Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) preserve and (b) promote traditional boat building as a heritage craft.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We recognise how important our craft industry is and we are committed to supporting future growth in the sector. The creative industries have been identified as one of the governments eight growth-driving sectors, with the craft industry a contributor.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports traditional craft skills and training in a variety of ways, including funding projects that train people in traditional crafts and skills. It also runs a Heritage Crafts programme which offers bursaries to help people train in heritage crafts or develop their skills.
The importance of the crafts sector was a key driver for the Government in ratifying the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage last year. Our first step in implementing the Convention is to create inventories of living heritage in the UK which will help promote items that could include traditional boat building. We will open the public call for submissions to the inventories later this year.
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 he is taking to help improve the (a) transparency and (b) public accessibility of water quality data for (i) rivers and (ii) lakes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency’s Water Hub is a dedicated, easily accessible space bringing together publicly available guidance, data and news relating to water. The Environment Agency processes and publishes vast amounts of data, including bathing water data, storm overflows, catchment data, water quality data, which can be accessed via the Water Data Explorer.
This government believes that it is important that we invest in the most appropriate type of monitors to ensure we gain valuable information on sewage discharges.
Since 1 January 2025, water companies have been required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Secretary of State has authorised Ofwat to carry out enforcement action for this duty, in accordance with the powers conferred under sections 18 and 141DA (4) of the Water Industry Act 1991. Ofwat’s enforcement powers provide for a wide range of enforcement activity, including substantial penalties.
Ofwat is monitoring compliance with the duty to report relevant data in real time. Where it detects non-compliance, it will take appropriate enforcement action. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has introduced an equivalent duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. Once commenced, this duty will be enforced in the same way.
During the bathing water season, 451 designated bathing waters benefit from water quality monitoring by the Environment Agency (EA) – enabling the public to make informed decisions about where to swim. This data is published on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website so that the public can make an informed decision before swimming here.
The Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment programme (NCEA) is producing a statistically robust baseline assessment of the health of England’s rivers and lakes. The baseline data and outputs will be made publicly accessible, enabling the private sector, central and local governments, and third sectors to use these products to understand the condition of our ecosystems and put nature at the heart of decision-making.
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 recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of nitrogen leaching from agriculture on (a) water quality and (b) biodiversity in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The levels of nitrogen losses from agriculture are unacceptable. That is why we are focused on working with farmers across the country to reduce pollution and clean up our waters. Regulations are in place to address nitrogen and wider pollution from agriculture and the Environment Agency (EA) continue to conduct over 4,000 inspections nationally each year to support farmers to comply.
The EA has also worked closely with farmers and land managers to implement a bespoke, target-led approach across the Poole Harbour catchment, support by an innovative voluntary farmer-led scheme, to improve farm practices, reduce nutrient losses and enable ecological recovery.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential return on investment of increasing funding for (a) cycling and (b) walking.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Investment in active travel supports the Government’s economic growth, health and net zero missions, and generally has a very positive benefit-to-cost ratio. Walking and cycling are among the cheapest and most accessible forms of physical activity and some of the most cost-effective interventions to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended physical activity levels. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February. This will deliver 300 miles of brand new pavements and cycle routes to enable 30 million more journeys by walking and cycling every year. It will lead to 43,000 less sick days a year to ease pressure on the NHS.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department plans to provide to Dorset Council for (a) cycling and (b) walking infrastructure in each of the next three financial years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 12 February, the Department announced the funding allocations for the Combined Active Travel Fund (CATF), the dedicated revenue and capital funding round for 2025/26. Dorset Council was awarded £774,233 and it will be for the authority to decide on infrastructure projects it may wish to progress with this funding.
Decisions on future Government funding for active travel will be a matter for the Spending Review, which is considering all transport expenditure in the round. Specific funding allocations to Dorset Council for 2026/27 and 2027/28 will be agreed after the Spending Review concludes.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to request funds for (a) cycling and (b) walking as part of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Future government funding for cycling and walking is being considered alongside all other transport priorities as part of the Spending Review. On 28 March, I informed Parliament of my intention to publish a third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy following the conclusion of the Spending Review. This will allow us to say more on the long-term funding for active travel, as required by the 2015 Infrastructure Act.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) education and (b) training opportunities to support women to pursue careers in traditional boat building.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department supports all learners in coastal areas who wish to have a career in boatbuilding through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available.
This includes specific qualifications and apprenticeships in boatbuilding together with apprenticeships and qualifications, including T levels, in such subjects as marine engineering, carpentry, design, construction and welding, all of which provide knowledge and skills that support careers in boatmaking.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) education and (b) training in traditional boat building skills in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department supports all learners in coastal areas who wish to have a career in boatbuilding through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available.
This includes specific qualifications and apprenticeships in boatbuilding together with apprenticeships and qualifications, including T levels, in such subjects as marine engineering, carpentry, design, construction and welding, all of which provide knowledge and skills that support careers in boatmaking.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available for traditional boat building skills' educational programmes in coastal communities.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department supports all learners in coastal areas who wish to have a career in boatbuilding through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available.
This includes specific qualifications and apprenticeships in boatbuilding together with apprenticeships and qualifications, including T levels, in such subjects as marine engineering, carpentry, design, construction and welding, all of which provide knowledge and skills that support careers in boatmaking.
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 his Department plans to review the allocation of funding to Integrated Care Boards to address regional disparities in GP availability.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards. This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.
We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.