Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to engage with road safety public awareness campaigns that educate children in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Through THINK!, the government’s flagship road safety campaign, we provide a wide range of free educational resources to help improve children's road safety. These are made available to schools and local road safety officers via the THINK! website, social channels and partnerships with organisations such as the Department for Education. https://www.think.gov.uk/education.

In 2024, THINK! launched a ‘Safe Adventures’ campaign to help parents across the country prepare their children for independent travel ahead of moving to secondary school: https://www.think.gov.uk/campaign/safe-adventures/. This activity focuses on the risky behaviours assigned to child pedestrian casualties, which includes failing to look and distractions, finding a safe place to cross and being in a hurry.

THINK! routinely engages with local authorities to assist them with using and promoting our campaigns, and we work closely with Road Safety GB who help disseminate and coordinate our outreach to their network of road safety officers and professionals.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of children injured on roads in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035 and a 70% reduction in the number of children (under 16) killed or seriously injured on roads in Great Britain by 2035, using a 2022-2024 baseline.

As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we are gathering feedback on introducing penalty points for failure to wear a seat belt, and additional penalty points for drivers who do not ensure child passengers wear seat belts.

We will also support and work in partnership with local authorities, who have the legal responsibility for setting local speed limits, and detailed knowledge of their own local areas. This is important for the safety of vulnerable road users, including children. We will update our guidance to local authorities on ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’. We will also update our guidance to local authorities on ‘The use of speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement: guidance on deployment, visibility and signing’.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of rough sleeping in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency during winter 2025-26 on the health of rough sleepers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that homelessness and rough sleeping numbers continue to remain high. That is why the Government is providing £255.5 million for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant so that local authorities can support people sleeping rough in their areas, including funding health‑led interventions, alongside a £69.9 million top‑up announced in October 2025 to tackle additional pressures.

Surrey County Council has undertaken a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, focused on housing and related support, funded by the Department through the Public Health Grant and carried out by health and wellbeing boards. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.surreyi.gov.uk/jsna/jsna-housing-and-related-support/#homelessness

The assessment requires a thorough analysis of the health and social care needs of local populations, and highlights how determinants such as housing conditions, including insecure housing and homelessness, impact health and wellbeing. This informs planning across health, social care, and housing to improve outcomes and address inequalities.

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 effectiveness of (a) early intervention and (b) prevention services aimed at supporting children affected by parental alcohol misuse in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children affected by parental alcohol problems can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective public health early interventions to break the cycle. The Government’s mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and preventing intergenerational transmission.

The Government is funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, which will be rolled out from April 2026. The hubs have been developed from the best of the Sure Start and Family Hubs and Start for Life approaches and will build on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme in 2025/26. Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all and based in disadvantaged communities. Services will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, such as intergenerational transmission of problem alcohol use.

From this year, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channeled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13.45 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services according to local need and can use this funding to ensure that parents/carers with alcohol problems, and their children, can access high quality help and support.

For 2026/27, Surrey County Council will receive £12,356,996 in protected drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery funding. Furthermore, to inform local authorities’ assessment of need and support the children of parents with alcohol problems, the Department is producing a suite of resources, including local prevalence and treatment data on parents/carers with alcohol problems, and child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners.

Finally, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment

The guidelines promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision. It includes a section on the specific support needs of parents with alcohol problems and makes recommendations on how to address them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of challenges faced by children of parents with alcohol problems in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children affected by parental alcohol problems can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective public health early interventions to break the cycle. The Government’s mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and preventing intergenerational transmission.

The Government is funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, which will be rolled out from April 2026. The hubs have been developed from the best of the Sure Start and Family Hubs and Start for Life approaches and will build on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme in 2025/26. Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all and based in disadvantaged communities. Services will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, such as intergenerational transmission of problem alcohol use.

From this year, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channeled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13.45 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services according to local need and can use this funding to ensure that parents/carers with alcohol problems, and their children, can access high quality help and support.

For 2026/27, Surrey County Council will receive £12,356,996 in protected drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery funding. Furthermore, to inform local authorities’ assessment of need and support the children of parents with alcohol problems, the Department is producing a suite of resources, including local prevalence and treatment data on parents/carers with alcohol problems, and child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners.

Finally, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment

The guidelines promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision. It includes a section on the specific support needs of parents with alcohol problems and makes recommendations on how to address them.

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 prevent the intergenerational transmission of alcohol misuse in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children affected by parental alcohol problems can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective public health early interventions to break the cycle. The Government’s mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and preventing intergenerational transmission.

The Government is funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, which will be rolled out from April 2026. The hubs have been developed from the best of the Sure Start and Family Hubs and Start for Life approaches and will build on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme in 2025/26. Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all and based in disadvantaged communities. Services will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, such as intergenerational transmission of problem alcohol use.

From this year, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channeled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13.45 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services according to local need and can use this funding to ensure that parents/carers with alcohol problems, and their children, can access high quality help and support.

For 2026/27, Surrey County Council will receive £12,356,996 in protected drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery funding. Furthermore, to inform local authorities’ assessment of need and support the children of parents with alcohol problems, the Department is producing a suite of resources, including local prevalence and treatment data on parents/carers with alcohol problems, and child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners.

Finally, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment

The guidelines promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision. It includes a section on the specific support needs of parents with alcohol problems and makes recommendations on how to address them.

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 potential impact of (a) homelessness and (b) insecure accommodation on public health in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that homelessness and rough sleeping numbers continue to remain high. That is why the Government is providing £255.5 million for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant so that local authorities can support people sleeping rough in their areas, including funding health‑led interventions, alongside a £69.9 million top‑up announced in October 2025 to tackle additional pressures.

Surrey County Council has undertaken a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, focused on housing and related support, funded by the Department through the Public Health Grant and carried out by health and wellbeing boards. The assessment is available at the following link:

https://www.surreyi.gov.uk/jsna/

The assessment requires a thorough analysis of the health and social care needs of local populations, identifying inequalities and wider determinants of health, such as housing. The assessment highlights how determinants such as housing conditions, including insecure housing and homelessness, impact health and wellbeing. This informs planning across health, social care, and housing to improve outcomes and address inequalities.

The Department is working to action the commitments made in A National Plan to End Homelessness, including ensuring that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay. The plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-national-plan-to-end-homelessness/a-national-plan-to-end-homelessness

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 on (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Local Government Finance Settlement is our most significant move yet to make English local government more sustainable. The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. We are delivering fairer funding, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade.

