Written questions by Pinkerton.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent the online sale of devices capable of compromising keyless vehicle security in Surrey Heath constituency.

Estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2024 show that 58% of vehicle theft offences involved the offender manipulating the signal from remote locking device.In the Crime and Policing Bill we are banning the electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing, importing and supplying them.We are also working with the police and industry, to ensure a strong response to vehicle crime, including keyless car theft.The National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of, and from, vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

What estimate her Department has made of the scale of keyless car theft enabled by signal-amplifying technology in Surrey Heath constituency.

Estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2024 show that 58% of vehicle theft offences involved the offender manipulating the signal from remote locking device.In the Crime and Policing Bill we are banning the electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing, importing and supplying them.We are also working with the police and industry, to ensure a strong response to vehicle crime, including keyless car theft.The National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of, and from, vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dental services for disabled patients in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.We recognise that certain groups of patients may find it difficult to access dental care. Community dental services are available to people whose additional needs may mean they are not able to be treated at high street dental practices. Under the Equality Act 2010, health and care organisations, including dental practices, have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in their approach and provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled patients as they are for everybody else. Care Quality Commission regulations mandate that all registered providers must have due regard to the protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010.

What mechanisms are in place to monitor NHS dental practices’ compliance with the Equality Act 2010 in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.We recognise that certain groups of patients may find it difficult to access dental care. Community dental services are available to people whose additional needs may mean they are not able to be treated at high street dental practices. Under the Equality Act 2010, health and care organisations, including dental practices, have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in their approach and provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled patients as they are for everybody else. Care Quality Commission regulations mandate that all registered providers must have due regard to the protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services for disabled patients in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.We recognise that certain groups of patients may find it difficult to access dental care. Community dental services are available to people whose additional needs may mean they are not able to be treated at high street dental practices. Under the Equality Act 2010, health and care organisations, including dental practices, have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in their approach and provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled patients as they are for everybody else. Care Quality Commission regulations mandate that all registered providers must have due regard to the protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) accuracy and (b) transparency of data reporting on NHS dental service availability in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

National Health Service dentists are required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. Integrated care boards review which practices in their area have not updated their profile in a 90-day period and work with practices to ensure websites are up to date.Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice, they should contact NHS 111.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support nature restoration projects in Surrey Heath constituency.

The UK Government provides a range of funding, incentives and advisory support to nature restoration and climate action across the country. Surrey County Council is the responsible authority for preparing the Surrey Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which will agree priorities for nature recovery in the area and identify and map the best locations for action to be taken to benefit nature and the wider environment. The Surrey LNRS has recently completed public consultation and is now preparing to be published. On climate, we are also committed to working in partnership with local Government, recognising the essential role that local communities play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Our support includes the Local Authority Climate Service, a tool which provides Met Office climate data to local authorities based on their specific geographic areas, enabling them to take more effective decisions based on their local risk landscape.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of protections in place for homes situated next to Farnborough Airport in the context of expansion proposals.

Assessment of the adequacy of protections for homes situated next to Farnborough Airport is a matter for Rushmoor Borough Council as the local planning authority responsible for considering the airport’s planning application for expansion.

What steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of (a) emissions and (b) environmental impacts associated with supply chains in Surrey Heath constituency.

(a) Defra publishes statistics each year on the UK’s carbon footprint, including greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chains of goods and services used by UK residents. These data are also available for England only. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uks-carbon-footprint (b) In June the government consulted on a framework of policies to build the market for low-carbon industrial products, alongside the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan. The policies aim to deliver the guidance, tools, and levers to enable buyers to make informed choices through better information on the carbon content of industrial goods, with an initial focus on the steel, cement, and concrete sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is undertaking to support public engagement on (a) climate and (b) nature issues in Surrey Heath constituency.

The UK Government provides a range of funding, incentives and advisory support to nature restoration and climate action across the country. Surrey County Council is the responsible authority for preparing the Surrey Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which will agree priorities for nature recovery in the area and identify and map the best locations for action to be taken to benefit nature and the wider environment. The Surrey LNRS has recently completed public consultation and is now preparing to be published. On climate, we are also committed to working in partnership with local Government, recognising the essential role that local communities play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Our support includes the Local Authority Climate Service, a tool which provides Met Office climate data to local authorities based on their specific geographic areas, enabling them to take more effective decisions based on their local risk landscape.

