Written questions by Pinkerton.

What assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of corridor care within NHS services in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet so patients can be treated with dignity. We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our NHS.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care, which will be published shortly.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of corridor care on patient (a) safety and (b) dignity in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet so patients can be treated with dignity. We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our NHS.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care, which will be published shortly.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has plans to improve public awareness and participation in recycling schemes.

Over the Christmas period, and continuing over the run up to April, Defra have been utilising a range of social media channels to promote new food waste recycling services. This has included location targeted campaigns alongside the use of influencers popular with our targeted audiences. Examples can be found at: (1835) Food Waste Recycling: Big Wins From Little Bins - YouTubeVox Pop on food waste recycling Minister Creagh Food waste InstagramDiscover the Magic of Food Waste Recycling Techniques | TikTokShef Phoenix (@shef_phoenix) | TikTokTraitors – yogurt pots Defra is also working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to provide guidance on best practice to help local authorities deliver services to all households. WRAP recently published communications guidance for local authority household food waste collections: https://www.wrap.ngo/taking-action/citizen-behaviour-change/recycle-now/campaign-assets/household-food-waste-collections-communications To support local authorities, we have provided transitional resource funding for food waste communications to support citizens in understanding how to make full use of the new services. In addition, PackUK will issue communications and explore behaviour change initiatives to promote the correct recycling and disposal of packaging waste. pEPR fees that producers pay will include a contribution to the costs of this work.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of free trade agreements on family businesses in Surrey.

We do not assess the direct effects of individual Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on specific types of businesses within specific counties, nor do we monitor the way they are utilised in such granular detail.However, we do publish assessments of the potential economic, sectoral, distributional and environmental impacts of our FTAs on GOV.UK. As these set out, FTAs have an important role to play in delivering economic growth in all sectors and all regions. Through FTAs, businesses can benefit from tariff reductions, improved market access, and enhanced protections in investment and digital trade.The department is working hand-in-hand with UK businesses to ensure firms have the tools and knowledge they need to seize these opportunities.

What steps she is taking through the tax system to support pensioners with the cost of living in Surrey Heath constituency.

We are committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living and ensuring financial security in retirement. The State Pension will remain the foundation of retirement income and, in line with the government’s commitment to the Triple Lock for the duration of this parliament, over 12 million pensioners benefit from a 4.8% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2026, worth up to £575 a year. This follows a substantial increase in 2025/26, when those on the full new State Pension received a £360 boost. The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also increase by 4.8% in April 2026, from £227.10 to £238 a week for single pensioners and from £346.60 to £363.25 for couples, protecting the poorest pensioners. Pensioners also benefit from free eye tests, NHS prescriptions and bus passes, and some may qualify for means‑tested benefits such as Housing Benefit and Cold Weather Payments. To help with ongoing cost of living pressures, the government will remove around £150 on average of household energy bills across Great Britain from April 2026 and the government is expanding the Warm Home Discount to an additional 2.7 million households, meaning around 6 million low-income households will receive £150 support with their energy bills. Through our Warm Homes Plan we are supporting insulation and low carbon heating, upgrading millions of homes this Parliament. At the recent Budget we announced £1.5 billion in new funding to support households facing fuel poverty, on top of the £13.2 billion announced at Spending Review 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help protect hare populations in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The department has supported Surrey County Council to prepare their Local Nature Recovery Strategy, with publication expected shortly. It will set nature recovery priorities and map specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement that will support many species such as hares.Nationally, protection of the brown hare population is provided through hare coursing legislation which was brought in under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Together with improved police tactics, intelligence and information sharing, they are reducing levels of hare coursing which will play a part in the recovery of the species.In addition, the Government’s recently published Animal Welfare Strategy contains a commitment to consider the introduction of a close season on shooting brown hares.

What steps she plans to take through the tax system to help reduce the number of disabled and sick people in poverty in Surrey Heath constituency.

Support for disabled people is predominantly provided through the welfare system, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which can be worth over £9,500 a year to assist with extra costs individuals may face. Focusing support through the welfare system ensures those who earn below the Personal Allowance tax threshold fully benefitThe Government is also investing £1 billion a year in employment support for disabled people by 2029-30. This will help disabled people enter and succeed in work, boosting their income.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending freezes on income tax and national insurance thresholds on working people in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government has published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) setting out the impact of maintaining income tax and equivalent National Insurance contributions thresholds.

