Edward Morello

The Plan to Make Work Pay set out a commitment to review the implementation of carer’s leave and to look at where any improvements may be needed. This work is underway and will include examining the benefits of paid leave, while being mindful of the impacts on businesses.

To ensure transparency through this programme of work, we will set out a clear timeline for the remainder of the review in autumn this year. We will also run a public consultation in 2026 on employment support for those balancing work with unpaid care.

We have agreed a Professional Services Annex, which will require UK and India to identify and encourage mutually interested relevant bodies to enter into negotiations on mutual arrangements for recognition of professional qualifications. Regulated professions, which include dentists, pharmacists and medical practitioners in the UK, will be within the scope of the annex. These commitments will not affect the autonomy of UK relevant bodies nor compel them to engage in dialogues where there is no mutual interest.

The ability of Indian professionals to supply professional services in the UK will remain subject to the UK's domestic regulatory and immigration systems.

We have agreed a Professional Services Annex, which will require UK and India to identify and encourage mutually interested relevant bodies to enter into negotiations on mutual arrangements for recognition of professional qualifications. Regulated professions, which include dentists, pharmacists and medical practitioners in the UK, will be within the scope of the annex. These commitments will not affect the autonomy of UK relevant bodies nor compel them to engage in dialogues where there is no mutual interest.

The ability of Indian professionals to supply professional services in the UK will remain subject to the UK's domestic regulatory and immigration systems.

We have agreed a Professional Services Annex, which will require UK and India to identify and encourage mutually interested relevant bodies to enter into negotiations on mutual arrangements for recognition of professional qualifications. Regulated professions, which include dentists, pharmacists and medical practitioners in the UK, will be within the scope of the annex. These commitments will not affect the autonomy of UK relevant bodies nor compel them to engage in dialogues where there is no mutual interest.

The ability of Indian professionals to supply professional services in the UK will remain subject to the UK's domestic regulatory and immigration systems.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.

We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000. Additionally, we recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.

We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000. Additionally, we recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.

We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000. Additionally, we recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

Hospitality businesses, including those in West Dorset constituency, are vital to our communities and support economic growth.

We’re increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, allowing 865,000 employers to pay no NICs this year. This means employers can hire up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs. Additionally, we aim to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We are also working with the Hospitality Sector Council on issues the sector faces.

We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold hospitality businesses back. We are expecting recommendations before the Summer recess.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK.

We are pleased to deliver a significant increase to the minimum wage, and to take crucial steps towards the creation of a genuine living wage that supports millions of families across the country.

The Government will protect the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

The Government published an Impact Assessment for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates which includes a breakdown of impact by sector.

I regularly engage with hospitality businesses, and I am aware of the current challenges they face. Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more through National Insurance contributions. However, we are raising the threshold at which employers start paying NI to protect the smallest businesses.

Also, we are committed to creating a fairer business rates system to alleviate the pressure on hospitality businesses by introducing permanently lower business rates for RHL properties with a rateable value under £500,000.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK.

Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more.

The Government will protect the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth.

I chair the Hospitality Sector Council, which meets quarterly in which we discuss issues the sector faces. I also meet regularly with individual businesses to hear about the pressures they are facing.

We’re increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, allowing 865,000 employers to pay no NICs this year. This, for example, means employers can hire up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs.

Exports of firearms are controlled by the Export Control Order 2008 and Regulation (EU) No 258/2012. Only once an export licence has been issued can the export proceed.

We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC). The SELC provide a thorough risk assessment framework for export licence applications and require us to carefully consider the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. We will not license the export of equipment where to do so would be inconsistent with the SELC.

The SELC were announced to Parliament on 8 December 2021 by the then International Trade Secretary. The full written ministerial statement can be found at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-12-08/hcws449.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the economic value of traditional boat building, particularly in areas like West Dorset. Training in traditional methods can contribute transferable skills for preserving cultural heritage, promoting sustainability and growing businesses.

Traditional boat building forms part of the wider leisure marine sector which contributed £1.4 billion in GVA and supported 29,000 jobs in 2019 [1]. The South West region alone generated £4 billion in turnover [2]. We continue to support the sector through events like the Southampton Boat Show and METSTRADE and promote its heritage and skills as vital to the UK’s maritime economy.

[1] State of the Maritime Nation, 2022

[2] State of the Maritime Nation, 2022

DBT works closely with the Department for Transport and industry to capitalise on the opportunity across the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market. It is estimated that by 2050, up to 15,000 jobs and £5bn GVA in the UK could be supported with future low carbon fuel production for the domestic and international markets. Government has already introduced strong incentives to support the SAF industry in the UK including: the SAF Mandate (effective 1 January 2025), the forthcoming Revenue Certainty Mechanism, and the Advanced Fuels Fund, which is extended for a further year with an additional £63m of funding.

Ofcom is the independent regulator for the postal sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.

Ofcom’s approach to protecting consumers is to include a condition that all postal operators must establish, make available, and comply with transparent, simple, and inexpensive procedures for dealing with consumers’ complaints about the services they receive.

Ofcom is committed to ongoing monitoring of operators’ performance and will consider enforcement action or further regulation to protect consumers.

We want more trade opportunities for British farmers to grow their businesses, including for the more than 1,000 commercial farm holdings in West Dorset. Our FTAs will help open new long term potential export markets. For example, we are pressing ahead with our accession to the CPTPP which enters into force on 15 December. This will facilitate easier market access for agriculture products for which Dorset is celebrated, such as by reducing tariffs on UK dairy in countries such as Chile and Japan.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) promotes and supports investment opportunities across all of the UK. In Dorset, DBT has a strong relationship with Dorset Council and proactively promotes the county’s sector strengths, particularly in areas such as AgriTech, Advanced Manufacturing and Defence.

