Al Pinkerton MP: written questions
1209 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Agriculture: SurreyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110615More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support farming in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Government has allocated £11.8 billion this parliament to sustainable farming and food production, targeting public money where it delivers most value, which will include support in Surrey. As an example, Defra recently announced the extension of the ...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBroadband: Surrey HeathDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110614More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on the rollout of gigabit broadband in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 report, more than 84% of premises in Surrey Heath constituency have access to a gigabit capable connection, slightly below the national average of 86%.As part of Project Gigabit, Openreach is delivering a contra...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: Surrey HeathDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110613More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the resilience of mobile networks in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: Residents in all areas of the country, rightly expect to have reliable mobile connectivity to participate in the modern digital economy. The Government recognises that events like storms and power outages can have a particular impact on rural communities....
Answered 19 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: Young PeopleDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of social media on young people’s wellbeing in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children in the UK, including Surrey and Surrey Heath, from illegal and harmful content online. But we know that up and down the country, parents are grappling with how much screentime their children shou...
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTelecommunications Cables: SurreyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110611More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of plans to replace the copper wire communications network in Surrey.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK, including S...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI on trends in the level of employment in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: This Government’s recognise that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles, however the future scale of change remains uncertain.We are planning against a range of plausible outcomes to ensure workers continue to ha...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordOffenders: RehabilitationMinistry of JusticeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) education and (b) training programmes support the rehabilitation of people leaving prison in Surrey.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS are committed to improving the quality of education, skills and work provision in prisons to support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. Heads of Education, Skills and Work support Governors to design a prison wide cur...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: Surrey HeathMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support armed forces families in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is implementing one of the most significant reforms to welfare oversight in decades through the creation of an independent Armed Forces Commissioner, providing a direct, empowered advocate able to investigate issues from housing to...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFreight: InsolvencyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of business insolvencies in the UK road haulage sector in each of the past 20 years.
Answer: There has been a change to industry classifications during this time period, but the statistics are broadly comparable. Estimated numbers of companies in the relevant Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes that entered insolvency in the UK between...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPalliative CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110242More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration the Department has given to end-of-life decision-making in cases involving progressive loss of capacity, including advanced dementia.
Answer: We recognise that high-quality palliative care and end-of-life care should include the opportunity for individuals to discuss their wishes and preferences so that these can be taken fully into account in the provision of their future care, also known as a...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of road safety policy on older people's (a) mobility and (b) independence.
Answer: In Great Britain, 17 to 24-year-olds remain one of the highest fatality risk groups, especially young men, both as car drivers and passengers. While drivers aged 17 to 24 represent a high proportion of collisions in Great Britain older car drivers are mor...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration has been given to the effects of her proposed road safety policies on people from both (a) younger and (b) older age demographics.
Answer: In Great Britain, 17 to 24-year-olds remain one of the highest fatality risk groups, especially young men, both as car drivers and passengers. While drivers aged 17 to 24 represent a high proportion of collisions in Great Britain older car drivers are mor...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordContinuing CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109906More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the boundary between NHS and local authority responsibilities is applied in practice when assessing eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
Answer: NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of ongoing care that is arranged and funded solely by the National Health Service where the individual has been assessed and found to have a ‘primary health need’.An individual has a primary health need if, hav...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordContinuing CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109905More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how nursing needs are (a) assessed and (b) categorised when determining eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
Answer: NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of ongoing care that is arranged and funded solely by the National Health Service where the individual has been assessed and found to have a ‘primary health need’.An individual has a primary health need if, hav...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109904More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of whether accident and emergency departments have sufficient capacity to meet current levels of patient demand in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: On data on corridor care, NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements to drive improvement and transparency. We are now reviewing the data internally and will begin publishing it shortly.On services in Su...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109903More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate has been made of the number of patients waiting for extended periods in corridors in accident and emergency departments in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: On data on corridor care, NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements to drive improvement and transparency. We are now reviewing the data internally and will begin publishing it shortly.On services in Su...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of ambulance handover times at accident and emergency departments in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answer: Surrey Heath is served by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAMB). The most recent National Health Service performance figures show that the average handover time in SECAMB is 18 minutes and 37 seconds. This is over two minute...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109719More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how ongoing medical treatment is taken into account within Personal Independence Payment assessments.
Answer: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments focus on the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition, rather than diagnosis or treatment alone. At assessment, Health Professionals (HPs) gather information on any past, current and ongoing medica...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109718More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how fluctuating symptoms are taken into account within Personal Independence Payment assessments.
Answer: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments focus on the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition, rather than diagnosis or treatment alone. At assessment, Health Professionals (HPs) gather information on any past, current and ongoing medica...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is provided to Personal Independence Payment assessors on considering the effects of active medical treatment on claimants’ functional ability.
Answer: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments focus on the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition, rather than diagnosis or treatment alone. At assessment, Health Professionals (HPs) gather information on any past, current and ongoing medica...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildminding: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109416More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential impact of changes to childminder tax arrangements on the delivery of funded childcare hours.
Answer: Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local ...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildminding: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109415More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the impact of potential changes to the childminder tax agreement (BIM 52751) on the financial sustainability of childminders in Surrey.
Answer: Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local ...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SurreyDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109414More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support is available to Surrey County Council to (a) trial and (b) adopt more durable road surfacing materials to tackle pothole formation on local road networks.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of using durable materials and innovative techniques to reduce pothole formation and improve the long‑term condition of local roads. Surrey County Council receives a significant allocation of highways maintenance f...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109413More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of developing a national strategy for improving the long-term resilience of the local road network.
Answer: Following the publication of the Government’s Resilience Action Plan in July 2025, work is already underway to improve the short, medium and long-term resilience of the transport system, including the local road network, as part of the whole of society ap...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109412More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming local roads funding.
Answer: The Government has reformed local roads funding by increasing the available funding, providing greater funding certainty to local highway authorities, and introducing new performance based incentives and a rating system to ensure this investment is used e...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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