What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to help tackle health inequalities affecting women in Surrey.

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain, to ensure people can live well for longer. Our reimagined National Health Service will tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes, as well as give women, no matter who they are or where they come from, the means to engage with the NHS on their own terms.This financial year the Department has invested approximately £53 million in direct awards on research to support the health of women. This includes conditions that are unique to women, such as endometriosis, and health topics that are relevant to women such as violence and abuse.Significant progress has been made towards delivering the ambitions in the 2022 Women’s Health Strategy, for example improving women and girls’ awareness and access to services as well as driving research to benefit women’s health, but we know there is more to do.That is why we are renewing the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.The renewed strategy will update on the delivery of the 2022 Women’s Health Strategy and set out how the Government is taking further steps to improve women’s health as we deliver the 10-Year Health Plan. It will also address gaps from the 2022 strategy and drive further change on enduring challenges such as creating a system that listens to women and tackling health inequalities.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on trends in the level of employment costs for businesses in Surrey.

The Government has published 29 Impact Assessments representing a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act: Employment Rights Act 2025: impact assessments - GOV.UK. This includes an assessment of regional impacts. An impact assessment on the 2026 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates will be published shortly, including an assessment of regional impacts.

What fiscal steps she is taking to encourage private sector investment in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is focused on strengthening the UK economy long term by building resilient local economies and supporting household prosperity. Central to this is ensuring that places such as Surrey Heath are well placed to attract private sector investment. Our stable fiscal rules and competitive tax system enable firms to invest confidently. For example, we uphold key aspects of the corporate tax framework, including:a main rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7;a flexible and competitive regime for intangible assets;the Patent Box; andone of the most generous and competitive capital allowances regimes in the world. This government is also taking wider steps to strengthen the UK’s overall investment environment. We are reforming regulation to cut costs for businesses and regulate for growth, with measures announced last month expected to save businesses nearly £6bn by the end of the Parliament. This will free up funds for businesses to invest more in productivity, innovation and jobs.The government has increased the capacity of public financial institutions such as the National Wealth Fund and British Business Bank by 40% to £137 billion this Parliament, using loans, equity and guarantees to support investment. This support for investment also means improving local infrastructure. Surrey will receive £38 million in Local Transport Grant funding to deliver transport improvements such as zero‑emission buses, upgraded cycleways, better accessibility and measures to tackle congestion which is a four‑fold increase in local transport funding in 2029‑30 compared with 2024‑25.By backing all regions of the UK through measures like these, the government is creating the conditions for private sector investment and high‑quality jobs in every part of the country, including Surrey Heath. This approach is already delivering results, at the first Regional Investment Summit in October, over £10 billion of investment commitments were announced, and nearly 1,000 high‑quality jobs are set to be created. Since coming into government, firms have committed over £340 billion of private investment into the UK.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to business rates on the hospitality sector in Surrey Heath constituency.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early intervention support for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home in Surrey Heath constituency.

The national rollout of Family Help, Multi-Agency Child Protection and Family Group Decision Making reforms is being delivered through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme.The programme is backed by £2.4 billion in funding over the next three years, which is ringfenced for spend on prevention.Multi-disciplinary Family Help teams will prioritise supporting the whole family, wrapping support around them and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, including for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home. Local partnerships should use population needs assessments to identify agencies, services and practitioners needed in their multi‑disciplinary teams.The FFP programme team in the department will work closely with all local authorities, including Surrey, to monitor progress and provide support. In 2025/26, Surrey local authority received £5.1 million of ringfenced funding for the delivery of FFP, and based on indicative allocations they will receive £10.1 million in 2026/27.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to appropriate health and mental health support for families affected by violent behaviour from children in Surrey Heath constituency.

