Written questions by Pinkerton.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of systems for the handling of human remains.

In July 2025 the Fuller Inquiry’s phase 2 final report was published, which looked at the wider national lessons for hospital and non-hospital settings where the deceased are cared for. It examined whether procedures and practices safeguard the security and dignity of the deceased across the range of settings and made 75 recommendations in total.This final report recommended the introduction of a statutory regulatory regime for those caring for the deceased. The Department will publish an interim update in winter 2025 and a final response by summer 2026. This will include updates on recommendations for the funeral sector and standards to protect the security and dignity of the deceased in all settings.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of classroom support ratios in mainstream schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

School support staff, including classroom support staff, play a vital role in children’s education.Headteachers are responsible for recruitment and deployment in their schools as they are best placed to understand the specific needs of their pupils and make staffing decisions accordingly.The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance report ‘Deployment of Teaching Assistants’ makes a number of recommendations to help schools make decisions about how to deploy their teaching assistants to ensure they are used effectively.In October 2024 the department released the new Financial Benchmarking & Insights Tool to support schools. This service helps schools view and improve their spending, provision and deployment of staff by making comparisons to similar schools.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools to assist pupils experiencing mental health difficulties who do not meet the threshold for specialist services in Surrey Heath constituency.

​​The government has committed to provide access to Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in every school. 23% of schools and colleges in Surrey Heath constituency were supported by an MHST in March 2025. Further data for 2024/25 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision.​This has been available since 16 May 2025 at national, regional and local authority level, and since 10 July 2025 at constituency level. Around six in ten pupils nationally are expected to have access to an MHST by March 2026. Under government plans, all pupils will have access to MHSTs by 2029/30.​It is important that schools continue to have the freedom to decide what other pastoral support to offer their pupils based on need, making the best use of their funding. School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, taking total core school funding to £65.3 billion. ​

What recent discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on the closure of SEND units in mainstream schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department has not received any proposals from mainstream schools in this area to close special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) units.The department has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. Of this funding, Surrey Council has been allocated £16.1 million.This funding is intended to create facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs. It can also be used to adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding funding for preventative mental health support in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

​​The government has committed to provide access to Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in every school. 23% of schools and colleges in Surrey Heath constituency were supported by an MHST in March 2025. Further data for 2024/25 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision.​This has been available since 16 May 2025 at national, regional and local authority level, and since 10 July 2025 at constituency level. Around six in ten pupils nationally are expected to have access to an MHST by March 2026. Under government plans, all pupils will have access to MHSTs by 2029/30.​It is important that schools continue to have the freedom to decide what other pastoral support to offer their pupils based on need, making the best use of their funding. School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, taking total core school funding to £65.3 billion. ​

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the (a) independence and (b) effectiveness of mechanisms for capturing patient feedback within health services in Surrey Heath constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are required to consult the group of people for whom they have core responsibility, and any other person they consider it appropriate to consult when developing their joint forward plans. Local Healthwatch arrangements also provide a route through which patients may provide feedback on services in their area.As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan for England, the work of local Healthwatch bodies relating to healthcare will be brought together with ICBs and provider engagement functions to ensure patient and wider community input into the planning and design of services. Individual provider boards will be asked to ensure that they have robust mechanisms in place to collect and use patient feedback, ensuring that it is actively fed back to individual clinicians and clinical teams. Local authorities will have a similar role in relation to social care functions.

What steps her Department is taking to support parents with the cost of school uniform in Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 79046.

What assessment his Department has made of the timeliness of postal services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government does not collect or hold this information. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has a duty to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service. It monitors Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets as appropriate, taking account of all relevant factors.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of HMRC’s loan charge repayment policies on people in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government will respond by Autumn Budget 2025. The Government recognises the concerns raised about the loan charge. The independent review examined the barriers that prevent those people subject to the loan charge from reaching resolution with HMRC. HMRC continues to provide support for those affected, with agreed manageable payment plans and a well-established Extra Support Service. It has guidance and training in place for all customer advisors or settlement teams on identifying taxpayers who need extra support and providing reasonable adjustments to meet their needs.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed expansion of Farnborough Airport on (a) noise pollution and (b) air quality in Surrey Heath constituency.

Assessment of the potential impact of Farnborough Airport’s expansion is a matter for Rushmoor Borough Council as the local planning authority responsible for considering the airport’s planning application.

What steps his Department is taking to support victims of the Post Office scandal in Surrey Heath constituency.

As of 30 September 2025, approximately £1,229 million has been paid in total redress to over 9,100 claimants across all Horizon redress schemes. This represents a more than fivefold increase since July 2024, with more than 6,300 victims receiving compensation for the first time.We are taking a variety of measures to increase the pace of the delivery of redress across our schemes. This includes launching the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) and Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process, committing to providing first offers on receipt of detailed claims within 40 working days.We continue to seek the views of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board to ensure fairness and consider ways we can speed up redress.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the long-term (a) social and (b) economic impact of the Post Office Horizon scandal on affected individuals in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department welcomes the findings of Volume 1 of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report which illustrates the significant and wide-ranging impacts on affected postmasters across the UK. As part of our response to that report we have made several changes which will improve postmasters experience in claiming for redress and ensure that the redress they receive is full and fair.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve real time monitoring of water quality in (a) rivers and (b) lakes to support safe access for swimmers in Surrey Heath constituency.

