Written questions by Pinkerton.

What steps she is taking to help improve child protection services in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is working closely with local authorities and their partners to improve multi-agency child protection and safeguarding. Officials meet regularly with Surrey County Council, including to discuss local child protection delivery.We are providing £2.4 billion over the next three years for the Families First Partnership programme to support local areas to embed reforms across Family Help, multi-agency child protection, and family group decision-making. Effective multi-agency child protection arrangements are vital to prevent children from slipping through the cracks.These teams will bring multi-agency expertise and a clear focus to identify and respond decisively to all forms of significant harm from inside and outside the home and online.The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will deliver the biggest overhaul of children’s social care in a generation. It puts multi-agency child protection teams on a statutory footing, improves information sharing within and across agencies, and ensures education and childcare settings are part of local safeguarding arrangements.

What steps she is taking to improve education on (a) sexual consent and (b) relationships in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department published updated relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance in July 2025. It includes a focus on building healthy relationships skills from the start of primary school and sets out that secondary schools should cover the role of consent, including how to recognise, respect and communicate consent and boundaries in both platonic and romantic relationships.Pupils should be taught the law about the age of consent, that they have a choice about whether to have sex, and their capacity to give, withhold or remove consent at any time, even if initially given. They should also be taught that that there are a range of strategies for identifying, resisting and understanding pressure in relationships from peers or others, including in relation to sex, and how to avoid putting pressure on others.

What steps she is taking to make education more inclusive of disabled children in Surrey Heath constituency.

We want to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting all children and young people in every part of the country to achieve and thrive in education, through early identification of need, access to the right support at the right time, high quality adaptive teaching and effective allocation of resources.On 12 December, the government announced a £3 billion investment to deliver around 50,000 specialist places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The funding will be distributed to local authorities for them to spend on new places in mainstream settings (including SEN units), on adaptations to mainstream settings to make them more inclusive, or on special schools where required. This investment will help to make education inclusive by design, so every child, in every corner of the country can have their needs met where they live.We will bring forward our full vision for an inclusive education system in the Schools White Paper in the new year.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with exporters on sanitary and phytosanitary requirements when trading with the European Union.

Defra has engaged closely with industry, including exporters, to understand the barriers faced when trading with the EU. Business groups broadly welcomed the announcement in May of the UK and EU’s commitment to work towards an SPS agreement. Defra will continue to engage with industry as we negotiate the agreement with the EU. It is a priority for this government to deliver clear and timely information, and we recognise the need to support exporters to adapt to new trading arrangements. Defra is taking steps to support industry through the process and communicate forthcoming changes to businesses throughout 2026 to assist business readiness preparations.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the number of (a) suspensions and (b) exclusions among pupils with SEND in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department trusts headteachers to use their professional judgement, based on the individual circumstances of the case, when issuing a sanction and in the most serious cases exclusion may be necessary. The department regularly analyses and publishes pupil suspension and permanent exclusion data to address disproportionate impacts and remains committed to providing earlier intervention in mainstream schools, focusing on pupils most at risk of exclusion to ensure every child can achieve and thrive.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

This financial year, the department has invested £50 million into the adoption and special guardianship support fund. We have approved applications for nearly 14,000 children since April, for both therapy and specialist assessments. We continue to review the impact of the changes to funding made in April 2025.

What steps she is taking to help increase levels of attainment in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed.Through the government’s Plan for Change, the department is giving every child the best start in life and has set a milestone of a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn. This is backed by an investment close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education.Building on this work, the department is driving high and rising standards in every school to strengthen attainment and outcomes for all children.This includes regional improvement for standards and excellence teams, recruiting an additional 6,500 teachers across secondary and special schools, and colleges, and a refreshed high quality curriculum and assessment system.Alongside this, we are working to address barriers to learning, including rolling out free breakfast clubs and tackling school absence in all schools, including in Surrey Heath, as well as tackling child poverty through our historic Child Poverty Strategy that will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030.We know there is further work to do, which is why our upcoming Schools White Paper will set out our vision for a school system that drives educational excellence for every child, no matter their background or circumstances.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on funding for youth services in Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services in helping young people live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. I have worked closely with Cabinet colleagues from over ten departments to develop ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ which we published on 10th December. This is the first cross-government strategy for young people in England in 15 years. It is backed by over £500 million of new money over the next 3 years from DCMS for fun things to do outside of school, support when and where you need it, more youth clubs and trusted adults.

