Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has considered the potential merits of extending the age range used in NEET statistics to include people aged 25 to 30 who are not in education, employment or training.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Parliamentary Question of 28th August is attached.
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 she has made of the potential impact of disparities in access to NHS dentistry on health inequalities in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Find a Dentist website enables users to identify National Health Service dental practices in their area, providing information on services, contact details, and whether practices are accepting new patients, and is available at the link below:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/
Data on access to NHS dentistry at a constituency level, including for Surrey Heath, is provided via the House of Commons Library at the link below:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10897/
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, how many dental practices in Surrey Heath constituency were accepting new (a) adult and (b) child NHS patients in each year since 2021.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Find a Dentist website enables users to identify National Health Service dental practices in their area, providing information on services, contact details, and whether practices are accepting new patients, and is available at the link below:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/
Data on access to NHS dentistry at a constituency level, including for Surrey Heath, is provided via the House of Commons Library at the link below:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10897/
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost to the fishing industry of additional export documentation and border checks introduced since January 2021.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that exporters have faced additional administrative requirements since January 2021. The research project Quantifying Non-Tariff Measure on GB to EU Agri-food gathered extensive information on the costs of administrative requirements for exporters can be found here. However, it is important to stress that the costs vary substantially by business, market, consignment type, and supply chain arrangements.
In May 2025, the Government and the European Commission agreed to pursue a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement that will significantly reduce these costs and make it easier, cheaper and quicker to move food, plants, animals, and related goods across our borders.
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, how much of the £612,715.50 in proven losses reported in the Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 has been (a) recovered and (b) written off.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government Internal Audit Agency undertakes independent, internal disciplinary investigations on behalf of the DWP into allegations of internal fraud and other serious misconduct.
Of the 40 benefit-related investigations completed by GIAA in 2025-26, 39 related to DWP employees and one related to an individual employed by an outsourced provider.
To avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations and to comply with data protection obligations, the Department is unable to provide further information on individual cases, including details of the benefits involved, the nature of the misconduct, the number of claimants affected, disciplinary outcomes, criminal referrals, criminal proceedings, or amounts recovered or written off.
Information relating to any successful criminal convictions becomes publicly available through the courts.
The Department takes its responsibility for protecting the public purse extremely seriously and seeks to recover losses arising from internal fraud wherever possible. The Department has a range of debt recovery powers available, including recovery of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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, how many claimants were affected by the 40 benefit-related investigations reported in the Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government Internal Audit Agency undertakes independent, internal disciplinary investigations on behalf of the DWP into allegations of internal fraud and other serious misconduct.
Of the 40 benefit-related investigations completed by GIAA in 2025-26, 39 related to DWP employees and one related to an individual employed by an outsourced provider.
To avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations and to comply with data protection obligations, the Department is unable to provide further information on individual cases, including details of the benefits involved, the nature of the misconduct, the number of claimants affected, disciplinary outcomes, criminal referrals, criminal proceedings, or amounts recovered or written off.
Information relating to any successful criminal convictions becomes publicly available through the courts.
The Department takes its responsibility for protecting the public purse extremely seriously and seeks to recover losses arising from internal fraud wherever possible. The Department has a range of debt recovery powers available, including recovery of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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, how many of the 40 benefit-related investigations reported in the Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 resulted in (a) dismissal, (b) referral to the police and (c) criminal proceedings.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government Internal Audit Agency undertakes independent, internal disciplinary investigations on behalf of the DWP into allegations of internal fraud and other serious misconduct.
Of the 40 benefit-related investigations completed by GIAA in 2025-26, 39 related to DWP employees and one related to an individual employed by an outsourced provider.
To avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations and to comply with data protection obligations, the Department is unable to provide further information on individual cases, including details of the benefits involved, the nature of the misconduct, the number of claimants affected, disciplinary outcomes, criminal referrals, criminal proceedings, or amounts recovered or written off.
Information relating to any successful criminal convictions becomes publicly available through the courts.
The Department takes its responsibility for protecting the public purse extremely seriously and seeks to recover losses arising from internal fraud wherever possible. The Department has a range of debt recovery powers available, including recovery of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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, how many of the 40 benefit-related investigations reported in the Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 involved (a) employees, (b) contractors and (c) providers.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government Internal Audit Agency undertakes independent, internal disciplinary investigations on behalf of the DWP into allegations of internal fraud and other serious misconduct.
Of the 40 benefit-related investigations completed by GIAA in 2025-26, 39 related to DWP employees and one related to an individual employed by an outsourced provider.
To avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations and to comply with data protection obligations, the Department is unable to provide further information on individual cases, including details of the benefits involved, the nature of the misconduct, the number of claimants affected, disciplinary outcomes, criminal referrals, criminal proceedings, or amounts recovered or written off.
Information relating to any successful criminal convictions becomes publicly available through the courts.
The Department takes its responsibility for protecting the public purse extremely seriously and seeks to recover losses arising from internal fraud wherever possible. The Department has a range of debt recovery powers available, including recovery of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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, for a breakdown by (a) benefit and (b) type of misconduct of the 40 benefit-related investigations reported in the Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government Internal Audit Agency undertakes independent, internal disciplinary investigations on behalf of the DWP into allegations of internal fraud and other serious misconduct.
Of the 40 benefit-related investigations completed by GIAA in 2025-26, 39 related to DWP employees and one related to an individual employed by an outsourced provider.
To avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations and to comply with data protection obligations, the Department is unable to provide further information on individual cases, including details of the benefits involved, the nature of the misconduct, the number of claimants affected, disciplinary outcomes, criminal referrals, criminal proceedings, or amounts recovered or written off.
Information relating to any successful criminal convictions becomes publicly available through the courts.
The Department takes its responsibility for protecting the public purse extremely seriously and seeks to recover losses arising from internal fraud wherever possible. The Department has a range of debt recovery powers available, including recovery of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the UK fishing and seafood processing sectors in each year since 2015.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th September is attached.