Written questions by Pinkerton.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening the regulation of the vehicle registration plate supply chain.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other Government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates. On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database. The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered. The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities in Surrey undergoing transition to unitary status on taking major strategic planning decisions during the reorganisation period.

The Planning Advisory Service has a range of resources available to assist local planning authorities going through reorganisation, including their local government Reorganisation Delivery Network, which allows authorities to share best practice. I encourage councils going through transition to take full advantage of these resources. Following Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, the new duty to prepare a spatial development strategy (SDS) will be commenced later in 2026. Initially this duty will sit with Surrey County Council and will then transfer to the new unitary councils in 2027. Officers from the County Council are in contact with MHCLG officials and will consider how best to manage this duty over the coming year.

What assessment her Department has made of the recommendations in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety's report on vehicle registration plates published on 9 December 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other Government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates. On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database. The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered. The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

What requirements are placed on schools to (a) monitor, (b) record, or (c) report how Pupil Premium Plus funding allocated for adopted children is spent.

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential for connected and autonomous vehicle technology to support vehicle (a) identification and (b) compliance with insurance requirements.

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets out the regulations for insurance requirements of automated vehicles. The operator or owner of an automated vehicle must hold a policy of insurance that satisfies the conditions in section 145 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The recent call for evidence launched in December 2025 seeks views on various aspects of the automated vehicles regulatory framework, including insurance. Responses received will support future consultation on the proposed regulations and implementation of the full Act in the second half of 2027.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of non-compliant vehicle registration plates on the enforcement of motor insurance requirements.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other Government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates. On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database. The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered. The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of uninsured driving on the cost of motor insurance premiums for other motorists.

The Department for Transport is a party to the Uninsured and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), an independent organisation within the motor insurance industry and separate from Government. It is responsible for investigation and payment of compensation for victims of uninsured and untraced drivers. The MIB is non-profit making and the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides for the MIB to cover its costs by charging a levy on all motor insurers, the levy for 2024 totalled around £507m, as shown in the MIB’s 2024 Annual Report and Accounts. Data provided by the MIB as part of the Financial Conduct Authority's ‘Motor Insurance Claims Analysis’, published in July 2025, indicated that the cost of claims associated with uninsured drivers accounted for around 2.2% of the average premium paid by policyholders in 2024.

What assessment her Department has made of any correlation between (a) uninsured driving and (b) other driving related offences.

The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the correlation between uninsured driving and other driving related offences. However, on 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, we are reviewing the motoring offences and have published a consultation. As part of this consultation, we are considering the minimum penalties for uninsured driving and whether they should be increased.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of illegal or non-compliant vehicle number plates that have been (a) seized or (b) required to be replaced in each of the last five years.

The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

What assessment her Department has made of trends in the misuse of number plates to evade enforcement.

The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

What recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of vehicles on UK roads that are uninsured.

My Department does not hold information in respect to how many and what proportion of vehicles on UK roads are uninsured.

What assessment her Department has made of the capacity of schools to implement additional (a) safeguarding and (b) behavioural intervention responsibilities in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Safeguarding children in schools is an absolute priority for this government, and all schools, including those in Surrey Heath, have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. We support them to do this via the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children Safe In Education’ (KCSIE), to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children The guidance provides a strong safeguarding framework and is clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child or young person’s wellbeing and/or safety. This includes child-on-child sexual violence and harassment In particular, Part 5 of this guidance provides robust guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment and provides advice on a whole-school approach to preventing abuse. In addition, all schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. It is for school leaders to develop and implement a policy that works for their own schools and school community. The department publishes guidance to support school leaders and staff to help manage behaviour, including ‘Behaviour in Schools’, ‘Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’, ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation’, and ‘Mobile Phones in School’.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of helipad provision within NHS services in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Air ambulances form a vital part of the emergency response to patients in critical need. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with NHS England and the Department for Transport on helipad accessibility for air ambulances across the country, including in Surrey.

What steps her Department is taking to educate schoolchildren about the dangers of radicalisation ideologies online.

The department has strengthened statutory guidance on ‘Keeping children safe in education’ to address online safety, and has updated the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum to strengthen teaching on online safety, wellbeing, and misogyny. We support teachers on how to do this with freely available resources and will pilot a teacher support grant in 2026 – to build a workforce that is equipped and empowered to take on these challenges. The department also provides comprehensive guidance and resources through the Educate Against Hate website, helping teachers protect children from extremism and radicalisation. Media literacy is embedded in compulsory subjects such as RSHE, computing, and citizenship, equipping pupils to navigate online relationships, identify harms, and critically assess information. To address misogynistic radicalisation, we have published guides to build confidence and manage difficult conversations on incels, the manosphere, and algorithms. We are investing an additional £11 million to support the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and will be piloting three programmes to support teachers implement the RSHE curriculum in the best possible way; to encourage healthy relationships in children; and to tackle harmful sexual behaviours.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resources available to schools to ensure safeguarding incidents involving peer-on-peer abuse are addressed in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Safeguarding children in schools is an absolute priority for this government, and all schools, including those in Surrey Heath, have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. We support them to do this via the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children Safe In Education’ (KCSIE), to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children The guidance provides a strong safeguarding framework and is clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child or young person’s wellbeing and/or safety. This includes child-on-child sexual violence and harassment In particular, Part 5 of this guidance provides robust guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment and provides advice on a whole-school approach to preventing abuse. In addition, all schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. It is for school leaders to develop and implement a policy that works for their own schools and school community. The department publishes guidance to support school leaders and staff to help manage behaviour, including ‘Behaviour in Schools’, ‘Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’, ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation’, and ‘Mobile Phones in School’.

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in ensuring timely case handling and communication with parents in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to providing a modern and efficient service for all customers. Through the Service Modernisation Programme, CMS is expanding digital channels and self-service options, including online tools like Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), available 24/7. It has improved communications via SMS, email, and clearer letters, and introduced online messaging for certain processes, with plans to extend this further. By promoting self-service, CMS frees resources for customers who prefer phone support. Recent call routing improvements ensure faster access to case-owning teams.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of developers reducing affordable housing delivery on levels of unmet local housing need in Surrey Heath constituency.

We are consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, including proposals relating to developer contributions and viability. The changes aim to promote greater clarity about expected contributions, including those related to affordable housing, and the limited circumstances in which site-specific viability assessments may be justified. The consultation is available here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

What recent assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of (a) petrol and (b) diesel prices in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Fuel price trends are monitored nationally and published in the Department’s weekly statistics on GOV.UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversee market transparency and compliance and publish quarterly and yearly reports on GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that development firms meet their agreed affordable housing commitments in Surrey Heath constituency.

We are consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, including proposals relating to developer contributions and viability. The changes aim to promote greater clarity about expected contributions, including those related to affordable housing, and the limited circumstances in which site-specific viability assessments may be justified. The consultation is available here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the 2026–27 local government finance settlement on councils in Surrey.

This multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement is our most significant move yet to make English local government more sustainable. The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. Our reforms will ensure that this funding is allocated fairly, and that the places and services which need it most are supported. Since coming into power, this government will have made available a 23.6% cash-terms increase in Core Spending Power in 2028-29 compared to 2024-25, worth over £16 billion. By the end of the provisional multi-year Settlement (2028/29), Surrey’s Core Spending Power will have increased by £82m (7%) since 2024/25. We will support local authorities to manage their updated funding positions by phasing in changes over the multi-year Settlement and protecting councils’ income, including locally retained business rates growth. Areas will need to agree how to divide available funding locally in a sustainable way during the local government reorganisation implementation period. This will provide areas with greater flexibility.