Edward Morello MP: speeches

Speeches

• 24 Jan 2025 · Climate and Nature Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank my Dorset neighbour for giving way. As always, I find myself agreeing with a lot of what he says, not least on the cost of inaction being far greater than the cost of action. He makes many good points about the fact that we have outsourced our carbon emissions to places far away, but does he agree that we often fail to sell the opportunities around tackling climate change, especially for British businesses, such as those provided by tidal and wave technologies? We should celebrate those opportunities. The Government talk about growth; there is so much opportunity for growth in this sector, and we should do more.

• 14 Jan 2025 · Railway Services: South-West · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making some important points. Does he agree that the decision to renationalise South Western Railway a year before the Government have set up GB Rail will inevitably mean that investment in the kind of upgrades he is talking about will stagnate completely?

• 13 Jan 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. Dorset police operates across more than 1,000 square miles, yet under the current funding settlement it receives far less money than urban areas with similar crime rates operating over smaller geographies. Will the Government commit to reviewing the funding settlement to ensure that rural areas such as West Dorset get a fairer settlement?

• 8 Jan 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  Ensuring the safety and success of children in our schools is one of the most important responsibilities that we have as policymakers. By extending regulations and inspections to include more schools, we are creating a safer environment for our children and giving them the best chance to thrive. The Bill introduces improved analysis of school facilities, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities, which is a much-needed measure. The changes will ensure that every child has access to an environment where they can learn and grow, in safety and in comfort. However, while these measures are welcome, it is equally important that we ensure that the current system, as well as any future one, is both effective and efficient. It is vital that schools, teachers and most importantly children are not left waiting for the resources and support that they need. The case of Dorset Studio school, which serves not just my constituents in West Dorset but students across the county, illustrates the urgent need for the system to deliver results quickly. Dorset Studio school provides exceptional support for students, but especially for the 52% of its pupils with special educational needs—three times the national average. The quality of the education that the pupils receive is despite the fact that the school operates in facilities that are not fit for purpose. It has no hall, no canteen and no specialist teaching areas. The split campus layout and cramped classrooms make it impossible to provide the individualised support that children need, particularly those with physical disabilities. In February 2023, funding for the school’s new campus was approved. The project was set to merge its two sites into one modern campus. However, since then, progress has stalled, with delays in releasing the funds from the Treasury and the Department for Education. The Bill will extend the checks necessary for safeguarding our children to more schools, but we must be mindful of delays and how they negatively impact those we are trying to protect. The Bill rightly emphasises the importance of inspections and approvals to ensure that school standards are met. However, it is equally important that the existing system is streamlined to avoid unnecessary delays. Our children, especially those with special educational needs, deserve learning environments that are safe, supportive and conducive to their success. I urge the Government to ensure that funding for projects such as Dorset Studio school is released without delay, even as the Bill seeks to improve the system itself. These children deserve better.

• 7 Jan 2025 · Employer National Insurance Contributions: Charities · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) on securing this debate. I want to highlight the impact of the national insurance rise on just two West Dorset charities. Weldmar Hospicecare already subsidises 60% of its NHS-commissioned care through fundraising. It will have to raise an additional £600,000 next year. Julia’s House, which provides end-of-life care to sick children, gets just 8% of its income from state funding. It will have to raise nearly £250,000 next year as a result of these changes. Charities such as Weldmar and Julia’s House play a critical role in alleviating pressure on the NHS. They provide care in the community, reduce avoidable hospital admissions and support families in their darkest hours. Their work aligns with the Government’s priorities of shifting care out of hospitals into community settings, yet this policy actively undermines their abilities to do so. Weldmar and Julia embody selflessness and service. By exempting hospices from national insurance rises, we can protect their critical work and ensure they continue to provide comfort.

• 7 Jan 2025 · National Resilience and Preparedness · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. On the point about the reduction in food security—I think it is actually below 60%, at 58%—he, as my constituency neighbour in the west country, will know the importance of the role that farmers and food producers play in our community, but we have also just seen 18 months of the wettest months on record, following swiftly on from one of the driest summers on record, in 2022, and we know there will be a devastating effect on food production as we see increased extreme weather conditions. Does my hon. Friend agree that climate resilience and action on climate change will also be an important part of the national resilience strategy?

