Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the recommendations in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety's report on vehicle registration plates published on 9 December 2025.

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

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, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database.

The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered.

The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening the regulation of the vehicle registration plate supply chain.

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

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, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database.

The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered.

The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of non-compliant vehicle registration plates on the enforcement of motor insurance requirements.

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

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, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database.

The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered.

The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of automatic number plate recognition cameras in operation across (a) England and (b) Wales.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

At present UK Law Enforcement Agencies have access to ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) data from 12,076 camera locations in England, Scotland and Wales via the National ANPR Service (NAS).

Further cameras will be used by Local Authorities in the UK use ANPR cameras to enforce traffic rules, manage restricted zones like Low Emission Zones (LEZ), School Streets, and Lorry Controls, monitor traffic flow, and tackle anti-social behaviour, issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for violations like driving in bus lanes or breaching HGV access times. Many more are used privately by petrol station forecourt and car parking operators.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of opportunities for installing solar panels on commercial properties in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

No specific assessment of the adequacy of opportunities for installing solar panels on commercial properties in Surrey or Surrey Heath has been made. However, rooftop solar remains a key part of the Government’s clean power mission and is one of the most popular and easily deployed renewable energy sources. The Government supports commercial rooftop deployment through measures such as permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee. These policies apply across England, including Surrey, and aim to make it easier for businesses to install solar panels where suitable roof space is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of any correlation between (a) uninsured driving and (b) other driving related offences.

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

The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the correlation between uninsured driving and other driving related offences.

However, on 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, we are reviewing the motoring offences and have published a consultation.

As part of this consultation, we are considering the minimum penalties for uninsured driving and whether they should be increased.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating standards relating to the (a) design, (b) spacing, and (c) visibility of vehicle number plates.

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) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. 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 www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.

Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.

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 for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the economic impact of vehicle number plate fraud on (a) motorists, (b) insurers, and the (c) public purse.

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) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. 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 www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.

Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.

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 for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Home Office on (a) penalties and (b) enforcement for offences involving illegal number plates.

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) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. 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 www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.

Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.

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 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to support (a) local resilience and (b) emergency planning arrangements in response to cold weather conditions in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Surrey's Local Resilience Forum (LRF) is well versed in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies including severe weather events. The LRF has plans in place to enable them to respond effectively to severe weather events including periods of cold weather, recognised as high-risk events in their 2025-2026 Community Risk Register. MHCLG support Surrey LRF through a Strategic Resilience Advisor who gives critical support and guidance to the LRFs core business.

Additionally, when UKHSA issue cold health alerts MHCLG encourages Local Authorities to initiate the policies and procedures associated with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol. alongside MHCLG’s Night Shelter Operating Principles, for safe street night shelter provision.

The £547 million committed through the Rough Sleeping Initiative to local authorities across England from April 2022 to March 2025 includes support for local area winter planning. A further £10 million was allocated to local authorities through the Rough Sleeping Winter Pressure funding for 2024/25. Allocations can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of uninsured driving on the cost of motor insurance premiums for other motorists.

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

The Department for Transport is a party to the Uninsured and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), an independent organisation within the motor insurance industry and separate from Government. It is responsible for investigation and payment of compensation for victims of uninsured and untraced drivers.

The MIB is non-profit making and the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides for the MIB to cover its costs by charging a levy on all motor insurers, the levy for 2024 totalled around £507m, as shown in the MIB’s 2024 Annual Report and Accounts.

Data provided by the MIB as part of the Financial Conduct Authority's ‘Motor Insurance Claims Analysis’, published in July 2025, indicated that the cost of claims associated with uninsured drivers accounted for around 2.2% of the average premium paid by policyholders in 2024.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with energy suppliers on the adequacy of support for consumers with power outages in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Ahead of winter, the Department received assurance from the National Energy System Operator (NESO), on behalf of all electricity network operators that comprehensive plans remain in place to minimise disruption and to provide support to customers in the event of power outages arising from severe weather or other faults. These arrangements apply across the country, including Surrey and Surrey Heath.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle cyber crime in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Cyber crime causes huge damage to people and businesses across the UK and is a leading priority for the Government. The Home Office works with our partners across Government and law enforcement, including the National Crime Agency, National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Policing to tackle all cyber threat, including cyber crime.

The Home Office funds the Regional Cyber Crime Units (RCCUs) across England and Wales, tasked with investigating and pursuing serious cyber offenders conducting crime committed in, or against, the UK. This includes the South East Cyber Crime Unit in the South East Regional Crime Unit (SEROCU), which covers Surrey and Surrey Heath. Since 2017, in partnership with local Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Office has directly funded a national network of specialist officers trained to investigate cyber crime and support local communities in efforts to prevent crimes that occur online.

