Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of fertility trends in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 5th of December is attached.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to make education more inclusive of disabled children in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We want to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting all children and young people in every part of the country to achieve and thrive in education, through early identification of need, access to the right support at the right time, high quality adaptive teaching and effective allocation of resources.
On 12 December, the government announced a £3 billion investment to deliver around 50,000 specialist places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The funding will be distributed to local authorities for them to spend on new places in mainstream settings (including SEN units), on adaptations to mainstream settings to make them more inclusive, or on special schools where required. This investment will help to make education inclusive by design, so every child, in every corner of the country can have their needs met where they live.
We will bring forward our full vision for an inclusive education system in the Schools White Paper in the new year.
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 steps he has taken to raise awareness of voter registration requirements among young people in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission’s 2023 report on electoral registers found that young people are among the least likely groups to be registered to vote.
As set out in our Strategy for modern and secure elections, the Government is committed to improving voter registration, which includes work to support groups who are less likely to be registered.
A comprehensive programme of work is underway, involving collaboration with the Electoral Commission, local authorities, think tanks, academics, and civil society organisations. This programme is focused on identifying the attitudinal and knowledge barriers that prevent those with historically low participation, including young people, from becoming democratically active, and on exploring effective interventions to overcome these challenges.
Over the coming years, we will work to create a new automated registration system, removing key barriers to eligible citizens participating in our democracy. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote – registering to vote is a vital first step towards doing that.
We also want to build and encourage long-lasting engagement of young people with our democracy. Evidence from places that have lowered the voting age shows that doing so can increase turnout when implemented in a supportive environment. That is why the Government is committed to extending the right to vote to 16-and-17-year-olds and working alongside the Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to ensure that young people are both prepared and motivated to exercise their democratic rights. We hope that this early engagement will build the foundations for lifetime participation in our electoral processes.
While we are making these changes, we want to talk to young people to ensure we’re putting their needs at the centre of our policy making. We will work with other key actors to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to roll out practical voter/civic education. We know that it is imperative that citizenship education is fit for purpose in order to support this change. Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review and its recommendations to the Government, we have committed to make citizenship compulsory in primary schools and to publish revised programmes of study to ensure that all pupils receive an essential grounding in a range of topics including democracy, government and law. The Department for Education will consult on programmes of study next year and the new national curriculum will be published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028.
Altogether, we will create an environment in which young people understand their rights and responsibilities, and where they are equipped and empowered to participate in our democracy.
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 steps his Department is taking to encourage newly eligible young voters to participate in elections in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission’s 2023 report on electoral registers found that young people are among the least likely groups to be registered to vote.
As set out in our Strategy for modern and secure elections, the Government is committed to improving voter registration, which includes work to support groups who are less likely to be registered.
A comprehensive programme of work is underway, involving collaboration with the Electoral Commission, local authorities, think tanks, academics, and civil society organisations. This programme is focused on identifying the attitudinal and knowledge barriers that prevent those with historically low participation, including young people, from becoming democratically active, and on exploring effective interventions to overcome these challenges.
Over the coming years, we will work to create a new automated registration system, removing key barriers to eligible citizens participating in our democracy. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote – registering to vote is a vital first step towards doing that.
We also want to build and encourage long-lasting engagement of young people with our democracy. Evidence from places that have lowered the voting age shows that doing so can increase turnout when implemented in a supportive environment. That is why the Government is committed to extending the right to vote to 16-and-17-year-olds and working alongside the Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to ensure that young people are both prepared and motivated to exercise their democratic rights. We hope that this early engagement will build the foundations for lifetime participation in our electoral processes.
While we are making these changes, we want to talk to young people to ensure we’re putting their needs at the centre of our policy making. We will work with other key actors to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to roll out practical voter/civic education. We know that it is imperative that citizenship education is fit for purpose in order to support this change. Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review and its recommendations to the Government, we have committed to make citizenship compulsory in primary schools and to publish revised programmes of study to ensure that all pupils receive an essential grounding in a range of topics including democracy, government and law. The Department for Education will consult on programmes of study next year and the new national curriculum will be published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028.
Altogether, we will create an environment in which young people understand their rights and responsibilities, and where they are equipped and empowered to participate in our democracy.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings her Department has held with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to discuss (a) number plate cloning and (b) the use of ghost plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) co-chairs the Number Plate and ANPR Working Group with the National Police Chiefs Council. Members of the group include various police forces, the Department for Transport, the Home Office and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The group meets bi-monthly to discuss number plate related matters, including cloned and ghost plates.
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 steps his Department is taking to help improve voter participation in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department is taking forward a comprehensive programme of work to improve voter participation. This work is being designed in close collaboration with the Electoral Commission, local authorities, think tanks, academics and civil society organisations.