What the average customs clearance time was for parcels entering the UK from the EU during the period 1 November to 31 January in each of the last three years.

HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their parcels on time and has robust procedures alongside Border Force to help maintain the flow. HMRC have confirmed there were no significant system outages during the period requested but has not conducted an assessment of what factors may have negatively influenced clearance times during that period. Whilst HMRC does have average customs clearance times for declarations made on the Customs Declaration Service, it is not able to identify parcels specifically from this data and does not hold data on the average customs clearance time for parcels imported by the UK’s designated postal operator, Royal Mail.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the number of vocational qualifications for post-16 learners in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Post-16 education and skills white paper, published on 20 October, set out our vision for a world-leading skills system which breaks down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs; widens access to high-quality education and training; supports innovation, research, and development; and improves people’s lives.The department has set out our plans to introduce V Levels, which will sit alongside A levels and T Levels, and will become the only pathway for vocational qualifications at level 3 for 16 to 19-year-olds. We will also introduce two clear post-16 pathways at level 2 for further study and for occupations. We have launched a consultation on these measures, which will close on 12 January 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that specialist speech and language therapies are available to children with education, health and care plans in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. This includes extending the Early Language Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.In addition to the undergraduate degree route, speech and language therapists can also train via a degree apprenticeship. This route is now in its fourth year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist, helping to grow the pipeline.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support younger people into agricultural careers in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Young farmers are essential to the long-term resilience of UK agriculture and DEFRA works closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, alongside other industry bodies, to understand the challenges facing new entrants and how best to support them. During my recent visit to Harper Adams University, we explored how this partnership approach can help equip the next generation with the skills and opportunities they need. Through our agricultural reform programme, we are investing £2.7 billion a year in the sector. This includes measures designed to improve business resilience, productivity and skills development, all of which help make agriculture a more accessible and attractive career option for young people, including those in Surrey and Surrey Heath.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has undertaken a cost–benefit analysis of potential changes to sanitary and phytosanitary procedures applying to UK–EU exports.

An SPS agreement could increase the volume of UK exports of major agricultural commodities to the EU by 16% [Methodology Note: How Defra has estimated the impact of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement on the UK agricultural sector - GOV.UK ].Defra commissioned research highlights significant non-tariff measure costs for exporting GB agri-food and plant products to the EU [Quantifying Non-Tariff Measures on GB to EU Agri-Food, Plant Products and Fisheries Trade - WR0717 ]:Export Health Certificates cost up to £200 for agri-food goods.Phytosanitary Certificates cost approximately £25 alongside inspection fees of at least £127.60.Organic Certificates of Inspection, required for the export of organic lamb and cheese, cost on average £35.Identity check fees on meat and dairy exports adds £31 per load on average.For beef and salmon, queueing times for checks can add costs of up to £149 per load.Additional driver charges, paid to hauliers for border-related friction, typically £200 per shipment.Sampling can add approximately £1,200 to a cheese load, £1,400 to a salmon shipment, £440 to a load of apples, and £1,200 to a beef load.The SPS agreement will significantly reduce these costs. Details are subject to negotiation. The government will follow normal processes for any necessary legislative changes and assess impacts accordingly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trading arrangements with the European Union on British agri-food exporters.

An SPS agreement could increase the volume of UK exports of major agricultural commodities to the EU by 16% [Methodology Note: How Defra has estimated the impact of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement on the UK agricultural sector - GOV.UK ].Defra commissioned research highlights significant non-tariff measure costs for exporting GB agri-food and plant products to the EU [Quantifying Non-Tariff Measures on GB to EU Agri-Food, Plant Products and Fisheries Trade - WR0717 ]:Export Health Certificates cost up to £200 for agri-food goods.Phytosanitary Certificates cost approximately £25 alongside inspection fees of at least £127.60.Organic Certificates of Inspection, required for the export of organic lamb and cheese, cost on average £35.Identity check fees on meat and dairy exports adds £31 per load on average.For beef and salmon, queueing times for checks can add costs of up to £149 per load.Additional driver charges, paid to hauliers for border-related friction, typically £200 per shipment.Sampling can add approximately £1,200 to a cheese load, £1,400 to a salmon shipment, £440 to a load of apples, and £1,200 to a beef load.The SPS agreement will significantly reduce these costs. Details are subject to negotiation. The government will follow normal processes for any necessary legislative changes and assess impacts accordingly.