The South East Cyber Crime Unit is the first in the UK to operate as a fully collaborated unit across the South East Region. It brings together experts from SEROCU, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, Thames Valley Police, Surrey Police, and Sussex Police into a single flexible capability. The unit follows the Serious and Organised Crime ‘4P’ model, including Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare, with each force retaining a Pursue Team working collaboratively with regional resources.

Cyber crime is treated as Serious and Organised Crime within SEROCU’s control strategy. The aim is to identify, disrupt, and reduce the impact of cyber criminals as part of the National Cyber Network. SEROCU target offenders profiting from cyber tools or stolen data, carry out work to prevent cyber crime and pursue criminal justice outcomes as appropriate.

Through Protect and Prepare work, SEROCU engage businesses and communities via outreach, webinars, and partnerships to improve cyber security awareness and assist the public and organisations in recovery and resilience. This includes the Cyber Resilience Centre (CRC) for the South East, funded by the Home Office, which offers a package of measures to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing tailored advice and long-term support, aligned to National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) standards, helping these organisations take proactive steps towards improving their cyber security.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of protections for parking enforcement officers subject to (a) physical and (b) verbal abuse in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

No such assessment has been made by this Department.

The Department's statutory guidance for local authorities in England on civil enforcement of parking contraventions recommends local authorities maintain regular liaison with the police to help to ensure that civil and criminal enforcement operate effectively. Good relations between the police and an enforcement authority can also help in tackling threats and abuse aimed at civil enforcement officers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve data sharing between the (a) DVLA, (b) DVSA and the (c) Home Office on issues relating to vehicle registration marks.

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) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. 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 www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.

Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.

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 for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current enforcement capacity in relation to (a) illegal and (b) non-compliant number plates.

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) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. 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 www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.

Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.

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 Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) extremism and (b) radicalisation in the (i) South East and (ii) Surrey.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Prevent is a part of the UK’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy and intervenes early to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Home Office funds the highest threat areas to go above and beyond to ensure delivery of the Prevent Duty is targeted and effective, including 1 area in the South-East.

However, the threat and risk of radicalisation is no longer contained within administrative boundaries as we see increases in online radicalisation. In response, we have introduced funding for a regional delivery officer post to provide additional support in some areas across England. Surrey is an early adopter of that model, with an officer in place who covers both Surrey and Sussex. Regional delivery officers will deliver training and community engagement work as well as supporting in a crisis response situation.

In addition, Home Office provides expert support and advice to all local authorities through its regional Prevent Advisers and funding for Prevent projects in local communities that every Local Authority can access.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to provide security protections for faith communities in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer. The Government and police work closely together to review threats and strengthen protections for communities against terrorism and hate crime.

Up to £70.9 million is available to protect faith communities in 2025/26. This includes £18 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, £29.4 million through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools, and £3.5 million through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme for places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths. In addition, up to £10 million of emergency funding has been made available for both Jewish and Muslim communities each to further strengthen security measures at their places of worship and other community sites.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle the illegal use of e-scooters on (a) public roads and (b) pavements in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Enforcement of illegal e-scooter use on public roads and pavements is a matter for the police. A range of motoring offences and penalties already apply, such as criminal prosecution, points on the user’s driving licence, and having the e-scooter seized. Surrey councils and Surrey police are responsible for their local area.

The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which will include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. This will help the police to crack down on those who use them in an unlawful or irresponsible way.

The Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the necessary tools to enforce road traffic legislation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential for connected and autonomous vehicle technology to support vehicle (a) identification and (b) compliance with insurance requirements.

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

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets out the regulations for insurance requirements of automated vehicles. The operator or owner of an automated vehicle must hold a policy of insurance that satisfies the conditions in section 145 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The recent call for evidence launched in December 2025 seeks views on various aspects of the automated vehicles regulatory framework, including insurance. Responses received will support future consultation on the proposed regulations and implementation of the full Act in the second half of 2027.

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 the health risks associated with (a) unlicensed or (b) illicit medicines among patients in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), acting on behalf of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for the regulation of medicines intended for human use in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines, which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Sourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving a product which is either falsified or not authorised for human use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict standards for quality, safety, and efficacy and can therefore expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.

Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry to identify, remove and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.

The MHRA seeks to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute online sellers responsible for putting public health at risk. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the MHRA and its partners seized approximately 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines with a street value of more than £37 million.

During the same period, it disrupted approximately 190,000 website and social media links responsible for advertising medicinal products illegally. Additionally, collaboration with one well-known online marketplace led to the successful identification and blocking of more than 1.5 million unregulated prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, and medical devices before they could be offered for sale to the public.