The provisional Settlement 2026-27 will make available almost £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, a 5.7% cash-terms increase compared to 2025-26. For Surrey Council, we are making available up to £1.3 billion in 2028-29 in Core Spending Power, an increase of up to 6.9% compared to 2024–25. For Surrey Heath Council, we are making available up to £15.4 million in 2028-29 in Core Spending Power, an increase of up to 2.4% compared to 2024–25.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to support councils in Surrey in managing projected SEND deficits beyond 2026–27.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits on their accounts and that they will need continued support during the transition to a reformed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. This will include working with local authorities to manage their SEND system, including deficits. On 23 June, as part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0, we announced a two-year extension to the DSG Statutory Override, now due to end in March 2028.

We will provide further detail on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits later in the Settlement process.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure water resilience during (a) storms and (b) periods of severe weather in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 December to Question 96864.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support increased participation in apprenticeships among young people in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people, including those in Surrey, at the beginning of their careers.

In August, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.

More recently, we have announced an ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and backed this with an additional £725 million of investment. This will enable us to expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people. It also provides £140 million to pilot new approaches, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people aged 16–24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities.

In addition, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially small and medium sized enterprises) for all eligible people aged under 25. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. We also provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care.

Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 2,500 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England, including in Surrey, through nine regional networks which provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of trends in levels of youth unemployment and economic inactivity in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, including funding £820 million for the expanded Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy to help support apprenticeships for young people.

Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:

Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up. This support could be delivered at a Youth Hub.

Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support. Across Surrey, there are currently five Youth Hubs across Surrey based in Camberley, Weybridge, Staines, Mole Valley and Woking.

c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers – Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.

Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years. We know young people need support quickly and that is why we will begin delivery of the Jobs Guarantee in six areas from spring 2026 in: Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest & Southeast Wales. We will deliver over 1,000 job starts in the first six months in these six areas. This will be followed by national roll-out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain.

Prevention: We are also making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better data sharing for those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school, often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances). This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn.

Growth and Skills Levy £725 million package of reforms includes fully funding SME apprenticeships for eligible people aged under 25, and £140 million pilot of new approaches to better connect young people aged 16-24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities. These are important steps in the government’s ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, which will also be supported by expanding foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people.

The information requested on trends in levels of youth unemployment and economic inactivity is published and available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp and the guidance for users can be found at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp.

The estimated trends can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant county and Westminster constituency from the menu, and then, in the Variable menu, Category set to “Unemployment rate” from the drop-down list to access 16-24 year old unemployment, and the Category set to “Economically inactive by age” for the economically inactive aged 16-24.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of young people not in (a) education, (b) employment or (c) training in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, including funding £820 million for the expanded Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy to help support apprenticeships for young people.

Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:

Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up. This support could be delivered at a Youth Hub.

Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support. Across Surrey, there are currently five Youth Hubs across Surrey based in Camberley, Weybridge, Staines, Mole Valley and Woking.

c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers – Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.

Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years. We know young people need support quickly and that is why we will begin delivery of the Jobs Guarantee in six areas from spring 2026 in: Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest & Southeast Wales. We will deliver over 1,000 job starts in the first six months in these six areas. This will be followed by national roll-out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain.

Prevention: We are also making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better data sharing for those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school, often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances). This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn.

Growth and Skills Levy £725 million package of reforms includes fully funding SME apprenticeships for eligible people aged under 25, and £140 million pilot of new approaches to better connect young people aged 16-24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities. These are important steps in the government’s ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, which will also be supported by expanding foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people.

The information requested on trends in levels of youth unemployment and economic inactivity is published and available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp and the guidance for users can be found at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp.

The estimated trends can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant county and Westminster constituency from the menu, and then, in the Variable menu, Category set to “Unemployment rate” from the drop-down list to access 16-24 year old unemployment, and the Category set to “Economically inactive by age” for the economically inactive aged 16-24.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of diagnosis and ongoing care for people with Crohn’s disease and Colitis in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for ensuring that appropriate treatment and support is available for people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, in their areas. In Surrey Heath, this responsibility sits with either the NHS Frimley ICB or the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB, with national improvement programmes such as Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and NHS RightCare driving change. Together, these programmes help deliver consistent, high-quality diagnostic processes and ongoing care and support across the National Health Service in England.

The GIRFT national report on gastroenterology recommends rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, increased endoscopy capacity, the standardised use of diagnostic tests such as endoscopy and imaging, and early involvement of multidisciplinary teams, including IBD specialist nurses, gastroenterologists, surgeons, dietitians, and mental health professionals.

In November 2025, GIRFT published a new handbook, ‘Optimising care for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease’ in addition to an updated IBD pathway. This handbook provides practical advice, key actions, and examples of innovative practices to improve the care of NHS patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

‘Hannah’s story’, published by NHS England as part of its RightCare scenario series, is a fictional case study designed to show the difference between a suboptimal and an optimal care pathway for someone living with Crohn’s disease. This scenario underlines the importance of integrated services, proactive treatment planning, and consistent adherence to IBD Standards to reduce variation and improve outcomes for patients across England.

Gastroenterology is a high-volume specialty identified as a top priority for reform in the Elective Reform Plan due to its waiting list challenges. Specific action in gastroenterology includes developing an integrated pathway across primary, community, and secondary care for common gastroenterology conditions. We will also drive rapid adoption of remote monitoring in appropriate gastroenterology pathways.

We are also introducing an ‘online hospital’ through NHS Online. This will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times. IBD is amongst nine initial conditions for online referrals from 2027.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support available to people living with Crohn’s disease and Colitis in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for ensuring that appropriate treatment and support is available for people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, in their areas. In Surrey Heath, this responsibility sits with either the NHS Frimley ICB or the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB, with national improvement programmes such as Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and NHS RightCare driving change. Together, these programmes help deliver consistent, high-quality diagnostic processes and ongoing care and support across the National Health Service in England.

The GIRFT national report on gastroenterology recommends rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, increased endoscopy capacity, the standardised use of diagnostic tests such as endoscopy and imaging, and early involvement of multidisciplinary teams, including IBD specialist nurses, gastroenterologists, surgeons, dietitians, and mental health professionals.