• 18 Dec 2024 · British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty · Hansard source

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  I will repeat the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Bicester and Woodstock (Calum Miller), which the Minister studiously avoided. Clearly, the deal was not ready to be signed, so why was it announced two weeks before the election?

• 17 Dec 2024 · Community Pharmacies: Devon and the South-west · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Minehead (Rachel Gilmour) for securing this important debate. Community pharmacies are indispensable to West Dorset, serving as essential health hubs for our communities. However, they face mounting challenges, including escalating financial pressures and critical workforce shortages that threaten their ability to continue to provide those vital services. West Dorset, amazingly, is served by only 18 active pharmacies, for a population of more than 100,000. Data from the NHS Business Services Authority shows that the number of community pharmacies in England has declined by 6.7% since 2001. In the past year alone, a further 217 pharmacies have been lost, and startlingly it is those not offering in-person services—often called distance-selling pharmacies—that are the least likely to fail. That demonstrates that the new role that pharmacies are having to play in our healthcare system is actually hurting their viability due to the broken funding model. Workforce shortages exacerbate the strain. In NHS Dorset, the integrated care system that covers West Dorset, there are 47 vacancies, equating to a vacancy rate above the national average of 19%. The impact of these staffing challenges is clear: a 2024 survey by Community Pharmacy England found that three quarters of pharmacy team members reported shop staff shortages, and approximately 10% of pharmacy owners had no choice but to temporarily close their doors as a result of those shortages. For patients, that means longer waiting times, reduced services and less access to advice for urgent healthcare concerns. For staff, it translates to unsustainable workloads, difficulties in sourcing medicines and, most alarmingly, increases in patient abuse. Nearly all respondents—92%—reported struggling to cope with the pressure, highlighting the human toll of the pharmacy crisis. The recent rise in national insurance contributions places an additional burden on pharmacies as employers, particularly in rural areas, where revenue streams are less predictable. I have one pharmacy in my constituency that made a six-figure loss last year, even before the increase in national insurance contributions came in.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Community Pharmacies: Devon and the South-west · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend raises a very important point: under the current funding model, pharmacists are reimbursed only if the consultation results in a prescription being issued. That results in a medicalisation of the process, which means that pharmacists are less likely to provide other sorts of solutions, such as community care. Does my hon. Friend agree that the model is fundamentally flawed and creates a medicalisation issue?

• 17 Dec 2024 · Community Pharmacies: Devon and the South-west · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for the intervention. She will be pleased to know that there is, in fact, a Liberal Democrat amendment right now to do exactly that, which I am sure we will all be voting for, and which we would ask the Government to take the opportunity to support. Community pharmacies already face slim margins under the current community pharmacy contractual framework funding model, and while initiatives such as Pharmacy First have brought new funding streams into the sector, they are not sufficient to offset the rising costs of operation, including wages, rents and utility bills. Community pharmacies are lifelines for rural constituents like those in West Dorset. They provide crucial access to healthcare services, especially for those who struggle to reach GPs or hospitals. They are also uniquely vulnerable due to small patient bases and higher operational costs, and the Government should recognise those disparities. That means revisiting the funding framework, addressing workforce shortages and offering targeted financial relief to offset rising costs, including the impact of national insurance contributions. Community pharmacies are not just businesses; they help to support our strained healthcare systems and are a part of our communities. For the people of West Dorset, and for millions across the country, we cannot afford to let them falter. I urge the Government to prioritise this issue, undertake a comprehensive review of the funding model, work closely with Community Pharmacy England and provide the support necessary to secure the future of our pharmacies and the vital service that they deliver in rural communities.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Finance Bill · Hansard source

