Written questions by Morello.

What the (a) scope and (b) planned timeline is for her Department’s planned benefit reforms in 2025.

We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term.We are working to develop proposals for reform to the system of health and disability benefits and will set them out in a green paper in the spring.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the symptoms on the Bluetongue virus alongside vaccinations.

Defra’s approach to bluetongue virus (BTV) considers the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice and aims to limit the spread of infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures where appropriate, including movement controls on susceptible animals and controls on germinal products. A Restricted Zone is currently in place to help prevent the spread of disease. Alongside this, the Secretary of State authorised the use of three BTV-3 vaccines in 2024 and keepers are encouraged to discuss the use of vaccines with their vet.

What steps she is taking to tackle drug-related crime in rural constituencies.

The Government recognises the considerable impact of drug use and dealing on individuals, families and communities in rural and urban constituencies. Tackling this is a vital part of our missions to deliver safer streets and improve health outcomes, and that is why we are taking a collaborative, cross-government approach to drugs at a national level.We expect the police to intervene to tackle illicit drug use, recognising the significant harms it causes. We are dedicated to reducing these drug-related harms through prevention and treatment, while acting quickly and decisively to stop the criminals peddling these harmful substances.County Lines are the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.Since July 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 25 November to 1 December 2024 and resulted in 261 lines closed, as well as 1,660 arrests, 1,434 individuals safeguarded and 557 weapons seized.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of children attending NHS dental services in West Dorset constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. The most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital is for tooth decay. We will work with local authorities and the NHS to introduce supervised tooth brushing for children aged between three and five years old in the most deprived communities. These programmes are proven to reduce tooth decay and to boost good practices at home.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For West Dorset constituency, this is Dorset ICB.

What steps she is taking to help reduce levels of rural crime in West Dorset constituency.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. That is why the Government is committed to tackling rural crime.Under our Safer Streets Mission, rural communities will be better protected, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers, across England and Wales, including in rural areas, to speed up response times and build public confidence.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 to fend off the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate provision of (a) SEND support in mainstream schools and (b) places in specialist schools.

For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.The department wants more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to be educated at home or to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. Many mainstream settings are delivering specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs units. Alongside this, the department recognises the vital role that special schools play catering to children and young people with the most complex needs.The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with SEND. If a local authority identifies a shortage of special school places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they should consider creating or expanding local provision to meet that need.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has now announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This new funding can be used to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND or create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs, as well as continuing to provide places to support pupils in special schools with the most complex needs.

What comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of beer duty rates between the UK and the European average.

A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside the changes to alcohol duty announced at Autumn Budget. This is available here: Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UKThe alcohol duty cut on qualifying draught products impacts approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall cut in duty bills of over £85m a year. Although alcohol duty is paid directly by producers, duty changes are ‘passed-through' to consumers in prices. This link between alcohol duty and prices is widely acknowledged, including by the Office of Budget Responsibility in its inflation forecasts. The Chancellor also confirmed her intention to introduce permanently lower business rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000, including pubs, from 2026-27, and in the interim to extend the current RHL relief for one year at 40%, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. There is significant variation in alcohol taxation policy amongst European countries, with some countries having lower alcohol duty rates and some having higher rates.

What recent estimate she has made of the average time taken to process firearm licence applications in rural areas.

The issuing of firearms certificates is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners.However, the performance of forces is being actively monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, who is developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of differences between beer duty rates in the UK and other European countries on the financial sustainability of UK pubs.

A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside the changes to alcohol duty announced at Autumn Budget. This is available here: Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UKThe alcohol duty cut on qualifying draught products impacts approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall cut in duty bills of over £85m a year. Although alcohol duty is paid directly by producers, duty changes are ‘passed-through' to consumers in prices. This link between alcohol duty and prices is widely acknowledged, including by the Office of Budget Responsibility in its inflation forecasts. The Chancellor also confirmed her intention to introduce permanently lower business rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000, including pubs, from 2026-27, and in the interim to extend the current RHL relief for one year at 40%, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. There is significant variation in alcohol taxation policy amongst European countries, with some countries having lower alcohol duty rates and some having higher rates.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consultations his Department has held with farming communities on the potential impact of rural road infrastructure on farming operations.

Rural road infrastructure is not a matter for Defra. The Department for Transport is responsible for providing policy, guidance and funding to local authorities in England to help them run and maintain their road networks. Local authorities are responsible for the management of the local road network under their control, and it is for individual local authorities to decide on how best to maintain its roads based on local needs, priorities and funding. Consultation with rural communities, including farmers, on the subject of road infrastructure would be a matter for the Department for Transport and the relevant local authorities. This Government takes the accessibility and condition of both rural and urban roads very seriously and is determined to help local authorities tackle the maintenance backlog that results from years of underinvestment by the previous Government. Well-maintained roads are vital for the economy and broader factors such as the social wellbeing of communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the reliability of smart meters on farms, in the context of their impact on the operation of automatic livestock feeders.

We are not aware of any particular problems with the reliability of smart meters on farms, nor of them impacting the operation of automatic livestock feeders. Any customer experiencing issues with their smart meter should contact their energy supplier for further guidance. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording consumers’ energy use in every half-hour period, allowing suppliers to bill based on consumers’ actual rather than estimated usage. They are replacing analogue gas and electricity meters as part of the national infrastructure upgrade needed to achieve the Government’s mission to build a flexible and decarbonised power system by 2030.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to farmers on steps to mitigate risks associated with smart meter failures.