In November 2025, GIRFT published a new handbook, ‘Optimising care for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease’ in addition to an updated IBD pathway. This handbook provides practical advice, key actions, and examples of innovative practices to improve the care of NHS patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

‘Hannah’s story’, published by NHS England as part of its RightCare scenario series, is a fictional case study designed to show the difference between a suboptimal and an optimal care pathway for someone living with Crohn’s disease. This scenario underlines the importance of integrated services, proactive treatment planning, and consistent adherence to IBD Standards to reduce variation and improve outcomes for patients across England.

Gastroenterology is a high-volume specialty identified as a top priority for reform in the Elective Reform Plan due to its waiting list challenges. Specific action in gastroenterology includes developing an integrated pathway across primary, community, and secondary care for common gastroenterology conditions. We will also drive rapid adoption of remote monitoring in appropriate gastroenterology pathways.

We are also introducing an ‘online hospital’ through NHS Online. This will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times. IBD is amongst nine initial conditions for online referrals from 2027.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will consider the potential merits of increasing funding for pavement parking enforcement in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport recognises the importance of safe and accessible pavements for all road users. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing pavement parking restrictions under existing civil parking enforcement powers, and statutory guidance advises that these operations should be self-financing.

While we keep enforcement policy under review, there are currently no plans to provide additional central funding for pavement parking enforcement in Surrey or Surrey Heath.

New devolved pavement parking powers were announced on 8 January 2026 and we will work with local government to develop the approach to implementation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of progression rates from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department works closely with the four general further education colleges in Surrey: Brooklands, East Surrey, Nescot and Activate. The colleges collaborate through Surrey FE to support recruitment and progression across Surrey. Each college has worked towards targets in their accountability agreements, which include clear progression routes at all levels. This work is supported by the FE Provider Dashboard, which provides insight into progression and employment outcomes and informs annual strategic conversations with colleges.

Ofsted’s new framework will measure college achievement and performance, particularly in relation to those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and disabilities or high needs, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and well-being, including those without level 2 English or mathematics

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out how we will make 16-19 pathways easier to navigate. The department will introduce V Levels as a new vocational option that sits alongside A levels and T Levels at Level 3, and will feature nationally set content linked to job standards, giving students clear, industry relevant choices. We will also introduce two new dedicated pathways at Level 2: an occupational pathway to prepare students for work, and a further study pathway to help students progress to higher levels of study.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will assess the potential merits of long-term reform to (a) vehicle identification systems and (b) enforcement systems in tackling number plate crime.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.

The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has data on the average waiting times for (a) ADHD and (b) Autism assessments for young people in the (i) South East, (ii) Surrey, and (iii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of autism and ADHD services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

The NICE guidance for the assessment of autism recommends that the length between referral and first appointment should be no more than 13 weeks. We know that this is not happening routinely across the country. In respect of ADHD, the NICE guideline on ADHD does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive an assessment for ADHD or a diagnosis, however it sets out best practice on providing a diagnosis.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for ADHD for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual NHS trusts or commissioners.

NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level for the first time on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, which is avaiable at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/november-2025

In respect of autism, the most recent data, published on 13 November 2025, is available on the NHS England website at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics/october-2024-to-september-2025

Through the NHS Medium-term planning framework, published 24 October 2025, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for autism and ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD, and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of Crohn’s disease and Colitis in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to improving awareness and understanding of Crohn’s disease and colitis across England, including in the Surrey Heath constituency.

The NHS.UK website provides comprehensive, clinically assured information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and advice on when to seek help. It also signposts to specialist services and support organisations. The National Health Service website receives approximately 650 million visits annually and is maintained to ensure content reflects the latest clinical guidance and best practice.

The enhanced NHS App, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, will improve awareness of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis by providing easy access to clinically assured information from the NHS website, personalised care tools, and signposting to trusted support organisations. New features such as My Health and My Medicines will help patients track symptoms and manage treatment, while integrated resources and self-referral options will empower individuals to understand their condition and seek timely care. By combining reliable guidance with digital engagement, the app will raise public awareness and support better self-management for those living with these conditions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) ADHD and (b) autism assessments for children and young people in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of autism and ADHD services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

The NICE guidance for the assessment of autism recommends that the length between referral and first appointment should be no more than 13 weeks. We know that this is not happening routinely across the country. In respect of ADHD, the NICE guideline on ADHD does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive an assessment for ADHD or a diagnosis, however it sets out best practice on providing a diagnosis.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for ADHD for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual NHS trusts or commissioners.

NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level for the first time on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, which is avaiable at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/november-2025

In respect of autism, the most recent data, published on 13 November 2025, is available on the NHS England website at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics/october-2024-to-september-2025

Through the NHS Medium-term planning framework, published 24 October 2025, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for autism and ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD, and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase opportunities for (a) children and (b) young people to participate in ice hockey in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including ice hockey, providing more opportunities for children and young people to be active.

In the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England invested £314,995 into the Surrey Heath constituency to improve access to sport and physical activity. Local Authorities in Surrey received a combined total of £1.86m of Sport England Funding in 2024-25.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots rugby in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the ambulance costs from road collisions in Surrey in the past five years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific estimation has been made. Data on the number of road traffic collisions is collected and published by the Department for Transport.

Ambulance services do not routinely report costs at the level of individual incident types. However, the most recent National Cost Collection indicates that the average cost of an ambulance ‘see, treat and convey’ response is approximately £489.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS staff are not overstretched and are able to take sufficient rest breaks during their working hours in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to ensuring that National Health Service staff in Surrey Heath, and across the country more widely, are able to take sufficient rest breaks during their working hours in compliance with the Working Time Regulations 1998. The NHS staff terms and conditions of service set out clear entitlements for staff rest breaks with provisions stating that any member of staff working a shift of more than six hours is entitled to have a minimum of one 20-minute rest break, and for this break to be uninterrupted. Where possible, local policies may provide for longer or additional breaks, and employers are encouraged to support flexible working arrangements to enable staff to take appropriate rest and manage workload pressures.

Employers are responsible for ensuring rotas and staffing levels take account of statutory and contractual break entitlements, and that staff are able to take these breaks safely and without detriment to patient care. The Department continues to work with NHS organisations to promote staff wellbeing, recognising that adequate rest is essential for both effective patient care and staff health.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration is given to infrastructure deliverability, including transport links, utilities, and local road capacity, when selecting sites for new hospitals under the New Hospital Programme.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I can confirm that since August 2024, the New Hospital Programme (NHP) has been supporting the trust with their site selection process to ensure it is transparent and robust. This has included broadening search criteria and “blind scoring” of sites to establish a short-list of options for further consideration. No decision has yet been made on the location of the new Frimley Park Hospital, part of Wave 1 of the NHP. Any final decision on location will require a business case to be assured and approved through the standard business case process.