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  The proposal to impose VAT on independent school fees is a misguided approach that risks harming families, undermining educational freedom and failing to address the deeper issues in our education system. Let me start by acknowledging that our state education system is in dire need of funding. Years of mismanagement by previous Governments have left schools struggling with inadequate resources, overworked teachers, and outdated and undersized facilities. We must confront this crisis, and I fully agree that we need long-term sustainable funding to support our schools, but introducing VAT on independent school fees is not the answer. This measure will not impact elite institutions or those at the very top of the income ladder. The wealthiest families will simply absorb the cost. Instead, it is middle-income families—parents who are saving every penny, working multiple jobs and making sacrifices to help their children—who will be impacted, as well as families whose children have special or complex needs that cannot be serviced in state schools. Smaller and more affordable independent schools, which already operate on tight budgets and cater to working families, will be at risk of closure. Those closures will displace students into the already overstretched state sector, exacerbating the very challenges that this policy is supposed to address. Independent schools also contribute to their local communities. They work in partnership with state schools, offering shared resources, facilities, teaching support and extracurricular activities. Instead of imposing VAT, we should encourage more of these collaborations to strengthen both the state sector and the independent system. The Liberal Democrats believe in parental choice and in policies that unite, not divide, our communities. We must focus on finding equitable solutions to fund our state schools, but we must do so without undermining the choices and aspirations of families or the stability of our broader education system. Families should have the freedom to choose the best educational path for their children without being penalised by the state. I urge the Government to work with all parties to find a fairer way to address the funding crisis in our schools—one that does not come at the expense of parents, students and the principles of educational freedom.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Finance Bill · Hansard source

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  Those at an independent primary school in my constituency told me that approximately 20% of their students would be in receipt of an education, health and care plan if they were in the state system, but have no additional requirements in their educational establishment, and a number of West Dorset pupils receive six-figure support. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that more students going into the state system will increase costs for local councils, and that independent schools save the taxpayer money?

• 10 Dec 2024 · Rural Cycling Infrastructure · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) for securing this important debate on rural cycling infrastructure. Members present appreciate the unique challenges faced by cyclists in rural areas, and the need to ensure their safety if we are to promote greater accessibility for cycling as a mode of transport. Rural roads present unique risks: they are typically narrower, less well maintained, and shared with fast-moving vehicles. In places in my West Dorset constituency roads are also shared with horse riders, who are similarly desperately in need of safety infrastructure. The road conditions make cycling on roads disproportionately dangerous. Statistics show that cyclists are almost twice as likely to be killed on a rural road as on an urban one. For my constituency the challenge is clear: only 1.7% of people cycle to work, and that figure is well below the already appallingly low national average of 2.1%. Both figures reflect the deterrent effect of unsafe rural roads and the lack of cycling infrastructure, but also the wider picture of cycling in this country. Cycling can provide an affordable, sustainable and accessible alternative for shorter journeys, not to mention the benefits to the environment and to physical and mental wellbeing. In West Dorset, 50% of people drive to work, 14% of households do not own a car and 30% of residents travel less than 10 km to work. That distance is more than achievable by bicycle for most individuals. Between Bridport and West Bay, the old railway has been repurposed as a cycling and walking path, with many residents hoping that it can be extended all along the old line to Maiden Newton to avoid their having to use country lanes. Similarly, an alternative cycle route between Bridport and Chideock would mean that residents and tourists alike could avoid the main coast artery of the A35, with its heavy goods vehicles. Public transport in West Dorset is limited and irregular. Congestion on our few A roads and many country lanes causes delays and disruption in our villages. Cycling would reduce congestion, provide people with greater freedom to travel independently, reduce the environmental impact and support healthier lifestyles. I urge the Government to take immediate steps to address these issues and support rural constituencies such as West Dorset by making cycling a safer and more viable option.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Employer National Insurance Contributions · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman rightly points out the need to invest in the NHS. Does he recognise that imposing NICs on primary healthcare providers such as my constituency’s Weldmar Hospicecare, which provides vital end of life care to residents and must raise £26,000 a day to fund its service, will result—

• 26 Nov 2024 · ECHO 2 Programme · Hansard source

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  The ECHO 2 programme is crucial to delivering the new global communications network for the FCDO. The Minister mentioned that it is due for completion in January 2025, but will it remain within budget? What are the plans to ensure that it delivers its full technical and financial benefits? Does the Minister think that any additional support or adjustments will be needed to ensure its delivery?

• 26 Nov 2024 · ECHO 2 Programme · Hansard source

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  8. What recent steps his Department has taken to deliver the ECHO 2 programme.

