Edward Morello MP: written questions 2025
1285 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Agriculture: ProductivityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32839More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of available agricultural labour on agricultural productivity.
Answer: We recognise that it is vital that the agricultural sector have the labour they need to harvest great British produce and grow their businesses. For this reason, Defra regularly monitors agricultural labour numbers, with the most recent assessment for 1 J...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFood Banks: Rural AreasDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32802More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of trends in food bank use in rural areas over the last 12 months.
Answer: The latest statistics on food bank usage including data at a national and regional level can be found in the household food security tables located here: Family Resources Survey: financial year 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Guided WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Gravehawk air defence system recently supplied to Ukraine in countering Russian aerial threats.
Answer: Gravehawk is a bespoke air defence system rapidly developed for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and jointly funded by the United Kingdom and Denmark. Designed to be capable of engaging air threats in Ukraine, it was tested in the UK prior to transfer to...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Rural AreasDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) accessibility and (b) maintenance of rural roads.
Answer: This Government takes the accessibility and condition of both rural and urban roads very seriously and is determined to help local authorities tackle the maintenance backlog that results from years of underinvestment by the previous Government. The Govern...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Accommodation: TaxationTreasuryTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32799More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions her Department has had with farming representatives on the potential impact of the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax scheme on farmers who have diversified into holiday accommodations.
Answer: The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025. This will equalise the tax treatment of FHL and non-FHL landlords’ income and gains. Draft legislation to abolish the FHL tax regime was published on 29 July 202...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFood Banks: Rural AreasDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the cost of living on recent demand for food banks in rural areas.
Answer: The latest statistics on food bank usage including data at a national and regional level can be found in the household food security tables located here: Family Resources Survey: financial year 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSpeech and Language Therapy: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of speech and language therapy services in rural areas.
Answer: It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including speech and language therapy services in rural areas.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEndometriosis: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting times for an endometriosis diagnosis.
Answer: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis times for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaec...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: West DorsetDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS dentists accepting new patients in West Dorset constituency.
Answer: As of 4 February 2025, in the West Dorset constituency, there were 15 National Health Service dentist practices, with two showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and two showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: West DorsetDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of NHS orthodontist appointments available in West Dorset constituency.
Answer: The responsibility for commissioning specialised orthodontic services is delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB. In order to support the ICBs in the execution of their du...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFarms: HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to farmers to improve the insulation of farmhouses.
Answer: The UK Government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings, income groups, and housing types such as farmhouses. As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has c...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRural Areas: RoadsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32792More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultations his Department has held with farming communities on the potential impact of rural road infrastructure on farming operations.
Answer: Rural road infrastructure is not a matter for Defra. The Department for Transport is responsible for providing policy, guidance and funding to local authorities in England to help them run and maintain their road networks. Local authorities are responsibl...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFarms: MetersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to farmers on steps to mitigate risks associated with smart meter failures.
Answer: We are not aware of any particular problems with the reliability of smart meters on farms, nor of them impacting the operation of automatic livestock feeders. Any customer experiencing issues with their smart meter should contact their energy supplier for...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFarms: MetersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the reliability of smart meters on farms, in the context of their impact on the operation of automatic livestock feeders.
Answer: We are not aware of any particular problems with the reliability of smart meters on farms, nor of them impacting the operation of automatic livestock feeders. Any customer experiencing issues with their smart meter should contact their energy supplier for...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCattle: DiseasesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32789More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the (a) development and (b) deployment of vaccines for bovine diseases in the last 12 months.
Answer: Defra continues to invest in bovine disease research, and we continue to monitor the current situation and vaccine usage both in Europe and globally for both exotic and endemic diseases. Defra, in conjunction with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHunting: LivestockDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32788More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent hunting activities from causing distress to livestock on active farmland.
Answer: The Government recognises the distress livestock worrying can cause animals and their keepers. It is an offence under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 for any dog to attack or worry livestock. All reported crimes should be taken seriously, inve...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Veterinary ServicesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers facing increased veterinary insurance premiums.
Answer: Insurance providers are private businesses and are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. However, through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, we are providing eligible keepers of cattle, sheep and pigs in England access to a series of funded vi...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Veterinary ServicesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32786More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent trends in veterinary service costs on farm veterinary insurance premiums over the last five years.
Answer: Insurance providers are private businesses and are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are therefore not able to provide further information on this matter.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Char: E. coliDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce E. coli levels in the River Char.
Answer: The River Char is not a designated site, therefore we do not hold any data on E.Coli levels for that river. The Environment Agency (EA) does not routinely monitor for E. Coli, as this is not a measure used to classify the ecological health of our rivers. ...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Char: E. coliDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32784More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent data his Department holds on E. coli levels in the River Char.
Answer: The River Char is not a designated site, therefore we do not hold any data on E.Coli levels for that river. The Environment Agency (EA) does not routinely monitor for E. Coli, as this is not a measure used to classify the ecological health of our rivers. ...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFirearms: LicensingHome OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the average time taken to process firearm licence applications in rural areas.
Answer: The issuing of firearms certificates is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners.However, the performance of forces is being actively monitored by the National Police Chie...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that any proposed changes to PIP do not lead to financial hardship or reduced quality of life for recipients.
Answer: This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as p...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30314More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of replacing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cash payments with vouchers on claimants' autonomy and financial management.
Answer: This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as p...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to consult with disability advocacy groups on the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment, including any changes to payment methods.
Answer: This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as p...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on disabled individuals' ability to manage their financial independence.
Answer: This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as p...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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