Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to restore confidence among farmers in environmental land management and stewardship schemes.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra remains committed to supporting farmers through Environmental Land Management and stewardship schemes. We are working with the RPA to improve scheme delivery. We are also strengthening our communications with farmers, providing clearer information and greater certainty where possible. We are focused on ensuring these schemes support both profitable farm businesses and environmental outcomes.
Defra is committing £1.8bn for Environmental Land Management schemes in 25/26 rising to £2bn by 28/29.
Recent levels of uptake in both Countryside Stewardship capital offers, and the Sustainable Farming Incentive demonstrate continued farmer confidence in these schemes.
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, how much of the dentistry budget allocated to the South West has been underspent in each of the last five funding cycles.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not available as it has not been centrally validated.
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, how much of the dentistry budget allocated to Dorset has been underspent in each of the last five funding cycles.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not available as it has not been centrally validated.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the budget for Environmental Land Management schemes in the 2026–27 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This year's budget for Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes is £1.9 billion. This has increased by more than fourfold since 2020, when we spent £433 million. This is rising further still, and by 2028/29, we plan to spend £2 billion on ELM schemes, making a total of £2.7 billion of investment into farming and nature.
We have also recently published our Annual Report for 2025/26, which sets out that we spent £1.8bn on ELM schemes which includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive, CS Higher Tier and ELM Capital.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to farm support payments on farm businesses in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Supporting British farmers and boosting the nation’s food security are key priorities for the government. As set out in the Farming Roadmap, food security and restoring nature are not competing aims. They are, over the long term, inseparable. The most resilient farms are profitable precisely because they work with the environment, which is why Government is backing a shift towards lower input, more sustainable farming systems.
There are now 4,165 live SFI agreements and 658 live CS agreements within the West Dorset constituency. This uptake by farm businesses and land managers in the constituency is supporting them to build nature‑friendly farming systems that can sustain or enhance production while strengthening resilience and reducing input dependency.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of the agriculture budget is being paid directly to farmers in the 2026–27 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. On 16 June 2025, following the 2025 Spending Review, Defra set out indicative funding figures (https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/16/spending-review-2025-a-commitment-to-farming/ ) for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 financial years, including plans to increase the amount of money paid to farmers under Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes from £800m in 2023/24 towards £2bn by 2028/29.
We have also recently published our Annual Report for 2025/26, which sets out that we spent £1.8bn on ELM schemes. This includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive, CS Higher Tier and ELM Capital.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to farm support schemes on participation in Countryside Stewardship agreements.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's environmental land management schemes have been developed to support delivery of the ambitious goals set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan, with farmers and land managers playing a critical role in achieving these outcomes.
To support the continued delivery of Environmental Land Management agreements, including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Defra has introduced temporary adjustments that provide additional flexibility to support the delivery of CSHT. Agreement holders using these temporary measures must continue to meet all other scheme and legal requirements and return to the original requirements once conditions allow.
We do not expect recent changes to farm support schemes to reduce participation in Countryside Stewardship agreements.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of police powers where a dog has attacked and killed a domestic cat.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an offence for any dog to be dangerously out of control in any place. Crown Prosecution Service guidance indicates that attacks on other animals, including cats, may amount to a dog being dangerously out of control, particularly where a person is injured or may be injured. The police have the powers to seize dogs and owners may face imprisonment for up to 14 years and be banned from owning a dog. Enforcement following dog attacks is a matter for the police.
This Government keeps dog control legislation including police powers under review and works with the police, local authorities and animal welfare organisations to promote responsible ownership, support enforcement, improve public education and strengthen data on dog attacks.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of drought and bluetongue on the viability of beef farms in West Dorset.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises how hard this summer has been for farmers, including with regard to drought and bluetongue.
As announced in August 2026, the Government is supporting farmers through a range of measures. These include temporary Environmental Land Management flexibilities and up to £15m in funding million for on-farm reservoirs.
Defra has announced an extra £50 million for Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 Window 2, which opens later this month. This takes SFI26’s total budget to £290 million and helps more farmers access support.
The Environment Agency is prioritising short-term abstraction licence variations, and the Government is committed to continue working with the farming sector to improve resilience of on-farm water supply to ensure farmers can invest with confidence.
Defra continues to monitor the effects of the disease through surveillance, including information on fallen stock, and ongoing engagement with farmers, veterinary professionals and industry representatives. Defra is also monitoring impacts of dry conditions which vary by farm type, geography and access to water.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to beef farmers in West Dorset for costs and livestock losses as a result of drought and bluetongue.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises the significant challenges posed by bluetongue and drought, including for farmers in West Dorset, alongside other pressures facing farmers and veterinary professionals. On 15 August, Defra announced a £65 million package to support farmers and strengthen long-term resilience. This includes an additional £50 million for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, up to £15 million through the Water Management Grant, and temporary adjustments to Environmental Land Management agreements. Farmers can access support through GOV.UK bluetongue guidance, the Rural Services Helpline and Farming Help. Keepers can access the animal health and welfare pathway, including an annual funded visit by a veterinarian.