Whilst no such specific assessment has been made, we recognise that healthcare is often the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for victims of violence and abuse. Integrated care boards should commission services in response to locally identified need, which could include access to trauma-informed care for families affected by violence.We have already taken significant steps to stabilise and improve access to National Health Service mental health services, but there is much more to do. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. As part of this we will accelerate the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams to reach full national coverage by 2029 and will expand NHS Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services.All NHS staff must complete safeguarding training which includes a focus on violence and abuse. The training is being strengthened for launch in late 2026. This will reinforce to staff their safeguarding responsibilities and support them in identifying and responding to victims and perpetrators of violence and abuse.In addition, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Statutory Guidance provides information for frontline professionals on the presentation of violent behaviour by a child towards parents and caregivers. In addition, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 provides guidance on the multi-agency response to support and safeguard children, including those who are violent.

What guidance is in place to ensure that reports of violence by children towards parents or carers lead to appropriate safeguarding and support in Surrey Heath constituency.

Prevention and early intervention with children and young people are fundamental to the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade – including improving the response to child to parent or caregiver abuse.‘The Domestic Abuse Act 2021: statutory guidance’ provides advice for frontline professionals and families to identify child to parent and caregiver abuse. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023’ provides guidance on the multi-agency response to support and safeguard children, including those using harm.Since 2023 the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner has received Home Office funding to support their Steps to Change Hub via the Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund. Funding supports delivery of Young People Using Violence and Abuse, a youth‑focused programme offering one‑to‑one support for young people who use violence or abusive behaviour towards family members, carers, siblings, or intimate partners.

What consideration he has given to improving information for parents and carers on the early symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes in young children.

The National Health Service publishes information for patients and the public to support the understanding of the four key symptoms of type 1 diabetes. These are known as the four Ts: toilet, or frequent urination; thirsty, or constant thirst; tired, or low energy; and thinner, or unexplained weight loss. Further information on the symptoms is avaiable at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms/#:~:text=Children%20may%20have%20heavier%20nappies,blurred%20visionNHS England also hosts information provided by Diabetes UK about the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, which is avaiable at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/midlands/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2021/02/CH_DIABETES-UK-4TS-links-and-resources.pdfNHS England is undertaking a review of options for improving information for parents and carers on the early symptoms of type 1 diabetes in young children and this will include engagement with relevant national organisations and partners.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance is issued to local planning authorities on managing concentrations of houses in multiple occupation within residential areas.

The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to plan to meet an area’s identified housing need, including with an appropriate mix of housing types for the local community. Local planning authorities already have planning powers to limit the concentration or proliferation of HMOs within their locality. They can remove the national permitted development right for smaller HMOs to protect the local amenity or wellbeing of an area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction which, once in place, requires all new HMO proposals to secure planning permission. We keep the powers to regulate HMOs under review. Specific guidance is not provided on managing concentrations of houses in multiple occupation.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of domestic wood burning in residential areas on public health.

The Chief Medical Officer’s 2022 Annual Report highlighted that domestic wood burning is a significant source of harmful fine particulate matter, particularly in residential areas.The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) systematic reviews of the association between outdoor and indoor exposure to solid fuel burning and respiratory diseases have shown that burning solid fuels can contribute to the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in adults. The UKHSA’s reviews are available at the following two links:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35149281/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33017761/ Our 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out how the Government will improve the public's health, including action to reduce the health harms of air pollution, and in particular on domestic burning.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of unmet special educational needs relating to dyspraxia on pupil wellbeing, attainment and school attendance.

Where a pupil is not attending school due to unmet or additional needs, including dyspraxia, the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out clear expectations on how schools, local authorities and wider services work together to access and provide the right support to improve attendance. We understand that early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, therefore we are supporting settings by strengthening the evidence base of what works. The government will set out proposals for reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system through a Schools white paper in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of support available in mainstream state schools for pupils with dyspraxia who do not meet the threshold for an Education, Health and Care Plan in Surrey.

Every child in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child and young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work. The department knows from our extensive engagement with parents, teachers, local authority staff and leaders, charities and others that there are significant challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. They need to be addressed urgently. But we must ensure we do so in a way that builds trust and confidence in the system and leads to improved outcomes for children and young people. The department will set out our proposals for reform in a Schools white paper and we will consult widely on these proposals and continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.