Written questions by Pinkerton.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of higher‑risk buildings remaining unregistered with the Building Safety Regulator on resident safety.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) investigates all matters relating to the registration status of higher risk buildings (HRBs) that are brought to its attention through residents’ complaints or by other enforcing authorities, including fire and rescue services, local authorities, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. All investigations and any subsequent enforcement actions are undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022.In addition to responding to concerns that may be raised, the BSR’s Intelligence team proactively identifies and investigates potentially unregistered buildings.Any HRB which is not registered with the BSR nevertheless must comply with the provisions of the Building Safety Act and, as of February 2024, the Principal Accountable Person for that building has a duty to properly assess and manage the safety risks associated with their building. Thus, non-registration does not, in itself, mean that a building is unsafe or is being inappropriately managed.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ring fence fencing funding previously allocated to the Darwin Plus programme for environmental protection projects in the UK Overseas Territories.

Defra’s Darwin Plus programme has invested more than £64 million across nearly 400 environmental projects of benefit to the UK Overseas Territories since 2012. These include projects to increase the Territories’ resilience by responding to, mitigating and adapting to climate change and its effects on the natural environment and local communities. An independent evaluation in 2022 found that Darwin Plus projects have reduced key threats to the Territories’ natural environments, including climate change. An impact analysis of Darwin Plus projects in 2025 has since estimated that Darwin Plus projects have: Improved the climate and disaster resilience of almost 10,000 people since 2022 alone; andBrought over 46 million hectares of land and sea under ecological management since 2013. Project applicants for Darwin Plus Local Round 6, which closed on 29 December, will be kept informed of developments. Updates on further future funding rounds will be published on the Darwin Plus website in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to continue providing dedicated environmental support to the UK Overseas Territories through the Darwin Plus programme.

Defra’s Darwin Plus programme has invested more than £64 million across nearly 400 environmental projects of benefit to the UK Overseas Territories since 2012. These include projects to increase the Territories’ resilience by responding to, mitigating and adapting to climate change and its effects on the natural environment and local communities. An independent evaluation in 2022 found that Darwin Plus projects have reduced key threats to the Territories’ natural environments, including climate change. An impact analysis of Darwin Plus projects in 2025 has since estimated that Darwin Plus projects have: Improved the climate and disaster resilience of almost 10,000 people since 2022 alone; andBrought over 46 million hectares of land and sea under ecological management since 2013. Project applicants for Darwin Plus Local Round 6, which closed on 29 December, will be kept informed of developments. Updates on further future funding rounds will be published on the Darwin Plus website in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help identify the number of higher-risk buildings that have not yet been registered with the Building Safety Regulator.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) investigates all matters relating to the registration status of higher risk buildings (HRBs) that are brought to its attention through residents’ complaints or by other enforcing authorities, including fire and rescue services, local authorities, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. All investigations and any subsequent enforcement actions are undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022.In addition to responding to concerns that may be raised, the BSR’s Intelligence team proactively identifies and investigates potentially unregistered buildings.Any HRB which is not registered with the BSR nevertheless must comply with the provisions of the Building Safety Act and, as of February 2024, the Principal Accountable Person for that building has a duty to properly assess and manage the safety risks associated with their building. Thus, non-registration does not, in itself, mean that a building is unsafe or is being inappropriately managed.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rail services that have been returned to state ownership on the level of service in Surrey Heath constituency.

Under public ownership, South Western Railway will be undertaking a complete redesign of its timetable, which will include reviewing services in Surrey Heath constituency. In the assessment of options, adjusting service levels to meet passenger demand will be considered, alongside other factors such as reducing the net subsidy requirement of the railway and improving operational performance.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of funding for road maintenance in Surrey Heath constituency.

The local highway authority for Surrey Heath is Surrey County Council which is eligible to receive over £164 million in highway maintenance funding over the next four years as part of the Government’s record £7.3 billion investment. To qualify for their full share of this year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice. Surrey County Council complied and have unlocked the extra funding in this financial year.In addition, in January 2026 the Department released a new traffic light rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance. Surrey County Council received an overall amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

What steps her Department is taking to help increase levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention of neighbourhood police officers in Surrey Heath constituency.

Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of the British policing model. Every community deserves visible, pro-active and accessible neighbourhood policing with officers tackling the issues that matter to them.We have made £200 million available in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.Based on their £2,588,427 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Surrey Police are projected to grow by 25 FTE neighbourhood police officers in FY 2025/26. As at 30 September 2025, Surrey Police have grown by 11 FTE neighbourhood policing officers.The Government continues to prioritise boosting visible policing and improving trust and confidence in the police. That is why, for Year 2 of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant in FY 2026/27, £363 million has been ringfenced to incentivise forces to grow their neighbourhood policing teams by a further 1,750 personnel by 31 March 2027. Surrey Police will be expected to deliver their share of that national target. Their target figure will be confirmed in due course.Retention of experienced officers is important to neighbourhood policing. This is why we are investing in dedicated learning and development standards, bolstering its recognition as a distinct specialism. We are funding the College of Policing to design and roll out the Neighbourhood Policing Programme – Career Pathway. Under the training, neighbourhood officers, PCSOs, line management and senior leaders will learn vital skills such as problem solving, community engagement and tackling anti-social behaviour.

What steps he is taking to support the green energy sector in Surrey Heath constituency.

Local power generation is an essential part of the UK’s energy generation and increasing support will ensure local communities to benefit from clean energy projects as the UK supercharges its mission to become a clean energy superpower.This is why backed by up to £1 billion, Great British Energy aims to support more than 1,000 local and community energy projects by 2030. This is not the pinnacle of our ambition but the start.

What assessment he has made of the resilience of the electricity distribution network in Surrey Heath constituency.

Government works closely with industry, including Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the Distribution Network Operator for Surrey Heath, to continually improve and maintain the resilience of electricity infrastructure, networks and assets. This is to reduce vulnerabilities and ensure an effective response to actual or potentially disruptive incidents.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure the accuracy of small businesses' energy bills in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is overseeing the roll out of smart meters to small businesses in Surrey Heath and across GB, and our latest data shows that almost two thirds of meters in non-domestic premises are smart or advanced meters. These meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording energy use at regular intervals, allowing bills based on actual rather than estimated usage. Ofgem’s licence conditions require all suppliers to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier.

What steps she is taking to help ensure in-person access to police services in Surrey Heath constituency.

Decisions regarding police resourcing and the police estate, including in-person access points such as front counters, are a matter for Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to decide based on local need, experience, and budgets.‑elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to decide based on local need, experience, and budgets.As part of this Government’s Safer Streets Mission, we are restoring neighbourhood policing, with nearly 2,400 additional neighbourhood officers in post last September. We are also ensuring that every community has named, contactable, officers dedicated to tackling the issues facing their communities, strengthening the connections between the police and the local communities they serve.

What plans his Department has to help improve GP access to decarbonisation schemes in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to supporting the decarbonisation of the GP estate. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, GP facilities can receive £7,500 for heat pumps and £5,000 for biomass boilers. We also help fund the UK Business Climate Hub, an online resource supporting SMEs identify and implement changes to their energy use.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for Musical Instrument Certificates from touring musicians were outstanding at the end of each calendar year since 2021.

This data has been held since July 2023 when CITES licencing moved to a new licencing system (“Pegasus”). A breakdown of the Musical Instrument Certificate applications being processed as of 31 December each year is provided below: YearMusical Instrument Certificate applications being processed as of 31 December2023520241202522026N/A The data above was extracted on 5 February 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the average length of time taken to issue Musical Instrument Certificates to touring musicians was in each calendar year since 2021.

This data has been held since July 2023 when CITES licencing moved to a new licencing system (“Pegasus”). An annual breakdown is provided below: YearNumber of MICs issuedMean working days to issueMedian working days to issue20231319.42020242737.22120252020.6192026425.520.5 The data above was extracted on 5 February 2026.

How many A1 form applications from touring musicians were outstanding at the end of each year since 2021.

