Written questions by Pinkerton.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of unfilled training posts on the (a) efficiency and (b) cost-effectiveness of NHS workforce planning in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

National Health Service trusts manage their recruitment at a local level ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also sets out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.We will set out next steps in due course.

What recent discussions his Department has had with (a) disability employment charities and (b) business representatives on improving access to skilled work for autistic adults in Surrey Heath constituency.

My Department has numerous contacts with organisations in the Surrey Heath constituency on these matters. Camberley Jobcentre works with Surrey Choices, which provides specialist employment support for individuals with autism through bi-weekly sessions. The Work Well programme and a newly appointed Connect to Work Employment Specialist are also co-located at the Jobcentre, strengthening support for neurodivergent customers. Additionally, our Disability Employment Advisors provide outreach via GP surgeries and partner with local charities such as Safe New Futures, Voluntary Support North Surrey, and Sight for Surrey to offer tailored support for residents with health conditions and disabilities. Frimley Park Hospital delivers supported internships for healthcare roles, successfully helping individuals into work. At national level, the DWP Strategic Relationship Team work in partnership with two national charitable organisations, Ambitious about Autism, and the National Autistic Society. We have utilised their expertise to deliver upskilling session to build awareness, capability, and confidence in DWP Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers. We have also developed an Autism Toolkit with support from these organisations, bringing together various resources utilised by colleagues to coach and guide our customers. Ambitious about Autism support a quarterly session to employers and partners, raising awareness of autism in the workplace, myth busting and providing some tips on how to create inclusive recruitment and retention of autistic talent. These sessions offer an opportunity for DWP colleagues to arrange follow up conversations with attendees, to influence inclusive recruitment, discuss the DWPs Disability Scheme and any offer general support to meet employer needs.

Whether his Department has issued guidance to GP practices on maintaining equitable access to care for patients who cannot use digital booking platforms in Surrey Heath constituency.

The General Practice contract requires that all patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, so those without digital access are not disadvantaged.In February 2025, the General Practice Committee England agreed to make it a contractual obligation for all GP practices to offer access to online services throughout core hours (8:00am–18:30pm, Monday to Friday) bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This will ensure that patients will not have to wait in long phone queues to contact their practice and ensure that those that are not able to use digital booking platforms have an improved user-experience.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of unemployment of autistic adults in the (a) South East and (b) Surrey Heath constituency on the economy.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential economic impact of trends in unemployment among autistic adults in the South East or the Surrey Heath constituency. The 2025 publication by DWP on The employment of disabled people reported that, across the UK, 34.0% of disabled people with autism (as either main or secondary condition) aged 16-64 were in employment in 2024/25, compared to 55.3% for all non-disabled people. This data is based on the Annual Population Survey. Data for disabled people for the South East and Surrey Heath constituency is available from the above publication (tables LMS009 and LMS010). However, equivalent data for disabled people with autism is not readily available and would be unreliable due to the small number of responses to the survey for this group in these areas.

Whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of back-to-work programmes for autistic people seeking long-term employment in Surrey.

The DWP are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including autistic people, with their employment journey and there are currently a number of initiatives to support individuals, including autistic people, to return to work. These include:- Pathways to Work Advisers are delivering support in Jobcentres for disabled people and people with health conditions to help them move towards and into work, building on and expanding existing evidenced measures like additional work coach support. On 6 March 2025 we announced the deployment of 1000 Pathway to Work Advisers to help people with health conditions and disabled people towards and into work.- Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offer advice and knowledge on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;- Connect to Work is DWP’s voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme that will help disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment. For neurodivergent people, Connect to Work has a specialist pathway that is dedicated to supporting those with particularly complex barriers. It follows the Supported Employment Quality Framework, which is backed by an international evidence base and has been proven to support neurodivergent people into sustainable employment. Connect to Work will be across all of England and Wales and will support over 300,000 people over five years. For the Surrey Connect to Work delivery area, Surrey County Council are the lead authority. Their Connect to Work service is live and more information, including how to apply for support, can be found here:Connect to Work - Surrey County Council- Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions; and- WorkWell, a new way to deliver integrated work and health support that is designed by local partnerships. Sites went live from October 2024 in 15 areas in England including Surrey Heartlands and Frimley ICB which covers Surrey Heath. It provides a low intensity holistic support for health and disability related barriers to employment, and a single joined up gateway to existing local work and health service provision. We carry out a wide range of research and evaluations to ensure we can best support people with disabilities and health conditions, and evaluation is a key driver in delivering DWP’s priority outcomes and ensuring alignment with the Government’s Plan for Change. As set out in the DWP Evidence and Evaluation Strategy, ongoing evaluation of new and existing initiatives assesses whether they are achieving intended results and informs future policy design. However, no assessment has been made of adequacy of back-to-work programmes and Government-funded employment support schemes specifically for disabled and neurodivergent people, including autistic people, specifically in Surrey Heath.

