Written questions by Pinkerton.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of regional variations in access to occupational therapy services for children with dyspraxia.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population.Children with developmental coordination disorder, commonly known as dyspraxia, access support through local National Health Service occupational therapy, paediatrics, physiotherapy, and educational services.NHS guidance sets out a referral process which typically begins with a general practitioner, health visitor, or a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, who may refer the child to paediatric occupational therapy and physiotherapist for assessment and support. The NHS guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care. Surrey Health provides occupational therapy support for children with dyspraxia of all ages. They provide speech and language therapy support for children under five years old who have verbal dyspraxia and a school aged speech and language therapy service for children over five years old. Referrals for continence, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy can be made directly by parents/carers as well as the child’s health visitor, general practitioner, therapist, early years’ service, hospital paediatricians, audiology service, Mindworks Surrey, and other agencies. This is for speech and language therapy support for those under five years old, and therefore not in a school setting, and for occupational therapy of all ages. If a child is in school and requires speech and language therapy, the referral is through the school as the service is a school-based service.

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.

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 he has made of the adequacy of the consistency with which existing clinical guidance on Type 1 Diabetes is applied across primary care settings in Surrey.

Local health commissioners and providers in Surrey are responsible for assessing how existing clinical guidance is being applied across primary care settings. NHS England is undertaking a review of options for supporting primary care services in the identification of acute onset Type 1 diabetes in babies and children and in doing so will engage with relevant national organisations and partners. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we will continue to support people living with diabetes, including through the rollout of new wearable technologies such as hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems. The rollout of HCL systems is backed by £107 million in 2026/27 and has been made available to over 23,000 additional people since 2023/24.

What steps his Department is taking to support earlier diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in babies, toddlers and children presenting with symptoms in primary care in Surrey Heath constituency.

Local health commissioners and providers in Surrey are responsible for assessing how existing clinical guidance is being applied across primary care settings. NHS England is undertaking a review of options for supporting primary care services in the identification of acute onset Type 1 diabetes in babies and children and in doing so will engage with relevant national organisations and partners. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we will continue to support people living with diabetes, including through the rollout of new wearable technologies such as hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems. The rollout of HCL systems is backed by £107 million in 2026/27 and has been made available to over 23,000 additional people since 2023/24.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND provision for (a) blind and (b) partially sighted children in Surrey Heath constituency.

The majority of children with visual impairments are taught in mainstream schools, and all schools have legal duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, including the provision of auxiliary aids. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with complex needs. Local authorities must ensure sufficient school places for those with special educational needs and disabilities and keep this under review.We have commissioned research to strengthen the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings, including for sensory impairment. We have also introduced a sensory impairment apprenticeship route into teaching, supporting local authorities and schools to commission appropriately qualified staff to ensure visually impaired children are not disadvantaged.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve the governance of academy trusts in Surrey.

Robust governance is crucial to achieving a strong school system, helping every child achieve and thrive. The department has produced dedicated governance guidance in addition to requirements in the Academy Trust Handbook. The Effective Governance Resources page on GOV.UK consolidates best practice to help boards govern strategically, flexibly and effectively. It was published in September 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effective-governance-resources.Where there are concerns about the governance of an academy trust, the department can set conditions to improve that the trust must meet to avoid further action. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education can terminate an academy’s funding agreement where there is a serious breakdown in governance.This month we have announced that we are legislating to introduce inspection of multi-academy trusts. Reporting on the quality and effectiveness of trust governance will help drive better outcomes for children and provide greater confidence for parents.

What steps she is taking to help support (a) nurseries and (b) early years settings to improve their safeguarding practices in Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children are kept healthy and safe.To support the early years sector with the safeguarding changes which were introduced to the EYFS in September 2025, the department is developing an online early years safeguarding training package in collaboration with the NSPCC.It will be a free and universal offer open to all early years settings, educators and reception-based staff to access.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England, including Surrey, about their sufficiency of childcare and any other issues they are facing.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of smart phones on levels of disruption in classrooms.

Mobile phones have no place in schools.The department’s new, stronger guidance on mobile phones in schools is clear that all schools should be mobile phone-free by default. Pupils should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons.The guidance will be implemented through behaviour management in schools, and by setting out clear expectations for teachers and school staff, while our attendance and behaviour hub lead schools will support other schools to implement and enforce a mobile phone policy where needed.For the first time, Ofsted will check school mobile phone policy on every inspection, with schools expected to be phone-free by default. Ofsted will examine both schools' mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented when judging behaviour during inspections.In addition, a consultation will identify the next steps in the government’s plan to boost children’s wellbeing online.

