Rebecca Smith MP: written questions
165 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Teachers: Part-time EmploymentDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document to require schools to provide part-time teachers with confirmed work schedules before cont
Answer: For most teachers, resignation arrangements, including dates, are set out in the Burgundy Book. This is a national agreement negotiated with employers by the six teachers’ unions. The department has no authority or responsibility for the Burgundy Book. Re...
Answered 25 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTeachers: Part-time EmploymentDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of schools issuing timetables and working patterns after teacher resignation deadlines on part time teachers.
Answer: For most teachers, resignation arrangements, including dates, are set out in the Burgundy Book. This is a national agreement negotiated with employers by the six teachers’ unions. The department has no authority or responsibility for the Burgundy Book. Re...
Answered 25 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: Electric VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2026 to Question 8838, whether her Department has modelled the impact of a heavy goods vehicle zero emission vehicle mandate on (a) haulage costs, (b) food and grocery prices,
Answer: We will conduct a full review of all aspects of any final proposal for regulation.
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordGreater Thameslink Railway: CrewDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11324More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2026 to Question 7116, how many of the planned increase of approximately 75 full-time equivalent drivers are expected to be allocated to (a) Thameslink and (b) Great Northern s
Answer: To boost reliability and punctuality of train services, we are supporting Greater Thameslink Railway in expanding its driver workforce. Of the planned net increase of approximately 75 full-time equivalent drivers across the Thameslink and Great Northern n...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: Operating CostsDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2026 to Question 8838, what estimate her Department has made of the average total cost of ownership of (a) a diesel heavy goods vehicle and (b) an equivalent zero emission heav
Answer: The total cost of ownership is expected to fall over time as vehicle prices decline and battery energy density improves. As these trends continue, battery electric HGVs are projected to become cheaper to operate than diesel across many duty cycles, streng...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: Air PollutionDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2026 to Question 7215 on Railway Stations: Nitrogen Dioxide, from which budgets funding for Air Quality Improvement Plans is drawn where approval is granted at local level.
Answer: Information on the specific budgets used to fund individual Air Quality Implementation Plans (AQIPs) is not held centrally within Network Rail. Funding to deliver AQIP actions is not typically provided as a standalone allocation and is generally planned t...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNetwork Rail: BiodiversityDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2026 to Question 7211 on Network Rail: Biodiversity, what funding provision within the Final Determination covers the preparation and implementation of habitat management plans
Answer: Funding for the preparation and implementation of habitat management plans is not separately identified within the Final Determination, but the work is part of business-as-usual activity within Network Rail’s broader allocations for operations, maintenanc...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: VeteransDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10789More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the Veterans Strategy for social care provision for veterans.
Answer: Currently, no assessment has been made of the adequacy of the Veterans Strategy for social care provision for veterans nor does the Department hold any data on accessing adult social care services for members of the Armed Forces Community.Local authoritie...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: VeteransDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10788More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on access to adult social care services for members of the Armed Forces community in rural areas.
Answer: Currently, no assessment has been made of the adequacy of the Veterans Strategy for social care provision for veterans nor does the Department hold any data on accessing adult social care services for members of the Armed Forces Community.Local authoritie...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHeart Diseases: SurgeryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the gap between NHS England's 2018 commissioning target of 1,000 left atrial appendage occlusion procedures per annum and current delivery.
Answer: Oversight of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) activity and delivery sits with integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS England regional commissioning teams, who work in close collaboration with cardiac networks to monitor activity and equity of access ...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordReligion: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10308More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve subject-specific training in religious education for primary teachers, in the context of evidence from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education that more t
Answer: To gain qualified teacher status (QTS), trainees must demonstrate that they meet all the Teacher’s Standards, including Standard 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge. While the department does not prescribe the curriculum of initial teache...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTeachers: QualificationsDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10307More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what percentage of teaching hours delivered by teachers with no relevant post-A Level qualification is in (a) Physics (b) Religious Education and (c) History, broken down by (i) multi-academy trust and (ii) loc
Answer: Information on the school workforce, including subjects taught in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the School workforce in England statistical publication. The publication is available to view at: https://explore-education-statistics.servic...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the projected £4.555 billion investment associated with the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy is expected to be funded from (a) budgets already allocated to local authorities and (b) add
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to answer UIN 9719 on 18 June.
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10038More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the projected £4.555 billion investment referred to in the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy represents funding which local authorities were due to receive before publication of t
Answer: All of the projected funding referred to in the Third Cycling and Walking Strategy has been announced since July 2024, with the exception of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding which was announced by a previous Government.
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Written QuestionsDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to respond to Question 3597 from the hon. Member for South West Devon.
Answer: Question 3597 was answered on 15 June 2026.
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Written QuestionsDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to respond to Question 919 from the hon. Member for South West Devon.
Answer: Question 919 was answered on 17 June.
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFerries: Northern IrelandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 9 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8284More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department has accounted for the availability of decarbonisation alternatives on Northern Ireland ferry routes when assessing the proportionality of ETS implementation.
Answer: The UK ETS is technology-neutral, incentivising cost-effective decarbonisation. Through UK ETS and policies in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, the Government is providing strategic certainty for investment. For example, backed by NatPower Marine's ...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8188More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to questions 176 to 178 of the oral evidence given to the Transport Committee on 29 April 2026, HC 1593, on Supercharging the EV transition, how many petrol pumps there are in the UK; and how man
Answer: The Department for Transport has produced an estimate of 60,802 for the number of fuel pumps using available industry data. The methodology is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-fuel-pumps-to-electric-vehicle-public-charger...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyTreasuryTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4740More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a visitor levy on (a) the economy, (b) domestic tourism activity and (c) associated business tax revenues.
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy. The Government recognises the important ro...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyTreasuryTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4739More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the tourism and hospitality sector on the potential introduction of a visitor levy.
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy. The Government recognises the important ro...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyTreasuryTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4738More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of international evidence regarding the impact of visitor levies on (a) visitor numbers, (b) local businesses and (c) regional economies.
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy. The Government recognises the important ro...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyTreasuryTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4737More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a visitor levy on (a) South West Devon and (b) other tourism-dependent communities.
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy. The Government recognises the important ro...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Marine SystemsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a sandbox for marine autonomy on innovation and growth among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
Answer: As announced in the King’s Speech, the Regulating for Growth Bill will create cross-economy “sandboxing powers”. The Department for Transport will explore the use of these powers to establish a regulatory sandbox for maritime autonomy. The sandbox is not ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Marine SystemsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders on (a) the location, (b) the timetable for implementation, and (c) the delivery and operational framework for the proposed sandbox for marine autonomy.
Answer: As announced in the King’s Speech, the Regulating for Growth Bill will create cross-economy “sandboxing powers”. The Department for Transport will explore the use of these powers to establish a regulatory sandbox for maritime autonomy. The sandbox is not ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Costs and TaxationTreasuryTabled 20 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3681More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of taxation, energy costs and wider ownership costs on the transition to zero emission vehicles.
Answer: This Government remains fully committed to the EV transition and there are now over 2 million licensed EVs in the UK. The transition to EVs will drive economic growth, help the country meet its climate change obligations, and improve air quality. The most...
Answered 3 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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