Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much South Western Railway has spent on KPMG’s services to develop a business case for the infrastructure investment.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Expenditure on external consultants is a matter for train companies to manage. The Department has agreed challenging budget targets with every train operating company, including South Western Railway, and officials discuss spending against these budgets on a regular basis.

Expenditure on specific contracts cannot be shared as it is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much South Western Railway has spent on external consultants since May 2025.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Expenditure on external consultants is a matter for train companies to manage. The Department has agreed challenging budget targets with every train operating company, including South Western Railway, and officials discuss spending against these budgets on a regular basis.

Expenditure on specific contracts cannot be shared as it is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of improving transport connections from Woking.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under public ownership, South Western Railway will be undertaking a complete redesign of their timetable which will include reviewing connections from Woking. In the assessment of options, wider economic impacts will be a consideration, alongside other factors such as reducing the net subsidy requirement of the railway, meeting passenger demand and improving operational performance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, given the forthcoming report of the Cranston Public Inquiry into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021, has she undertaken a review of Channel operations, and the search and rescue capability UK Border Force provides to His Majesty's Coastguard.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

It would be wrong to pre-empt the findings and recommendations of a public inquiry, but it should be noted that considerable improvements had been made in how UK authorities detect and respond to these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossing attempts of the Channel, even before the Cranston Inquiry was announced.

The Home Office will study the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry when they are delivered.

Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of those many people who were lost in this appalling tragedy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants crossing the Channel in small boats present with either pre-existing medical conditions or injuries, or with injuries sustained from the crossing itself.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

These records are not held in a readily retrievable form, and it would only be possible to provide the information being sought at a disproportionate cost.

Migrants who have made dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by small boat do sometimes present with injuries such as petrol burns, or dangerous medical conditions such as hypothermia. Our response to these crossings is reducing the risk to safety of life at sea, and the Home Office has a reception process which includes assessment of all arrivals by suitably qualified medical personnel.

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 tackle developers who bank land instead of building homes, such as the 2,000 new homes with planning permission in Woking where construction has not started.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

In May 2025, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built. It can be found on gov.uk here.

On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential developments, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. That consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

We are now analysing the responses to both consultations, and we will set out our next steps in due course.

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including new policy designed to ensure major development proposals are capable of being implemented within a reasonable period – taking into account tenure mix, local market conditions and development history of the site.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will assess the effectiveness of the urgent care dental pilot project.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.

These appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most.

We are also incentivising high street dentists to offer even more appointments to maximise the availability to those in need of urgent care.

Data on the delivery of urgent dental care will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of National Health Service dental care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been supported (a) nationally and (b) in Woking constituency by the urgent care dental pilot project.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.

These appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most.

We are also incentivising high street dentists to offer even more appointments to maximise the availability to those in need of urgent care.

Data on the delivery of urgent dental care will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of National Health Service dental care.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, given the forthcoming report of the Cranston Public Inquiry into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021, has she undertaken a review of Channel small boat search and rescue operations and the capability provided by UK Border Force.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Cranston Public Inquiry will shortly be publishing its report into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021.

Operational risks are assessed daily by the joint HM Coastguard and UK Border Security Command teams tasked with the delivery of small boat SAR. The capability that the Home Office provides through UK Border Force is an essential and welcome addition to the small boat SAR response network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains have been cancelled on the South Western Railway network since it was nationalised.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information on train cancellations and punctuality is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The relevant links are below.

• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3124-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-periodic/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3123-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-and-cause/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3133-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator/

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed on the South Western Railway network in August 2025.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information on train cancellations and punctuality is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The relevant links are below.

• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3124-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-periodic/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3123-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-and-cause/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3133-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator/

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains have been delayed on the South Western Railway network since nationalisation.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information on train cancellations and punctuality is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The relevant links are below.

• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3124-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-periodic/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3123-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-and-cause/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/
• https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3133-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator/

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 following the publication of BDO’s audit report of Woking Borough Council’s accounts from 2019/20 to 2022/23, published on 8 December 2025.

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

Commissioners were appointed to Woking Borough Council in 2023 following historic commercial mismanagement and major governance failures. While Woking continues to undergo an extensive change programme to support the improvement of its financial position, Commissioners have reported significant improvements in the Council’s approach to financial management since 2023. As Commissioners set out in their Fifth Report, they continue to engage with Woking’s external auditors to rectify the Council’s historic issues with audit timeliness and support the rebuilding of assurance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease; and what support the NHS provides to people with Motor Neurone Disease in southern England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England does not commission services from the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Funding for the centre is provided by the Leeds Hospital charity service. Therefore, neither NHS England, nor the Department, have made an assessment of the effectiveness of the centre.

NHS England commissions specialised services for neurology, which includes MND. There are 27 specialised neurology centres in England, eight of which are in London, three of which are in the south-east, and two of which are in the south-west.

In August 2025, NHS England published a revised service specification for specialised adult neurology services. It outlines a number of minimum service requirements for key specialties, including neuromuscular disorders like MND, and is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/specialised-neurology-services-adults-service-specification-august-2025.pdf

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MND.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC plans to review the national standard mileage rate for business travel, and the basis on which that national standard is set.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government keeps the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) and self-employed simplified mileage rates under review and HMRC use a variety of information in estimating typical motoring costs per business mile. This includes information from the AA, the National Travel Survey, the Association of British Insurers, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

As with all taxes and rates, the Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at Budget in the context of public finances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review the maintenance of sanctioned assets where deterioration may affect (a) public and (b) heritage value.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where a designated person (DP) owns or controls economic resources, such as property, those resources are subject to an asset freeze. Where appropriate, OFSI may issue either a general or specific licence on behalf of HM Treasury to permit activity that would otherwise be prohibited by an asset freeze. This includes to enable payments for the routine holding and maintenance of properties owned by designated persons in order to prevent their deterioration.

However, while a licence permits such payments, it does not compel the designated person to undertake the work. Therefore, even if OFSI issues a licence, maintenance or repairs will only take place if the designated person is willing to carry them out.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to promote active and healthy lifestyles among pensioners, including through access to affordable physical activity and active travel.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that reducing physical inactivity and promoting active, healthy lifestyles in people of all ages, including among pensioners, is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, and is a key part of the Department’s shift from treatment to prevention.

The NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for people of all ages to move more, and signposts to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking and NHS Couch to 5k app.

The Department supports the National Health Service, together with local authorities, to provide a range of community and social prescribing approaches to support older people, such as walking groups and aquatic/swimming classes.

The Government is promoting active and healthy lifestyles among pensioners through investment in walking and cycling infrastructure and community-based programmes that make active travel safer and more accessible for older adults, and has recently closed its consultation on the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, due to be published next year.

175th anniversary of the founding of Surrey Police

Health and Care Worker visas

Halie Selassie and Bath

Import of illegal meat

Killing of Dipu Chandra Das

Commemorating National Care Leaver’s Month November 2025

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Dolly Parton's birthday

Use of UK bases by the United States and international law in relation to Greenland

Less Survivable Cancers Week

Iran protests

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Peter Hill, visiting every pub in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2020

Brain cancer

Veterans' Orthopaedic Service

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Missing Evri deliveries

UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

Future of Cambridge Veterinary School

Found: meeting Members present: Florence Eshalomi (Chair); Lewis Cocking; Chris Curtis; Mr Lee Dillon; Mr Will Forster