Communities and Local Government, what comparative estimate his Department has made of the (a) proposed population size of the West Surrey Unitary Authority and (b) largest and (c) smallest unitary authorities in England.

The proposal from Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council set out that, based on the 2021 census population data, East Surrey Council would have a population of 545,798, and West Surrey Council 657,309. The Secretary of State decided to implement the two unitary proposal for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval, having assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance and having regard to all representations received through the consultation and to all other relevant information.

Communities and Local Government, what comparative estimate his Department has made of (a) the proposed population size of the West Surrey Unitary Authority and (b) other unitary authorities in England.

The proposal from Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council set out that, based on the 2021 census population data, East Surrey Council would have a population of 545,798, and West Surrey Council 657,309. The Secretary of State decided to implement the two unitary proposal for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval, having assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance and having regard to all representations received through the consultation and to all other relevant information.

Communities and Local Government, what comparative estimate his Department has made of the (a) proposed population size of the West Surrey Unitary Authority and (b) average population size of unitary authorities in England.

The proposal from Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council set out that, based on the 2021 census population data, East Surrey Council would have a population of 545,798, and West Surrey Council 657,309. The Secretary of State decided to implement the two unitary proposal for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval, having assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance and having regard to all representations received through the consultation and to all other relevant information.

What discussions her Department has had with local authorities on preparedness for incidents involving new vehicle technologies on strategic road networks in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey.

The Department actively engages with all Local Authorities, including Surrey County Council, when discussing preparedness and proposed measures to mitigate against incidents involving new vehicle technologies. National Highways regularly reviews and updates their processes and procedures to respond to any incidents involving new vehicle technologies on the strategic road network.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of national standards and guidance for managing incidents on strategic road networks.

National Highways works closely with emergency service partners and other specialist responders to ensure England’s motorways and larger A-roads are as safe and reliable as they can be.National Highways developed the Strategic Road Responders Agreement which partners in the police, fire and ambulance services have all signed up to.This agreement identifies the CLEAR initiative (Collision, Lead, Evaluate, Act, Re-open) as a tool that responders commit to using and, in doing so, helps to minimise the impact of incidents and ensures national standards and guidance are available and understood.

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost-savings from creating unitary authorities in Surrey.

It was for local areas to submit proposals for government to consider on how local councils should be reorganised. Surrey’s proposals were considered according to the criteria set out in the government’s invitation letter, which includes evidence to support estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of fire and rescue services to respond to incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on strategic road networks.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working closely with Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) and officials from other Government Departments to build an evidence base, share intelligence and develop mitigations to tackle the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries and personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs). The department collects data on incidents attended by FRSs with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here. This does not yet include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries. Our new Fire and Rescue Data Analysis Platform (FaRDAP) has been rolled out, and work is ongoing to update the data it will collect covering both the questions and answer categories to capture lithium-ion batteries, and their uses in vehicles like e-scooters and PLEVs. National Operational Guidance has been developed for fires involving alternative fuel vehicles to support fire and rescue services when attending such incidents. It contains specific hazard guidance, including control measures on how to identify and immobilise the vehicle and how to isolate high-voltage systems.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on national guidance for dealing with incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on the strategic road network.

The Department for Transport works closely with the Home Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on lithium battery safety. The Government has published guidance for roadside recovery operators working with electric vehicles, many of which contain a lithium battery. This guidance is applicable to incidents on the Strategic Road Network. National Highways continues to work with emergency services to ensure that any incidents are resolved as effectively as possible.

What modelling her Department has done of the potential impact of deeper UK–EU regulatory cooperation on services trade and employment.

The Government is committed to providing appropriate analysis of any agreement made with the EU, but we will not be able to provide a full assessment of the impacts whilst detailed negotiations are ongoing. We have made a choice to align in some areas where it makes sense to do so in our national interest. For example, to unlock the SPS and carbon pricing agreements, which will add up to £9 billion a year to the UK economy by 2040. The carbon pricing deal also avoids the risk of taxes on £7bn worth of UK exports to the EU. Where we agree to dynamically align, we will have decision-shaping rights, as well technical adaptations and phasing in to make this deal work for the UK. The details of these are subject to negotiation.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots rugby in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby.The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of streamlining visa arrangements for musicians, performers, and other cultural professionals working between the UK and the EU.

The UK immigration system is generous in its provisions for musicians, performers and other cultural professionals, with different pathways for non-visa nationals (such as EU/EEA nationals) in the creative sector to come to the UK without requiring a visa. We continually keep our policies under review and the Government has committed to supporting touring artists at the UK-EU summit in May last year.