Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to item 105 of the letter sent from Lord Strathclyde, Chair of the Constitution Committee to Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories regarding the UK-Overseas Joint Declaration, published 17 April 2026, which Ministers have (a) designated responsibility for Overseas Territories matters and (b) attend the cross-governmental Ministerial group on the Territories by Department.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers who currently hold designated responsibility for Overseas Territories matters are: the Cabinet Office Minister of State; Economic Secretary to the Treasury; Ministry of Justice Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sentencing, Youth Justice and International; Home Office Minister of State (House of Lords); Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Climate); Ministry of Defence Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for the Armed Forces); Department of Business and Trade Minister of State (Minister for Trade); Department for Culture Media and Sport Minister of State (Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts); Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Minister of State (Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear); Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Nature); Department of Health and Social Care Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety; Department for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation); Solicitor General; Department for Education Minister of State (Minister for Skills); Secretary of State for Scotland and one of the Wales Office Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State.
All these Ministers are invited to attend the cross-governmental Ministerial Group on the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of household income rules within Universal Credit on individuals without independent access to financial resources.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding for research into kidney disease within NHS services in Surrey.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including kidney disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Funding opportunities are openly published on the NIHR website, which is available at the following link:
One can propose research topics to the NIHR at the following link: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic
In the last five financial years between 2020/21 and 2024/25, the NIHR has spent £37,529,199 in direct research on kidney disease. Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, approximately 10,871 people participated in NIHR-supported kidney disease studies. In the same time period, 152 studies relating to kidney disease were supported through the NIHR Research Delivery Network, with 34 of these studies having recruitment sites in Surrey. There were 65 NIHR-funded research and career development awards focusing on kidney disease research started between 2020/21 and 2024/25, with a combined funding of approximately £44 million.
One can find out more information about the work NIHR does to support and deliver research into kidney disease, including case studies, on the NIHR website at the following link:
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 changes to the Mental Health Investment Standard on access to mental health services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no specific assessment of the impact of the Mental Health Investment Standard for the Surrey Heath constituency. The Mental Health Investment Standard is a national initiative which requires integrated care boards (ICBs) to increase investment in mental health services each year.
During 2024/25, the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB continued to meet its commitment in this area, spending over £180 million on mental health services for the local population. This represented an increased investment in this area, compared to spending of £169,092,000 in 2023/24, in line with the requirements. Performance against the standard during 2025/26 will be published in the ICB’s 2025/26 Annual Report.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - 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 improve support for people with eating disorders in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Surrey Heath.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably.
More widely, through the 10-Year Health Plan, we are transforming mental health services. Since July 2024, over 8,000 additional mental health workers have been recruited towards our target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament. We are also reaching nearly one million more children and young people by expanding Mental Health Support Teams in schools. In addition, we are investing £13 million to pilot enhanced training for Mental Health Support Team staff, enabling them to provide more tailored support to young people with complex needs, including trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating.
NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s eating disorders, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of medically fit patients unable to be discharged from hospitals in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stockton West on 26 November 2025 to Question 93528.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the average cost to businesses for securing Certificate of Origin documentation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not hold information about the average cost to businesses of securing origin documentation.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Certificates of Origin were granted to UK businesses for goods destined for the EU in 2025.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not hold information on how many Certificates of Origin were granted to UK businesses for goods destined for the EU in 2025.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to community spaces in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As I emphasised during a recent Westminster Hall debate, the Government recognises and celebrates the contribution that community spaces make to local people and we have taken steps to support more communities to have access to shared environments.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities (such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship) and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments.
Libraries form a key example of these community spaces, Surrey County Council has 52 static libraries. The library service previously received £75,000 from the Libraries Improvement Fund to introduce flexible shelving within eight of its libraries (Ashtead, Chertsey, Dittons, Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere, Oxted, and Reigate). This allows libraries to move furniture around to reconfigure spaces and accommodate more events, services, and visitors.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the NPPF. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, includes proposals relating to community facilities. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the average administrative cost to local authorities of (a) processing and (b) cancelling incorrectly issued Penalty Charge Notices.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department does not hold data on the administrative costs to local authorities regarding the processing or cancellation of incorrectly issued Penalty Charge Notices.
Individual local authorities are required to publish annual reports relating to civil parking enforcement.