Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish recommendations from its open consultation on improving car driving test booking rules.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. Demand remains high, owing in part to a major shift in customer booking behaviour.
DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times at all test centres, including in Surrey and the South-east.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.
Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.
On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July. In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing stricter regulation of pavement parking (a) near schools, (b) in locations affecting vulnerable people and (c) in other public areas in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully understands the problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians. This is particularly the case in certain sensitive locations, such as near schools, and for certain people such as those with mobility or sight impairments, or those pushing prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle pavement parking in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully understands the problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians. This is particularly the case in certain sensitive locations, such as near schools, and for certain people such as those with mobility or sight impairments, or those pushing prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the length of driving test waiting times in (a) Surrey and the (b) South-east.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. Demand remains high, owing in part to a major shift in customer booking behaviour.
DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times at all test centres, including in Surrey and the South-east.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.
Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.
On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July. In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to improve access to (a) training and (b) education for careers in (i) horticulture and (ii) the wider environmental sector in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is for providers and local areas, such as Surrey Heath, to determine what skills provision to deliver based on learner and employer demand.
A range of provision is available to support people to pursue careers in horticulture and environmental sectors, including:
High quality apprenticeship standards between levels 2 and 7 in roles such as Horticulture or Landscape Operative, Professional Arboriculturist and Charted Landscape Professional.
A range of Skills Bootcamps such as Grounds & Estates Horticulture, Horticulture and Forestry & Arboriculture.
T Levels in Agriculture, Land Management and Production pathways, which include environmental horticulture and landscaping and tree and woodland management and maintenance.
A number of qualifications related to horticulture or the wider environmental sector as part of Free Courses for Jobs, such as a diploma in Work-based Horticulture, advanced technical diploma in Horticulture, diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture, and advanced technical extended diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture.
There are also a number of land-based colleges in the country that specialise in horticulture and environmental provision, including Merrist Wood College in Surrey which delivers 160 courses including T Levels and apprenticeships.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of future plant passporting arrangements under the SPS framework.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area to make agrifood trade with our biggest market easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.
Plants for planting, seed potatoes and some wood and seeds require plant passports when moving within the EU and within GB. The detail of this needs to be agreed with the EU in negotiation, but our assumption is that we will move away from Phytosanitary Certificates for movements between GB-EU and instead use plant passports.
With the principles and framework of a deal agreed, we will now need to negotiate the detail of an agreement. Our aim is to start the detailed negotiations as soon as possible, as we want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS-funded fertility treatment in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We expect integrated care boards to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate.
In the light of broader pressures on the National Health Service and on-going changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.