We are not aware of any particular problems with the reliability of smart meters on farms, nor of them impacting the operation of automatic livestock feeders. Any customer experiencing issues with their smart meter should contact their energy supplier for further guidance. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording consumers’ energy use in every half-hour period, allowing suppliers to bill based on consumers’ actual rather than estimated usage. They are replacing analogue gas and electricity meters as part of the national infrastructure upgrade needed to achieve the Government’s mission to build a flexible and decarbonised power system by 2030.

What assessment his Department has made of the causes of reductions in the percentage of adults attending NHS dental appointments in West Dorset constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB.

What steps he is taking to improve adult attendance at NHS dental services in West Dorset constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB.

Whether his Department plans to review the system of financial penalties imposed on NHS trusts for health and safety breaches.

Enforcement is one of the core components of the operating model that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uses to achieve its purpose and perform its role, to improve health and adult social care services and protect the health, safety and welfare of people who use them. The CQC monitors and assesses service providers against the fundamental standards of quality and safety. Failure to comply with the standards and make improvements, could result in enforcement action by the CQC.The current system of penalties imposed on National Health Service trusts for health and safety breaches is defined by law. The Department has not made any assessments of other models and, therefore, has no plans to review this.

What assessment his Department has made of potential alternative models to financial penalties for NHS trusts that (a) do not diminish frontline patient care and (b) improve affected local services.

Enforcement is one of the core components of the operating model that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uses to achieve its purpose and perform its role, to improve health and adult social care services and protect the health, safety and welfare of people who use them. The CQC monitors and assesses service providers against the fundamental standards of quality and safety. Failure to comply with the standards and make improvements, could result in enforcement action by the CQC.The current system of penalties imposed on National Health Service trusts for health and safety breaches is defined by law. The Department has not made any assessments of other models and, therefore, has no plans to review this.

Food and Rural Affairs, what initiatives are in place to support farmers in reducing nutrient run-off into waterways to protect aquatic ecosystems.

The levels of pollution in our waterways are unacceptable. We are working with farmers through a suite of measures to reduce agricultural pollution and protect our waters. We regulate the agricultural activities that could cause environmental harms and require farmers to take steps to reduce and prevent diffuse pollution. The EA have checked compliance against the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Pollution (England) Regulations 2018. All the actions the EA requires from farmers will result in a reduction of diffuse pollution, through run-off or leaching, whether this is from investment in slurry storage to regulating herd density in a nitrate vulnerable zone. The Catchment Sensitive Farming programme provides farmers one-to-one advice about how to produce food in a way that protects water and the wider environment. The EA’s advice led regulatory approach has produced excellent results, however regulatory powers are used when required. Where farmers want to go further, Environmental Land Management schemes pay them for the delivery of environmental benefits that include activities to improve water quality.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate access to low-interest loans for agribusinesses investing in sustainable technologies.

Previous support has been offered primarily in the form of grants. For example, the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund (FETF) has helped ensure technologies supporting both productivity and sustainability can be adopted by UK farmers. We are looking to explore alternative means to improve access to finance for both the development and adoption of new agri-technologies, including opportunities to collaborate with public finance institutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what funding is available for farmers to implement (a) buffer zones and (b) other measures aimed at preventing agricultural pollutants from entering rivers.

Levels of water pollution are unacceptable, and water pollution is a crime. We are working with farmers through a suite of measures to reduce agricultural pollution. Defra’s Environmental Land Management schemes pay farmers for the delivery of environmental benefits, including improved water quality. The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays farmers for actions that will improve the water environment by reducing runoff and erosion, maintaining soil cover and creating buffer strips and margins. There are 35,000 active SFI agreements in England. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) pays farmers, land managers and foresters for more locally-targeted actions relating to specific locations, features and habitats. In December we published details of the improved CSHT offer, which includes several new actions to improve water quality. We will be opening up CSHT for new applications in the summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the (a) development and (b) deployment of vaccines for bovine diseases in the last 12 months.

Defra continues to invest in bovine disease research, and we continue to monitor the current situation and vaccine usage both in Europe and globally for both exotic and endemic diseases. Defra, in conjunction with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), will continue to monitor the development and availability of vaccines for their utility in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks as they are put forward for market authorisation by vaccine manufacturers. To support this work Defra has established cross-Government and industry taskforces focusing on avian influenza and bluetongue. The avian influenza vaccination taskforce published an initial statement on 7 March 2025 and will publish their report this summer. While the avian influenza vaccination taskforce focus is on poultry, they are also alert to the ongoing outbreak in cattle in the USA of influenza of avian origin. The Government maintains a vaccine bank for foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease, exotic diseases affecting cattle. Defra has also engaged with manufacturers on supply of vaccines to the UK market for bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). Following this engagement, and assessment of vaccines by the VMD, Defra’s Secretary of State permitted the use of three unauthorised BTV-3 vaccines for use in England since September 2024, giving keepers the choice to protect their animals. A cattle vaccine for bovine TB is in development. The CattleBCG vaccine, when coupled with the new Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) skin test, represents a significant advancement in bovine TB control for cattle herds. Field trials began in June 2021 and are on-going. An injectable BCG vaccine for badgers has been licensed since 2010 and is proven to significantly reduce the risk of infection and spread of bovine TB within badger populations. The number of badgers vaccinated continues to rise in England, with preliminary figures suggesting around 4,000 were vaccinated in 2024. This is the highest number ever vaccinated in England in a single year, exceeding the record set in 2023. In August 2024, the government announced steps to continue increasing vaccination deployment and to analyse the effect of badger vaccination on the incidence of TB in cattle. This includes establishing a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force.