Written questions by Pinkerton.

What steps her Department is taking to support pastoral teams in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Schools have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils and are best placed to decide what pastoral support to provide based on the needs of their pupils, making the best use of their funding and taking the best available evidence-based advice. The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an additional £2.3 billion for the core schools budget for 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core schools funding will reach over £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Good pastoral support is important to achieving high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.Specifically in relation to pupil’s mental health and wellbeing, the government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by 2029/30 by expanding NHS-funded Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). Expansion will be overseen by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and these teams currently cover 26% of pupils and learners in schools and colleges in Surrey Heartlands ICB, compared to 52% coverage nationally. ​The government will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.To support education staff, the department provides guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing in schools. For example, a resources hub and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils. These can be found here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

What steps her Department is taking to support Designated Safeguarding Leads in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department recognises the incredibly important role designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) play in keeping children and young people safe in schools. We support them to do this through our robust safeguarding framework, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges, including schools in Surrey Heath constituency, must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.KCSIE is clear that every school must have a DSL who should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. Annex C of the guidance supports DSLs to understand the role and expectations placed on them.The department regularly reviews KCSIE to see where it needs to be strengthened to ensure it continues to provide the support that DSLs need.

What steps his Department is taking to support ADHD awareness initiatives in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to creating a more inclusive society where neurodiverse people, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are supported to thrive.NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, with the report expected in the summer. Some of the key priorities that the taskforce is considering as part of its work include: tackling stigma; ensuring people with ADHD are treated with empathy, respect and understanding across society; and increasing awareness of the different ways that ADHD can present.As part of their local Neurodiversity Transformation Plan, the NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) is introducing neurodiversity advisors in schools to help provide support and to develop appropriate reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of neurodivergent children. The ICB is also continuing delivery of the Partnerships for the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which brings together ICBs, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodivergent children and their families.

What progress he has made on the implementation of City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland.

The UK Government is investing £617m through the four City and Growth Deals which cover the whole of Northern Ireland.My officials meet regularly with their counterparts from the Northern Ireland Department of Finance to discuss delivery of each of the four Northern Ireland growth deals and ensure that each is progressing.As part of the Government’s efforts to help drive forward implementation of the deals I have met with a range of stakeholders and delivery partners, including the First Minister, deputy First Minister and Minister of Finance to discuss the City and Growth Deals. Last year, I was delighted to sign the Derry-Londonderry and Strabane City Full Deal at the Guildhall and the Mid South West Growth Deal’s Heads of Terms Document in Cookstown.Both signings highlighted the collective efforts of the local councils involved and a demonstration of what can be achieved when we work together.In Belfast, delivery is progressing. This year we will have the opening of Studio Ulster, and in 2026 we will see the opening of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) in Newtonabbey which will support innovation excellence in Northern Ireland and provide over 1,500 permanent jobs, supporting this Government's Economic Growth Mission.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the US-UK trade deal on Northern Ireland businesses.

The UK-US economic deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that directly employ over 320,000 people across the UK including Northern Ireland. What we have agreed will provide the foundation for a new reciprocal trading partnership between the US and the UK, as well as secure actions that will protect jobs and businesses across the country.All along, we have continued to act in the best interests of all UK businesses which of course includes those in Northern Ireland, and we continue to engage with Northern Ireland counterparts to ensure the deal delivers for Northern Ireland business.

What steps his Department is taking to support people with Restless Leg Syndrome in Surrey Heath constituency.

Most services for long-term conditions, including restless leg syndrome (RLS), are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the responsibility of the ICBs, working with clinicians, service users, and patient groups, to develop local services and care pathways that meet patients’ needs. General practitioners (GPs) will utilise the RLS Rating Scale to understand the impact on the patient and then trial treatments. GPs are supported by neurology referral or specialist advice and guidance. There are 27 specialised neurological treatment centres across the National Health Service in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with RLS can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.The National Institute of Clinical Excellence publishes clinical knowledge summaries (CKS) as a source of information, mainly for NHS staff working in primary care. The CKS on the diagnosis and clinical management of RLS was updated in February 2025, and is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/ We have also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and improve care for people with long-term conditions. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive, and tailored for patients.

