referred to Prevent by type of concern and region. The number of referrals made to the Prevent programme in the South West region, in which the area you ask is contained, is provided in the table below. These are the latest published figures, year ending March 2024.This information, together with further information about Prevent referrals and Channel cases can be found on GOV.UK Individuals referred to and supported through the Prevent Programme statistics - GOV.UK.Referrals for the period April 2024 to March 2025 will be released later this year in the upcoming publication "Individuals referred to and supported through the Prevent Programme: to March 2025". As per official statistics guidelines under the Code of Practice for Statistics, we are unable to release these statistics ahead of the formal publication date. More information on this forthcoming publication will be pre-announced on the statistics release calendar which can be found on the GOV.UK website: Statistics release calendar (www.gov.uk).

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of threat from far-right extremism in (a) rural communities and (b) the South West.

The Home Office recognises the importance of this issue, and the Prevent Duty Guidance notes that “Extreme Right-Wing ideology is resurgent.”Prevent tackles the ideological causes of terrorism and provides early intervention for people at risk of radicalisation. We work continually to ensure Prevent is ready to respond to all radicalisation risks. This includes developing our understanding of the range of factors that lead to someone being drawn into terrorism.Prevent is run locally by experts who understand the risks and issues in their area, and how best to support their communities. These experts include local authorities, the Police, charities and community organisations.Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to address radicalisation risks through targeted projects, under the Preventing Radicalisation Fund.In the year March 2023 to March 2024, 19% of Prevent funded projects focused solely on building resilience to Extreme Right-Wing (ERWT) ideology, and a further 57% focussed on both Islamist Extremist (IE) and ERWT ideology.In the current funding year March 2025 to March 2026, the Home Office has received 78 project bids from local authorities. Of those bids, 15% solely focus on Extreme Right Wing ideology with a further 54% of bids covering both Islamist Extremism and Extreme Right Wing ideologies.Our Prevent local delivery model ensures every local authority has ready access to expertise, guidance and support in tackling local radicalisation and extremism risks via a team of region-based expert Prevent Advisers, who work hand-in-hand with local partners across England, Scotland and Wales.By working with and upskilling these local experts who best understand the risks and issues in their area, we are improving our ability to help frontline workers identify and protect those most susceptible to radicalisation.Analytical teams within the Home Office assess all available information, including material from these local experts, in order to maintain the most up to date picture of the current risks and threats pertaining to radicalisation. This includes issues affecting rural areas and communities, and at a regional level across England, Scotland and Wales.Due to operational and legal sensitivities, the Home Office does not publish specific details of the current intelligence assessment picture.

Whether her Department plans to review duty relief schemes to support the growth of British wine production.

The wine industry makes a vital contribution to our economy and society. Draught Relief allows products served on draught to benefit from a lower rate of alcohol duty, providing vital support to producers, pubs and other venues. Small Producer Relief supports smaller firms and new entrants by providing a reduced duty rate for those who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year. While wine producers can benefit from these reliefs, both are limited to products below 8.5 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), in line with the principle underpinning the reformed alcohol duty system that stronger alcoholic drinks should pay more duty.The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and the Government welcomes representations from the wine sector in advance of the Budget.