Written questions by Pinkerton.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to provide additional funding to support brownfield site development in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Surrey Heath constituency has so far received a total funding of £1,480,300 from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 to release land for 132 homes. Our delivery partner OPE monitor progress and provide practical and technical support to deliver new homes on derelict and underused brownfield land in the Surrey Heath constituency and is responsible for continued engagement with Surrey Heath Borough Council on brownfield site development. The government has also announced £5bn of capital grant funding for infrastructure and land through the new National Housing Delivery Fund. This Fund will be fully operational from 1 April 2026 and will complement investment from the new National Housing Bank.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of how loneliness among older people is considered within health and social care planning in Surrey Heath constituency.

Whilst no specific assessment of the adequacy of how loneliness among older people has been considered in health and care planning in Surrey Heath, the Department aims to ensure that all demographics, including older people are considered in its policies.One of the interventions that can work well for people who are experiencing loneliness is social prescribing. Referrals to social prescribing can be made through general practitioners, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, but also wider statutory services such as social care and the voluntary sector, as well as self-referral. Social Prescribing Link Workers connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Under the Care Act 2014 local authorities have a duty to promote wellbeing when carrying out care and support duties.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities on issues affecting leaseholders in Surrey Heath constituency.

My Department has had no discussions with local authorities regarding specific issues affecting leaseholders in the Surrey Heath constituency.On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 26 September and we are analysing responses.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support leaseholders who are affected by building works in Surrey Heath constituency.

My Department has had no discussions with local authorities regarding specific issues affecting leaseholders in the Surrey Heath constituency.On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 26 September and we are analysing responses.

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate his Department has of the number of council homes in Surrey Heath constituency.

My Department does not collect data on the number of council homes at a constituency level.Information on the number of council homes owned by local authorities is available in Live Table 116 which can be found on gov.uk here.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of holiday club places in Surrey Heath constituency.

Through our Plan for Change, the department is committed to giving every child the best start in life. We have confirmed over £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years from 2026/27, which equates to just over £200 million each year. In addition, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million of funding in the 2026/27 financial year to help ensure sufficiency of school-age childcare. This includes supporting the delivery of sufficient holiday childcare by fostering links between holiday childcare and the HAF programme to maximise opportunities to create efficiencies and deliver a sustainable school-age childcare market. It is the duty of local authorities, under The Childcare Act 2006, to secure sufficient childcare provision to meet the needs of working parents in their area for children up to the age of 14 (or 18 for disabled children). Local authorities have flexibility in how they deliver provision to best meet local needs.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) homelessness and (b) insecure accommodation on public health in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government recognises that homelessness and rough sleeping numbers continue to remain high. That is why the Government is providing £255.5 million for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant so that local authorities can support people sleeping rough in their areas, including funding health‑led interventions, alongside a £69.9 million top‑up announced in October 2025 to tackle additional pressures.Surrey County Council has undertaken a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, focused on housing and related support, funded by the Department through the Public Health Grant and carried out by health and wellbeing boards. The assessment is available at the following link:https://www.surreyi.gov.uk/jsna/The assessment requires a thorough analysis of the health and social care needs of local populations, identifying inequalities and wider determinants of health, such as housing. The assessment highlights how determinants such as housing conditions, including insecure housing and homelessness, impact health and wellbeing. This informs planning across health, social care, and housing to improve outcomes and address inequalities. The Department is working to action the commitments made in A National Plan to End Homelessness, including ensuring that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay. The plan is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-national-plan-to-end-homelessness/a-national-plan-to-end-homelessness

How much funding will be available for new special educational needs and disabilities schools through the Special Free Schools Programme in Surrey Heath constituency.

There are three planned special free schools in the county of Surrey. We are making a funding package available to the local authority so they can deliver the places planned for these schools themselves more quickly and with a greater focus on mainstream inclusion where appropriate. The total funding available to Surrey is up to £27 million.For the two schools in Surrey that are closest to delivery, the local authority has a choice about whether to continue with the school or take the funding package. The department will fund the capital delivery of schools the local authority chooses to proceed with in the usual way.Local authorities have until 27 February 2026 to make their decisions, and we will confirm the total funding for all local authorities, as well as the schools that are going ahead, in due course after that date.We have also confirmed that £3 billion will be invested between 2025/26 and 2029/2030 to support local authorities to create places outside of the free schools programme. Local authority allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the Spring.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve air quality in Surrey Heath constituency.

Defra requires all local authorities to review and assess air quality in their areas and submit annual status reports detailing the actions they are taking. Surrey Heath’s 2025 report confirms that monitoring at 53 sites shows nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter levels remain below statutory limits. The council continues to develop its Local Air Quality Strategy to maintain compliance and further improve air quality.

Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to help improve the financial sustainability of football clubs in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government monitors the financial situation of football closely and is committed to working with the FA, leagues and clubs to support the ongoing economic sustainability of football at all levels of the pyramid.This year we have delivered the Football Governance Act and established the Independent Football Regulator, which will introduce new regulation to improve the financial resilience of clubs in the top five tiers, including Woking FC.The FA is independent of the Government and is responsible for protecting and promoting the financial sustainability of other football clubs.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to increase access to grassroots multi-sport facilities in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to increasing access to high-quality grassroots sports facilities across the UK, which is why we are investing £98 million in 2025/26 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. Projects funded through the programme include new and upgraded artificial grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding.The Government has announced that at least £400 million will be invested in grassroots sports facilities across the UK over the next four years, ensuring we can continue to deliver high-quality multi-sport facilities in areas that require them to increase participation and allow people to be active.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of negotiating a UK-EU Customs Union deal for improving trade between (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK’s customs territory and benefits from the UK’s Free Trade Agreements. The Government is not seeking to negotiate a UK-EU Customs Union.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Environment Agency is held accountable for levels of water pollution in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) is accountable to parliament via the Secretary of State. Defra constructively challenges and supports the EA to deliver for the public and the environment. Our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act empowers the EA with new powers to take tougher and faster action on water companies not delivering for customers and the environment.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the (a) film and (b) television industry in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to spreading the benefits of our world-leading film and TV sector right across the country. That includes existing production hubs like Surrey - home to world-class facilities such as Longcross and Shepperton.This is why we have maintained a 40% reduction on business rates for eligible film studios in England until 2034, directly supporting Surrey's studios and protecting local jobs and investment.Further to this, the Creative Industries is one of eight growth-driving sectors in our Industrial Strategy. In June, we published a ten-year Sector Plan setting out over sixty commitments, with film and TV prioritised as a 'frontier industry' due to its high growth potential and strong connections across the wider economy.To support this, we have announced a £75 million Screen Growth Package to bolster independent UK content, attract international investment, and showcase British cinema globally. This includes funding for the British Film Commission to drive inward investment into facilities like those in Surrey, stable and competitive tax reliefs such as the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, and a scaled-up UK Global Screen Fund to support co-productions and international distribution.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle domestic abuse in Surrey Heath constituency.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government with a manifesto mission to halve VAWG in a decade. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach, underpinned by a new strategy which we aim to publish as soon as possible.In advance of the strategy, we have already introduced measures designed to strengthen the police response to VAWG, protect victims and hold perpetrators to account. These include: funding to rollout Drive Project to tackle high-risk and high-harm domestic abuse perpetrators across England and Wales; embedding the first domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms in five police forces; measures to tackle spiking; measures focusing on preventing and tackling ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA), and launching the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected police forces and courts which go further than any existing orders.The Home Office has provided the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Surrey with an annual funding allocation of £998,248 for 2025/26 for interventions around perpetrators of domestic abuse. PCCs in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types.Furthermore, this government has increased funding to local authorities, which includes Surrey Heath constituency, to £160 million for 2025-26, an uplift of £30 million from the previous year, to provide further support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors, including tailored support for protected groups.

What steps he is taking to improve support for female veterans in Surrey Heath constituency.

Engaging and supporting the women who have served in our Armed Forces is an important part of our new Veterans’ Strategy. As well as our commitments across the strategy, we will specifically be taking forward plans to establish a new women veterans’ forum, which will include women veterans from across the UK and an oral history project to improve public understanding and recognition of the experiences and contribution of women veterans in keeping the nation safe.

What steps he is taking to help increase innovation in the defence sector in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The establishment of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental shift in how the Ministry of Defence approaches innovation. The mission for UKDI is clear –to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities so that the UK is both secured at home and strong abroad. In September, UK Defence Innovation announced £1.5 million worth of funding over the next two years for Regional Defence and Security Clusters (RDSCs). The South-Central RDSC which covers Surrey, brings together industry, academia, and government to drive innovation and growth across the UK’s defence and security sectors. Supported by UKDI, RDSCs help bring world-leading primes together with innovative SMEs, start-ups, academia, and local and devolved government to solve military capability challenges.

What steps he is taking to ensure that veterans receive adequate support after leaving the armed forces in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

This year we have launched a new Veterans Strategy which recognises veterans as a national asset, the £50-million VALOUR programme making it easier for veterans to access the care and support they deserve, and confirmed £12 million for the continuation of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme. In addition, dedicated supported is available to veterans through Ops FORTITUDE, COURAGE, RESTORE, ASCEND and NOVA and through programmes such as the Career Transition Partnership.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirement for new safety documentation where existing reports are not accepted on leaseholders.

Under the Building Assessment Certificate (BACs) process, Accountable Persons (APs) for higher-risk buildings must provide information about their building that demonstrates how they are managing building safety risks related to the spread of fire and structural failure. This is to ensure that accountable persons hold the information and documentation they need in order to be able to manage a building safely. In many cases, APs will already hold and have access to documentation that shows how they are meeting these requirements. If existing reports demonstrate that the AP is managing safety risks effectively, they will be accepted as part of the BACs process. Only where necessary information is missing will APs have to take reasonable steps to collect it, which may include undertaking surveys and commissioning further reports. To assist APs in understanding the requirements of the BACs regime, the Building Safety Regulator has produced online resources covering the BAC application and assessment process here.

What steps she is taking to tackle phone theft in Surrey Heath constituency.

Mobile phone theft causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality, and the Government is determined to reduce it.Our aim is to disrupt, design-out and disincentivise mobile phone theft. We are working closely with law enforcement partners, the tech companies and other industry representatives to make swift progress to deliver practical and effective measures to crack down on this criminality and break the business model of mobile phone thieves.This includes relevant partners playing their part to disrupt the resale of stolen phones, explore technological solutions to make devices harder to register or resell, and helping the public protect themselves and their devices. In addition, the Government is giving the police the power to enter premises to search for and seize stolen items which have been electronically tracked to the premises without requiring a warrant from a court, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without seriously prejudicing the entry and search purpose. This will significantly enhance the ability of the police to act swiftly and effectively.The Government will deliver real results on crime by reducing opportunities for theft and ensuring offenders are caught and that victims see swift and effective action.