Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other rural areas benefit from technology enabled independent living.

As part of the immediate reforms announced in January 2025, the Government has committed to setting new national standards for care technologies and to developing trusted guidance. This information will help people who draw on care, and their loved ones, to confidently buy effective, compatible products for their homes.

Furthermore, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are working together to ensure people in hard-to-reach communities who require care technology to live independently can access fast, reliable connectivity. This includes continued investment in Project Gigabit to expand gigabit-capable broadband, and the Shared Rural Network, which has already extended 4G coverage to 95% of the United Kingdom.