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with businesses on the potential impact of the proposed UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme on labour shortages.

The Department for Business and Trade regularly engages with businesses across the UK on a range of issues, including the needs of the labour market. The parameters of any Youth Experience Scheme with the EU remain subject to negotiation. We do not provide a running commentary on ongoing negotiations.

How many people were (a) injured and (b) killed in road traffic accidents in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency in each year since 2020.

The number of people injured and killed in reported road traffic collisions in the county of Surrey and the parliamentary constituency of Surrey Heath per year since 2020 are shown in the table: YearLocationInjuredKilled2020Surrey2,881282021Surrey3,150252022Surrey3,600312023Surrey3,482232024Surrey3,096252020Surrey Heath26412021Surrey Heath26042022Surrey Heath25242023Surrey Heath26422024Surrey Heath2588

How many meetings his Department has had with European Union counterparts on the proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement since the announcement of the UK-EU Reset Deal.

I and my department speak to EU counterparts on a regular basis, including on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Emissions Trading Systems linking agreements. I will not be providing a running commentary on negotiations.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of negotiating reciprocal exemptions from new electronic travel authorisation schemes with the European Union.

HMG officials and Ministers regularly engage EU counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The EU is developing the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), their pre-travel authorisation system for third-country nationals. This will apply to those who do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area. The European Commission has confirmed that ETIAS will apply to British citizens, when it is introduced. The UKs electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme is fully implemented for non-visa national visitors to the UK, this includes EU nationals.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of British citizens who have been registered under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System at (a) airports and (b) the Port of Dover.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is not due to launch until late 2026. Information on the number of travellers registered by the European Entry/Exit System is not recorded by the Home Office as it is a matter for the European Commission and French authorities.

How many meetings his Department has had with European Union counterparts on the proposed emissions trade system agreement since the announcement of the UK-EU Reset Deal.

I and my department speak to EU counterparts on a regular basis, including on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Emissions Trading Systems linking agreements. I will not be providing a running commentary on negotiations.

What proportion of export-focused civil service posts are vacant.

Export-focused civil servants are primarily employed in the Exports Directorate within the Domestic and International Markets and Exports Group (DIME) of DBT. The relevant units are currently going through a restructuring and therefore this vacancy rate is likely to change significantly by the next financial year. As of September 2025, the vacancy rate was 32% among the civil service posts in the Exports Directorate. In the Department for Business and Trade, there are other civil servants whose work relates to exports as part of their wider roles, but not the majority of their responsibilities.

What estimate he has made of the projected cost to British businesses of the European Union's carbon border taxes.

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’s (EU CBAM) definitive regime begins January 2026. UK businesses may face administrative costs providing emissions data to EU importers to support their compliance with the EU CBAM. The cost of certificates for the carbon price liability of embedded emissions is borne by EU importers.To support business readiness, the Department for Business and Trade has compiled a comprehensive package, including webinars, and an upcoming explainer on business.gov.uk. The Government is also engaging with the European Commission on emissions trading scheme linking, which is expected to facilitate a mutual UK-EU CBAM exemption in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that infrastructure upgrades are delivered alongside new housing developments arising from grey belt designations in Surrey Heath constituency.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that ‘Golden Rules’ should apply to major development involving the provision of housing on land released from the Green Belt through plan preparation or review, or on sites in the Green Belt subject to a planning application. These ‘Golden Rules’ include necessary improvements to local or national infrastructure. The point at which infrastructure is delivered is a matter for local planning authorities and will depend on the nature of the site. Requirements can be set out as planning conditions or agreed through section 106 planning obligations. The government’s planning practice guidance on viability makes clear that where development is subject to the ‘Golden Rules’, site specific viability assessment should not be used for the purpose of reducing developer contributions. The guidance is available on gov.uk here. We are currently reviewing planning practice guidance and will publish updates in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of negotiating regulatory alignment with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The Government has been clear that it will work to reset the relationship with Europe, strengthen ties, and tackle barriers to trade. As part of this, the Government is continuing to seek expansions to the Aviation Safety Chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) where appropriate. We remain committed to establishing closer cooperation with the EU where possible.