Following Government guidance, all trusts are required to undertake appropriate levels of due diligence on potential sites as part of a site selection process. The selection process is designed to allow trusts to identify a smaller number of sites to investigate further and therefore it is expected that trusts will complete additional work on short-listed sites as part of the business case process to assess infrastructure deliverability including transport, utilities, and access.

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 (a) transparency and (b) consistency of site selection processes used under the New Hospital Programme for Frimley Park Hospital.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I can confirm that since August 2024, the New Hospital Programme (NHP) has been supporting the trust with their site selection process to ensure it is transparent and robust. This has included broadening search criteria and “blind scoring” of sites to establish a short-list of options for further consideration. No decision has yet been made on the location of the new Frimley Park Hospital, part of Wave 1 of the NHP. Any final decision on location will require a business case to be assured and approved through the standard business case process.

Following Government guidance, all trusts are required to undertake appropriate levels of due diligence on potential sites as part of a site selection process. The selection process is designed to allow trusts to identify a smaller number of sites to investigate further and therefore it is expected that trusts will complete additional work on short-listed sites as part of the business case process to assess infrastructure deliverability including transport, utilities, and access.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is issued to NHS Continuing Healthcare decision-makers on assessing complex and high-intensity care needs for people with (a) progressive and (b) degenerative conditions in Surrey.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has provided detailed statutory guidance, the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare, and National Health Service-funded Nursing Care (the National Framework), on the process for determining eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) which all integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, must follow. It sets out that all arrangements should place the individual at the centre of the assessment and care-planning process.

The National Framework supports practitioners across health and social care to undertake assessments and deliver CHC appropriately. It should be read alongside the national assessment tools. This includes the decision support tool, which aids consistent decision making and supports a multidisciplinary team of professionals to assess an individual’s needs. The National Framework sets out that it is best practice for someone with specialist knowledge of the individual’s condition to be involved in the assessment process. To support practitioners to apply the National Framework, NHS England has developed and published a comprehensive set of online learning resources.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to move (a) clinics and (b) routine appointments into community hospitals in Surrey.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As announced at the Budget, we are committed to delivering 250 neighbourhood health centres by 2035 across every part of England, and there are now also 100 community diagnostic centres across the country offering out-of-hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Community diagnostic centres are supporting one of the three 10-Year Health Plan shifts, from the hospital to the community, by offering local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests including imaging tests, endoscopies, and respiratory tests, closer to home, as well as greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, reducing pressure on acute hospital sites.

Over time our aim is also to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together appropriate National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations, and to help move care from hospitals into community settings.

Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning, including planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. Both ICBs and local health systems will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for neighbourhood health centres.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure greater (a) consistency and (b) fairness in NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility decisions across Integrated Care Boards for people with progressive neurological conditions.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Operational delivery of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) with oversight from NHS England. The Department’s statutory guidance on CHC supports practitioners to assess and deliver CHC appropriately, which all ICBs must follow. Eligibility for CHC is not determined by age, diagnosis, condition, or financial means, but is assessed on an individual basis. Eligibility may vary across ICBs due to factors such as the age profile of the local population and differing health needs between regions.

NHS England’s assurance regime promotes accurate assessment, equal access, and consistency within CHC delivery. Their assurance model focusses on reducing variation in the delivery of CHC services across England.

The NHS All Age Continuing Care Data Set, which was launched in April 2025, provides NHS England with regional, ICB, and sub-ICB-level data on CHC eligibility, referrals, and assessment outcomes to help monitor and improve CHC delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the accessibility of regular NHS dental check-up appointments in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a National Health Service dentist, particularly in areas such as Surrey, and are taking steps to address this.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Surrey Heath constituency, this is the Surrey Heartlands ICB.

We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. These extra appointments have been made available from April 2025.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on recall intervals state that a healthy adult with good oral health needs to see a dentist once every two years, and a child once every year. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data his Department holds on the number of Homes in Multiple Occupation in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Data on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) is not collected by parliamentary constituency.

Estimates of the number of HMOs by local authority in England can be found in Section F of the Local Authority Housing Statistics. Estimates for 31 March 2024 can be found on gov.uk here. Publication of estimates for 31 March 2025 has been pre-announced for 29 January 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of houses in multiple occupation on public service infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department does not make assessments of the potential impact of Houses in Multiple Occupations (HMOs) on public service infrastructure in individual parliamentary constituencies.

Local planning authorities already have planning powers to limit the concentration or proliferation of HMOs within their locality. They can remove the national permitted development right for smaller HMOs to protect the local amenity or wellbeing of an area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction which, once in place, requires all new HMO proposals to secure planning permission. We keep the powers to regulate HMOs under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will consider increasing funding to improve the (a) security and (b) enforcement of vehicle registration marks.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 7 January 2026, the Government published its Road Safety Strategy, which sets out plans to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Great Britain’s roads, including through a focus on robust enforcement.

The Strategy also sets out the Government’s intention to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates. The Department for Transport has published a consultation on proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences, including the use of illegal number plates designed to evade detection. Separately, the DVLA has been engaged in work to strengthen the relevant number plate standard and officials are considering options to support more robust application and audit processes for number plate suppliers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting times for a decision on Access to Work claims in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department is committed to reducing the Access to Work waiting times. We have increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practices. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

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 (a) quality and (b) accessibility of health and care services for people with learning disabilities in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Significant action is underway to improve the quality and accessibility of health and care services for people with a learning disability at a local level, helping to deliver the shift from treatment to prevention, outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan, which is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future

The national Learning Disabilities Health Check Scheme is designed to encourage general practices to identify all patients aged 14 years old and over with a learning disability, and to offer them an annual health check and health action plan. Further information on the Learning Disabilities Health Check Scheme is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/learning-disabilities-health-check-scheme

The latest published data for Surrey Heath shows that 82.78% of people with a learning disability in the area had completed a health check, and that 80.19% of learning disability patients in Surrey Heath had a completed health action plan. The latest published data for Surrey Heath is avaiable at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/learning-disabilities-health-check-scheme/england-march-2025

According to recently published data on Health and Care of People with Learning Disabilities, 81.5% of people with a learning disability had completed an annual health check in England. Further information on the recently published data on Health and Care of People with Learning Disabilities is avaiable at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-and-care-of-people-with-learning-disabilities/experimental-statistics-2024-to-2025

The Surrey All Ages Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Oversight Committee routinely monitors the following:

- admissions and discharges for adults, and children and young people with a learning disability and any barriers to timely discharge;

- mandatory training on learning disability and autism;

- performance on Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews and commissioner oversight visits;

- Dynamic Support Register governance; and

- implementation of the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve road safety education for young motorcyclists in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035.

