Written questions by Pinkerton.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on (a) rural and (b) semi-rural economies of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems.

The Government is committed to undertaking a public consultation on whether to strengthen the controls on shotguns, including possible closer alignment with the controls on other firearms. This was set out in the Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year. Once the consultation is launched, we would welcome views from all interested parties, including from those who live and work in rural communities and shotgun holders.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation before taking any decision on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will provide an assessment of the impact of any changes we bring forward, including to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Media and Sport, what guidance her Department provides on protections available to charity trustees who raise concerns about potential wrongdoing within a charity.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales publishes guidance for charities on a range of subjects, including reporting serious wrongdoing at a charity as a worker or volunteer. While volunteers, including charity trustees, do not have the same statutory whistleblowing protections as workers, the Charity Commission treats whistleblowing disclosures by volunteers and trustees in the same way as disclosures by workers.

Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to review whistleblowing protections for individuals involved in the governance of charities.

We recognise that whistleblowing can play an important role in holding charities to account. Charity workers have protections the same as a worker in any sector and are also able to make disclosures to the Charity Commission about their charity. While volunteers, including charity trustees, do not have the same statutory whistleblowing protections as workers, the Department considers the current protections for those who make whistleblowing disclosures, regardless of their status, to be appropriate. The Charity Commission treats whistleblowing disclosures by volunteers and trustees in the same way as disclosures by workers. The Department has no plans to review whistleblowing protections for volunteers or others involved in the governance of charities.

What plans her Department has to further consult stakeholders on potential changes to the firearms licensing system.

The Government is committed to undertaking a public consultation on whether to strengthen the controls on shotguns, including possible closer alignment with the controls on other firearms. This was set out in the Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year. Once the consultation is launched, we would welcome views from all interested parties, including from those who live and work in rural communities and shotgun holders.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation before taking any decision on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will provide an assessment of the impact of any changes we bring forward, including to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of protections against retaliation for individuals who make whistleblowing disclosures within charities.

We recognise that whistleblowing can play an important role in holding charities to account. Charity workers have protections the same as a worker in any sector and are also able to make disclosures to the Charity Commission about their charity. While volunteers, including charity trustees, do not have the same statutory whistleblowing protections as workers, the Department considers the current protections for those who make whistleblowing disclosures, regardless of their status, to be appropriate. The Charity Commission treats whistleblowing disclosures by volunteers and trustees in the same way as disclosures by workers. The Department has no plans to review whistleblowing protections for volunteers or others involved in the governance of charities.

Whether her Department has modelled the potential impact on levels of employment of stricter conditions on shotgun certificate holders.

The Government is committed to undertaking a public consultation on whether to strengthen the controls on shotguns, including possible closer alignment with the controls on other firearms. This was set out in the Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year. Once the consultation is launched, we would welcome views from all interested parties, including from those who live and work in rural communities and shotgun holders.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation before taking any decision on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will provide an assessment of the impact of any changes we bring forward, including to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed reforms to shotgun licensing on (a) rural hotels, (b) pubs and (c) tourism businesses reliant on shooting activity.

The Government is committed to undertaking a public consultation on whether to strengthen the controls on shotguns, including possible closer alignment with the controls on other firearms. This was set out in the Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year. Once the consultation is launched, we would welcome views from all interested parties, including from those who live and work in rural communities and shotgun holders.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation before taking any decision on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will provide an assessment of the impact of any changes we bring forward, including to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the transport system supports economic growth in Surrey Heath constituency.

My officials hold regular meetings with Surrey County Council to discuss transport in Surrey. We will shortly announce the regional allocations for the majority of the transport funding announced in the Spending Review. We have informed Surrey County Council of their allocation of the Local Transport Grant which is £38.19 million for the period from April 2026 to April 2030 for local transport improvements.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots music venues in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June, announced our Music Growth Package of up to £30m over three years from 2026. This package will strengthen grassroots infrastructure (including grassroots music venues), support emerging artists and music professionals, and boost exports, breaking down barriers to success at home and abroad. In advance of this, the Government is also providing £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund (SGMF) for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for fans.ACE has made a number of SGMF awards within the wider county of Surrey, including to the Phoenix Cultural Centre, which has received two SGMF awards and three rounds of Cultural Recovery Funding, and the Guildford Jazz Community. To further support grassroots music venues, the Government and the live music industry are working together to drive progress on an industry-led levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows. We welcome commitments by artists and the wider industry to implement the ticket levy, and steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribute funds from the levy.

What comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) Surrey Heath constituency, (ii) Surrey, (iii) the South East and (iv) England.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Homelessness statistics are published by MHCLG: Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2024-25 - GOV.UK Ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

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.