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 her Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening the law to protect domestic cats from dog attacks.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 19 May, the Government announced a £30 million, three-year crackdown targeting cash-intensive businesses on our high streets, including activity to disrupt money laundering and illegal working.
Operational activity is being coordinated by the National Crime Agency, in conjunction with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, with partner agencies collecting data on enforcement outcomes including premises visited, arrests and seizures.
In parallel, the High Street Organised Crime Unit is developing a longer-term strategic response, including consideration of stronger powers and better coordination to prevent criminal activity. The Unit is working across Government, including with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Revenue and Customs, to support development of the High Street Strategy.
More broadly, we want local partners to take a joined-up, place-based approach to the problems that make high streets feel unsafe, bringing together policing, local authorities and other agencies to identify and tackle the premises, offenders and locations causing the greatest harm.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve defence procurement.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The procurement system we inherited was broken. Defence procurement was slow, expensive and not fit for a period of war fighting readiness.
Through our Procurement Segmentation and new Commercial Pathways, we are making procurement more agile, opening up opportunities for SMEs and innovators, and ensuring every pound of defence spending delivers stronger military capability and better value for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what flexibility is available to maintained and church schools in West Dorset to develop alternative educational models that meet local needs while remaining financially sustainable.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government wants all schools to benefit from strong and effective partnerships, enabling them to collaborate with other schools and local partners to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Schools have a range of opportunities to work with other schools and organisations in ways that reflect circumstances and community needs. The department is supporting local authorities, dioceses and trusts through area planning to develop sustainable and geographically-coherent arrangements that reflect local circumstances.
This approach helps schools access shared expertise, leadership and support, while continuing to serve their local communities. High-quality partnerships can also help schools build capacity, improve financial resilience and respond effectively to local challenges.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what flexibility is available to maintained and church schools to develop alternative educational models that meet local needs while remaining financially sustainable.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government wants all schools to benefit from strong and effective partnerships, enabling them to collaborate with other schools and local partners to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Schools have a range of opportunities to work with other schools and organisations in ways that reflect circumstances and community needs. The department is supporting local authorities, dioceses and trusts through area planning to develop sustainable and geographically-coherent arrangements that reflect local circumstances.
This approach helps schools access shared expertise, leadership and support, while continuing to serve their local communities. High-quality partnerships can also help schools build capacity, improve financial resilience and respond effectively to local challenges.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review whether current school funding arrangements adequately recognise the strategic importance of small rural schools in West Dorset where pupil numbers are low.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. We have allocated £155 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in the 2026/27 financial year through the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Furthermore, the lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning. Additionally, we are working with the sector to develop a decision-making framework to support local areas to plan school places strategically through demographic change.
The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula accounts for the challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. In Dorset, 34.5% of schools attract sparsity funding, reflecting the significant number of schools serving rural communities.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review whether current school funding arrangements adequately recognise the strategic importance of small rural schools where pupil numbers are low.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. We have allocated £155 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in the 2026/27 financial year through the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Furthermore, the lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning. Additionally, we are working with the sector to develop a decision-making framework to support local areas to plan school places strategically through demographic change.
The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula accounts for the challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. In Dorset, 34.5% of schools attract sparsity funding, reflecting the significant number of schools serving rural communities.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made in developing a national strategy for funding schools affected by falling pupil numbers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. We have allocated £155 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in the 2026/27 financial year through the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Furthermore, the lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning. Additionally, we are working with the sector to develop a decision-making framework to support local areas to plan school places strategically through demographic change.
The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula accounts for the challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. In Dorset, 34.5% of schools attract sparsity funding, reflecting the significant number of schools serving rural communities.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will consider requiring supermarkets and private parking operators to make clear that the availability of 24-hour electric vehicle charging does not necessarily mean that unrestricted parking is permitted outside store opening hours.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Consumer protection legislation requires parking terms and charges to be displayed clearly, prominently and in a manner that enables motorists to understand the contractual terms before deciding to park.
While the government did not consult on issues relating specifically to electric vehicle charging points in 2025, when it consulted on proposals to raise standards in the private parking industry, this is an area that we intend to keep under review.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce minimum standards for the size, location and clarity of signs setting out parking restrictions and penalty charges at supermarket car parks with 24-hour electric vehicle charging facilities.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Consumer protection legislation requires parking terms and charges to be displayed clearly, prominently and in a manner that enables motorists to understand the contractual terms before deciding to park.
While the government did not consult on issues relating specifically to electric vehicle charging points in 2025, when it consulted on proposals to raise standards in the private parking industry, this is an area that we intend to keep under review.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to protect motorists from disproportionate parking charges where they have used supermarket facilities in good faith, including electric vehicle chargers or parcel collection services.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Consumer protection legislation requires parking terms and charges to be displayed clearly, prominently and in a manner that enables motorists to understand the contractual terms before deciding to park.
While the government did not consult on issues relating specifically to electric vehicle charging points in 2025, when it consulted on proposals to raise standards in the private parking industry, this is an area that we intend to keep under review.