Road safety is a shared responsibility, and the strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone.

The strategy is an opportunity to reflect on the changes and challenges faced by all motorcycle riders and the government has announced a consultation on an ambitious package of reforms to the training, testing and licensing regime for Category A moped and motorcycle licences in Great Britain.

As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. To support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety. Local authorities are responsible for delivering road safety education and have a statutory duty to take steps both to reduce and prevent collisions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on embedding safety into road design in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department has held no such discussions. Local traffic authorities are responsible for making decisions about their own roads, based on their knowledge of the area and taking into account local needs and circumstances. It is for them to ensure roads are designed in a way that helps fulfil their road safety duties.

Good design can have a significant impact on road safety. The Department has long advocated street design that improves safety through guidance and good practice advice, in particular the Manual for Streets. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, an update of the Manual is underway to ensure it continues to provide advice that enables authorities to deliver safer streets.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of employment support for people with learning disabilities in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

For people who need specialist intensive support, DWP have agreed to fund Surrey County Council up to £9.8m to deliver the national Connect to Work programme across Surrey to around 2500 people to March 2030. This voluntary Supported Employment programme is for disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment, including those with learning disabilities and autistic adults, helping them to find sustained work. People interested in taking part in Connect to Work in Surrey can do so via this website: Connect to Work - Surrey County Council.

We also have support for individuals available via our Jobcentres. This includes our Pathways to Work Advisors, who are helping individuals identify and overcome obstacles which may stop them from moving towards or into work, and for those who are ready to access employment, wider skills support, and our employment programmes. There is also support available through our Disability Employment Advisors (DEAs). DEAs provide Jobcentre Plus work coaches with specialist support on how to tailor their support to help customers with long-term health conditions and disabilities move closer or into the labour market. Additionally, they can also offer direct support (1-2-1) to customers on top of what they receive from their work coach. They also work with the local community to advocate for customers, collaborate with local partners (GPs, NHS, third sector organisations), facilitate support that meets local needs and promote other initiatives such as Disability Confident, Workwell, Connect to Work and Access to Work.

Access to Work provides grant funding to support Workplace Adjustments that go beyond an employer's duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. The grant provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. In March 2025, we published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to use innovative modes of transport to improve road safety in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.

The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This is underpinned through the four key themes of the strategy, one of which is taking advantage of technology, data and innovation for safer vehicles and post collision care. This details how we will make current vehicles safer, by mandating vehicle safety technologies and making use of both connected and automated vehicles to make our roads safer. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Minister for Local Transport.

Road safety is a shared responsibility, and this strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. Partnership working and utilisation of local expertise will ensure that road safety improvements are seen across counties and constituencies, including Surrey and Surrey Heath. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of UK accession to the Lugano Convention for businesses and legal professionals.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The UK applied to re-join the 2007 Lugano Convention in April 2020. This application remains pending as the European Commission stated in a Note Verbale in June 2021 that it was not in a position to consent to UK accession.

The UK Government remains committed to close and effective collaboration with EU and EFTA countries in the area of private international law.  As evidence of this, the UK ratified the 2019 Hague Convention in 2024, to which the EU is also a Party. This now provides recognition and enforcement rules in civil and commercial matters between the UK and the EU and its Member States.

Hague 2019 rules provide greater certainty for businesses, reduce transactional and cross-border litigation costs, and support international trade and investments. Being part of this multilateral framework also encourages businesses to choose the UK’s world-beating courts and legal services for their international litigation, by providing greater predictability as to whether a UK judgment can be recognised and enforced abroad.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to support remediation in cases where leaseholders fall outside the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government is not currently considering expanding the leaseholder protections further but is committed to reviewing how to better protect leaseholders from costs. There is a range of support in place for those leaseholders whose lease does not qualify for protection under Part 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022.

All leaseholders in buildings above 11 metres or five storeys are protected from paying towards the remediation of all fire related and structural defects where the developer has signed the developer remediation contract or where the freeholder is, or was associated with, the developer. More information on the developer remediation contract can be found on gov.uk here.

Where a responsible developer cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible, funding is available for fire safety related cladding remediation on buildings over 11 metres through the Cladding Safety Scheme. Guidance on the Cladding Safety Scheme can be found on gov.uk here.

The leaseholder protections do not apply to collectively owned buildings because there is no ‘separate’ freeholder to bear the costs, which would be borne by the leaseholders themselves – so the protections would not have their intended effect.

Leaseholders and freeholders of residential buildings of all heights can use rights to redress introduced by the Building Safety Act. The Act extended the limitation period for Defective Premises Act claims to 30 years, providing more time to seek redress for poor workmanship. It also introduced new rights to bring civil claims where defective products have made a home unfit for habitation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of national standards and guidance for managing incidents on strategic road networks.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways works closely with emergency service partners and other specialist responders to ensure England’s motorways and larger A-roads are as safe and reliable as they can be.

National Highways developed the Strategic Road Responders Agreement which partners in the police, fire and ambulance services have all signed up to.

This agreement identifies the CLEAR initiative (Collision, Lead, Evaluate, Act, Re-open) as a tool that responders commit to using and, in doing so, helps to minimise the impact of incidents and ensures national standards and guidance are available and understood.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on preparedness for incidents involving new vehicle technologies on strategic road networks in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department actively engages with all Local Authorities, including Surrey County Council, when discussing preparedness and proposed measures to mitigate against incidents involving new vehicle technologies. National Highways regularly reviews and updates their processes and procedures to respond to any incidents involving new vehicle technologies on the strategic road network.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the economic contribution of (a) touring musicians and (b) cultural professionals to the UK economy.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recognises that touring musicians and cultural professionals are essential to the United Kingdom’s economic vitality. The Department assesses the economic contribution of these sectors through the DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, which provide accredited official statistics on Gross Value Added (GVA), employment, and trade, which are available at national and regional levels. These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimate.

The Government remains committed to supporting these professionals both at home and abroad. We continue to engage with the sector to address barriers to international touring and to ensure a sustainable environment for domestic performance, maintaining the UK’s position as a world-leading hub for the arts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the level of impact of disruption to entry and exit systems at UK borders during the Christmas period on the economy.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Entry / Exit System (EES) is an EU system; we are working with the French authorities and UK operators at St Pancras, Folkestone, and Port of Dover to minimise disruption.

