Cat Smith MP: written questions
221 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Church Schools: AdmissionsChurch CommissionersTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92023More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church of England has had with Church of England academies with admission processes that exclude potential pupils of another faith or none.
Answer: In a voluntary aided (VA) school or former VA school that has converted to become an academy, school admissions are the responsibility of the governing body or trust directors. Church of England schools, as Church Schools, have to consult with the Diocesa...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordElectoral Commission: Public OpinionSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92022More
Question: To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Committee has made an assessment of the (a) public's perception of the independence of the Commission and (b) potential
Answer: The Commission publishes annual research on public attitudes to elections and democracy. In the latest study, published in April 2025, 52% of respondents said they trust the Commission to be an independent regulator. Historical data is available on the Co...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88286More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter dated 21 July 2025 and re-sent on 7 October 2025 from the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre and nine other hon. Members on Sodium Valproate.
Answer: We received the Hon. Member’s correspondence of 21 July 2025 and responded on 20 November 2025.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made on taking steps to reduce the drink drive limit; and when she plans to publish (a) a draft of and (b) a consultation on the road safety strategy.
Answer: This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for ...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAlcoholic Drinks: LabellingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on introducing mandatory health information on alcohol labels; and when he plans to publish a consultation on this matter.
Answer: In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Licensing Taskforce requested assessments of the potential impact of post-pandemic changes to drinking patterns on (a) crime, (b) violence and (c) anti-social behaviour; and whether those a
Answer: The Licensing Taskforce did not request assessments of the potential impact of post-pandemic changes to drinking patterns on (a) crime, (b) violence and (c) anti-social behaviour; however its membership included the National Police Chiefs Council’s lead f...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the licensing taskforce recommendations on progress towards meeting the targets of the Mission Boards for (a) safer streets, (b) tackl
Answer: No assessment has yet been made of the impact of any potential reforms on safer streets, tackling violence against women and girls, and reducing ASB and building safer communities. The Government is currently inviting views and evidence to inform the deve...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAlcoholic Drinks: MisuseDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recommendations in his Department's policy paper entitled Licensing policy sprint: joint industry and HM government taskforce
Answer: Following the Licensing Taskforce, which was jointly let by the Department for Business and Trade and industry, the Government is considering which recommendations to take forward. As part of this, the Government is inviting views and evidence to inform t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment of trends in the level of post-pandemic changes to (a) drinking patterns and (b) resulting health harms were (i) requested by and (ii) provided to the Licensing Taskforce by his Dep
Answer: Following the Licensing Taskforce, which was jointly let by the Department for Business and Trade and industry, the Government is considering which recommendations to take forward. As part of this, the Government is inviting views and evidence to inform t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing Laws: ReformDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps did the Licensing Taskforce take to consult (a) local authorities, (b) police forces, (c) Police and Crime Commissioners, (d) directors of public health and (d) local licensing committees on
Answer: The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing Laws: ReformDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he had with experts on (a) alcohol licensing and (b) the Licensing Act 2003 on the proposals set out in the call for evidence entitled Reforming the licensing system, published on 7 Oc
Answer: Earlier this year the Government established a Licensing Taskforce which was co-chaired by the then Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports, Gareth Thomas MP. The Taskforce held discussions with experts on the licensing regime in reaching its co...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing Laws: ReformDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he received representations on his proposed changes to the Licensing Act 2003.
Answer: Changes to the Licensing Act 2003 were proposed as part of a Licensing Taskforce which concluded its work in the Summer. Consideration of those proposals and options for implementation, where appropriate, is currently underway. To inform that work, the Go...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether each Mission Board was (a) represented, (b) involved in and (c) consulted as part of the Licensing Taskforce workstream; and what their level of involvement was.
Answer: The Licensing Taskforce reported its findings in July and relevant Government departments were involved in determining the response to that report. That included the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Office, HM Treasury, the Department for Healt...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the licensing taskforce recommendations on the workstreams of each of the five Mission Boards.
Answer: The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing Laws: ReformDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to consider feedback provided during the public call for evidence on Reforming the licensing system, published on 7 October 2025; and what assessment he has made of
Answer: The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether members of the Licensing Taskforce were given (a) advanced sight of and (b) input into the wording of the licensing call for evidence questions.
Answer: The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensing Laws: ReformDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential challenges of launching the current licensing call for evidence with a rapid 4-week window for responses.
Answer: The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A four week Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals fo...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83853More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of plastics industry lobbyists on the UK Government’s position at at the United Nations plastics treaty negotiations (INC-5.2
Answer: The UK has been a strong advocate for an ambitious and effective global plastics treaty and is a founder member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution. During the resumed 5th session of the negotiations (INC5.2), we continued to work clos...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGlobal Solidarity Levies Task ForceTreasuryTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83295More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered joining the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force.
Answer: The Government is committed to helping deliver global climate finance, including the New Collective Quantified Goal agreed at COP29 of at least $300bn per year to developing countries by 2035, and responding to the wider call on all actors to increase cli...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: WaterForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78266More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department spent on bilateral water, sanitation and hygiene projects in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answer: UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) for water supply and sanitation, which includes hygiene, is released annually in the UK Government Publication Statistics for International Development. The latest report, published in September 2025, sho...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectoral CommissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77557More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the Government's Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission.
Answer: The existing Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission does not reflect this Government’s priorities and will not remain in place. On 17 July, we published our strategy for modern and secure elections which included proposals to give sign...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectoral RegisterMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77556More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025, what progress
Answer: The government is actively exploring a range of approaches to improve electoral registration, including making it easier for people to register to vote. User research is undertaken throughout the policy and digital service development process.
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Workers: VisasHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of linking salary requirements to NHS pay scales on overseas social workers with skilled worker visas employed by local authorities.
Answer: We use Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to set salary requirements for occupations, except where a national pay scale exists. In the case of social workers, the NHS Agenda for Change is the only available national scale, as Local Authority rates ...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Workers: VisasHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77554More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason she decided to use NHS pay bands instead of local authority pay bands when determining income requirements for overseas social workers applying for a skilled workers visa.
Answer: We use Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to set salary requirements for occupations, except where a national pay scale exists. In the case of social workers, the NHS Agenda for Change is the only available national scale, as Local Authority rates ...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Workers: VisasHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77553More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many social workers are working in the UK on a (a) skilled workers visa and (b) health and care visa.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release. Data on grants of visas are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the ‘sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Informa...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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