David Smith MP: written questions
68 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Coronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he considered including people suffering from Long Covid within the Clinical risk group eligible for the covid-19 vaccination in the Autumn 2025 vaccination programme.
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains th...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPackaging: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80392More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that supermarkets are required to use packaging that is recyclable through household recycling systems; and whether she has considered tak
Answer: The Government is taking several steps to incentivise the use of use or recyclable packaging by supermarkets and other producers.Under the UK wide Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme, which came into effect on 1 January 2025, prod...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSustainable Farming IncentiveDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80391More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) are responded to within the appropriate time frame; how many complaints have been recorded against the RPA each year for the pa
Answer: The Rural Payments Agency RPA) are supporting Defra as they continue to develop the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive. This includes fully considering deliverability and opportunities to simplify scheme administration. The RPA administers a wide rang...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing economic sanctions on Israel in relation to the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 17th September to Question 74580.
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with the Palestinian Authority to support a two-state solution.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the announcements made by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary on 21 September, further details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-formally-recognises-palestinian-state.
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIsraeli SettlementsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking in response to the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 3 September to question 71442.
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFootball Index: InsolvencyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to address regulatory failings highlighted in the independent review by Malcolm Sheehan KC concerning the collapse of football index.
Answer: The Independent Review announced by the previous Government and conducted by Malcom Sheehan KC made a number of recommendations for the Gambling Commission and Financial Conduct Authority, both of which are independent of Government. All recommendations o...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast Clubs: TransportDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children who arrive at school by (a) state-provided buses and (b) taxis to make use of free breakfast clubs.
Answer: The government is committed to offering every primary aged child a free breakfast club and is currently working with 750 early adopter schools to test how best to implement this policy ahead of national rollout. Transport will be considered as part of thi...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: NegligenceMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74066More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to (a) alter the statute of limitations and (b) review time limits for claims for (i) brain injuries and (ii) other lifelong conditions resulting from (A) medical and (B) clinical negligence.
Answer: Limitation periods set statutory time limits within which a party must bring a civil claim, or give notice of a claim, to the other party in a dispute. For negligence resulting in personal injury (which would include clinical negligence claims) the limita...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordObesity: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74036More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered including lipedema as a relevant condition for NHS prescription of (a) Mounjaro injections and (b) other weight loss treatments.
Answer: Semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, and liraglutide, brand name Saxenda, are approved for the management of obesity. They are recommended as cost-effective for use on the National Health Service for people who have a body mas...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBluetongue Disease: ScreeningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72984More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to expand testing capacity for the bluetongue virus.
Answer: All diagnostic testing for bluetongue virus is conducted at the bluetongue national reference laboratory at The Pirbright Institute. Current testing capacity is sufficient to meet the demands for disease control and movement testing. Nevertheless, Pirbrig...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72983More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the turn around time for results on livestock samples at the Pirbright lab has been in the latest period for which data is available.
Answer: The Pirbright Institute is the UK national reference laboratory and provides a commercial testing service five days a week. Results from submissions from private vets are reported within three working days from the time samples are received at the lab, as...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSheep: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72982More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if Pirbright lab will prioritise blood samples from sheep farmers in northern England ahead of the Kelso ram sales on 12 September 2025.
Answer: All pre-movement tests for bluetongue virus performed at Pirbright are reported within three working days of receipt, with no prioritisation given to particular samples. Pirbright has the provisions to expand its testing capacity, if required, to meet hig...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) campaigners and (b) stakeholders on treatment for (i) lobular breast cancer and (ii) other rare cancers.
Answer: Improving outcomes and experiences of cancer treatment, including lobular breast cancer and other rare cancers, is a priority for the Government. Engagement with campaigners and partners is vital to achieving this.My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of Stat...
Answered 6 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68531More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on the future of neighbourhood plans that have been started but not completed by local authorities; and if she will make funding available for the delivery of
Answer: Following the Spending Review, my Department has announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards. Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed be...
Answered 24 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCoal Industry Social Welfare Organisation: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with ex-miners and stakeholders on the financial practices of CISWO.
Answer: As an MP representing a mining community and previous member of the Coalfields Communities APPG, I understand the concerns raised about the performance of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO). As a constituency MP I have spoken to both ex...
Answered 30 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCoal Industry Social Welfare Organisation: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the distribution of financial awards by the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.
Answer: As an MP representing a mining community and previous member of the Coalfields Communities APPG, I understand the concerns raised about the performance of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO). As a constituency MP I have spoken to both ex...
Answered 30 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordInflammatory Bowel Disease: PrescriptionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66781More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease not being eligible for free prescription charges as chronic health co
Answer: While the Department has made no assessment, approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with ulcerati...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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