The Government recognises the importance of touring to the UK’s world‑leading music sector and continues to work closely with industry to support musicians performing in the European Union. A1 Forms HMRC has not made an estimate, jointly or separately with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), of any additional costs incurred by musicians as a result of delays in the issuance of A1 forms since 2021. While musicians may use the CA3837 A1 application form, this form is also used by many other self‑employed individuals. HMRC does not record applicants’ occupations within the A1 process, and the systems used do not capture or store any information that would allow us to identify touring musicians as a distinct group. It is therefore not possible to provide data on processing times or outstanding applications specifically for musicians for any of the years requested. HMRC recognises how important it is for customers to receive their A1 certificates promptly and is strengthening the service to support this.

What the average length of time taken to issue A1 forms to touring musicians was in each year since 2021.

The Government recognises the importance of touring to the UK’s world‑leading music sector and continues to work closely with industry to support musicians performing in the European Union. A1 Forms HMRC has not made an estimate, jointly or separately with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), of any additional costs incurred by musicians as a result of delays in the issuance of A1 forms since 2021. While musicians may use the CA3837 A1 application form, this form is also used by many other self‑employed individuals. HMRC does not record applicants’ occupations within the A1 process, and the systems used do not capture or store any information that would allow us to identify touring musicians as a distinct group. It is therefore not possible to provide data on processing times or outstanding applications specifically for musicians for any of the years requested. HMRC recognises how important it is for customers to receive their A1 certificates promptly and is strengthening the service to support this.

Whether her Department has made an estimate with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of the additional costs incurred by musicians seeking to perform in the European Union due to delays in the issuance of (a) A1 forms and (b) Musical Instrument Certificates since 2021.

The Government recognises the importance of touring to the UK’s world‑leading music sector and continues to work closely with industry to support musicians performing in the European Union. A1 Forms HMRC has not made an estimate, jointly or separately with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), of any additional costs incurred by musicians as a result of delays in the issuance of A1 forms since 2021. While musicians may use the CA3837 A1 application form, this form is also used by many other self‑employed individuals. HMRC does not record applicants’ occupations within the A1 process, and the systems used do not capture or store any information that would allow us to identify touring musicians as a distinct group. It is therefore not possible to provide data on processing times or outstanding applications specifically for musicians for any of the years requested. HMRC recognises how important it is for customers to receive their A1 certificates promptly and is strengthening the service to support this.

What steps he is taking to support armed forces families in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Ministry of Defence is implementing one of the most significant reforms to welfare oversight in decades through the creation of an independent Armed Forces Commissioner, providing a direct, empowered advocate able to investigate issues from housing to behaviours. In addition, the Armed Forces Bill will create a National Defence Housing Service and extend the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty across central government, local bodies and devolved governments, ensuring full consideration of Armed Forces families’ needs, including those in Surrey Heath constituency.

Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on the rollout of gigabit broadband in Surrey Heath constituency.

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 report, more than 84% of premises in Surrey Heath constituency have access to a gigabit capable connection, slightly below the national average of 86%.As part of Project Gigabit, Openreach is delivering a contract across Surrey, delivering gigabit-capable broadband to premises not included in suppliers’ commercial rollout plans. Of the approximately 1,950 premises in Surrey Heath constituency included within this contract, approximately 610 have now received access to a gigabit-capable connection.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI on trends in the level of employment in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government’s recognise that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles, however the future scale of change remains uncertain.We are planning against a range of plausible outcomes to ensure workers continue to have access to good, meaningful employment.To support this, we have established the AI and the Future of Work Unit, which will provide robust analysis and evidence on the impact of AI on the labour market. The Unit will coordinate action across government, ensuring our principles are delivered through practical help and support for workers and employers.As is the case with all new technologies, AI also presents significant opportunities for the labour market. For example, our AI Growth Zones are creating over 15,000 jobs. We are also providing free AI training for all and will provide 10 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030, with the aim to make the UK the fastest adopting AI country in the G7.Through these initiatives and others, we will drive economic opportunity and support workers to adapt and thrive in workplaces across the UK, including Surrey and Surrey Heath.