There has been no disruption at the UK border related to EES. The system is being introduced through a phased implementation, and no meaningful assessment can be made at this stage of the rollout.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to (a) businesses and (b) travellers arising from delays associated with the entry and exit system into the European Union.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Entry / Exit System (EES) is an EU system; we are working with the French authorities and UK operators at St Pancras, Folkestone, and Port of Dover to minimise disruption.

There has been no disruption at the UK border related to EES. The system is being introduced through a phased implementation, and no meaningful assessment can be made at this stage of the rollout.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling her Department has done of the potential impact of deeper UK–EU regulatory cooperation on services trade and employment.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to providing appropriate analysis of any agreement made with the EU, but we will not be able to provide a full assessment of the impacts whilst detailed negotiations are ongoing. We have made a choice to align in some areas where it makes sense to do so in our national interest. For example, to unlock the SPS and carbon pricing agreements, which will add up to £9 billion a year to the UK economy by 2040. The carbon pricing deal also avoids the risk of taxes on £7bn worth of UK exports to the EU. Where we agree to dynamically align, we will have decision-shaping rights, as well technical adaptations and phasing in to make this deal work for the UK. The details of these are subject to negotiation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of PAS 9980 on building safety in residential buildings.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has sponsored the British Standards Institution (BSI), who developed and are responsible for the PAS 9980 guidance, to review it to ensure it captures best practice, meets the needs of the market and identify whether any revisions are required. BSI has established a steering group with wide stakeholder representation and conducted a public consultation as part of the review. They expect to publish updated guidance in Summer 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consultation he has undertaken with relevant stakeholders on developing PAS 9980.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has sponsored the British Standards Institution (BSI), who developed and are responsible for the PAS 9980 guidance, to review it to ensure it captures best practice, meets the needs of the market and identify whether any revisions are required. BSI has established a steering group with wide stakeholder representation and conducted a public consultation as part of the review. They expect to publish updated guidance in Summer 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of streamlining visa arrangements for musicians, performers, and other cultural professionals working between the UK and the EU.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The UK immigration system is generous in its provisions for musicians, performers and other cultural professionals, with different pathways for non-visa nationals (such as EU/EEA nationals) in the creative sector to come to the UK without requiring a visa. We continually keep our policies under review and the Government has committed to supporting touring artists at the UK-EU summit in May last year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of a UK–EU youth mobility scheme on labour supply in sectors reliant on temporary or seasonal workers.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Under a Youth Experience Scheme, young Brits and EU citizens will be given the opportunity to travel and work abroad, providing a highly valuable form of cultural exchange. My Department is committed towards the inclusion of as many sectors as possible to provide the widest possible set of opportunities for our young people. The exact parameters are subject to ongoing negotiation, and I therefore cannot comment on potential impact, but it is in the UK and EU’s interests to stand up the scheme quickly so that young UK and EU nationals can take up these opportunities as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of mutual recognition of professional qualifications with the EU on employment levels in regulated professions.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We remain committed to improving the recognition of professional qualifications with the EU. Highly skilled professionals from the EU make a valuable contribution to the UK’s regulated sectors and vice versa. We continually assess the benefits that mutual recognition would bring, including the impact on employment levels in regulated professions in the UK and the opportunities for UK businesses in the EU. Improvements would reduce market access barriers, address skills gaps, increase service exports and promote growth across regulated professions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the role a youth mobility scheme could play in supporting UK–EU trade in services.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We have not made such a precise assessment but since we are still working towards concluding negotiations on the Youth Experience Scheme by the next EU-UK summit, I cannot provide a running commentary on ongoing negotiations. We will update the House in the usual way as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of improving market access for UK legal services in the European Union through the 2026 review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We recognise the merits of improving market access across the board, which is why we remain committed to improving market access for UK service providers, including legal services. The EU is the most economically significant destination for UK legal services exports, at £3.3bn in 2024.

We continue to explore opportunities to reduce market access barriers, address skills gaps, and promote growth for the legal sector with our European partners, including through the Trade Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade, the dedicated dialogues on recognition of professional qualifications and business mobility and future UK-EU summits.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the (a) voluntary, (b) community and (c) social enterprise sector has access to adequate funding in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This government recognises the vital role played by voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in supporting people right across the country. As captured in the Civil Society Covenant, these organisations are integral to our vision for national renewal and delivery of the government’s five national missions.

DCMS is providing a range of support for VCSEs across the country. The Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy, published in June 2025, set out the next funding tranche of £440 million for England over 2024-28, with £87.5 million of this funding allocated for social investment. We will also deliver up to £500 million through the Better Futures Fund. This is the world’s largest outcomes fund, supporting up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years. It will bring together government, local communities, VCSEs, investors, and philanthropists to give children a brighter future.

As part of the National Youth Strategy, we aim to work in a more collaborative, local way and local VCSEs will be at the forefront of driving the action we take to support young people.

There are several ways for VCSEs to search for further funding opportunities, including:

• The VCSE Business Hub launched by this Government in January 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-business-hub)

• Funding opportunities hosted by The National Lottery Community Fund (https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of the European Union on the use of disinformation by states to interfere in (a) political processes and (b) public discourse.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In her speech on 9 December 2025 marking the centenary of the Locarno Treaty, the Foreign Secretary spoke at length about the rising threat from information warfare, designed to create division and undermine democracy in societies like ours. We are working closely with European and other allies, including through the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnerships, to share information and coordinate our responses to information threats.

Ministers and officials are engaged in regular conversations on tackling hybrid threats with the EU and member states, including information warfare, and I was pleased to take part in consultations with EU counterparts on these issues on 15 September 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of regulatory alignment measures with the European Union on economic growth.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

We have made a choice to align in some areas where it makes sense to do so in our national interest. For example, to unlock the SPS and carbon pricing agreements, which will add up to £9 billion a year to the UK economy by 2040. Where we agree to dynamically align, we will have decision-shaping rights, as well technical adaptations and phasing in to make this deal work for the UK. The details of these are subject to negotiation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has been made of potential correlation between proposals to introduce a six-month learning period for learner drivers and efforts to reduce driving test waiting times.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Road Safety Strategy, published on the 7th January, includes consulting on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical test.

A Minimum Learning Period is designed to prepare people better for a lifetime of safe driving by giving them more time to build up essential skills.

