Laura Kyrke-Smith MP: written questions
146 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Food SupplyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119769More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to (a) improve self sufficiency in food production and (b) create a framework that (i) makes resilience progress visible, (ii) builds trust and (iii) supports
Answer: UK self-sufficiency has remained broadly stable for several decades. In 2024, the UK was 65% self-sufficient for all food; 77% for food that can be produced here. In most scenarios, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Red DieselTreasuryTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119768More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to (a) support farmers with the cost of red diesel and (b) improve transparency and competitiveness in the red diesel market.
Answer: Farmers retained the entitlement to use red diesel for agricultural machinery after it was withdrawn from most sectors in 2022. Red diesel used in agriculture is subject to fuel duty at just 10.18p per litre compared to 52.95p for diesel used on roads, re...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFuel Oil: CompetitionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119767More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, (i) what steps he is taking to improve transparency and competitiveness in the heating oil market, and (ii) what protections and monitoring he is putting in place for consumers that use the h
Answer: Heating oil customers are not tied to a single supplier and can shop around for the best price, supported by commercial price comparison websites. Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil is bought on the spot market, making it more exposed to short‑term v...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment Assessment ReviewDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 908164More
Question: What recent progress the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment has made.
Answer: Following expressions of interest, the steering group was recruited to oversee co-production of the Timms Review.The group have met and discussed principles of working and areas of focus and will meet regularly to determine the Review’s strategic directio...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is the right level of electric vehicle maintenance and repair skills to support the projected increase in electric vehicle adoption.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring the UK has the skills needed to support the growing number of zero emission electric vehicles. According to the Institute of the Motor Industry, around 71,942 technicians (26% of the UK’s total) are qualified to wor...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: Care HomesDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112971More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with Ofsted on reducing the time taken to licence people who are in charge of children's homes.
Answer: The department is already taking steps to support Ofsted with effective prioritisation of registrations for new children’s social care provision. To address registration delays, we have supported Ofsted to update their registration prioritisation criteria...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help strengthen safeguarding arrangements in out-of-school settings.
Answer: This government is committed to safeguarding children and protecting them from harm, including in out-of-school settings (OOSS).The department has already updated guidance for providers and produced free e-learning, to support them in their legal duty to ...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGynaecology: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111049More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce gynaecology waiting lists, which include those who need a diagnosis of, and treatment for, endometriosis.
Answer: Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to putting patients first by ensuring that they are seen on time and that they have the best possible experience of care. Our Elective Reform Plan (ERP), published i...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBreast Cancer: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding he plans to provide for treatments for secondary breast cancer in each of the next three years.
Answer: Decisions about the funding and provision of health services are the responsibility of local integrated care boards. Further details and allocations will be set out in due course. The National Cancer Plan, published 4 February 2026, has set out actions ai...
Answered 7 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBiodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction AgreementForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ratify the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Divers
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the response given to question 109027 on 5 February.
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure regulators, industry, academia, civil society and NGOs can contribute on equal terms to shaping and overseeing delivery of the strategy entitled, Repl
Answer: The Government consulted regulators, industry, academia and civil society during the development of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy and will continue to do so during strategy implementation, including via the Home Office-led forums. This include...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109005More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to track the progress of the 26 commitments, set out in the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validatio
Answer: The Government’s strategy Replacing animals in science, commits to publish biennially from 2026 a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities, coalescing UK scientists around these areas and incentivising partnerships between research ...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordME/CFS: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to put in place a long term funding strategy for research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Answer: As set out in the Government’s final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) that was published in July 2025, the Department has taken action to strengthen research capacity and capability for ME/CFS to...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordME/CFS: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105554More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure consistent application of NICE guidelines across Integrated Care Boards for the diagnosis and access to specialist care for the treatment of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syn
Answer: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Healthcare professionals and integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are expected to take NICE guideline...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHighway CodeDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104590More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to raise awareness about new Highway Code rules.
Answer: Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guid...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordReligious FreedomHome OfficeTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 907056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to provide security protections for faith communities.
Answer: Protecting the right of all faith communities to worship in peace and without fear is fundamental.This year, the Government is investing £70.9 million to strengthen security at places of worship and other community sites.This includes an additional £10 mi...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96590More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that food labelling accurately reflects animal welfare practices.
Answer: The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for spe...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Trust FundTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92394More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the number of unclaimed matured HMRC-allocated Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts which are included within the total quoted in the HMRC press release on 30 September 2025 for all matured CTFs which have neithe
Answer: Information on Child Trust Funds is available in HMRC’s Annual Savings Statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2025We cannot answer each element of the 2 questions as HMRC does not receive a breakdown of unclaimed mat...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Trust FundTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92393More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the number of unclaimed matured HMRC-allocated Child Trust Funds (CTF) which have been automatically transferred into Individual Savings Accounts at the direction of their account provider and without positi
Answer: Information on Child Trust Funds is available in HMRC’s Annual Savings Statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2025We cannot answer each element of the 2 questions as HMRC does not receive a breakdown of unclaimed mat...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: AylesburyDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90965More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time is for a driving test in Aylesbury; and when the backlog for those tests will be cleared.
Answer: The average waiting time in weeks, as of October 2025, at Aylesbury driving test centre (DTC) was 19 weeks. The average waiting time in weeks, as of October 2025, for other DTC’s that might serve customers in the area, are shown below: Bletchley – 24 week...
Answered 20 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal Welfare: FireworksDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the impact of noise from fireworks on (a) dogs and (b) other animals; and whether she plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing
Answer: The Government is continuing to engage with animal welfare stakeholders, businesses, consumer groups and charities on the impacts of fireworks, to inform any future action.
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLivestock: ExportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that closer alignment with the European Union on a Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement does not adversely impact (a) animal welfare laws and (b) the
Answer: This Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and understands the strong sentiment that led to legislation to ban live exports going to slaughter. The UK-EU Common Understanding states that there will be a number of areas wher...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBus ServicesDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86129More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve collaboration across local authority borders on bus routes.
Answer: Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) already work closely together when tendering bus routes that cross shared boundaries, and in delivering their Bus Service Improvement Plans. There are also requirements set out in the Transport Act 2000 for LTAs to take ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: AylesburyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of palliative care services in Aylesbury constituency.
Answer: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs, ...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to publish a strategy to advance the use of alternatives to animal testing.
Answer: The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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