The MHRA is continually developing new and innovative ways to combat the illegal trade in medicines and to raise public awareness. These measures include:

• publication of a #Fakemeds campaign which explains how to access medicines through safe and legitimate online sources, with further information available at the following link:
  https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/;

• public guidance on how to safely access and use GLP-1 medications, available at the following link:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know;

• development of an online service which allows the public to check if a website has been deemed ‘Not Recommended’ by the MHRA;

• development of a web-based reporting scheme allowing the public to report suspicious online sellers to the MHRA; and

• extensive work with media outlets to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal medicines.

The MHRA’s continued efforts have led to more medicines being seized than ever before, significant custodial sentences for offenders, the forfeiture of criminal profits and considerable success in disrupting the illegal supply of medicines.

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 tackle the sale and distribution of illicit or unlicensed medicines in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), acting on behalf of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for the regulation of medicines intended for human use in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines, which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Sourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving a product which is either falsified or not authorised for human use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict standards for quality, safety, and efficacy and can therefore expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.

Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry to identify, remove and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.

The MHRA seeks to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute online sellers responsible for putting public health at risk. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the MHRA and its partners seized approximately 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines with a street value of more than £37 million.

During the same period, it disrupted approximately 190,000 website and social media links responsible for advertising medicinal products illegally. Additionally, collaboration with one well-known online marketplace led to the successful identification and blocking of more than 1.5 million unregulated prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, and medical devices before they could be offered for sale to the public.

The MHRA is continually developing new and innovative ways to combat the illegal trade in medicines and to raise public awareness. These measures include:

• publication of a #Fakemeds campaign which explains how to access medicines through safe and legitimate online sources, with further information available at the following link:
  https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/;

• public guidance on how to safely access and use GLP-1 medications, available at the following link:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know;

• development of an online service which allows the public to check if a website has been deemed ‘Not Recommended’ by the MHRA;

• development of a web-based reporting scheme allowing the public to report suspicious online sellers to the MHRA; and

• extensive work with media outlets to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal medicines.

The MHRA’s continued efforts have led to more medicines being seized than ever before, significant custodial sentences for offenders, the forfeiture of criminal profits and considerable success in disrupting the illegal supply of medicines.

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 mitigate the health impacts of cold weather conditions on vulnerable people in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency, the Met Office, and local health and care parters to respond to Cold Health Alerts, which are issued when cold weather is forecast to pose a risk to health. Alerts are issued between 1 November and 31 March each year and are colour coded based on the likelihood and severity of health impacts. When alerts are issued, local areas, including Surrey and Surrey Health, are expected to take proportionate action to protect vulnerable people.

We started planning earlier and have taken more action than in previous years to prepare for winter pressures, and to mitigate cold-weather health impacts on vulnerable people nationally. This includes actions by health and care partners in Surrey and Surrey Heath. Our focus is on maintaining patient safety and timely access to urgent and emergency care throughout the colder months.

Flu remains a major seasonal challenge, particularly for older people, young children, pregnant women, and those with underlying conditions. Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent severe illness and hospitalisation among vulnerable groups.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how changes to the fair funding formula will affect the spending power of (a) Surrey County Council and (b) district and borough councils in Surrey.

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

This multi-year 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. Our reforms will ensure that this funding is allocated fairly, and that the places and services which need it most are supported.

Since coming into power, this government will have made available a 23.6% cash-terms increase in Core Spending Power in 2028-29 compared to 2024-25, worth over £16 billion. By the end of the provisional multi-year Settlement (2028/29), Surrey’s Core Spending Power will have increased by £82m (7%) since 2024/25. We will support local authorities to manage their updated funding positions by phasing in changes over the multi-year Settlement and protecting councils’ income, including locally retained business rates growth.

Areas will need to agree how to divide available funding locally in a sustainable way during the local government reorganisation implementation period. This will provide areas with greater flexibility.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the 2026–27 local government finance settlement on councils in Surrey.

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

This multi-year 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. Our reforms will ensure that this funding is allocated fairly, and that the places and services which need it most are supported.

Since coming into power, this government will have made available a 23.6% cash-terms increase in Core Spending Power in 2028-29 compared to 2024-25, worth over £16 billion. By the end of the provisional multi-year Settlement (2028/29), Surrey’s Core Spending Power will have increased by £82m (7%) since 2024/25. We will support local authorities to manage their updated funding positions by phasing in changes over the multi-year Settlement and protecting councils’ income, including locally retained business rates growth.

Areas will need to agree how to divide available funding locally in a sustainable way during the local government reorganisation implementation period. This will provide areas with greater flexibility.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation her Department has undertaken of the effectiveness of Pupil Premium Plus funding in improving educational and wellbeing outcomes for adopted children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.