Whether she has had recent discussions with mortgage lenders on later-life lending for pensioners with outstanding borrowing at the end of their mortgage term.

The pricing and availability of mortgages, including the extension of additional facilities post maturity or eligibility for suitable later life lending products, are commercial decisions for mortgage lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, the Government is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their business, including the provision of finance to different cohorts of borrowers. The UK benefits from a competitive later life lending market and there are various options available to later life borrowers, depending on their circumstances. Prospective borrowers should speak to a later life lending mortgage broker, who will be able to assist them in identifying any products for their circumstances. Where individuals are concerned about their ability to make their mortgage repayments, they should contact their lender to understand what options are available to them. There are significant measures in place to protect vulnerable mortgage borrowers, the Financial Conduct Authority’s rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the private parking sector.

The government is aware of concerns about poor practice from a number of parking operators and is determined to raise standards. In accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government is preparing a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. The government has recently consulted on its proposals for this new code. The consultation closed on 26 September, and the government will respond in due course.

What recent assessment has been made of (a) waiting times for diagnostic tests and (b) their impact on patient outcomes in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to putting patients first and is aware of the impact that waiting for diagnostic tests and treatment has for patients. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care. Earlier access to diagnostic tests is key to supporting earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment if needed.Acute diagnostic services across the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust serve patients in the Surrey Heath constituency. Patients can also access diagnostic tests, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, at the Milford Community Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) and at the Godalming and Woking Community Hospital CDC at Woking. Both of these CDCs are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer a minimum of one diagnostic test in their extended hours.The Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity monthly collection (DM01) measures the current waiting times of patients still waiting for 15 key diagnostic tests or procedures at the end of the month. The DM01 publication includes data on the median amount of time a patient is waiting for a diagnostic test at the end of the month. Details on this collection are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/The following table sets out an estimate of the number and percentage of patients waiting for key diagnostic tests, as per DM01, and the median waiting time following initial consultation for an MRI test specifically as of September 2025, for the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, and for England as a whole:Name of NHS trustNumber waiting for key diagnostic tests as of September 2025Number and percentage waiting over six weeks for key diagnostic tests as of September 2025Median waiting time of those waiting for MRI as of September 2025Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust19,2141,493 (7.8%)1.3 weeksRoyal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust7,9722,591 (32.5%)1.6 weeksEngland1,717,121386,849 (22.5%)2.7 weeksNote: DM01 median waiting times do not match waiting times for diagnostic tests 'following initial consultation at NHS hospitals' exactly. The full definition of what is included in DM01 can be found in DM01 guidance on NHS England website.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the employment prospects for doctors completing foundation training in Surrey Heath constituency.

National Health Service trusts manage their recruitment at a local level ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also sets out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.We will set out next steps in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to support doctors who are unable to secure specialty training posts in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

National Health Service trusts manage their recruitment at a local level ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also sets out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.We will set out next steps in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the unemployment rate among autistic adults in (a) the South East and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

In the plan to Make Work Pay (October 2024), government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. This includes autism. In January 2025, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. We have now received a final version of the Panel’s report. We will need to consider the findings alongside other key pieces of work, such as the Keep Britain Working Review.We also support employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices, regardless of diagnosis. DWP's current offer to employers includes:A digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/, this service guides employers through workplace scenarios, including on making reasonable adjustments.The Disability Confident scheme, which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get into work. This includes resources around employing people with hidden disabilities, including autism and other neurodivergent conditions.Access to Work, which provides grant funding to support Workplace Adjustments that go beyond an employer's duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. This grant funding allows for personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment.In addition, the DWP are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including autistic people, with their employment journey and there are currently a number of initiatives to support individuals, including autistic people, to return to work. This includes support through our local jobcentres. Pathways to Work Advisers are delivering support in Jobcentres for disabled people and people with health conditions to help them move towards and into work, building on and expanding existing evidenced measures like additional work coach support. Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offer advice and knowledge on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work. DWP’s voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme, Connect to Work, helps disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment to find sustained work. For neurodivergent people, including autistic people, Connect to Work follows the Supported Employment Quality Framework, which is backed by an international evidence base and has been proven to support neurodivergent people into sustainable employment. For the Surrey Connect to Work delivery area, Surrey County Council are the lead authority. Their Connect to Work service is live and more information, including how to apply for support, can be found here: Connect to Work - Surrey County Council

