Written questions by Pinkerton.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) job security and (b) employment conditions for general practice nurses in Surrey Heath constituency.

As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to GP nurses and to determine their own staffing arrangements.GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions.The GP workforce is developed with the support of the Frimley ICB Primary Care Training hub. The hub commissions training supported placements for trainees and adoption of primary care network learning environments, in line with the NHS People Promise and interprofessional conferences.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle littering in Surrey Heath constituency.

Local councils are responsible for tackling litter in their area. The role of central Government is to enable and support local action. In the Pride in Place Strategy this Government has committed to bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on both littering and fly-tipping, modernising the code of practice that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities, and refreshing best practice guidance on the powers available to local authorities to force land and building owners to clean up their premises.We are also targeting some of the more commonly littered items to reduce the presence of these on our streets. The sale of single-use vapes was banned from 1 June 2025 and a Deposit Return Scheme will go live in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027. Plastic drinks bottles and metal drinks containers make up 55% of litter volume. The Deposit Return Scheme will cover plastic and metal drinks containers (like bottles and cans), and the goal is to reduce litter and help keep our streets, rivers, and oceans clean.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce levels of food waste in Surrey Heath constituency.

Defra funds the groundbreaking UK Food and Drink Pact, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste in supply chains. We also fund a programme of action delivered by The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), to tackle household food waste and help people buy what they need and use what they buy. Through the farm surplus fund, we have allocated £13.5 million and are working with farmers and charities in England to ensure more surplus fresh produce is redistributed to those who need it most. Surrey Heath Borough Council has received over £35,000 to help transition to weekly food waste collections. As confirmed in the outcomes of the Spending Review 2025, ongoing resource funding for food waste services from 1 April 2026 will be included in the Local Government settlement.

Whether she plans to commission an investigation into the (a) internal governance, (b) operational effectiveness and (c) performance management of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Learning to drive is a major milestone in life for many, and no one should be held back by long and uncertain waits. That is why this government has launched a robust plan to bring waiting times down and restore confidence in the broken system we inherited from the previous government.On 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times. In the coming months, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will:Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their testsIntroduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.These changes will be introduced in spring 2026. DVSA will publish the full outcome of its consultation with details on how the changes will be implemented and when, as soon as possible.The National Audit Office (NAO) has chosen to investigate and report on the causes of car driving test delays, and update on DVSA’s plan and progress in tackling these issues, the scale and nature of the waiting times for booking practical car driving tests. This includes examining the root cause of the delays and how DVSA has responded to the delays. DVSA has worked with DfT and the NAO team to provide the information needed for its investigation. The NAO intends to publish its report in winter 2025/26.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) maternity and (b) neonatal care in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Frimley Integrated Care System (ICS), which covers the Surrey Heath constituency, has implemented several measures to improve maternity and neonatal care. These include the full implementation of the Saving Babies’ Lives care bundle, including an in-house stop smoking service, and the PREM7+ care bundle to improve care for preterm babies.The Frimley ICS has also launched a new antenatal education offer, is implementing the Maternity Incentive Scheme, a financial incentive that encourages trusts towards actions that improve maternity safety, and is working with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership to provide birth boxes to improve women’s experience.At a national level, Baroness Amos is leading a rapid, national, independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to help us to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The taskforce will take forward the recommendations of the investigation to develop a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the DVSA’s internal systems for addressing delays in practical driving test appointments.

Learning to drive is a major milestone in life for many, and no one should be held back by long and uncertain waits. That is why this government has launched a robust plan to bring waiting times down and restore confidence in the broken system we inherited from the previous government.On 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times. In the coming months, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will:Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their testsIntroduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.These changes will be introduced in spring 2026. DVSA will publish the full outcome of its consultation with details on how the changes will be implemented and when, as soon as possible.The National Audit Office (NAO) has chosen to investigate and report on the causes of car driving test delays, and update on DVSA’s plan and progress in tackling these issues, the scale and nature of the waiting times for booking practical car driving tests. This includes examining the root cause of the delays and how DVSA has responded to the delays. DVSA has worked with DfT and the NAO team to provide the information needed for its investigation. The NAO intends to publish its report in winter 2025/26.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of funding more neighbourhood police officers in Surrey Heath constituency.