The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.

Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.

Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.

An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce hit-and-run incidents where drivers cannot be identified.

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

Failing to stop and report an incident is unacceptable, particularly in cases where an individual has been seriously or fatally injured.

On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, we are reviewing the motoring offences and have published a consultation. The consultation includes questions about failure to stop and report incidents and seeks views on possible changes to the law.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on schools to (a) monitor, (b) record, or (c) report how Pupil Premium Plus funding allocated for adopted children is spent.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.

The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.

Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.

Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.

An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance is issued to schools on engaging adoptive parents in decisions relating to the use of Pupil Premium Plus funding for their children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.

The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.

Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.

Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.

An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities in Surrey undergoing transition to unitary status on taking major strategic planning decisions during the reorganisation period.

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

The Planning Advisory Service has a range of resources available to assist local planning authorities going through reorganisation, including their local government Reorganisation Delivery Network, which allows authorities to share best practice. I encourage councils going through transition to take full advantage of these resources.

Following Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, the new duty to prepare a spatial development strategy (SDS) will be commenced later in 2026. Initially this duty will sit with Surrey County Council and will then transfer to the new unitary councils in 2027. Officers from the County Council are in contact with MHCLG officials and will consider how best to manage this duty over the coming year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of recent trends in levels of violence against women and girls in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency it is. The “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver our unprecedented commitment to halve VAWG in a decade. The headline metric we are using to measure progress against our ambition is through a combined estimate of the proportion of people aged 16 and over who have experienced any of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking in the previous 12 months, based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).

Figures for domestic abuse-related offences recorded by the police are published at the Police Force Area level by the Office for National Statistics. The latest available data can be found in Table 8 here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/domesticabuseprevalenceandvictimcharacteristicsappendixtables

Figures for crime recorded by the police may be subject to issues such as recording practices and willingness of victims to contact the police.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce rail fares in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

For some stations in Surrey, we have simplified the complicated web of tickets by having one Peak and one Off-Peak price, with some fares changing and others being removed as part of improvements to ticketing via pay-as-you-go with contactless expansion. This will allow passengers greater flexibility in their choice of tickets, with some seeing a reduction in their ticket price.

On 23 November the Chancellor and Transport Secretary announced that rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to be affected by this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze.

For specifics on the savings his constituents can make, I refer the Honourable Member to the response provided to him for Question 98719 on 17 December.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-12-09/98719

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance has been issued to transport operators to ensure passenger safety during cold weather alerts in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department expects bus operators, working with local authorities, to provide passengers with up-to-date information about local services during instances of bad weather to help ensure passenger safety. This includes information about any disruption to services, for example due to ice and snow during cold weather alerts.

Surrey County Council provides information on where passengers can go to find information about disruption to local bus services on its website at: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/buses-and-other-transport/bus-timetable-changes/disruption-due-to-adverse-weather.

In relation to the railways, this is a matter for South Western Railway and Network Rail to manage as the safety duty holders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve police efficiency in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The policing system must be equipped to serve the public effectively and to make efficient use of its funding and resources.

The Government has established a Police Efficiency and Collaboration Programme which will save £354 million and free up millions of officer hours by 2029 across policing. The programme’s initiatives are available to all 43 forces across England & Wales. Surrey has already started to participate in some of the programme’s offerings including signing up to a new commercial energy strategy to increase price certainty and reduce risk in a volatile market.

In the coming weeks, we will be setting out further reforms in a white paper on policing.

Surrey Police will receive up to £343 million in 2026/27, an increase of up to £14.8 million when compared to the 2025/26 police funding settlement.

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 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.

Prior's Court Children Home Ofsted Outstanding rating

The Kinneuchar Inn named in Top 50 Gastropubs

Career of Ann Lambert

Health and Care Worker visas

Octagon Memory Choir

Orchard Gymnastics

St David’s Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi)

Wincanton Cares wins Connecting People Award

Empty chairs

Future of Ospreys rugby club

Horse and rider road safety

Social media for under 16s

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

Richard Clothier MBE for services to sustainable agriculture and food production

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Dolly Parton's birthday

Import of illegal meat

Commemorating National Care Leaver’s Month November 2025

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

Use of UK bases by the United States and international law in relation to Greenland

Situation in Iran

Bake Shop, Ely named Best Bakery in Cambridgeshire

RESP and St Andrews Aquarium nominated for award

In Memory of Gerry Keating

Less Survivable Cancers Week

Earth Action North Devon

175th anniversary of the founding of Surrey Police

Found: The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Dr Al Pinkerton, criticised aid budget cuts from 2025 as undermining