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 review the presumption that a child can be accompanied by a parent when determining whether a walking route to school is available in Surrey.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As a general rule, a child who lives within the statutory walking distance of their school, and is able to walk to school accompanied by an adult, will not be eligible for free travel on the grounds of their special educational needs and disability, their mobility problem or the safety of the route.
However, the department’s statutory guidance makes it clear that local authorities should not have a blanket policy of never arranging free travel for a child who would be able to walk to school if they were accompanied. Additionally, where a parent provides good reasons why they are unable to accompany their child, the local authority should decide based on the circumstances of the case. The department currently has no plans to review this guidance. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on evidential standards when measuring walking distances for home-to-school transport eligibility in Surrey.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is the responsibility of local authorities (LAs) to measure routes and determine whether a child lives beyond the statutory walking distance from their school. Our statutory guidance explains that, when making this assessment, LAs must measure the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk in reasonable safety. This includes sections that use footpaths or bridleways, as well as sections that use roads. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of paid holiday provision for disabled children whose families are ineligible for means-tested support.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to improving access to high-quality holiday provision for school-aged children, including those with disabilities. Through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, we are investing over ÂŁ600 million across 2026/27 to 2028/29 to provide free holiday club places, healthy meals and enriching activities for eligible children during school holidays in England.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and ensuring HAF provision is inclusive and accessible. Guidance for local authorities sets out clear expectations on making HAF provision accessible for children with disabilities and a wide range of needs. HAF funding gives local authorities the flexibility to meet the sometimes higher costs of specialist provision, and to use up to 15% of HAF funding to provide free holiday places for children who are not eligible for HAF but who could benefit, including children with disabilities.
We are also providing local authorities with ÂŁ12.9 million in 2026/27 to support their statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare, including provision for disabled children up to 18 years. As part of this duty, local authorities should ensure they understand supply and demand for school-age childcare, including paid holiday provision, and the department works closely with local authorities to understand any sufficiency issues.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve access to inclusive holiday activities for disabled children in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to improving access to high-quality holiday provision for school-aged children, including those with disabilities. Through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, we are investing over ÂŁ600 million across 2026/27 to 2028/29 to provide free holiday club places, healthy meals and enriching activities for eligible children during school holidays in England.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and ensuring HAF provision is inclusive and accessible. Guidance for local authorities sets out clear expectations on making HAF provision accessible for children with disabilities and a wide range of needs. HAF funding gives local authorities the flexibility to meet the sometimes higher costs of specialist provision, and to use up to 15% of HAF funding to provide free holiday places for children who are not eligible for HAF but who could benefit, including children with disabilities.
We are also providing local authorities with ÂŁ12.9 million in 2026/27 to support their statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare, including provision for disabled children up to 18 years. As part of this duty, local authorities should ensure they understand supply and demand for school-age childcare, including paid holiday provision, and the department works closely with local authorities to understand any sufficiency issues.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review the use by local authorities of Road Safety GB’s Assessment of Walked Routes to Schools Guidelines when determining eligibility for free home-to-school travel.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Local authorities are responsible for assessing route safety to determine whether a child is eligible for free home to school travel. This includes deciding how they will assess route safety.
Some authorities use the Assessment of Walked Routes to Schools guidelines published by Road Safety GB. These provide advice to local authorities on assessing the risk posed to pedestrians by traffic. Our statutory guidance for local authorities is clear that the guidelines can form the basis from which to develop a route safety assessment, but they are not a complete assessment on their own. Further details on the guidance are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel.
Local authorities will need to consider the whole of the route including any sections that use footpaths or bridleways, as well as sections that use roads.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of alternative transport when free home-to-school travel assistance is withdrawn in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities (LAs) must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of their special educational needs and disability (SEND) or mobility problem. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income households intended to support school choice.
LAs have a discretionary power to arrange travel for other children.
The government is improving access to local transport through the Bus Services Act 2025, which gives local leaders greater control over bus services to better meet community needs, including access to education. The Department for Transport’s integrated transport strategy highlights the importance of transport networks supporting access to education. The Act also strengthens consideration of socially necessary bus services by requiring local authorities to consider alternatives where changes could affect access to essential services, including education.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to protect sports funding in primary schools in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 11062.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of sports funding for primary schools in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 11062.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will increase sports funding for primary schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 11062.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the expected timeline for teachers to receive their pay rise.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the importance of timely decisions on teacher pay for school budgeting, and this remains a priority. We are therefore working to publish our response to the School Teachers' Review Body report as soon as possible.