Lisa Smart MP: written questions
579 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Electronic Cigarettes: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77758More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent children from illegally purchasing vapes.
Answer: Selling nicotine vapes to under 18-year-olds is illegal, yet one in four 11 to 15-year-olds tried vaping in 2023. It is unacceptable that vapes are deliberately branded and advertised to appeal to children.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will reduce the appeal...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMultiple Myeloma: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77757More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national cancer plan for England will include targets to improve the diagnosis of myeloma.
Answer: It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve out...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces Parliamentary SchemeMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77236More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is committed to improving performance and reducing delays in processing claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). To achieve this, the Department has introduced several targeted measures: Flexible resource managemen...
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCultural RelationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77235More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to establish an award scheme to recognise people overseas (a) fostering and (b) strengthening cultural links with the United Kingdom.
Answer: We value the many individuals, both British and foreign, who foster cultural links between the UK and other countries. Exceptional and sustained achievements in this area are already recognised through the UK Honours System, including through regular hono...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77234More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of requiring patients with existing ADHD diagnoses from private providers to undergo repeat diagnostic assessments via the NHS in order to access
Answer: It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment and tr...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients with clinically recognised ADHD diagnoses made by qualified private providers who have commenced treatment under GP-supported shared care agreements
Answer: It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment and tr...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Vulnerable AdultsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with local authorities to ensure that social services act quickly following reports of potential grooming of vulnerable adults.
Answer: Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable. The Government makes it clear, in the statutory guidance of the Care Act, that local authorities must ensure that the services they commission are safe, effective, and of high quality.Where a local authority h...
Answered 6 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will respond to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People's report, entitled: Laying Firm Foundations: Financial education in schools and colleges across the UK and the op
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and this response outlines the information for England only.The government welcomes the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People to highlight the importance of financial education.Th...
Answered 18 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMedia: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to include media literacy within the English curriculum as part of the ongoing curriculum review.
Answer: The current English language GCSE curriculum equips students with critical reading and comprehension skills. They learn to identify and interpret themes in diverse texts, read for various purposes, draw inferences, support viewpoints with evidence and ide...
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSuicide: PoliceHome OfficeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of (a) 30 April 2025 to Question 46025 and (b) 24 April 2025 to Question 38415, whether her Department has considered aligning the data collection processes of police forces in
Answer: The Home Office does not collect data from police on calls about suicidal ideation or where an apparent suicide is in progress and has no current plans to do so.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSuicide: InternetDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on enforcing the provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 in relation to small-scale online suicide forums (a) through the Small but Risky Taskforc
Answer: Ofcom is the independent regulator of the Online Safety Act and is responsible for its enforcement. Within the first month of the Act’s illegal content duties coming into effect, Ofcom launched several enforcement programmes to monitor compliance with the...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: MisrepresentationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to introduce additional safeguards to prevent the mislabelling of jobs as apprenticeships.
Answer: Employers are required by law to pay their apprentices the correct rate of the National Minimum Wage. An apprenticeship combines on the job learning and classroom-based learning. Employers cannot call a worker an apprentice if they are not genuinely an ap...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: MisrepresentationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75712More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that individuals who have been paid below the statutory minimum wage in circumstances involving mislabelled apprenticeships are compensated.
Answer: Employers are required by law to pay their apprentices the correct rate of the National Minimum Wage. An apprenticeship combines on the job learning and classroom-based learning. Employers cannot call a worker an apprentice if they are not genuinely an ap...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: MisrepresentationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75711More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to strengthen enforcement powers against employers who misrepresent jobs as apprenticeships in order to (a) pay below the National Minimum Wage and (b) use apprentices as c
Answer: Employers are required by law to pay their apprentices the correct rate of the National Minimum Wage. An apprenticeship combines on the job learning and classroom-based learning. Employers cannot call a worker an apprentice if they are not genuinely an ap...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences: TrialsAttorney GeneralTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75710More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance her Department has provided to the Crown Prosecution Service on communicating with victims of sexual violence about trial (a) delays and (b) adjournments.
Answer: The Attorney General’s Office does not issue operational guidance to the CPS.The CPS has a specific programme of work dedicated to improving communication with victims of crime which includes the introduction of a new Enhanced Service offer for adult vict...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences: TrialsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75709More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trials being repeatedly adjourned on the mental health of victims of sexual violence.
Answer: The Government recognises the impact delays to court processes may have on victims of sexual violence. We are committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness - we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Cour...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences: TrialsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75708More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) protect the rights and (b) support the wellbeing of victims of sexual violence when trials are (i) delayed and (ii) rescheduled.
Answer: The Government recognises the impact delays to court processes may have on victims of sexual violence. We are committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness - we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Cour...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences: TrialsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75707More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal trials involving charges of sexual violence have been adjourned due to insufficient courtroom time in each of the last three years.
Answer: Data on trials that have been adjourned due to insufficient court time is not held by the Ministry of Justice. Related data regarding trial effectiveness can be found here: trials_tool.xlsx.We recognise the impact on victims when trials do not proceed as ...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: TrialsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in bringing historical child sexual violence cases to trial.
Answer: This Government is focused on delivering meaningful change for victims of child sexual violence. In April, we published our plan for responding to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s (IICSA) recommendations.In line with recommendations from ...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to (a) improve and (b) expand the financial education resources available through Oak National Academy to help support schools to provide financial literacy teaching.
Answer: In April last year, Oak National Academy (Oak) launched over 80 new financial education resources to support teachers in delivering high quality lessons and preparing children for life and employment in the modern world. The resources, which cover both pr...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75084More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that teachers receive adequate (a) training and (b) other resources to provide financial education.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21190.
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: Personal, Social, Health and Economic EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to enhance the teaching of financial education within the Personal, Social, Health and Economic curriculum.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75082More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the provision of financial education in schools beyond the mathematics curriculum.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice and Crime Commissioners: Public ExpenditureHome OfficeTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) other related costs for (i) offices and (ii) staff for Police and Crime Commissioners in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Home Office does not provide specific funding for the offices of Police and Crime Commissioners. Core funding for policing is determined annually through the Police Funding Settlement. Total direct funding in 2025-26 is up to £17.6 billion.It is for P...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Digital TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS digital services related to (a) medicine ordering, (b) appointment notifications and (c) other requirements are accessible via standard web br
Answer: NHS Digital services are accessible via standard, modern web browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Pat...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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