Lisa Smart MP: written questions
579 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Coroners: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17307More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if her Department will take steps to (a) improve communication practices, (b) ensue greater sensitivity in interactions, (c) better manage families’ expectations to prevent (i) delays and (ii) unnecessary distres
Answer: It is important that the inquest process is as swift, efficient and sensitive as possible and that bereaved families are put at the heart of the process in order to avoid additional distress at such a difficult time in their lives.Whilst the Ministry of J...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Hazel GroveDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17306More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of dentists in Hazel Grove constituency.
Answer: The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild de...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEndometriosis: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 17017More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of (i) endometriosis and (ii) adenomyosis.
Answer: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines support healthcare professionals to diag...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordParliamentary and Health Service OmbudsmanCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 17016More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's report entitled Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2022–23, HC 198, published on 4 March 2024, if he will make
Answer: The previous Government formally responded to the report and its recommendations on 10 May 2024 (HC 774, published on 23 May 2024). This Government continues to promote the PHSO complaint standards and support NHS England and NHS Resolution to further enc...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordCycling: ClothingDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 17015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to launch a public awareness campaign to promote pedestrian and cyclist visibility on roads by encouraging the use of light or reflective clothing.
Answer: THINK!, the Government’s flagship road safety campaign, aims to reduce those killed and seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales by driving awareness of key road safety issues and encouraging attitude and behaviour change among high-risk road u...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSelf-employed: AdoptionDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 17014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to (a) extend Statutory Adoption Pay to self-employed individuals and (b) introduce an equivalent benefit that provides guaranteed financial support to self-employed indiv
Answer: Government very much values people who come forward to take on the challenging but rewarding role of being an adoptive parent. That is why there is provision for Local Authorities to make discretionary payments, equivalent to Maternity Allowance, to self-...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Greater ManchesterDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16776More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) impact of the Greater Manchester Dental Quality Access Scheme on access to NHS dental services in Greater Manchester and (b) merits of r
Answer: The Department and NHS England are aware of several local access schemes across the country and are keen to learn from all initiatives, including the Greater Manchester Dental Quality Access Scheme.Local schemes are considered in the development of nation...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordInsulin: PharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16775More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure insulin is distributed to (a) large and (b) small pharmacies across the UK.
Answer: The Department continues to work with all suppliers to ensure that insulin products are distributed and available for both small and large pharmacies.There are ongoing global supply issues with Tresiba FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre pre-filled pens an...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordImmigration: Proof of IdentityHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) accuracy and (b) reliability of personal immigration status information generated by the Government View and Prove system; and what safeguar
Answer: The transition towards eVisas is already underway, with millions of people already receiving and using eVisas successfully, by logging into the View and Prove service using their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.While most people are able to use th...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDigital Technology: Public SectorDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 1 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12306More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to require (a) unused and (b) decommissioned (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones and (iii) other public sector devices to be donated to device banks.
Answer: Digital inclusion is a priority for the Government and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to extending the life of its equipment and devices, to reduce our environmental impact and provide more people with access to devices...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordJobcentres: Digital TechnologyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Jobcentre Plus to signpost people to digital inclusion services.
Answer: Jobcentre work coaches will consider the range of barriers faced by claimants to best support them into work and to progress in their careers. Digital inclusion is amongst the challenges that some claimants may experience and work coaches are encouraged t...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPolice: Labour Turnover and RecruitmentHome OfficeTabled 1 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) recruitment and (b) retention in police forces.
Answer: The latest Home Office statistics for the overall Police Workforce show a 1.2% increase when compared to the previous year. The total paid police workforce in the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales was 236,588 full-time equivalents (FTE) as...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPolice: DeploymentHome OfficeTabled 1 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of police officers are currently classified as deployable; and what the primary reasons are for officers being deemed non-deployable.
Answer: The Home Office does not have an official measure of ‘deployable’.The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number and proportion of police officers available for duty as at 31 March each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAutismDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10542More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people diagnosed with autism at the age of 30 or later receive comparable (a) support and (b) resources to people diagnosed in childhood; and what plans
Answer: The Department is currently considering next steps to improve support for autistic people of all ages. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local popul...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployment: AutismDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10541More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to improve support for employers who hire people with autism.
Answer: Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting autistic people to thrive as part of the workforce. Our current support to employers includes the Disability Confident scheme and a digital information service for employers w...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAutismDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to reduce waiting times for autism diagnosis; and what steps he is taking to improve access to diagnostic services for (a) children and (b) adults.
Answer: The Department is currently considering next steps to improve diagnostic assessment and support for autistic people. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of the...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAutismDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10539More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people diagnosed with autism are actively consulted on the support they require by (a) addressing healthcare barriers, (b) improving health outcom
Answer: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines for autism highlight the importance of working in partnership with autistic people and, where appropriate, with their families, partners, and carers. The national framework and operational...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordADHD: Greater ManchesterDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10538More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure ADHD testing is accessible to children in Greater Manchester.
Answer: The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs ...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordHousehold Support Fund: Government AssistanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to deliver a long-term (a) funding settlement and (b) strategy for local crisis support when the Household Support Fund ends in March 2025.
Answer: The Government announced funding to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. As set out by the Chancellor in July, the Government has inherited a number of significant pressures within public...
Answered 18 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBeer and Cider: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 8 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7927More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing draught duty relief for (a) beer and (b) cider served in pubs in Hazel Grove constituency.
Answer: Pubs make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. The Government...
Answered 15 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordComplementary MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing Government oversight of self-regulating acupuncture bodies.
Answer: The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordComplementary Medicine: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7606More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating that acupuncture providers disclose potential (a) risks, (b) side effects and (c) outcomes before treatments.
Answer: The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordComplementary MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to (a) integrate acupuncture practitioners into the broader healthcare system and (b) ensuring their treatments are in alignmen
Answer: The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordComplementary Medicine: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners.
Answer: The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to tackle delays arising from block booking of driving tests; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that such tests can only be booked (a) by and (b) on
Answer: It is not possible to block book car practical driving tests. A driving licence number can only be assigned to one car practical driving test at a time. A survey by The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suggests that only 10% of learner drivers u...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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