Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to improve the (a) speed and (b) connectivity of rail services (i) within Surrey Heath constituency and (ii) between Camberley and London.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department officials work closely with South Western Railway and Network Rail to ensure that any areas of potential improvement that provide a positive outcome for both passenger and taxpayer are regularly considered and are introduced where possible. This includes within the Surrey Heath constituency, as well as between Camberley and London.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve special educational needs and disabilities provision in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission for Surrey was in September 2023. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against the areas for improvement found by inspectors and the progress made by children and young people with SEND. Surrey County Council are committed to working closely with the department to improve services.
Surrey County Council also entered into a Safety Valve agreement with the department in March 2022. Safety Valve agreements aim to improve the effectiveness of local authority high needs systems and ensure their long-term financial sustainability.
A new special school, Hopescourt School, will open in Walton-on-Thames in September 2024, delivered by Surrey County Council, with support from the department. The school will provide high quality specialist education for both autistic children and children who have communication and interaction needs. It will create up to 77 school places in its first year of opening, increasing to 200 at full capacity, as an 'all through-school'.
All children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receiving the support to succeed is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.