What recent progress his Department has made on repealing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

The Government has already begun the process of repealing and replacing the previous Government's Legacy Act. On 4 December 2024, I laid a proposed draft remedial order before Parliament that, if adopted, will remove from the Act a number of provisions that have been found by the NI courts to be incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations. These include all those relating to the immunity scheme, and the bar on new civil cases. While we want to make progress as swiftly as possible, we remain committed to engaging widely with all interested parties to help determine what provisions should be included in new primary legislation. At the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) on 24 April, the Governments discussed Legacy issues, including proposals for legislative reform. As noted at BIIGC, the Government remains committed to introducing primary legislation when Parliamentary time allows.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adopting aspects of the investigative model used by Operation Kenova to reform the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

The Government is committed to repealing and replacing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. As part of that process, we are considering a range of options for ensuring the ICRIR is both fully ECHR compliant and capable of commanding public confidence across all communities in Northern Ireland. During ongoing policy development, the Government is examining a number of operational models, including the one used by Operation Kenova, which has rightly been praised for its independence, and victim-centred approach. The Government’s objective in this area is to ensure a reformed Commission is able to win the trust of families, and is underpinned by transparency, rigour and accountability at every level.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure air ambulance services are supported during seasonal spikes of serious accidents in Surrey.

Air ambulances provide services through a longstanding and successful independent charitable model. It is for National Health Service commissioners to work in partnership with local providers, including those providing ambulance services, to best meet the health and care needs of the local population in Surrey.

What recent assessment his Department has made of GP waiting times in Surrey Heath constituency.

The following table shows the percentage of all practice appointments that were delivered on the same day as booking, the percentage of practice appointments which were not usually booked in advance that were delivered within two weeks of booking, and the percentage of practice appointments which were not usually booked in advance that were delivered within four weeks of booking, in the Surrey Heath constituency, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025:Surrey Heath practicesAppointments delivered on the same day as bookingAppointments not usually booked in advance delivered within two weeks of bookingAppointments not usually booked in advance delivered within four weeks of bookingBartlett Group Practice32.8%92.3%99.1%Camberley Health Centre51.4%91.6%99.1%Chobham and West End Medical Practice58.8%87.1%93.8%Lightwater Surgery47.2%95.9%99.6%Park House Surgery48.0%88.8%92.2%Park Road Group Practice62.1%84.3%96.9%Pirbright Surgery35.0%75.8%92.4%Station Road Surgery35.4%74.2%95.6%Upper Gordon Road Surgery47.9%85.2%96.0%Surrey Heath constituency48.1%86.9%96.9%England average43.5%88.1%96.8% The Surrey Heath constituency outperformed the national average when it comes to delivering appointments on the same day that they are booked, but slightly underperforms when it comes to the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce sexual assault incidents in Surrey Heath constituency.

Tackling rape and sexual offences is a key part of our mission to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). To meet this ambition, we will deliver a cross-government, transformative approach, underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy, which we are aiming to publish this summer.We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the right powers are available for them to tackle sexual crimes, bring perpetrators to justice and manage sex offenders.In addition, we are investing £13.1m for a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection to transform the police response across England and Wales and help deliver our commitment for strengthened specialist VAWG training, ensuring consistent protection for victims and that perpetrators are relentlessly pursued.We have also made several commitments to transform the criminal justice response to sexual offences. This includes rolling out, later this year, free, independent legal advisers for victims of adult rape to help uphold their legal rights, and fast-tracking rape cases.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) adult and (b) child dental care in Surrey Heath constituency.

Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available from the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324The data for the NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board, which includes the Surrey Heath constituency, shows that 39% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2024, compared to 40% in England, and that 55% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

What discussions she has had with police forces on improving (a) public guidance and (b) awareness around (i) garage security and (ii) burglary prevention in Surrey.

Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities.In 2024/25, the Home Office funded the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) to provide a burglary prevention course for police officers to improve understanding about home security. The course helps inform the advice and guidance police forces across England and Wales provide to members of the public.More broadly, the Government is delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be 13,000 additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles by the end of the Parliament, with each neighbourhood having named, contactable officers dealing with local issues by July of this year.As set out in the final Police Funding Settlement, published on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. This includes £200 million for neighbourhood policing. Surrey Police will receive up to £328.3 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £19.7 million when compared to the 2024-5 police settlement equating to a 6.4% cash increase.

Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to support effective collaboration between hon. Members of Parliament and county councils in the context of local government reorganisation in Surrey.

On 5th February I wrote to all councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries, including Surrey, to formally invite them to submit unitary proposals. In this invitation, we set out that we expect local leaders to engage their Members of Parliament, and to ensure there is wide engagement with local partners and stakeholders, residents, workforce and their representatives, and businesses on a proposal. We are committed to updating Parliament on the progress of local government reorganisation.

What steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in managing the increasing volume of utility roadworks in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department supports local authorities in several ways, including via updates to statutory guidance, supporting the roll-out of lane rental schemes and improving our Street Manager digital service which all authorities and utility companies use to plan, co-ordinate and manage works. The Government has also announced that we are cracking down on utility companies, doubling fines and applying charges for works that overrun at weekends.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS systems used by (a) GPs and (b) pharmacies are protected against IT outages in Surrey Heath constituency.

Business continuity is a shared responsibility between IT service providers, general practices, and pharmacies. The Frimley Integrated Care Board collaborates with general practices to enhance their resilience planning, which includes reviewing current arrangements, adopting best practices, and preparing for worst-case scenarios. This approach ensures practices are well-equipped to manage any IT disruptions effectively.For example, the Patient System, which is a patient record system used by general practices, can operate in business as usual mode when offline so that local functionality can continue if web services are interrupted. Many sites are prepared for Main Network, Health and Social Care Network, outages so that they can continue to access and share information. Sites are equipped with laptops featuring Virtual Private Network capabilities, which can connect to mobile hotspots if the primary network internet connection is unavailable.All National Health Service community pharmacy owners are required to have a business continuity plan in place to address temporary service suspensions under their terms of service. All registered community pharmacy premises are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, which sets expectations regarding business continuity planning and IT resilience. Pharmacies are expected to develop robust plans that incorporate proactive risk assessments, preparedness measures, and comprehensive response and recovery strategies. These plans must ensure that essential services, such as medication dispensing and patient care, can continue during disruptions, including power outages, network failures, or physical security breaches.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support public awareness campaigns aimed at protecting hedgehogs in Surrey Heath constituency.

While we are not carrying out any specific public awareness campaigns in Surrey Heath, the Government welcomes public awareness campaigns, such as Project Amazing Grace, which promote actions that support the recovery and conservation of hedgehogs.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing late-night train services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department and operators are in regular discussion regarding service provision, which aims to balance the needs of both passenger and taxpayer. There are no current plans to increase late night services to Surrey Heath.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce garage burglaries in Surrey Heath constituency.

Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities.In 2024/25, the Home Office funded the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) to provide a burglary prevention course for police officers to improve understanding about home security. The course helps inform the advice and guidance police forces across England and Wales provide to members of the public.More broadly, the Government is delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be 13,000 additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles by the end of the Parliament, with each neighbourhood having named, contactable officers dealing with local issues by July of this year.As set out in the final Police Funding Settlement, published on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. This includes £200 million for neighbourhood policing. Surrey Police will receive up to £328.3 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £19.7 million when compared to the 2024-5 police settlement equating to a 6.4% cash increase.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of care for Parkinson in Surrey Heath constituency.

The integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, including for Parkinson’s disease. The Government expects ICBs to take account of the relevant guidelines and best practice in designing their local services.Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurology centres across England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with Parkinson’s can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.There are also national initiatives to support service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease. This includes the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the Neurology Transformation Programme. NHS England is updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes Parkinson’s disease. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England, which provide specialised care.We acknowledge the significant neurology workforce challenges across the country, including a need for more neurologists and specialist nurses. We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and improve care for people with long-term conditions, and a central and core part of the plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive, and tailored for patients.