We have made £200 million available in FY 25/26 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 are projected to grow by 25 FTE NHP police officers in 2025-26, and in addition, the force is also projected to grow by 15 special constables (headcount) over the same period.Arrangements for future years will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to bring long-term empty homes back into occupation in Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59458 on 20 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what his Department's housing targets are as a proportion of the population in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 83200 on 3 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce youth homelessness in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government has increase funding for homelessness services in England by £316 million this year to a total of £1 billion. Local authorities can use this funding flexibly to meet the needs of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness in their area, including young people, according to local need.The forthcoming cross-Government homelessness strategy will set out the actions needed across central and local government and the homelessness sector to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, including amongst young people.

What fiscal steps she is taking to help increase the incomes of lower income families in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Chancellor took significant steps in the Autumn Budget 2025 to support lower income families and improve living standards across the UK, including in Surrey Heath. These measures include:• Removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit, which will mean the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.• In Surrey Heath, this change is estimated to benefit around 990 children.• This is part of a wider package of welfare reforms and cost of living support, expanding free school meals and breakfast clubs, freezes rail fares and prescription charges, and raising the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour from April 2026.

Whether her Department plans to conduct an impact assessment of the DVSA’s policy to restrict driving instructors from booking test appointments.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that sought views from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. In reaching this decision, impacts were fully considered. Further detail on the rationale, which will set out the detailed analysis, will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

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

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs, including those in Surrey Heath, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures. We’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services. The government is delivering its commitment to rebalance the business rates system in England by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million a year, which will benefit over 750,000 RHL properties. The Government is committed to reducing barriers to growth for hospitality businesses by rebalancing the licensing system. This is why the Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing additional driving test centres in (a) rural and (b) semi-rural constituencies.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) fully acknowledges car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this continues to have on learner drivers, particularly those living in rural and semi-rural communities.In the coming months, DVSA will:· Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests· Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.· Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

If her Department will publish a regional plan for expanding driving test capacity in areas with the longest waiting times.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) fully acknowledges car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this continues to have on learner drivers, particularly those living in rural and semi-rural communities.In the coming months, DVSA will:· Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests· Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.· Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against (a) women and (b) girls in (i) Surrey Heath constituency and (ii) Surrey.

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 recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of international educational internships on developing skills among young people.

The government believes that work and study placements overseas, including internships, can help students to develop their skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. That is why, in the current academic year, the department is funding over 35,200 Turing Scheme placements, an estimated 61% of which are for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. An evaluation of the Turing Scheme in its first year of operation showed that 91% of higher education and 80% of further education students on work placements believed that their Turing Scheme placement enhanced their career and prospects. As set out at the UK-EU Summit in May, we are working towards association to Erasmus+ on mutually agreed financial terms. Erasmus+ provides opportunities for young people to study, train, or gain work experience abroad. Erasmus+ placements provide valuable international experiences, helping young people develop new skills, broaden horizons, and enhance future career prospects.

What steps he is taking to support pubs with operating costs in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs, including those in Surrey Heath, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures. We’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services. The government is delivering its commitment to rebalance the business rates system in England by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million a year, which will benefit over 750,000 RHL properties. The Government is committed to reducing barriers to growth for hospitality businesses by rebalancing the licensing system. This is why the Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

What steps her Department is taking to improve passenger rail performance in Surrey Heath constituency.

Performance across the South Western Railway network, including in the Surrey Heath constituency, has been below the standard that passengers deserve. Under public ownership and with new leadership, South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex are working together to address the issues inherited from the previous operator. On the Ascot to Ash Vale line which serves the Surrey Heath constituents, the top recent cause for cancellations is the availability of traincrew. To address this, South Western Railway has accelerated its driver recruitment. By the end of December 2025, South Western Railway will have recruited 124 trainee drivers in the calendar year, up from 67 the year before.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to (a) arts and (b) culture in (i) Surrey Heath constituency and (ii) Surrey.

Arts Council England (ACE) has provided over £11.5 million of funding between 2024 and 2025 to arts and cultural organisations and projects in Surrey. This includes support for projects like The Surrey Youth Arts & Culture Festival, a Surrey County Council partnership led project based in Camberley Library and Camberley Theatre which aims to raise aspirations and break down barriers to engagement for young people accessing creative skills development.In addition, organisations, such as Farnham Maltings in Surrey are in receipt of over £1.9 million per annum as part of ACE’s National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) programme. This NPO offers a wide range of inclusive events, including theatre, dance, crafts, and workshops to people of all ages and backgrounds across the area.In February, the Secretary of State announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund. This includes support to museums, arts and music venues across the country and is a critical step that this Government is taking to help create jobs, boost local economies, and expand access to arts and culture for communities.