Written questions by Morello.

What steps his Department is taking to provide (a) support and (b) compensation for veterans who have suffered asbestos-related illnesses.

The War Pension Scheme (WPS) provides no-fault compensation for all ex-service personnel where illness, injury or death is caused by Service before 6 April 2005. Compensation is paid for injuries or illnesses that arise as a result of Service or are made worse by Service. The scheme awards a disablement percentage between 0% and 100%, with those awarded at 20% - 100% receiving an ongoing weekly war pension, and those awarded at 1% - 19% receiving a one-off gratuity payment. The WPS is also open to Veterans diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos during their military service prior to 6 April 2005, offering either a lump sum or regular payments. The Ministry of Defence delivers a range of services to Veterans and their families. This includes the administration and payment of Armed Forces pensions and compensation, the provision of tailored advice and assistance through the Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of potential locations for the establishment of new domestic weapons manufacturing facilities.

The strategic aim of this Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy is to make sure the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy are aligned. The Defence Industrial Strategy will signal to industry the areas we want to grow our onshore production capability, and where we will work with allies. This will ensure the UK has the industrial base needed to meet the potential threats of the future, as well as maximise economic benefits to the UK, ensuring UK suppliers get more value out of our procurement spend. In March this Government agreed a £1.6 billion deal provides thousands of air defence missiles for Ukraine, boosting UK jobs and growth through a trebling of Thales’s Belfast based production of lightweight multirole missiles. BAE Systems has announced that it will deliver a sixteen-fold increase in production capacity of 155mm artillery shells when its new explosive filling facility at Glascoed, South Wales, becomes operational this summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to review funding for the (a) conservation and (b) management of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to increase their (i) environmental and (ii) recreational value.

National Landscape teams are powerful delivery partners, bringing together outcomes for nature, climate and communities. We understand resourcing remains a challenge and recognise that the Defra core grant is an essential foundation for National Landscapes’ work. We want to work closely with National Landscape teams to support their proven ability to innovate, drawing on their expertise, knowledge and partnerships with farmers, businesses and communities across England. We are committed to working with National Landscape organisations to ensure they are sustainably resourced to fulfil their statutory role and we will shortly begin a wider discussion about how we fund these places and organisations.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of legislating for the retrospective application of the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987.

There are currently no plans to apply the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 retrospectively. There is a route to compensation, outside of litigation, for Service personnel who served before May 1987, via the War Pensions Scheme. The War Pensions Scheme is a no-fault scheme which provides compensation for Service personnel who are disabled or die due to injury caused or made worse by service in the UK Armed Forces before 6 April 2005. There are also a range of supplementary pensions and allowances payable, including for dependants.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce additional fire safety-related grant funding for fire and rescue services to meet changes in regulatory requirements.

We are providing £10 million Protection Uplift Grant to Fire and Rescue Services for 2025/26, with £5 million allocated for the first six months and a further £5 million to be confirmed later in the year. The Protection Uplift grant is ringfenced to fire protection and is used to bolster capability and capacity in protection departments. Decisions on future funding to Fire and Rescue Services to support the work of the Building Safety Regulator are under consideration and yet to be confirmed.

What steps her Department is taking to evaluate feedback from adoptive families on the effectiveness of Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund; and what steps she is taking to implement improvements to that Fund given that feedback.

The effectiveness of the therapies available within the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) is currently being assessed from multiple angles, including through feedback from adoptive families. The department started to collect data from outcomes measurement tools for ASGSF-funded therapies in December 2023. As therapy treatment comes to an end, this data will give an overall picture of the impact and adequacy of individual ASGSF-funded therapies. We are currently developing tools and methods for assessing this emerging information.The department is always looking for ways to improve the support which the ASGSF provides for adoptive and kinship families, based on a number of factors, including feedback from adoptive families via our Adopter Reference Group and the annual Adoption UK Barometer survey report. We will also be reviewing the most effective and efficient way of managing the fund in future years.

Whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on equitable access to abiraterone acetate for high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.

Whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has had discussions with its counterparts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, and (c) Northern Ireland on recommending abiraterone acetate for NHS patients with high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer.

Decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase protection for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty from development.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 21471 on 21 January 2025.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to consider the revised Lyme Regis and Bridport Harbour Order (revision of October 2022) on Dorset Council.

The department does not manage the process of Harbour orders, as this process is led by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO is unusually busy with Harbour orders at present but is working continuously to process all harbour orders. While the Department is keen to work with the MMO to understand how we can support more sustainable efficiencies in the longer term, no assessment has been made of the impact of time taken for this order or any other. For an accurate status update of the harbour order in question, we suggest the Council contacts the MMO directly.

What discussions her Department has had with farming communities on the potential impact of rural road infrastructure on farming operations.

Local highway authorities are responsible for their local roads, in both rural and urban areas. It is up to them to engage as necessary with relevant stakeholders, including farming communities, on matters of this sort.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the recent £2 million Bus Service Improvement Plan funding allocated to Dorset Council is effectively utilised to enhance bus services in underserved rural communities within West Dorset.