With more preparation for their test more people may pass first or second time, which could help reduce the waiting time for tests by reducing demand from learners booking to retake their test.

Introducing a minimum learning period could raise driving test pass rates and for every 1% increase in pass rate sustained over a year, around 40,000 test slots are freed up over the course of the year. Research suggests that a Minimum Learning Period may increase the pass rate by up to 7 percentage points.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children awaiting (a) ADHD or (b) Autism assessment receive interim support during extended waiting periods in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of autism and ADHD services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

The NICE guidance for the assessment of autism recommends the length between referral and first appointment should be no more than 13 weeks. We know that this is not happening routinely across the country. In respect of ADHD, the NICE guideline on ADHD does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive an assessment for ADHD or a diagnosis, however it sets out best practice on providing a diagnosis.

The Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has identified that children and young people who are on their waiting lists for ADHD or autism, or a dual diagnosis, and their families have access to a wide range of support and resources. These are provided by the foundation trust’s neurodevelopmental experts and partners, including the National Autistic Society and Barnardo’s.

The foundation trust’s neurodevelopmental needs page on the Mindworks website has helpful strategies and interventions to support neurodevelopmental needs, and the out-of-hours advice line provides advice to parents and carers who are struggling with behaviours or difficulties in young people, which could be related to neurodevelopmental need. It is open from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Further information on the trust’s neurodevelopmental needs page and the out-of-hours advice line is avaiable, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/advice-information-and-resources/neurodevelopmental-needs

https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/our-services/neurodevelopmental-services/out-hours-advice-line

In 2026, the Government will bring forward a schools white paper, which will detail the Government’s approach to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform, ensuring joined-up support, including education and healthcare providers working together.

Through local commissioning, the Government will ensure that Neighbourhood Health Services work in partnership with family hubs, schools, nurseries, and colleges to offer timely and joined-up support to children, young people, and their families, including those with SEND.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative estimate his Department has made of the (a) proposed population size of the West Surrey Unitary Authority and (b) largest and (c) smallest unitary authorities in England.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The proposal from Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council set out that, based on the 2021 census population data, East Surrey Council would have a population of 545,798, and West Surrey Council 657,309. The Secretary of State decided to implement the two unitary proposal for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval, having assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance and having regard to all representations received through the consultation and to all other relevant information.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative estimate his Department has made of the (a) proposed population size of the West Surrey Unitary Authority and (b) average population size of unitary authorities in England.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The proposal from Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council set out that, based on the 2021 census population data, East Surrey Council would have a population of 545,798, and West Surrey Council 657,309. The Secretary of State decided to implement the two unitary proposal for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval, having assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance and having regard to all representations received through the consultation and to all other relevant information.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative estimate his Department has made of (a) the proposed population size of the West Surrey Unitary Authority and (b) other unitary authorities in England.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The proposal from Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council set out that, based on the 2021 census population data, East Surrey Council would have a population of 545,798, and West Surrey Council 657,309. The Secretary of State decided to implement the two unitary proposal for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval, having assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance and having regard to all representations received through the consultation and to all other relevant information.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic merits of mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the UK and the EU.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 93339 on 27 November 2025: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of legal services exports on economic growth.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The UK legal sector is a national asset and an engine of economic growth. As highlighted in the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, in 2024 alone, the UK legal sector contributed £42.6 billion to the economy and posted a trade surplus of £7.4 billion. The UK is the largest legal services market in Europe and is second only to the US globally. English law is vital to global trade and investment and governs 40% of cross-border business transactions, £11.5 billion in mediation cases and £80 billion in insurance contracts annually. The Ministry of Justice is committed to supporting the sector’s growth and to maintaining the UK’s position at the forefront of global legal services.

As a catalyst for economic growth, legal services play an important role in the UK’s growth agenda. The Ministry of Justice works to support UK legal services across the globe, including in the European Union. My Department is working closely across government, with our EU counterparts and with the legal sector, to support the implementation of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Agreement includes a specific provision on legal services that entitles UK lawyers to practise home and international law across the EU without further qualification. This is helping to maintain the UK’s strong cross-border legal capability and ensuring continued access to European markets.

To maintain the UK’s position at the forefront of global legal services, as part of the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Justice has designed bespoke interventions to support growth across key areas of the sector. They focus on enhancing our court system and the attractiveness of the jurisdiction, supporting lawtech growth, demonstrating our commitment to the Rule of Law and maintaining the strength of English and Welsh law. As a major step in delivering our commitments, the Deputy Prime Minister launched the English Law Promotion Panel on 8 December 2025. Bringing together academics, and key legal, business and marketing experts, the Panel will focus on how to reinforce English and Welsh law’s status as a leading choice for international business. My Department also leads the GREAT legal services campaign, a long-standing initiative showcasing the strengths of English and Welsh law, promoting the UK as a leading hub for international dispute resolution and facilitating international engagement with overseas partners. I have joined GREAT trade missions including visits to Toronto in November 2025 and Chicago in April 2025 to personally champion UK legal services to a global audience.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to promote UK legal services within the European Union.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The UK legal sector is a national asset and an engine of economic growth. As highlighted in the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, in 2024 alone, the UK legal sector contributed £42.6 billion to the economy and posted a trade surplus of £7.4 billion. The UK is the largest legal services market in Europe and is second only to the US globally. English law is vital to global trade and investment and governs 40% of cross-border business transactions, £11.5 billion in mediation cases and £80 billion in insurance contracts annually. The Ministry of Justice is committed to supporting the sector’s growth and to maintaining the UK’s position at the forefront of global legal services.

As a catalyst for economic growth, legal services play an important role in the UK’s growth agenda. The Ministry of Justice works to support UK legal services across the globe, including in the European Union. My Department is working closely across government, with our EU counterparts and with the legal sector, to support the implementation of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Agreement includes a specific provision on legal services that entitles UK lawyers to practise home and international law across the EU without further qualification. This is helping to maintain the UK’s strong cross-border legal capability and ensuring continued access to European markets.