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an autism employment strategy to help improve (a) recruitment, (b) retention and (c) career progression for autistic people.

In the plan to Make Work Pay (October 2024), government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. This includes autism. In January 2025, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. We have now received a final version of the Panel’s report. We will need to consider the findings alongside other key pieces of work, such as the Keep Britain Working Review.We also support employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices, regardless of diagnosis. DWP's current offer to employers includes:A digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/, this service guides employers through workplace scenarios, including on making reasonable adjustments.The Disability Confident scheme, which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get into work. This includes resources around employing people with hidden disabilities, including autism and other neurodivergent conditions.Access to Work, which provides grant funding to support Workplace Adjustments that go beyond an employer's duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. This grant funding allows for personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment.In addition, the DWP are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including autistic people, with their employment journey and there are currently a number of initiatives to support individuals, including autistic people, to return to work. This includes support through our local jobcentres. Pathways to Work Advisers are delivering support in Jobcentres for disabled people and people with health conditions to help them move towards and into work, building on and expanding existing evidenced measures like additional work coach support. Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offer advice and knowledge on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work. DWP’s voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme, Connect to Work, helps disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment to find sustained work. For neurodivergent people, including autistic people, Connect to Work follows the Supported Employment Quality Framework, which is backed by an international evidence base and has been proven to support neurodivergent people into sustainable employment. For the Surrey Connect to Work delivery area, Surrey County Council are the lead authority. Their Connect to Work service is live and more information, including how to apply for support, can be found here: Connect to Work - Surrey County Council

What recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of Government-funded employment support schemes to help (a) disabled and (b) neurodiverse people into work in Surrey.

The DWP are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including autistic people, with their employment journey and there are currently a number of initiatives to support individuals, including autistic people, to return to work. These include:- Pathways to Work Advisers are delivering support in Jobcentres for disabled people and people with health conditions to help them move towards and into work, building on and expanding existing evidenced measures like additional work coach support. On 6 March 2025 we announced the deployment of 1000 Pathway to Work Advisers to help people with health conditions and disabled people towards and into work.- Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offer advice and knowledge on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;- Connect to Work is DWP’s voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme that will help disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment. For neurodivergent people, Connect to Work has a specialist pathway that is dedicated to supporting those with particularly complex barriers. It follows the Supported Employment Quality Framework, which is backed by an international evidence base and has been proven to support neurodivergent people into sustainable employment. Connect to Work will be across all of England and Wales and will support over 300,000 people over five years. For the Surrey Connect to Work delivery area, Surrey County Council are the lead authority. Their Connect to Work service is live and more information, including how to apply for support, can be found here:Connect to Work - Surrey County Council- Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions; and- WorkWell, a new way to deliver integrated work and health support that is designed by local partnerships. Sites went live from October 2024 in 15 areas in England including Surrey Heartlands and Frimley ICB which covers Surrey Heath. It provides a low intensity holistic support for health and disability related barriers to employment, and a single joined up gateway to existing local work and health service provision. We carry out a wide range of research and evaluations to ensure we can best support people with disabilities and health conditions, and evaluation is a key driver in delivering DWP’s priority outcomes and ensuring alignment with the Government’s Plan for Change. As set out in the DWP Evidence and Evaluation Strategy, ongoing evaluation of new and existing initiatives assesses whether they are achieving intended results and informs future policy design. However, no assessment has been made of adequacy of back-to-work programmes and Government-funded employment support schemes specifically for disabled and neurodivergent people, including autistic people, specifically in Surrey Heath.

What steps his Department is taking to support the wellbeing of service families living in Armed Forces accommodation in Surrey Heath constituency.