The Government is committed to seeing better, more reliable bus services delivered right across England, including in West Dorset and other rural communities. Local transport authorities are encouraged to use funding for Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) on schemes that they, and local operators, believe will deliver the best overall outcomes in growing long term patronage, revenues and therefore maintaining service levels, whilst ensuring essential social and economic connectivity for local communities. This will be different for each area. We believe local leaders know their areas best and so are best placed to make decisions about how to improve services to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

Whether the revised Lyme Regis and Bridport Harbour Order (revision of October 2022) for Dorset Council will include provisions to allow the granting of longer leases; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the revised order on potential leaseholders.

The department does not manage the process of Harbour orders, as this process is led by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO is unusually busy with Harbour orders at present but is working continuously to process all harbour orders. Whilst the department is a consultee of all HROs, the department does not comment on the content of orders unless it affects the position or powers of the department. As such, no assessment has been made on the impact of the order on leaseholders. For an accurate status update of the harbour order in question and for an update as to its content, we suggest the Council contacts the MMO directly.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of moving to multi-year funding settlements for local authorities to support long-term transport infrastructure investment.

This government is committed to providing greater stability to local government by giving councils multi-year funding settlements and ending wasteful competitive bidding. Funding to local authorities for transport in future years is being considered as part of the current Spending Review, the outcome of which will be confirmed in due course.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of rolling stock age on (a) reliability and (b) service quality on Great Western Railway routes.

The average age of Great Western Railway’s (GWR) rolling stock is 15 years, as published on the Office of Rail and Road website as at 31 March 2024. My officials receive regular updates on GWR’s train fleet. Detailed maintenance arrangements are a matter for GWR, its maintenance providers and the rolling stock owning companies. GWR works closely with its maintainers and the supply chain to source parts to maintain the trains as required. The age of rolling stock is one of the factors that can impact on reliability and service quality. GWR and Network Rail have been working together to develop plans to replace ageing rolling stock with trains that will better meet the needs of passengers in the future. Any specific proposals are subject to both business case approval and funding being available.

How many instances of missing driving licence entitlements have been reported to the DVLA in the last five years; and what steps she has taken to help tackle these cases.

Updates to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) systems are rigorously planned and assessed so that impacts and risks are understood. The DVLA has recorded 176 instances where drivers claimed they were missing entitlement between 2020 and 2024. These mainly relate back to when the DVLA was established and driving records were computerised. The DVLA undertakes a full investigation in each case including a search of existing and archived records. If no information is held, the driver will be asked to supply any information they may have to evidence previous entitlement.

What discussions her Department has had with Dorset Council on on-street parking around Dorchester South railway station.

The Department has not had discussions with Dorset Council on this matter. Responsibility for implementing parking restrictions rests with the appropriate local authority, as they are best placed to consider how to balance the needs of residents, emergency services, local business and those who work in and visit the area. Dorset Council has civil parking enforcement powers to deal with any contraventions of their parking restrictions.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of multi-year funding settlements on (a) service improvements and (b) long-term planning by South Western Railway.

The Government is committed to delivering a unified and simplified governance structure for the railways, alongside passenger train services under public ownership. This will provide improved services for passengers, better value for money for taxpayers and ensure decisions across infrastructure and operations are aligned. A multi-year funding settlement will better enable delivery of these outcomes. This will include on South Western Railway, following its transition to public ownership on 25th May 2025. Officials are also developing a financial framework under which Great British Railways will be expected to operate.

What recent discussions her Department has had with equestrian organisations on improving (a) infrastructure and (b) safety measures for horse riders on rural roads.

This Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and my Department works with a broad range of stakeholders, including the British Horse Society, to help us achieve our aim. In 2022, The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders. THINK!, the Government's flagship road safety campaign, plays an important role in raising awareness of, and encouraging compliance with, new road safety legislation. This includes the recent changes to The Highway Code. THINK!, ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect, and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Results from the last campaign showed that by September 2023, 93% of drivers agreed it was their responsibility to give space to vulnerable road users. We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations. Local authorities are responsible for road safety on the local road network. Section 39 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 puts a 'statutory duty' on local authorities to provide a safe local road network. This includes road construction, accident investigation and analysis, traffic calming and setting speed limits.

What recent discussions her Department has had with Great Western Railway on the (a) maintenance and (b) servicing of older rolling stock.

The average age of Great Western Railway’s (GWR) rolling stock is 15 years, as published on the Office of Rail and Road website as at 31 March 2024. My officials receive regular updates on GWR’s train fleet. Detailed maintenance arrangements are a matter for GWR, its maintenance providers and the rolling stock owning companies. GWR works closely with its maintainers and the supply chain to source parts to maintain the trains as required. The age of rolling stock is one of the factors that can impact on reliability and service quality. GWR and Network Rail have been working together to develop plans to replace ageing rolling stock with trains that will better meet the needs of passengers in the future. Any specific proposals are subject to both business case approval and funding being available.