To maintain the UK’s position at the forefront of global legal services, as part of the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Justice has designed bespoke interventions to support growth across key areas of the sector. They focus on enhancing our court system and the attractiveness of the jurisdiction, supporting lawtech growth, demonstrating our commitment to the Rule of Law and maintaining the strength of English and Welsh law. As a major step in delivering our commitments, the Deputy Prime Minister launched the English Law Promotion Panel on 8 December 2025. Bringing together academics, and key legal, business and marketing experts, the Panel will focus on how to reinforce English and Welsh law’s status as a leading choice for international business. My Department also leads the GREAT legal services campaign, a long-standing initiative showcasing the strengths of English and Welsh law, promoting the UK as a leading hub for international dispute resolution and facilitating international engagement with overseas partners. I have joined GREAT trade missions including visits to Toronto in November 2025 and Chicago in April 2025 to personally champion UK legal services to a global audience.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth of the legal services sector.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The UK legal sector is a national asset and an engine of economic growth. As highlighted in the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, in 2024 alone, the UK legal sector contributed £42.6 billion to the economy and posted a trade surplus of £7.4 billion. The UK is the largest legal services market in Europe and is second only to the US globally. English law is vital to global trade and investment and governs 40% of cross-border business transactions, £11.5 billion in mediation cases and £80 billion in insurance contracts annually. The Ministry of Justice is committed to supporting the sector’s growth and to maintaining the UK’s position at the forefront of global legal services.

As a catalyst for economic growth, legal services play an important role in the UK’s growth agenda. The Ministry of Justice works to support UK legal services across the globe, including in the European Union. My Department is working closely across government, with our EU counterparts and with the legal sector, to support the implementation of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Agreement includes a specific provision on legal services that entitles UK lawyers to practise home and international law across the EU without further qualification. This is helping to maintain the UK’s strong cross-border legal capability and ensuring continued access to European markets.

To maintain the UK’s position at the forefront of global legal services, as part of the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Justice has designed bespoke interventions to support growth across key areas of the sector. They focus on enhancing our court system and the attractiveness of the jurisdiction, supporting lawtech growth, demonstrating our commitment to the Rule of Law and maintaining the strength of English and Welsh law. As a major step in delivering our commitments, the Deputy Prime Minister launched the English Law Promotion Panel on 8 December 2025. Bringing together academics, and key legal, business and marketing experts, the Panel will focus on how to reinforce English and Welsh law’s status as a leading choice for international business. My Department also leads the GREAT legal services campaign, a long-standing initiative showcasing the strengths of English and Welsh law, promoting the UK as a leading hub for international dispute resolution and facilitating international engagement with overseas partners. I have joined GREAT trade missions including visits to Toronto in November 2025 and Chicago in April 2025 to personally champion UK legal services to a global audience.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what oversight arrangements are in place to safeguard people with learning disabilities in local care settings in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the statutory guidance of the Care Act 2014, it states that local authorities must ensure that the services they commission are safe, effective, and of high quality.

Each integrated care board must have an executive lead for learning disability and autism who will support the board in addressing health inequalities, thereby supporting equal access to care across all health services and improving overall health outcomes.

Under the Health and Care Act 2022, Care Quality Commission registered providers are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, to provide safe and informed care.

A Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag is being rolled out across health and care services to ensure that disabled people’s reasonable adjustments are recorded and shared, to enable tailoring of appropriate support. This is aided by e-learning for health and social care staff.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what modelling his Department conducted on the potential economic benefits of accessing the European Union's SAFE programme.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence, working with officials across His Majesty's Government, thoroughly assessed the possible economic benefit from participation in the SAFE initiative across a range of market outcomes.

This Government has been clear that we will only enter into agreements that serve the national interest and provide value for money for the taxpayer. In this case, the negotiations did not yield an agreement that met this standard.

We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation with the EU on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this Government’s NATO First defence policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on national guidance for dealing with incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on the strategic road network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport works closely with the Home Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on lithium battery safety. The Government has published guidance for roadside recovery operators working with electric vehicles, many of which contain a lithium battery. This guidance is applicable to incidents on the Strategic Road Network. National Highways continues to work with emergency services to ensure that any incidents are resolved as effectively as possible.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of fire and rescue services to respond to incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on strategic road networks.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working closely with Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) and officials from other Government Departments to build an evidence base, share intelligence and develop mitigations to tackle the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries and personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs).

The department collects data on incidents attended by FRSs with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here. This does not yet include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.

Our new Fire and Rescue Data Analysis Platform (FaRDAP) has been rolled out, and work is ongoing to update the data it will collect covering both the questions and answer categories to capture lithium-ion batteries, and their uses in vehicles like e-scooters and PLEVs.

National Operational Guidance has been developed for fires involving alternative fuel vehicles to support fire and rescue services when attending such incidents. It contains specific hazard guidance, including control measures on how to identify and immobilise the vehicle and how to isolate high-voltage systems.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to youth activities for young people in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government recently published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’, a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. This is backed by over £500 million of new money over the next 3 years from DCMS. We will be designing the funding and programmes in more detail over the next few months and will share more information in due course.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties.

Grey belt policy and the impact on villages and rural communities

Financial Support for the Music and Dance Scheme

Flooding as a result of Storm Chandra

Artificial Intelligence chatbots

Peter Quinney

Stamp Duty liability for periodic tenancies

World Cancer Day and breast cancer

Playing fields

90th anniversary of the Spitfire

Public toilet provision

Bird gathering licences

World Cancer Day

Graduate driving licences

President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

Signing of the Hamburg Declaration

Hospices and end of life care

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Gardens Trust statutory consultee status

Prior's Court Children Home Ofsted Outstanding rating

The Kinneuchar Inn named in Top 50 Gastropubs

Career of Ann Lambert

Orchard Gymnastics

Social media for under 16s

Horse and rider road safety

Future of Ospreys rugby club

Empty chairs

Wincanton Cares wins Connecting People Award

St David’s Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi)

Health and Care Worker visas

Octagon Memory Choir

Killing of Dipu Chandra Das

Edinburgh Zoo’s veterinary achievements and Poly the northern rockhopper penguin

Geoffrey Hayes contribution to engineering

Chris Boulton

N-Fest

Halie Selassie and Bath

Joe Preece

Ex-Howe of Fife players selected for Scotland 2026 Six Nations

Gambling harms

Linda Snelling and the Somerset Bus Partnership

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Commemorating National Care Leaver’s Month November 2025

Import of illegal meat

Dolly Parton's birthday

Richard Clothier MBE for services to sustainable agriculture and food production

Brain cancer

Dexter Holton

Sarah Massey MBE for services to women’s rugby

Veterans' Orthopaedic Service

Sustainable and Integrated Transport for Ullswater

The Hive, Chard

Naloxone

Peter Hill, visiting every pub in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2020

Iran protests

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Somerset Bus Partnership and Bus Users UK Awards 2025