Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic benefits to the UK industrial base by fostering closer cooperation with EU defence initiatives.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to ensuring that defence is an engine for growth across the UK. The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union in May last year demonstrates this Government’s commitment to enhancing European security, fostering economic growth, and reinforcing NATO.

We will continue to collaborate with the EU and its Member States on defence and security, entering agreements only when they align with the national interest and deliver value for money to taxpayers.

This partnership, alongside closer cooperation with EU defence initiatives, will strengthen NATO, enhance European security, ensuring the continent is as safe as it needs to be.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings he has had with his EU counterparts to discuss UK-EU relations following the UK-EU Summit 2025 - Joint Statement of 19 May 2025.

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

The Minister for the Cabinet Office regularly speaks to his EU counterparts to discuss UK-EU relations on both a formal and informal basis.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will consider the potential merits of conducting economic modeling of the organisational transition costs arising from local government reorganisation in Surrey.

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

The East Surrey and West Surrey Joint Committees, established by the Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026, are required to prepare an Implementation Plan. Following the election of members in May the shadow East Surrey and West Surrey Councils must then keep under review that Implementation Plan.

The Implementation Plan will include the budgeted transition costs and how these are to be met. We have also announced up to £63 million additional funding to support councils through reorganisation.

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 health-related funding for specialist sexual violence support services in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) provide crisis care, and medical and forensic assessment for people who have experienced sexual assault. NHS England’s funding for sexual assault and abuse services has increased year on year, with £57.632 million provided nationally in 2024/25. A free at the point of use, confidential SARC is available in Surrey 24/7, 365 days a year.

As set out in the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published in December 2025, the Department will:

• roll out, with funding, a domestic abuse and sexual violence referral service across integrated care boards (ICBs) by 2029, starting with up to ten ICBs in 2026, and will include a specialist support worker for every general practice (GP) to draw on and training for GP staff to spot the signs of violence and abuse;
• invest a further £5 million each year for the next three years to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence; and
• provide up to £50 million to roll out specialist services for child sexual abuse victims to each NHS region in England.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of increasing the frequency of inter-department ministerial meetings about the UK Overseas Territories.

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

The Overseas Territories Ministerial Board (OTMB) which I chair already meets regularly, interspersed with official level meetings, and other ad hoc meetings as required between individual Ministers - to consider strategic and cross cutting issues affecting the OTs. We also meet cross-departmentally on the Polar regions with issues affecting relevant OTs in the South Atlantic considered in that format too. The OTMB last met on 12 February 2026. We will continue to keep the level of cross-government ministerial engagement on the Overseas Territories under review.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing an economic security agreement with the European Union to mitigate potential geopolitical shocks.

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

We have continued to enhance our cooperation with the EU on a range of economic security issues of mutual concern since the UK-EU Summit in 2025. The EU remains our most important trading partner, our economies are deeply interconnected and face many of the same challenges and threats, and we share a commitment to upholding the rules-based order. In February 2026, DBT Secretary of State (along with Chancellor for the Exchequer) met EU Commissioners Sefcovic and Dombrovksis to discuss trade and economic issues, including economic security.

The UK and EU will hold a second Summit in 2026, where we will seek to further strengthen our partnership on economic security.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential economic merits for (a) the Treasury and (b) UK businesses of the UK joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.

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

In the UK’s Trade Strategy, the government recognised the potential merits and impacts of UK accession to the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention (PEM) and committed to engaging business further. The government ran a five-week call for evidence from November to December last year to understand the potential impacts of accession on businesses. The Government will publish the findings in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of negotiating UK access into the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.

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

In the UK’s Trade Strategy, the government recognised the potential merits and impacts of UK accession to the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention (PEM) and committed to engaging business further. The government ran a five-week call for evidence from November to December last year to understand the potential impacts of accession on businesses. The Government will publish the findings in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of funding allocated through the New Hospital Programme for the replacement of Frimley Park Hospital will be dedicated to infrastructure upgrades.

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

The Frimley Park Hospital scheme is currently at the Strategic Outline Case (SOC) business case stage. The final cost of the Frimley Park Hospital main scheme will be subject to the approval of the Full Business Case, following the process set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book.

As plans mature from the SOC stage through to the development of the Outline Business Case, the trust will finalise details of enabling works costs and develop separate business cases, which will include any necessary infrastructure upgrades.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) recruitment and (b) retention at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Army has consistently achieved the Direct Entry target for Regular Officer recruitment, demonstrating sustained effectiveness in meeting, and often exceeding, recruiting requirements.

