Cat Smith MP: written questions 2024
70 published records · newest first.
Written questions
ADHD: MethylphenidateDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability at pharmacies of methylphenidate medication for people with ADHD.
Answer: The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level.The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEpilepsy: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of anti-convulsant medicines to control epilepsy.
Answer: The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with s...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBicycles: SalesDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an estimate of the average economic benefit of buying a bicycle to (a) an individual and (b) society.
Answer: The Department has not made an estimate of the economic value of buying a bicycle. A report by Transport for Quality of Life, titled ‘The UK cycle industry: current economic and employment benefits and its decarbonisation-driven growth potential’ publishe...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBicycles: Voucher SchemesDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6302More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled The cycling opportunity, published by Sustrans on 11 September 2024.
Answer: The Department welcomes the findings of this research and will consider its recommendations carefully as we develop our future plans for active travel.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5331More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have deferred their State Pension.
Answer: It is not possible to estimate the overall number of people who have deferred their State Pension, because we do not know who has deferred until they make their claim for it. In May 2023, there were 138,872 people who had made a deferred claim for their N...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to increase pay in the further education sector.
Answer: The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE), and the FE sector does not have a Pay Review Body (PRB). Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers and are free to implement their own pa...
Answered 18 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordBottles: PlasticsHome OfficeTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the aim of the Bottle Stop campaign to ensure that all bottles in clubs and bars are plastic instead of glass.
Answer: The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol in licensed premises across England and Wales and devolves decision-making to local licensing authorities.The Government publishes guidance for licensing authorities to assist them in carryin...
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with representatives from the farming sector to support people with mental health issues in rural communities.
Answer: As set out in the NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance for 2024/25, NHS England is continuing to expand access to mental health services, to increase the number of people accessing mental health support. Integrated care boards are responsible ...
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to help ensure mental health services are accessible to patients in rural communities.
Answer: As set out in the NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance for 2024/25, NHS England is continuing to expand access to mental health services, to increase the number of people accessing mental health support. Integrated care boards are responsible ...
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordSudan: Armed ConflictForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to use the UK's position as penholder for Sudan at the UN Security C Council to press for (a) a ceasefire before peace talks in August, (b) adhere
Answer: On 13 June, the UK successfully led a UNSC resolution calling for an immediate de-escalation in El Fasher and full, unimpeded humanitarian access, including the reopening of the Adre border crossing. It also requested that the Secretary-General provide re...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordSudan: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with humanitarian groups and partners in Sudan to provide (a) humanitarian aid and (b) support for (i) food systems and (ii) local agricul
Answer: The UK is working with international partners, including UN agencies, other donors and NGOs, to improve and increase the delivery of aid into Sudan. UK ODA to Sudan nearly doubled this year to £97m, with the vast majority of this funding going to humanita...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1508More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 210, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the fiscal circumstances within which the level
Answer: The Foreign Secretary and Chancellor regularly discuss a wide range of issues. This Government is committed to restoring ODA spending at the level of 0.7 per cent of GNI as soon as fiscal circumstances allow and will set out its approach to the House in d...
Answered 1 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordAnimal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1286More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to launch a consultation on which activities should be banned from being (a) advertised and (b) offered for sale under the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities
Answer: The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of a future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. Future decisions on the nex...
Answered 30 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish her Department's response to the consultation entitled Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper, published in April 2024.
Answer: The consultation on the Modernising Support Green Paper closed on Monday 22 July. Over 16,000 responses have been received and we will review these responses. The proposals in this Green Paper were developed by the previous government. We will be consider...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPuberty Suppressing HormonesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 92More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with (a) young trans young people and (b) their families to discuss the prescription of puberty blockers for the treatment of gender incongruence.
Answer: The emergency banning order limiting the sale or supply of puberty blockers against private or non-United Kingdom prescriptions allows a child under 18 years old, who was already on a course of treatment with Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues befo...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordGender Dysphoria: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 91More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential risks of harm being caused by restrictions on puberty blockers for treatments of gender incongruence.
Answer: The emergency banning Order, restricting the sale or supply of puberty blockers, was introduced by the previous Government. The Order enables those who were already on a course of treatment with Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues, before 3 June 202...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPuberty Suppressing HormonesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 90More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timetable is for the clinical trial being conducted on the use of puberty blockers for the treatment of gender incongruence.
Answer: The expert Cass Review, which is one of the most comprehensive reviews of gender identity services for children and young people to date, states that the rationale for early puberty suppressing hormones to treat gender dysphoria is unclear and the effects...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPuberty Suppressing HormonesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 89More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the UK’s position on the prescription of puberty blockers for the treatment of gender incongruence with that of other European countries.
Answer: The Cass Review is one of the most comprehensive reviews of gender identity services for children and young people to date worldwide.The Cass review included an assessment of evidence from other countries and concluded that there was a lack of evidenced-b...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPuberty Suppressing HormonesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 88More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that those proscribed puberty blockers for the treatment of gender incongruence will continue to receive them.
Answer: The emergency banning order limiting the sale or supply of puberty blockers against private or non-United Kingdom prescriptions allows a child under 18 years old, who was already on a course of treatment with Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues befo...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPuberty Suppressing HormonesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 87More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of restricting puberty blockers for the treatment of gender incongruence on the (a) physical and (b) mental health of young trans peo
Answer: The emergency banning Order, restricting the sale or supply of puberty blockers, was introduced by the previous Government. The Order enables those who were already on a course of treatment with Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues, before 3 June 202...
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament record
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