Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on the findings of its 2024 Parents’ Voices Matter survey that 20% of children with special educational needs do not receive (a) an Education, Health and Care Plan and (b) any form of SEN support.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
In September 2023, Ofsted and Care Quality Commission undertook a local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in Surrey under the new SEND inspection framework. The report, published on 24 November, found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
The report identified four areas for improvement relating to: the strategic evaluation of interventions; communication with parents and carers; the timeliness and quality of health assessments, needs assessments, education, health and care (EHC) plans and annual reviews; and reviewing the breadth and offer of alternative provision.
To assist the local area in making improvements to its SEND services, including in relation to children accessing appropriate EHC plan and special educational needs support, the department has deployed a SEND advisor to offer advice and challenge. The advisor’s work has included supporting the local authority to review their EHC plan statutory progress and to discuss their action plan for making improvements, analysing EHC plan data and trends, facilitating best practice exchange with other local areas, and providing advice and guidance to enhance the quality of EHC plans.
The department continues to monitor Surrey County Council’s SEND services in line with the department’s improvement and intervention approach, and officials will continue to ensure that the voices and experiences of parents are reflected in discussions with the local area and in the support and guidance we provide.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring supermarkets to include labelling in braille on newly designed packaging.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra maintains regular engagement with food retailers on a range of issues, including labelling and improving accessibility requirements for all consumers.
The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible, clearly legible and where appropriate indelible, in addition to there being a required minimum font size for mandatory information.
We are aware of moves by some retailers to provide information on food in braille format, and the government is interested in seeing how this works.
We know there are other exciting possibilities, including the use of mobile phone apps and QR codes via which consumers with visual impairments may be able to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label.
Braille labelling has not been a specific focus to date. We continue to explore how food information can be made more accessible, including through wider conversations with industry and stakeholders representing consumers with disabilities, such as the Royal National Institute for Blind (RNIB).
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the Local Transport Grant will go to Surrey County Council in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2025/26, the Local Transport Grant (LTG) has been allocated to local transport authorities (LTAs) in the North and Midlands outside of areas that receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding. Therefore, Surrey County Council did not receive a Local Transport Grant allocation.
Surrey County Council will receive an Integrated Transport Block (ITB) allocation of £4.8m in 2025/26 to support local transport maintenance and enhancements.
The Spending Review 2025 confirmed a £2.3 billion investment in local transport through the LTG for smaller cities, towns and rural areas, which do not receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) or Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding. This investment brings LTG and ITB together into a consolidated fund. Surrey County Council will receive a £38.2m LTG allocation between 2026/27 and 2029/30.
All allocations for ITB and LTG are published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 support people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Woking constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs, including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, which covers the Woking constituency, to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.
There are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England, including in the Woking constituency. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and by promoting best practice.
The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services.
NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care.
NHS England is also updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.
Our 10-Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. We also plan to publish our refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and to treat patients wherever they live in England, including those with MS, on time again.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Spending Review, published on 11 June 2025, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated for rail enhancements will be allocated to upgrades on the South Western Railway network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following the Chancellors’s statement on 11 June we are now working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of school-aged children in Woking who will become newly eligible for free school meals under the planned September 2026 Universal Credit extension.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.
Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.
The department’s published data shows that over 4,000 children in Woking could benefit from expanded free meal support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the delay in extending free school meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit until September 2026 on the percentage of children in Woking receiving free school meals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.
Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.
The department’s published data shows that over 4,000 children in Woking could benefit from expanded free meal support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre surplus capacity to Ukrainian veterans.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with our Ukrainian partners to contribute to Project RENOVATOR, to support the development of increased rehabilitation capacity and capability within Ukraine to help deal with the thousands of injured military personnel.
Project RENOVATOR supports the building of infrastructure and the provision of equipment and delivery of training and education, including specialist physiotherapy and prosthetic capabilities.
The granting of any support to Ukraine is made in response to official requests made by the Ukrainian Government. I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that we will not speculate on specific capabilities.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department will stop training Israeli Defence Force personnel following the British Government’s decision to sanction members of the Israeli Government.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence keeps under careful consideration its policies on training courses. We currently provide non-combat academic courses to fewer than five IDF personnel.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential benefits of using digital twin technology in major infrastructure projects.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Digital Twin Programme (NDTP) aims to develop the UK’s capability in digital twinning technologies, and to enable the digital interconnection of infrastructure and other sources of data. This will enable more efficient design, construction, and operation of infrastructure assets, improving delivery of public services and provide greater certainty and confidence to business to invest. The delivery of the NDTP will contribute to the Growth Mission, the Clean Energy Mission, and support the operation of several priority sectors within the Industrial Strategy.
Information about the NDTP can be found at: National Digital Twin Programme. gov.uk