It is focused on identifying the attitudinal and knowledge barriers that prevent groups with historically low participation from engaging fully in the democratic process, and on considering the most effective interventions to address these challenges. This work will continue to inform targeted actions to support greater participation in constituencies.
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 recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of voter registration among young people in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission’s 2023 report on electoral registers found that young people are among the least likely groups to be registered to vote.
As set out in our Strategy for modern and secure elections, the Government is committed to improving voter registration, which includes work to support groups who are less likely to be registered.
A comprehensive programme of work is underway, involving collaboration with the Electoral Commission, local authorities, think tanks, academics, and civil society organisations. This programme is focused on identifying the attitudinal and knowledge barriers that prevent those with historically low participation, including young people, from becoming democratically active, and on exploring effective interventions to overcome these challenges.
Over the coming years, we will work to create a new automated registration system, removing key barriers to eligible citizens participating in our democracy. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote – registering to vote is a vital first step towards doing that.
We also want to build and encourage long-lasting engagement of young people with our democracy. Evidence from places that have lowered the voting age shows that doing so can increase turnout when implemented in a supportive environment. That is why the Government is committed to extending the right to vote to 16-and-17-year-olds and working alongside the Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to ensure that young people are both prepared and motivated to exercise their democratic rights. We hope that this early engagement will build the foundations for lifetime participation in our electoral processes.
While we are making these changes, we want to talk to young people to ensure we’re putting their needs at the centre of our policy making. We will work with other key actors to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to roll out practical voter/civic education. We know that it is imperative that citizenship education is fit for purpose in order to support this change. Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review and its recommendations to the Government, we have committed to make citizenship compulsory in primary schools and to publish revised programmes of study to ensure that all pupils receive an essential grounding in a range of topics including democracy, government and law. The Department for Education will consult on programmes of study next year and the new national curriculum will be published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028.
Altogether, we will create an environment in which young people understand their rights and responsibilities, and where they are equipped and empowered to participate in our democracy.
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 recent assessment his Department has made of the financial sustainability of the proposed West Surrey unitary authority.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out to the House on 28 October, we considered the two proposals for unitary local government received from Surrey councils on 9 May together with the responses to the consultation, representations and all other relevant information. In our judgement the proposal for East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council better meets the criteria set out in the invitation of 5 February 2025. In particular, we believe it performs better against the second criterion, as it is more likely to be financially sustainable. West Surrey Council will, subject to Parliament, comprise the current districts of Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley, and Woking.
On 28 October, we also announced our commitment to repay in-principle £500 million of Woking Borough Council’s debt in 2026-27. This is a significant and unprecedented commitment given historic capital practices at the Council and the value for money case for acting to protect local and national taxpayers. This is a first tranche of repayment support, and we will continue to explore what further debt support is required at a later point. The Government remains committed to achieving the best value for money for the taxpayer in the rationalisation of Woking’s assets, and this process is likely to continue past vesting day in West Surrey. We are committed to supporting the new council with the rationalisation of Woking’s assets, whether through the provision of interim financial support and/or commercial support and expertise until this process is complete.
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 increase social care capacity to support the timely discharge of medically fit patients in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to tackling delayed discharges to ensure that people do not spend longer than necessary in hospital and to free up hospital beds. This year approximately £9 billion has been committed to the Better Care Fund (BCF) which requires integrated care boards and local authorities to make joint plans and pool budgets to deliver better joined-up care. This funding can be used flexibly to expand social care capacity, including home care and short-term reablement services.
From 2026/27, we will reform the BCF to ensure consistent joint funding for services essential to integrated health and social care such as hospital discharge, intermediate care, rehabilitation, and reablement.
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 he is taking to ensure timely access to treatment for children experiencing sudden medical emergencies in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that appropriate specialist support is available for paediatric medical emergencies in their areas. In Surrey Heath, this responsibility sits with the Frimley Integrated Care System.
Children who require specialist support for medical emergencies in the Surrey Heath constituency are served by their local hospital at Frimley Park which has a dedicated Paediatric Emergency Department. The Paediatric Emergency Department is a separate facility within the main department and is open 24 hours a day.
Children who require treatment for sudden medical emergencies can also access the South East Coast Ambulance Service via 999. Following support from the ambulance service, children may be taken to the Paediatric Emergency Department at Frimley Park Hospital or another suitable facility.
In our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, we commit to increasing the number of children seen within four hours in accident and emergency. This means thousands of children every month receiving more timely care than before.
The Department continues to work with NHS England and local systems to monitor capacity so that children receive timely, specialist care in emergencies.