There are currently no bathing waters designated by Defra in the Surrey Heath constituency. The Environment Agency undertakes regular monitoring of the water quality in Surrey Heath constituency; the assessment and proposed actions are set out in The Thames River Basin Management Plan. Impacts from wastewater pollution are highlighted as a key pressure resulting in many waterbodies not currently achieving good ecological status. There have been significant pollution incidents at Camberley and Chobham Sewage Treatment Works in the last few years, and these are subject to ongoing Environment Agency investigations. The Environment Agency is currently transforming its regulatory approach including developing a larger specialised workforce and delivering a step change in inspections of Thames Water's permitted sites and associated enforcement. Water company investment of over £10 billion will improve over 2,500 storm overflows, targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health. Protected Sites Strategies will also help improve biodiversity in our coastal areas. Where a water body has been officially designated as a bathing water the Environment Agency will carry out regular testing of the water quality at each site, as well as inspecting for the presence of a range of pollutants. Information about water quality at each site is published online via the Swimfo service.

What steps her Department is taking to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). Surrey County Council, which includes Surrey Heath constituency, was allocated over £3 million through the Government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to leverage additional private investment and expand the amount of EV charging infrastructure across the area.We also recently announced a £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant which is intended to empower local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging solutions. Surrey County Council were allocated £225,000 to support the installation of pavement channels.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce sewage discharges and (b) prevent blue-green algae blooms in designated swimming areas in Surrey Heath constituency.

There are currently no bathing waters designated by Defra in the Surrey Heath constituency. The Environment Agency undertakes regular monitoring of the water quality in Surrey Heath constituency; the assessment and proposed actions are set out in The Thames River Basin Management Plan. Impacts from wastewater pollution are highlighted as a key pressure resulting in many waterbodies not currently achieving good ecological status. There have been significant pollution incidents at Camberley and Chobham Sewage Treatment Works in the last few years, and these are subject to ongoing Environment Agency investigations. The Environment Agency is currently transforming its regulatory approach including developing a larger specialised workforce and delivering a step change in inspections of Thames Water's permitted sites and associated enforcement. Water company investment of over £10 billion will improve over 2,500 storm overflows, targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health. Protected Sites Strategies will also help improve biodiversity in our coastal areas. Where a water body has been officially designated as a bathing water the Environment Agency will carry out regular testing of the water quality at each site, as well as inspecting for the presence of a range of pollutants. Information about water quality at each site is published online via the Swimfo service.

Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to support residents who are unable to (a) sell or (b) remortgage their properties due to fire safety remediation works in Surrey Heath constituency.

Ten major banks and building societies have signed up to the industry statement on cladding. In doing so, they have committed to consider mortgage applications, even if a property has building safety issues, provided either the building has funding for works from government or the developer, or the property is protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, and the leaseholder has completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’ to evidence it. Officials engage regularly with these lenders to make sure they fulfil their commitment to lending as set out in the statement. If the Hon Gentleman is aware of cases in the Surrey Heath constituency where there is evidence that this is not happening, I would encourage him to contact my Department and my officials can follow this up.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the higher business rates multiplier for large premises on (a) the price of essential goods, (b) shop closures, (c) regional job losses, and (d) footfall in town centres in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with ratable values (RVs) below £500,000 from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so the Government will introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties in 2026/27 - those with RVs of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants. The final design, including the rates, for the new business rates multipliers will be announced at Budget 2025, so that the Government can factor the revaluation outcomes and broader economic and fiscal context into decision-making. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of refund processing times by HMRC on (a) cash flow and (b) trading viability for small construction businesses in Surrey Heath constituency.

HMRC recognises the importance of tax repayments in supporting business cash flow and prioritises their processing.In 2024/25, £156.6 billion in repayments were issued, including £17.3 billion in Income Tax. For Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) claims, additional checks and increased volumes have extended processing times, with some cases taking longer than expected. HMRC is actively working to improve turnaround times through increased staffing and automation. HMRC’s correspondence service standard is to respond to 80% of priority post within 15 working days. Monthly performance against this standard is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports HMRC’s online services include a ‘Where’s my reply’ tool which provides estimated response times. The tool is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-expect-a-reply-from-hmrc HMRC is always looking at ways to improve customer experience. Their recently published transformation roadmap sets out how they will deliver improved services which will mean a better experience for taxpayers, agents, and businesses.

What steps his Department is taking to train more dementia specialist nurses at NHS services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services, which may include dementia specialist nurses/admiral nurses, based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines. NICE recommends providing people living with dementia with a single named health or social care professional who is responsible for coordinating their care.Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.  We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including British citizens who studied medicine abroad in NHS specialty training prioritisation policies in Surrey Heath constituency.

British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council, the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as UK medical graduates.As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.