Written questions by Pinkerton.

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 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 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.

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.

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 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.

Communities and Local Government, how changes to the fair funding formula will affect the spending power of (a) Surrey County Council and (b) district and borough 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.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of automatic number plate recognition cameras in operation across (a) England and (b) Wales.

At present UK Law Enforcement Agencies have access to ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) data from 12,076 camera locations in England, Scotland and Wales via the National ANPR Service (NAS).Further cameras will be used by Local Authorities in the UK use ANPR cameras to enforce traffic rules, manage restricted zones like Low Emission Zones (LEZ), School Streets, and Lorry Controls, monitor traffic flow, and tackle anti-social behaviour, issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for violations like driving in bus lanes or breaching HGV access times. Many more are used privately by petrol station forecourt and car parking operators.

Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to support councils in Surrey in managing projected SEND deficits beyond 2026–27.

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits on their accounts and that they will need continued support during the transition to a reformed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. This will include working with local authorities to manage their SEND system, including deficits. On 23 June, as part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0, we announced a two-year extension to the DSG Statutory Override, now due to end in March 2028. We will provide further detail on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits later in the Settlement process.

What guidance her Department will issue to secondary schools on addressing (a) harmful or (b) misogynistic attitudes among pupils in Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers. We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography. We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools to teach about healthy relationships in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers. We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography. We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce misogynistic attitudes amongst pupils in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers. We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography. We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.

What steps her Department is taking to assess the impact of Relationships Education on pupils' (a) attitudes and (b) behaviour in Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers. We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography. We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.

What training is available to teachers to support discussions with pupils on (a) consent and (b) respectful relationships in Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers. We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography. We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.

What steps he is taking to mitigate the potential impact of doctor strike action within NHS services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The National Health Service works hard to prioritise resources to protect all patients using its services during the period of strike action, in particular emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and to ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.To minimise the potential impact of the round of resident doctor strike action of 17 to 22 December, NHS England wrote to all trusts on 15 December asking them to prepare for planned industrial action. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/letter-industrial-action-by-bma-resident-doctors-17-22-december-2025/The NHS makes every effort through rigorous contingency planning to minimise disruption as a result of industrial action and to mitigate its impact on patients and the public. During the industrial action by resident doctors from 14 to 19 November 2025, data published by NHS England showed that the NHS met its ambitious goal to maintain 95% of planned care, surpassing the 93% protected during action in July, while still maintaining critical services, including maternity services and urgent cancer care.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory security features for number plates to prevent (a) cloning and (b) unauthorised reproduction.

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. Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police. Officials are also considering potential options for making number plates more secure. The DVLA is part of the British Standards Institute committee that has recently reviewed the existing number plate standard. The committee has proposed a number of amendments which are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters, often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025. Standards on the use of automated number plate reader technology are a matter for the Home Office which issues guidance on its use as part of the National ANPR Standards for Policing and Law Enforcement.