The Government confirmed in the Autumn Budget that it will continue to fund Growth Hubs, including the Dorset Growth Hub, in 2025/26. This will provide key support for local businesses, including those in West Dorset. The forthcoming Industrial Strategy will also help guide investment in areas across the UK based on unique economic opportunities and advantages.

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. DBT works with other departments such as Defra, helping people living and working in rural areas to realise the full potential of rural businesses and communities placing them at the heart of our policymaking.

Our people-first focus will empower local leaders to make the best decisions for their regions, whether that is in rural or urban areas, by taking a place-based approach to transport. The Government has recently launched its plan to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy, setting out how transport should be designed, built and operated.

DBT is supporting companies like Baboo Gelato, based just outside Dorchester, to take their first steps into exporting.

UK businesses, including those in West Dorset constituency, can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises a online support offer and our wider network of support, including Export Champions, the Export Academy, our International Markets network, and UK Export Finance. Alongside this, our International Trade Advisers use their extensive experience of exporting and knowledge of the needs of SMEs in their sectors and regions to provide one-to-one tailored support to businesses.

Pubs, including in West Dorset, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK. That’s why it is important for us to act on the challenges that they face, by reforming business rates to level the playing field for all businesses from hospitality to the high street. The Chancellor has confirmed that she will be making decisions on tax policy at the Budget on 30 October.

We have established Skills England, a new partnership with employers at its heart and will transform the existing Apprenticeship Levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy to support business and boost opportunity.

The condition and maintenance of gas mains is typically managed by local Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs), under the regulatory supervision of Ofgem. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also play a key role in ensuring safety during mains replacement activities.

While oversight of gas mains infrastructure ultimately lies with the GDNs and HSE, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular discussions with Ofgem, HSE and the wider sector on a range of energy infrastructure issues to ensure that gas networks continue to operate safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to consumers, including those in West Dorset.

We are delivering on our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan to increase the number of businesses powered by green energy. We have lifted the onshore wind ban, established Great British Energy, consented almost 2GW of solar, delivered a record renewables auction, and launched carbon capture and hydrogen industries. In addition, we are driving forward vital planning and networks reforms to speed up clean power deployment.

The Government also is helping businesses to improve their energy efficiency and reduce the amount of energy they use by providing funding to upgrade their old boiler. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers grants of £7500 towards the cost of purchasing and installing heat pumps, and £5000 towards a biomass boiler, for properties looking to replace their existing fossil fuel heating.

The Government is working with local government, businesses, and the private sector to develop options to ensure our commercial buildings are thermally efficient, clean and affordable to run with a clear, practical path to meet Net Zero. We are supporting a pilot for hospitality businesses with Zero Carbon Services to help hospitality SMEs reduce carbon and energy bills. And the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers businesses grants of £7500 towards the cost of purchasing and installing heat pumps, and £5000 towards a biomass boiler, to replace their existing fossil fuel systems.

The Government does not hold any information or statistics about this area. While a range of Government schemes and incentives have supported energy efficiency improvements across the commercial sector, detailed data is not collected at a national or constituency level.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 28^th July to questions UIN 69173 and 69174.

Ofgem’s RIIO3-GD3 interim settlement outlines allowable investment from the gas transmission and distribution operators to maintain safety and resilience in the gas network between April 2026 and April 2031. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

Similarly, the Secretary of State has regular meetings with Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator. Final RIIO-GD3 determinations, including those relating to investment, health and safety, and customer bills are ultimately for Ofgem to determine.

Ofgem’s RIIO3-GD3 interim settlement outlines allowable investment from the gas transmission and distribution operators to maintain safety and resilience in the gas network between April 2026 and April 2031. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

Similarly, the Secretary of State has regular meetings with Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator. Final RIIO-GD3 determinations, including those relating to investment, health and safety, and customer bills are ultimately for Ofgem to determine.

The Government has made clear to industry that suppliers must fulfil their obligations to customers and drive up the rate of Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter replacements.

As part of the RTS Taskforce we are doing all that we can to protect consumers from any negative impacts, and make sure that the carefully managed phase out process of RTS from 30 June is as smooth as possible for consumers.

The industry-led Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is reaching the end of its operational life and can no longer be adequately maintained.

There will be a carefully managed phase out of the service starting from 30 June. The Government is working closely with the RTS Taskforce to ensure the phase out process is planned effectively and consumers are appropriately protected.

Ofgem has announced its intention to introduce RTS specific licence conditions for suppliers to protect consumers from the risk of heating and hot water supply disruption and higher bills. Ofgem has recently consulted on this and will publish a response in the coming weeks.

These new protections are in addition to current conditions put on suppliers to ensure that a suitable alternative metering system is installed in RTS premises and that consumers’ services are not disrupted.

The Department does not hold data on average connection costs for rural and urban areas. Under Ofgem’s regulation through network price controls, network companies are investing to provide new electricity network capacity ahead of need. This should reduce connection costs and timelines in both rural and urban areas.

The Department does not provide funding for connection costs specific to rural areas. Under Ofgem’s price control framework, network companies are investing in new electricity network capacity ahead of need. This should reduce both connection costs and timelines, including in rural areas.