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 steps he is taking to improve (a) job security and (b) employment conditions for general practice nurses.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the general practice (GP) nursing workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do.
Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring that the National Health Service is able to recruit and retain staff, and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Later this year we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.
As self-employed contractors to the NHS it is up to GPs how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. A letter was distributed to practices earlier this year recommending that practices pass on additional funding to uplift pay for salaried staff.
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, whether he plans to allocate funding in the Autumn Budget 2025 to improve access to NHS dentistry for children in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The budget for Autumn 2025 has not yet been announced, however access to National Health Service dentistry, including for children, and addressing the issue of under-served areas remains a priority for the Government.
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 comparative assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) home-based and (b) residential care on the finances of people receiving that care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014 charging is based on a number of principles, including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay and that charging approaches should be clear, transparent, and comprehensive.
Charging rules can differ between home-based and residential care. For home-based care, the person’s main home is disregarded, and income must not fall below the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). For residential care, the home’s value may be considered unless a spouse or other eligible adult remains living there, and income must not fall below the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA). Both the MIG and PEA rates are reviewed annually and published in the Local Authority Circular. For 2025/26, these allowances were increased in line with consumer price index inflation, and local authorities may set higher rates at their discretion.
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 align the terms and conditions for general practice nurses with those in the Agenda for Change.
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 practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.
A letter was distributed to practices earlier this year recommending that practices pass on additional funding to uplift pay for salaried staff.
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 his Department has made of the potential impact of GP contract uplifts on the ability of practices to fund pay rises for (a) practice nurses and (b) other non-doctor staff.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025-26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.
The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we have accepted the DDRB’s pay recommendation and have uplifted the pay elements of the GP contract by 4% on a consolidated basis (an increase of 1.2% on top of the 2.8% interim uplift in April).
Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2025. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.
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 it her policy to allocate resources in the Autumn Budget 2025 to support the recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in West Dorset.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2025 Autumn Budget has not yet been announced, however access to National Health Service dentistry and addressing the issue of under-served areas remains a priority for the Government.
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, if she will allocate additional funding to (a) support farmers and (b) strengthen UK food security.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s commitment to farming and food security is steadfast. Supporting British farmers and boosting the nation’s food security are key priorities for the Government. Following the spending review, Defra has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2025 to Question 66057 on Special Educational Needs: Reform, when her Department plans to make a decision on the future of Education, Health and Care Plans.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that every child or young person in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work. There will always be a legal right to the additional support that children with SEND need.
This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we are launching a further period of listening and engagement, testing our proposals with parents, teachers and experts in every region of the country, so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.
We know that families need change, and that is exactly why it is critical we get this right. The department will set out the full Schools White Paper in the new year, building on existing work to create a system rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to maintain the legal right to additional support for children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that every child or young person in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work. There will always be a legal right to the additional support that children with SEND need.
This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we are launching a further period of listening and engagement, testing our proposals with parents, teachers and experts in every region of the country, so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.
We know that families need change, and that is exactly why it is critical we get this right. The department will set out the full Schools White Paper in the new year, building on existing work to create a system rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.
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, what his Department's housing targets are as a proportion of available brownfield land in (a) Dorset, (b) West Dorset constituency and (c) England.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local housing need is expressed as a total number of dwellings for each local authority area. It is not broken down as a proportion of the population, nor as a proportion of available brownfield land or per square mile.