• 14 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T3. Family farms across West Dorset fear closure as a result of the Government’s planned changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief, and I urge Ministers to rethink the policy. The Budget also included the announcement of a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism to be introduced on 1 January 2027. That will place a carbon price on goods imported to the UK, including fertiliser. A carbon tax on fertiliser will only increase the cost of production for farmers struggling to compete with cheap imports, and drive up costs for consumers. What assessment has been made of that?

• 4 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

• 4 Nov 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  West Dorset has seen a 134% increase in the number of children requiring SEN support in the last six years. As of the latest data, more than 275 children are waiting for education, care and health plan assessments, with the average waiting time well in excess of the 20-week statutory limit. Will the Minister outline what specific measures the Department is implementing to ensure that the much-needed £1 billion investment announced in the Budget is used to bring down waiting times for EHCPs in places such as West Dorset?

• 29 Oct 2024 · Draft Vehicle Drivers (Certificates of Professional Competence) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. With brevity in mind, I will just say that the Liberal Democrats support this measure to make training more convenient for drivers and small businesses. However, given the transition to e-learning, it is imperative that the quality of training is not compromised, and we urge the Minister to monitor closely the outcomes of the changes to ensure that there is no negative impact on road safety.

• 24 Oct 2024 · Flood Risk: Resilience Framework · Hansard source

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  Climate change means that West Dorset faces a growing flood risk, with increasingly frequent heavy rainfall flooding fields, making roads impassable and turning villages like Stratton and Maiden Newton into islands. Last year, 700 properties in my hometown of Bridport, including a school and a vital healthcare centre, were put at risk by flooding. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that the necessary funding and resources are available for flood prevention and emergency response in rural constituencies like West Dorset, where large geographical areas can create additional challenges?

• 24 Oct 2024 · Flood Risk: Resilience Framework · Hansard source

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  18. If he will take steps to ensure that the UK Government resilience framework helps communities mitigate against flood risk.

• 23 Oct 2024 · Water Companies: Regulation and Financial Stability · Hansard source

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  To my hon. Friend’s point about the need for a regulator with teeth, West Dorset saw 45,000 hours of sewage released into our rivers and beaches last year. The River Lim last year was declared “ecologically dead”. Does my hon. Friend have a view on whether the regulator should be able to impose fines on the water companies that reflect the damage they are doing to our natural environment?

• 16 Oct 2024 · Access to Primary Healthcare · Hansard source

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  In my constituency of West Dorset, as across the country, community pharmacies are being asked to deliver more and more primary care services, increasingly acting as an alternative to GP surgeries. They are delivering vital healthcare services such as health consultations and vaccinations; however, the funding model for community pharmacies is outdated and insufficient, and does not reflect the expanded role that they now play in our healthcare system. Community Pharmacy England reports that one sixth of pharmacies could close within a year, and the National Pharmacy Association estimates that the average pharmacy will lose £43,000 this year. This is being played out writ large in my constituency. Lyme Regis has recently lost its last remaining high street pharmacy. Our Beaminster and Sherborne pharmacies are reporting six-figure annual losses due to the unsustainability of the funding framework—a funding model that, as the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee suggests, does not account for the higher operating costs in rural areas, as well as wild fluctuations in medicine prices that can result in pharmacies losing money on every prescription issued of certain drugs. Community pharmacies also have to operate within a system whereby they get compensated only for consultations that lead to prescriptions being issued. That leads to a perverse focus on patients where a medicalised outcome is most likely. I urge the Government to re-evaluate the funding model for community pharmacies. We need a system that recognises and rewards the broader role that pharmacies now play, particularly in rural areas. Pharmacies are delivering critical health services, yet they are being financially penalised because the funding system is still based on an outdated model. If we continue on this path, we risk losing these vital community assets. Pharmacies in rural places such as West Dorset cannot survive on the current funding framework. They are a lifeline for many of my constituents, and without immediate action we could see further closures, which would leave vulnerable populations without access to vital healthcare services.

• 14 Oct 2024 · Gibraltar-Spain Border Checks · Hansard source

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  The Minister has told us that a local border official unilaterally imposed the restrictions. If that is the case, can the Minister outline exactly what guarantees the Government have received from the Spanish Government that such powers will not be localised and that local officials cannot impose powerful restrictions on Gibraltarians and Spanish people seeking to work in Gibraltar?