David Smith MP: written questions
68 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Mineworkers' Pension SchemeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107272More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to remove the mechanism in the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme that freezes bonus pension increase.
Answer: I am meeting the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees next month to discuss future surplus sharing arrangements. No decisions have been made yet.
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTransportDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy for England, following the closure of the call for evidence on 20 February 2025.
Answer: The Department is committed to publishing the integrated national transport strategy shortly, which will set the long‑term vision for domestic transport across England.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBroadband: Rural AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on considering the needs of rural broadband investment in the Telecoms Access Review.
Answer: As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector and is currently finalising its Telecoms Access Review.DSIT officials regularly engage with Ofcom on these issues. In Ju...
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: SubsidiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102256More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the Rural Payments Agency’s performance in delivering Higher Tier and other payments in early December in line with past expectations.
Answer: The 2025 payment window opened on 1 December, and by mid-December around three quarters of eligible farmers had already received their Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments. The Agency continues to work hard improving payment perf...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: SubsidiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102255More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what reassurance she can give to farmers whose cashflow relies on Higher Tier payments arriving in early December and who have not received their payments yet from the Rural Payments A
Answer: The 2025 payment window opened on 1 December, and by mid-December around three quarters of eligible farmers had already received their Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments. The Agency continues to work hard improving payment perf...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: EducationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102254More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help increase funding for education for children around the world.
Answer: The UK is a world leader in championing safe, inclusive, quality education, working in partnership with governments and multilaterals to deliver the education that all children deserve. In a context of scarce resources, the UK is working to increase both ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he will take to remove barriers to accessing a social home for those most in need.
Answer: The government has already taken action to remove barriers for those most in need of access to social housing, including exempting former members of the regular armed forces, young care leavers under 25 and victims of domestic abuse from local connection ...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordY Quynh BđăpForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101189More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the allegations relating to the (a treatment and (b) location of Y Qunyh Bdap from Vietnam; and
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 November in response to Question 83589. The UK raised the case of Y Quynh Bdap in our statement at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2025. On 19 December, the UK Human Rights Ambassador and Deputy...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog, published on 12 November 2025, whether an impact assessment has be
Answer: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country. The measures the Secretary of State ...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgery: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96969More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients awaiting elective surgery are provided with clear and timely information about their position on waiting lists; and whether his Departmen
Answer: The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure patients are seen on time and have the information they need to have the best possible experience of care.As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, published January 2025, patient...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94840More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) allowing the payment of and (b) refunding Vehicle Excise Duty on a (i) daily and (ii) weekly basis.
Answer: Since 1 October 2014, customers have had the option to pay VED monthly or in two instalments per year via direct debit, with a 5% surcharge. This scheme enables the spreading of VED payments at a lower surcharge rate than non-direct debit instalments, and...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordDriverless Vehicles: RegulationDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94839More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to publish an evaluation framework for the regulatory approval of supervised autonomous vehicle technologies, including indicative timelines.
Answer: The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (the Act) provides the powers to regulate the safe use of automated vehicles. Full implementation of the Act, including provisions for authorising self-driving vehicles, is on-track for the second half of 2027. The regulato...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Coal Staff Superannuation SchemeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89195More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made on (a) agreeing a way forward on the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and (b) considering the transfer of its investment reserve to its members.
Answer: The Department is engaging with HM Treasury with a view to agreeing a way forward on the transfer of the reserve to members. The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme member...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFarms: InspectionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89194More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what coordination processes are in place between (a) the Rural Payments Agency, (b) the Animal and Plant Health Agency and (c) other arms-length bodies of her Department to (i) reduce
Answer: Our arm’s-length bodies are implementing more risk-based approaches for inspections and increasing use of remote monitoring tools, reducing administrative burdens on farmers who are doing the right thing. We are also implementing a more advice-led approac...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86508More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) levels of rurality, (b) local average temperature and (c) average age of housing on the implementation of the Warm Homes Plan.
Answer: The UK government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings regardless of age or location. Therefore, research was commissioned by the Department to develop a definit...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Performance Certificates: Solar PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86087More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how solar schemes that contribute to residential energy efficiency are accounted for when measuring energy performance certificate ratings.
Answer: Solar photovoltaic (PV) is currently reflected in the domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, which is based on energy costs. Electricity generated by PV is assigned a value and deducted from the property’s energy cost, improving the EPC Rat...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes Plan: Rented HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86086More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the funding for the Warm Homes Plan will be made available for (a) social and (b) private landlords; and how they will be able to access that funding.
Answer: The £13.2 billion investment in the Warm Homes Plan includes funding for the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) with more information at www.gov.uk/government/collections/find-energy-grants-for-you-home-help-t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: ConservationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to support rural properties to improve their energy efficiency.
Answer: This government is investing £13.2 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to 5 million homes, including £500 million to be delivered from 2025-28 through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. The WH:LG provides energy performance measures to low-income homes...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86084More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the level of readability of the correspondence sent by his Department when setting out how a constituent's New State Retirement Pension has been calculated (a) when consid
Answer: Individuals enrolling in a private pension scheme should receive clear and accessible information from their pension provider or employer about how the scheme may affect their State Pension entitlement. They can forecast their State Pension entitlement us...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEggs: UkraineDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with Ukrainian egg farmers on improving the welfare standards of imported eggs.
Answer: Ministers have not had direct discussions with Ukrainian egg farmers or with Ukrainian counterparts on egg production standards. However, as set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfa...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEggs: UkraineDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an agreement with Ukraine on egg imports on domestic egg production,.
Answer: Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2026.We consistently consider the views and impact on our domestic ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCarbon Emissions: HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish the research commissioned on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes.
Answer: The Government commissioned research to gather data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes, including the use of alternative low-carbon heating solutions where appropriate. The results of this research ar...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSports: Young PeopleDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how community sports teams can become youth hubs; and how they can access funding for community sports facilities.
Answer: Sports facilities provide important community hubs for people of all ages to be active and connect people to the places in which they live.On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, £400 million is going to be inv...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCarmen LauHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies on China of the case of Carmen Lau.
Answer: Upholding national security and keeping the public safe is the first duty of Government.The Government, working alongside operational partners, keeps potential threats to the UK and its residents, including from China, under constant review and, where nec...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSubversion: ChinaHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the influence of the Chinese state on British residents.
Answer: Upholding national security and keeping the public safe is the first duty of Government.The Government, working alongside operational partners, keeps potential threats to the UK and its residents, including from China, under constant review and, where nec...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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