Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate funding to support mental health services for frontline NHS staff in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out any policy changes in the Autumn Budget in the usual way.
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is very important, and the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals and support to work healthily and flexibly. We will also roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate ringfenced mental health funding for all NHS staff in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out any policy changes in the Autumn Budget in the usual way.
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is very important, and the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals and support to work healthily and flexibly. We will also roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate funding for mental health support for doctors in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out any policy changes in the Autumn Budget in the usual way.
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is very important, and the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals and support to work healthily and flexibly. We will also roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate funding for mental health support for nurses in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out any policy changes in the Autumn Budget in the usual way.
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is very important, and the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals and support to work healthily and flexibly. We will also roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing the two-child benefit cap on child poverty in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Taskforce recognises the importance of place, including differences between urban and rural locations, as a driver of child poverty. Children and families in rural areas have played an important role in the development of the Child Poverty Strategy, including through their participation in our research with parents and carers, and with children – which included an emphasis of the importance and role of place in shaping their experiences. Strengthening local support is also one of the pillars through which we are developing the Strategy.
No assessment has been made of the impact of removing the Two Child Limit policy in West Dorset or on families in rural areas. However, statistics on the number of households and children in receipt of Universal Credit affected by the Two Child Limit policy are available by local authority and parliamentary constituency on the GOV.UK website, the latest being for April 2025: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK.
This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.
In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.
As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on families in rural areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Taskforce recognises the importance of place, including differences between urban and rural locations, as a driver of child poverty. Children and families in rural areas have played an important role in the development of the Child Poverty Strategy, including through their participation in our research with parents and carers, and with children – which included an emphasis of the importance and role of place in shaping their experiences. Strengthening local support is also one of the pillars through which we are developing the Strategy.
No assessment has been made of the impact of removing the Two Child Limit policy in West Dorset or on families in rural areas. However, statistics on the number of households and children in receipt of Universal Credit affected by the Two Child Limit policy are available by local authority and parliamentary constituency on the GOV.UK website, the latest being for April 2025: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK.
This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.
In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.
As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to allocate funding to support transport (a) infrastructure and (b) services in West Dorset constituency in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government recognises the challenges people face when it comes to transport provision in regions which are predominantly rural, like West Dorset.
That is why we are providing £2.2 billion of Local Transport Grant capital funding over 4 years to local authorities for spending on local transport enhancements and maintenance. Dorset Council will receive over £15 million up to 2029/30 inclusive, including over £2.1 million in 2026/27.
This will enable local leaders to support transport schemes in line with their key local priorities, including improvements to public transport for both urban and rural areas and making local streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
We will also be providing in the region of £900m per year to maintain and improve vital bus services. We will announce allocations for each local authority shortly.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will remove the two-child benefit cap in the Autumn Budget.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to tackling child poverty. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn.
Commitments made at the 2025 spending review, and since then, are the latest steps in our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on expansion of free breakfast clubs, the national minimum wage boost and the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of using different means tests for residential and home-based care on people with modest savings and significant care needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The current adult social care system is means tested and provides funded support for those with the least financial means. Individuals can approach their local authority for a financial assessment to determine whether they are eligible. While the Department sets the minimum thresholds for this means test, local authorities have the discretion to set higher thresholds if they choose.
Where an individual receives care at home, the value of their home is not considered during this financial assessment.
Where local authorities choose to charge for care, they must follow the Care Act 2014, and must ensure that care charges are both transparent and affordable.
The Government remains committed to reforming adult social care and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs, if she sees fit.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of wages for general practice nurses.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practitioners how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate that good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.