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst maintains strong retention, with an overall pass rate of 92% and 81% of Officer Cadets completing the Commissioning Course at the first attempt. The Academy operates a culture of “train in, not select out,” supported by comprehensive measures to minimise outflow, including dedicated injury rehabilitation, robust welfare provision and improved lived experience. Ongoing enhancements to training design ensure the course remains progressive, achievable and demanding, strengthening cadet development and supporting high retention outcomes.

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 help improve the diagnosis of invasive lobular breast cancer through NHS screening programmes in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan sets out a comprehensive programme of reform across prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, data, and research. The Government will transform early diagnosis through improved screening and proactive case‑finding, embed continuous quality improvement across cancer services, and strengthen access to innovative diagnostics and treatments. This includes scaling up clinical trials, investing in radiotherapy and surgical robotics, and making the United Kingdom a leading destination for cancer research. Combined, these measures will help move England towards world‑leading cancer outcomes by 2035.

Detecting lobular breast cancer is more difficult than finding ductal breast cancer because lobular breast cancer cells can grow in lines rather than masses. This means there may not be a mass that can be felt or that a doctor can see on a mammogram.

Although not specific to the Surrey Health constituency, the Breast Screening Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density trial is looking into the use of supplementary imaging techniques for women within the standard breast screening programme who are found to have radiographically dense breast tissue. The different tests include magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. The UK National Screening Committee is in contact with the researchers and is reviewing this evidence as it becomes available. It will make recommendations to ministers in light of this.

Local integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning specialised services, including in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will announce the provisional preferred site for a new hospital intended to replace Frimley Park Hospital.

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

Any announcement on a provisional preferred site for the new hospital at Frimley Park Hospital will be down to the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust to announce. This will be subject to the trust having secured all the relevant business case approvals.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of defence jobs in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is actively supporting the growth of defence jobs in both Surrey and Surrey Heath through substantial investment in the South East region. Currently, the MOD’s expenditure in this area amounts to £7.85 billion, which helps sustain one of the highest concentrations of defence-related employment in the UK. Specifically, in Surrey and Surrey Heath, BAE Systems has been awarded a £285 million contract by the MOD to provide critical support for the Royal Navy’s Shared Infrastructure, Combat Management Systems (CMS), and warship networks. This contract alone helps maintain approximately 200 jobs across the UK, including important roles based in Frimley. More broadly, these investments contribute to supporting around 1,060 full-time defence-related jobs per 100,000 people across the wider South East region, encompassing both Surrey and Surrey Heath.

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 help support research into invasive lobular breast cancer in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Government recognises the crucial need for research into all forms of cancer, including lobular breast cancer. It remains committed to the role of research to drive a stronger collective understanding of the biology behind lobular breast cancer and to improve outcomes for women.

Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, which includes the Medical Research Council.

In November 2025, the NIHR issued a highlight notice encouraging applications for new research into lobular breast cancer, to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients.

As well as funding research itself, NIHR invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations, known as NIHR infrastructure. NIHR infrastructure enables the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research. For example, the NIHR’s Royal Surrey Clinical Research Facility is a partnership between the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Surrey, where researchers deliver early-phase and complex studies, including in cancer.

The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research, including from researchers in Surrey Heath, into any aspect of human health and care, including lobular breast cancer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to engage with children and young people on social media use in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 2 March, the government launched a landmark consultation on how to give young people the childhood they deserve in an online world. Alongside the formal consultation, we have launched a child and parent-friendly version, ensuring these important voices are properly heard.

As part of the National Conversation running alongside the consultation, we will be hosting events across the UK to hear directly from young people. Families, young people, and communities from all over the UK, including in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency, are encouraged to discuss this vital topic in community events, MP-led local conversations, and engagement through schools and civil society organisations.

Coniston Hydro

LGBTQ+ veterans

Historical building safeguarding in Scotland

Funding for rural Britain

Fife Best Bar None Awards

Conflict in Lebanon

Protection of historic green spaces

Windermere

Student finance system reform

Gas leaks in rural areas

Indy Wokingham and support for small independent businesses

Bluebell House care home and person-centred care

State visits to the US

UNESCO World Heritage Status and the River Marden