What steps her Department is taking to help support families to read with children before they start (a) nursery and (b) school in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is investing £500 million in the national rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, which will be available in every local authority by 2028. These hubs bring together services for families with children aged 0 to 19, with a particular focus on support in the early years, recognising the Plan for Change’s ambition to give every child the best start in life and improve child outcomes by age 5. A key priority is strengthening the home learning environment, because what happens at home makes the biggest difference. The services provided by Best Start Family Hubs will help families to build simple, everyday routines to chat, play and read more with their children, such as sharing stories at bedtime and visiting local libraries. We also work with trusted voluntary and community partners, including the National Literacy Trust, to provide books, resources and activities that make reading fun and accessible. Alongside this, the National Year of Reading will launch in January, offering practical resources to help parents read with their children before nursery and school.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many consignments of agri-food products were exported from the UK to the European Union in each (a) week, (b) month and (c) year since July 2024.

Data on the number of export health certificates issued for Great Britain to EU exports is available at: Export Health Certificates (Live Animals and Animal Product Origins) Issued between Great Britain and European Union by APHA - data.gov.uk. This data includes the exports of live animals and the products of animal origin.

What assessment HMRC has made of the causes of customs delays affecting parcels entering the UK from the European Union during the period 1 November 2024 to 31 January 2025.

HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their parcels on time and has robust procedures alongside Border Force to help maintain the flow. HMRC have confirmed there were no significant system outages during the period requested but has not conducted an assessment of what factors may have negatively influenced clearance times during that period. Whilst HMRC does have average customs clearance times for declarations made on the Customs Declaration Service, it is not able to identify parcels specifically from this data and does not hold data on the average customs clearance time for parcels imported by the UK’s designated postal operator, Royal Mail.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions her Department has had with local councils on the future of (a) community arts and (b) cultural infrastructure in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Secretary of State, her ministerial team, and officials engage regularly with a wide range of stakeholders including local councils and DCMS Arm’s Length Bodies regarding support for local arts and cultural organisations. Typically, DCMS does not directly fund local authorities, nor their arts and cultural organisations, which are commonly funded by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Arts Council England. We have committed an additional £3.4 billion in grant funding to local government by 2028-29, including investment in culture. The department also partnered with MHCLG on the "Pride in Place" strategy, and has recently committed £270 million through the Arts Everywhere Fund which will help support long-term viability of venues in communities across the country.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the resilience of (a) cultural and (b) community venues in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

We recognise the challenges that cultural and community venues face. The government is committed to supporting these venues across the country which is why we announced the Arts Everywhere Fund earlier this year, committing £270 million to support cultural venues to carry out urgent repairs, upgrade infrastructure and improve financial resilience. As part of that, both the £85 million Creative Foundations Fund and the £25 million Museum Estate Development Fund are supporting non-profit cultural organisations to undertake urgent capital works, building repairs, retrofits and equipment upgrades improving safety, energy efficiency, accessibility and long-term viability of venues in communities across the country. The government has also kept in place improved tax reliefs on theatre productions (via the Theatre Tax Relief), which helps theatres better absorb rising running costs. Since April 2025, theatres, orchestras and museums and galleries have benefited from higher tax relief rates of 40 percent for non-touring productions, and 45 percent for orchestral and touring productions. On top of tax reliefs, we support arts and cultural venues through the 2023-2027 Arts Council England National Portfolio Investment Programme, and National Lottery Project Grants. This funding has provided over £570 million in 2024/25 to cultural venues across the country, of all shapes and sizes; of which £11.5 million of that funding has been in Surrey.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for construction at cultural venues on access to the arts in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The government has not made a specific assessment of how the time taken for construction at cultural venues would impact access to the arts in either Surrey or the Surrey Heath constituency. As part of the introduction of the new Creative Foundations Fund, which is addressing urgent capital needs in the arts and cultural sector, the government did however consider the temporary loss of access caused by possible necessary closures while works are completed. The conclusion was that the long-term benefits outweighed the short-term impact, and that the renewal of assets will help retain and attract audiences.