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 steps her Department is taking to support homeowners whose properties are uninhabitable due to fire damage, including through council tax exemptions.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is no specific council tax exemption for properties which have been damaged by fire. However, where a property is uninhabitable due to damage it may be removed from the council tax list. No one will be liable for council tax for the property whilst it is removed from the list. It is for the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether a property is uninhabitable for council tax purposes. The government has no plans to change this policy.
Where households are homeless or at risk of homelessness, they should reach out to their local council for advice and support.
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 he plans to review the level of council tax support for people whose homes have been rendered uninhabitable by fire in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is no specific council tax exemption for properties which have been damaged by fire. However, where a property is uninhabitable due to damage it may be removed from the council tax list. No one will be liable for council tax for the property whilst it is removed from the list. It is for the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether a property is uninhabitable for council tax purposes. The government has no plans to change this policy.
Where a property remains on the list, councils have the discretionary power to provide their own discounts where they consider this appropriate. It is for councils to decide whether to apply a discount. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.
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 her Department has assessed the adequacy of council tax exemptions for fire-damaged homes in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is no specific council tax exemption for properties which have been damaged by fire. However, where a property is uninhabitable due to damage it may be removed from the council tax list. No one will be liable for council tax for the property whilst it is removed from the list. It is for the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether a property is uninhabitable for council tax purposes. The government has no plans to change this policy.
Where a property remains on the list, councils have the discretionary power to provide their own discounts where they consider this appropriate. It is for councils to decide whether to apply a discount. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.
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 guidance her Department provides to local authorities on council tax relief for fire-damaged properties.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Where a property is uninhabitable due to damage it may be removed from the council tax list. No one will be liable for council tax for the property whilst it is removed from the list. It is for the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether a property is uninhabitable for council tax purposes.
Where a property remains on the list, councils have the discretionary power to provide their own discounts where they consider this appropriate. It is for councils to decide whether to apply a discount. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Valuation Office Agency delays on people in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Member to the answer given to Question UIN 126456 on 20 April 2026.
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, when were businesses notified of the reclassification of valerian root by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate considers valerian root to be medicinal by function, above a certain strength, in line with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (as amended) definition of a veterinary medicine. The medicinal status applied to valerian root was established in 1992 and the substance has not been reclassified.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of frozen state pensions on pensioners from West Dorset residing in countries without uprating agreements.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating.
This approach has been supported by successive governments over many years with priority given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps his Department to uprate frozen UK state pensions for pensioners from West Dorset living overseas.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating.
This approach has been supported by successive governments over many years with priority given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to review the policy on frozen pensions affecting pensioners from West Dorset living abroad.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating.
This approach has been supported by successive governments over many years with priority given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.
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 research funding the Government is providing for conditions such as Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - 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 welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus.
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. Welcoming applications on conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years, through the NIHR, the Department committed £1.72 million for 11 new research projects, supported by NIHR infrastructure, into normal pressure hydrocephalus and hydrocephalus more broadly. This includes committing £0.59 million in the 2024/25 financial year alone.
Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the Open Data page of the NIHR website, at the following link:
https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/
The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and which includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including normal pressure hydrocephalus.