Al Pinkerton MP: written questions
1209 published records · newest first.
Written questions
British Overseas TerritoriesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department’s lead strategic policy document is for the UK's relationship with the Overseas Territories.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the first paragraph of the answer he received on 7 January in response to Question 101093.
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117030More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time is for (a) reimbursement claims and (b) redundancy-related payments under the Access to Work scheme.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on the average processing time for (a) reimbursement (payment) claims.Please find the Official statistics on payments which are published annually and can be accessed here: Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK (b) Redund...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work Programme: AppealsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117029More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether interim financial support is available to claimants while an Access to Work decision is under appeal.
Answer: The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding and is not a benefit, so interim financial support is not available through the scheme while an appeal is progressing. We always encourage customers to speak to their employer about workplace adjustments in...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work Programme: Self-employed and Small BusinessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117028More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in Access to Work awards on business continuity for self-employed people and small employers.
Answer: Demand for Access to Work (AtW) has been growing. The number of customers in receipt of payment continues to increase with 74,190 customers receiving a payment for provision in 2024/25. This is an increase of 10% compared with 2023/24. In 2024/5 Access to...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFraud: Surrey HeathHome OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116377More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure fraud offences affecting small businesses are properly investigated in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: Fraud is a serious and growing threat to businesses, including small businesses, and the Government is committed to ensuring that fraud offences are properly investigated and prevented.The Government has taken steps to ensure that Fraud is reflected in lo...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordReport FraudHome OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Report Fraud.
Answer: The Home Office regularly reviews the performance of Report Fraud to ensure the service is delivering improved outcomes for victims and strengthening the national response to fraud. The new service offers better management information to track and monitor...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFraud: VictimsHome OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116375More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which local police forces engage directly with victims of fraud in cases involving physical premises and identifiable suspects.
Answer: Reports of fraud and cyber crime are made through Report Fraud, the new national fraud reporting service which became operational in December 2025. These reports are assessed centrally and disseminated to local police forces wherever there are viable line...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what protections are in place within the Child Maintenance Service to support parents and children experiencing financial abuse.
Answer: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, or financial abuse, violent or threatening behaviour and coercive control. CMS ...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms are available to review child maintenance assessments where a paying parent is suspected of diverting income through (a) cash-based and (b) self-employed business activity.
Answer: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) focuses on maximising compliance and identifying hidden earnings through measures such as data sharing with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChild Maintenance Service and HM Revenue and Customs: Information SharingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116324More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of data-sharing between the Child Maintenance Service and HM Revenue and Customs in detecting income manipulation.
Answer: As a principal part of the service design, the department uses data from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and its own benefits data to assess 91% of Paying Parents earned income and benefit status, which are key parts of the maintenance calculation. We als...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) investigate suspected under-declaration of income within the Child Maintenance Service.
Answer: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) focuses on maximising compliance and identifying hidden earnings through measures such as data sharing with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordExercise: Surrey HeathDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that people are adequately supported to maintain an active lifestyle at each stage of life in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring people of all ages should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities to maintain an active lifestyle. The Government provides the majority of support for community sport throug...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Private Finance InitiativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116249More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of private finance initiatives on NHS services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: Operational health private finance initiatives (PFI) contracts are held by individual trusts. The last PFI contract was signed in 2015.As announced at the Autumn Budget, the Department is supporting the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation A...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDown's Syndrome: SportsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116248More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the role of sport in health outcomes for young people with Down's syndrome in Surrey.
Answer: No discussions have taken place between the Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Culture, Media and Sport about young people with Down syndrome in Surrey and the role of sport in health outcomes.The UK Chief Medical Officers’ physical a...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of health-related funding for specialist sexual violence support services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) provide crisis care, and medical and forensic assessment for people who have experienced sexual assault. NHS England’s funding for sexual assault and abuse services has increased year on year, with £57.632 million p...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPreventive Medicine: Surrey HeathDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent ill health in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future announced ambitious measures to make the healthy choice the easy choice, including for people in Surrey Heath. This includes tackling the obesity epidemic through mandatory healthy food sales reporti...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMenopause: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the diagnosis of menopause for women in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and we acknowledge the impact that women suffering from symptoms of menopause has on their lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace.As ann...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBuilding Safety Regulator: SurreyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116244More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Building Safety Regulator in Surrey.
Answer: The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is actively involved in ensuring the safety of several Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs) in Surrey. The BSR’s data for Surrey shows that:There are 71 Registered HRBs with 86 structures.12 have been directed for Building Asse...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPrivate Rented Housing: Surrey HeathMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116243More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help improve the private rented sector for tenants in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: A summary of the measures in the Renters’ Rights Act can be found on gov.uk here and a roadmap for implementation can be found on gov.uk here.Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) already apply in the private rented sector, requiring landlords to ens...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAntisemitism: SurreyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116242More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent trends in levels of antisemitism in Surrey.
Answer: Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we’re taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms, wherever it manifests. We work closely with partners to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities throughout the UK. T...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth: DisadvantagedDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce health disparities in deprived communities in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: It is a priority for the Government to increase the amount of time people spend in good health and prevent premature deaths.A core mission of the 10-Year Health Plan is to reduce the persistent inequalities that shape people’s health, including within com...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: Chronic IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in the State Pension age on people with long-term health conditions in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The increase of State Pension age from 66 to 67 is occurring between April 2026 and March 2028. There will be people with long-term health conditions approaching State Pension age amongst those experiencing this change. People with long-term health condit...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Musculoskeletal DisordersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with musculoskeletal conditions into work in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: Just under 18 million people in England were estimated to be affected by musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in 2023 and improving their health and work outcomes will help deliver this government's mission to kickstart economic growth. MSK problems were one ...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHeart Valve Disease: SurreyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve timely diagnosis and access to treatment for heart valve disease in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Department has made no specific assessment. The Frimley Health Foundation Trust (FHFT) has been developing a pathway for breathlessness to support diagnosis and will be providing access for Surrey residents, including through a community diagnostic ce...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHeart Valve Disease: SurreyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) early detection and (b) diagnostic pathways for heart valve disease in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Department has made no specific assessment. The Frimley Health Foundation Trust (FHFT) has been developing a pathway for breathlessness to support diagnosis and will be providing access for Surrey residents, including through a community diagnostic ce...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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