In April 2025 we announced the new Consumer Charter, part of the Defence Housing Strategy, designed to deliver tangible improvement for Defence housing and improve the lived experience for our Service personnel and families across the UK, including those in Surrey Heath. Progress against the seven Charter Commitments is well underway, with many already completed, and all due to complete by the end of December 2025 - the one-year anniversary of the Annington Deal. As commitments are met, we are communicating progress to Service families. We have also made progress on welfare provisions. In January 2025, our Armed Forces Welfare Support Policy was fully reviewed and updated to ensure welfare structures meet the needs of Service personnel and their families. Each Service has tailored its policies to address unique requirements, supported by the new Welfare HARDFACTS Annex, which provides comprehensive guidance on addressing emotional, medical, housing, financial, and legal concerns. The Tri-Service Welfare Support Agreement ensures collaboration across the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force to deliver consistent and specialist support, including for those living in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the number of doctors seeking work in (a) non-training and (b) locum posts in Surrey Heath constituency.

No specific assessment has been made.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of procedures for notifying people of County Court proceedings.

The Government has announced plans to implement a reform to allow claimant names to be published on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. This reform will help people who have county court judgments made against them to identify who to contact about the claim. The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) is responsible for the rules that govern the procedure for notifying people of court proceedings, known as the rules of service. It has recently consulted on changes to the service rules including to permit electronic service on parties with whom there has already been electronic communication pre-action. The CPRC is currently reviewing responses and will make decisions on procedural rule changes in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will consider the potential merits of providing funding to borough councils in Surrey to meet the costs of operating as shadow authorities during local government reorganisation.

Earlier this year, the government provided funding to support councils preparing proposals, the first time that such funding was made available in partnership with the sector, we continue to provide practical support advice on preparing for reorganisation. We expect councils to be able to meet transition costs from existing budgets, including from the flexible use of capital receipts. However, we are open to discussions with any council that may have concerns about its financial position.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to (a) safeguard the integrity of the democratic process and (b) uphold democratic accountability during the transition to unitary authorities as part of local government reorganisation in Surrey.

We will bring to the House, for approval, a Structural Changes Order, which will provide for the establishment of the two new councils, abolish the existing councils, and make the necessary electoral arrangements, including replacing the scheduled County and District elections in May 2026 with elections to the new councils. The legislation will also extend the terms of office for current councillors by 11 months, covering the interim period. This is standard practice and avoids the cost and disruption of holding elections for short-term posts in councils which are to be abolished. The existing rules in place for the conduct of local council elections will apply to the elections for the new councils, and these will include provisions designed to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, for example, the requirement for voters in polling stations to show approved ID. The simpler structures delivered through reorganisation will improve democratic accountability as residents know who to look to and it is clearer who is responsible for what.

Whether his Department is taking steps to help support people to challenge County Court Judgments issued without their knowledge in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government has announced plans to implement a reform to allow claimant names to be published on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. This reform will help people who have county court judgments made against them to identify who to contact about the claim. The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) is responsible for the rules that govern the procedure for notifying people of court proceedings, known as the rules of service. It has recently consulted on changes to the service rules including to permit electronic service on parties with whom there has already been electronic communication pre-action. The CPRC is currently reviewing responses and will make decisions on procedural rule changes in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if he will provide a breakdown of the (a) total and (b) stranded debt levels across the local authorities proposed for inclusion in the West Surrey Unitary Authority.

Local authorities are responsible for their own borrowing and investment decisions and managing their assets. They must comply with statutory duties and guidance to ensure that their capital strategies are prudent, affordable and sustainable. In general, as with previous rounds of local government reorganisation, there is no proposal for council debt to be addressed centrally or written off as part of reorganisation. The Department does not routinely collect data on the position of authorities’ assets and liabilities, Authorities are required, however, to report their financial position in their Annual Statement of Accounts. Authorities are also required to provide financial returns to Government on a quarterly and annual basis, including information on borrowing and capital financing requirements, and these are published on gov.uk here. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 October (HCWS998) where we announced our commitment to repay in-principle £500 million of Woking Borough Council’s debt in 2026-27. This is a significant and unprecedented commitment given historic capital practices at the Council. It reflects our acknowledgement that, even after the rationalisation of Woking’s historic assets, there is significant unsupported debt held by the Council that cannot be managed locally. Any support must take into account value for money for the local and national taxpayer and the Council’s continued commitment to reduce debt as far as possible within their local capacity.