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 staff turnover on the quality of care in retirement homes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to monitor adult social care (ASC) workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool which collates data from all ASC providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission and intelligence from key sector partners.
With high rates of turnover and recruitment challenges, the ASC sector faces significant workforce challenges. In April 2025, we expanded the Care Workforce Pathway, the first ever universal career structure for the ASC workforce in England, and we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector; in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care. We have also launched an independent commission into social care as part of first steps towards a National Care Service.
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 funding his Department has provided for research on the long-term effects of covid-19 on lung health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation, remain committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for the long-term effects of COVID-19. The NIHR committed £15.06 million to the following three research projects related to the long-term effects of COVID-19 on lung health, between financial years 2020/21 and 2024/25:
Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, Government research funders invested several hundred million pounds to understand SARS-COV-2 and the COVID-19 illness. As COVID-19 is a predominantly respiratory condition, much of this research is relevant to understanding the long-term effects of COVID-19 on lung health. On long COVID specifically, through the NIHR and the MRC, we have invested over £57 million on research studies. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.
Funding is available and we welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including on long COVID and lung health. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
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 the NHS is taking to help improve the (a) early detection and (b) treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a clinical priority, and the National Health Service is investing in the provision of more and better rehabilitation services for respiratory patients. This has the objective of improving outcomes for people with COPD through early diagnosis, including via spirometry tests, and through increased access to treatments.
The NHS RightCare COPD pathway has been rolled out nationally and defines the optimal service for people with COPD. Furthermore, the National Respiratory Audit Programme aims to improve quality of care, services, and clinical outcomes for patients with asthma and COPD, by collecting and providing data on a range of indicators and pulmonary rehabilitation activity.
A national programme of work is underway to support systems with improving access to pulmonary rehabilitation for the eligible population, increase the capacity of provision to reduce waiting lists, and improve the quality and consistency of rehabilitation programmes through accreditation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective for people with COPD, improving exercise capacity or increasing the quality of life in 90% of the patients who complete a programme.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the deployment of rooftop and carport solar on commercial buildings through guaranteed minimum export values.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government continues to support solar deployment on commercial rooftops and car parks through the Smart Export Guarantee. This ensures that businesses receive income for excess electricity exported to the grid.
We also intend to support commercial rooftop deployment through other measures, including permitted development rights, and new building standards for newly built commercial buildings. As set out in the Clean Power Action Plan, we have published a call for evidence about solar canopies in car parks.
Solar on car parks and electric vehicle charging - GOV.UK
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to introduce regulatory measures to ensure rooftop solar is financially viable compared to utility-scale solar projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Deploying rooftop solar remains a key priority for the Government, and it continues to be one of the most popular and easily deployed renewable energy sources. The Government continues to support the installation of rooftop solar in various ways, including through tax relief, energy efficiency schemes and the Smart Export Guarantee. The Solar Roadmap will shortly be published, setting out actions for the Government and industry to remove barriers to further deployment. Officials are also exploring the potential of various measures to support a range of green retrofit improvements as part of the Warm Homes Plan.
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 ensure that eligible application to the Sustainable Farming Incentive submitted before 11 March 2025 are (a) processed and (b) agreements offered in a timely manner.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of the 30 April 2025, of the 4225 submitted Sustainable Farming Incentive applications outstanding an offer on 1 March, there are 872 that have not yet received an agreement offer. The Rural Payments Agency are continuing to work at pace to assess the eligibility and process applications which were submitted prior the closure of the scheme and expect to have completed this for the majority of eligible applications by late June.
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 the expected timeframe is for (a) processing and (b) decision-making on Sustainable Farming Incentive applications.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of the 30 April 2025, of the 4225 submitted Sustainable Farming Incentive applications outstanding an offer on 1 March, there are 872 that have not yet received an agreement offer. The Rural Payments Agency are continuing to work at pace to assess the eligibility and process applications which were submitted prior the closure of the scheme and expect to have completed this for the majority of eligible applications by late June.
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 many applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive were pending a decision on 11 March 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of 11 March, of the applications that had been submitted for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer, there were 4,225 that had not yet received an agreement offer.
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, whether his Department plans to communicate expected (a) processing and (b) payment timelines to applicants who submitted Sustainable Farming Incentive applications before 11 March 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is (a) working through and will communicate with applicants individually through the application process. The RPA expects to complete all required checks and activity for the majority of eligible applications by late June. (b) The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly and the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts
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 estimate he has made of when applicants to the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme who submitted applications before its closure on 11 March 2025 will receive payments.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly, the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts. After that, payments are scheduled to be paid every three months, to ensure there is a regular, reliable income.