David Smith MP: written questions
159 published records · newest first.
Written questions
British NationalityHome OfficeTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the operation of section 3(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981.
Answer: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under review. However, British nationality law is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. There is no power in law to grant British citizenship outs...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish NationalityHome OfficeTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a pathway for British citizens by descent to upgrade citizenship status after a defined period of continuous UK residency.
Answer: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under review. However, British nationality law is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. There is no power in law to grant British citizenship outs...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: HomelessnessDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment eligibility on the number of people qualifying for PIP experiencing homelessness.
Answer: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is there to help people, now and into the future, with the extra costs of living with a disability. PIP is not intended to cover housing costs, which are paid through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, but my departme...
Answered 27 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHeating: Renewable FuelsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Energy of 21 May 2025 to the Scottish Parliament's Economy and Fair Work Committee, what assessment he has made of the potential me
Answer: Renewable liquid fuels are a limited resource, and the Government expects sustainable biomass to be prioritised where there are limited alternatives for decarbonisation. Renewable liquid heating fuels are also much more expensive to use than other heating...
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: ReformDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for reforming education, health and care plans for children with special educational needs; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that children who require additional support in school r
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for North Northumberland, to the answer of 02 June 2025 to Question 54205.
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: British Students AbroadForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57558More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support British students in the United States.
Answer: US Visa policy and immigration issues are a matter for US authorities. We are seeking clarity from US officials, tracking announcements, and keeping our Travel Advice under constant review, to give students that currently study or want to study in the US ...
Answered 18 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: TaxationTreasuryTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57550More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to differentiate between small family businesses and major corporations for overall tax liabilities.
Answer: The Government provides support through the tax system to small businesses in a range of ways.The Small Profits Rate and taper rate mean almost 70% of actively trading companies are taxed at a rate of 19%, with only 10% of businesses paying the full 25%.W...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: North EastDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support local authorities with (a) preventative and (b) early-years support for ECHPs in the North East.
Answer: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.Early interven...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: North EastDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with local authorities to help reduce the time taken for ECHP tribunals to be heard in the North East.
Answer: The department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to help reduce the time families wait for appeal hearings about education, health and care (EHC) plan appeals.MoJ recently recruited 70 new judges and increased administrative staffing b...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordOffice of the Public GuardianMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the safeguards to prevent the misuse of searches of the Office of the Public Guardian Registers by offenders to find the location of their past victims.
Answer: The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) does not provide location information in the results of register searches. The information given is limited to whether a power of attorney, deputyship order or guardianship order is in place, and the scope and natur...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordStrokes: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of stroke-related medicines in Northumberland; and what steps he is taking to ensure the equal provision of medicines across England.
Answer: We are aware of a supply issue affecting aspirin 300 milligram suppositories until late June 2025, which are used outside of their license of pain and inflammation, for their antiplatelet effect after a stroke. We have issued shortage management guidance ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking (a) to ensure the provision of Pfizer vaccines to people who cannot take Moderna and (b) with ICBs which have insufficient supplies of the Pfizer vaccine in North Northumber
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) procures vaccines that have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and are advised for use in COVID-19 booster programmes by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: North EastDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of emergency healthcare in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in the North East.
Answer: Integrated care board are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local communities, including in the North East, as they are best placed to take those decisions.However, more broadly, the Government recognises that urgent and em...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: Workplace PensionsMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the accrual of debt to their pension by divorcing service personnel due to the application of the current actuarial rules on Pension Sharing Orders.
Answer: The legislative basis for Pension Sharing Orders (PSOs) was borne out of the Welfare Reform and Pension Act 1999, which contained provision for the making of PSOs for couples divorcing after 1 December 2000. The legislation is owned by the Department for ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Young PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to (a) measure and (b) report on progress on reducing youth homelessness through the forthcoming homelessness strategy.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term s...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBroadband: North NorthumberlandDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56649More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many newly upgraded mobile masts will be in North Northumberland constituency; and what plans he has to develop the shared rural network in North Northumberland constituency.
Answer: In North Northumberland, there are four government funded Home Office masts that are due to be upgraded as part of the Shared Rural Network. The first of these upgrades at Herdlaw Farm should be activated in July and we will write to you with the details ...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMyanmar: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50725More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of multilateral arms embargos on Myanmar.
Answer: The UK is clear that countries should not sell arms to the Myanmar military as this will exacerbate the violence. We raise our opposition regularly in international fora. In March 2025, the UK co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council Resolution, calling for...
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMyanmar: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50724More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sanctions on imports of aviation fuel on Myanmar.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly reviews the effectiveness and impact of UK sanctions and remains committed to continuing to impose and enforce sanctions, alongside our partners, to constrain the Myanmar military's ability to inf...
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: WarrantiesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the National House Building Council on the effectiveness of its warranty schemes when faults have been identified in new build properties.
Answer: The Deputy Prime Minister has not discussed the effectiveness of its warranty schemes when faults have been identified in new build properties with the National House-Building Council (NHBC).However the department regularly carries out engagement with ind...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Coast Main Line: Energy SupplyDepartment for TransportTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she has made an assessment of the potential merits of an increased power supply on the East Coast Mainline north of Berwick.
Answer: In order to support the planned introduction of the route’s recast timetable in December 2025, Network Rail have conducted detailed route-wide power modelling. Network Rail will continue to undertake similar activity to help inform future plans for East ...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48267More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Great British Railways to ensure equality of access to the rail network for (a) nationalised and (b) open access operators.
Answer: The Government does not believe the current access is working in the best interests of passengers and taxpayers. Our consultation set out proposals for fundamental reform of the access and charging framework under Great British railways, a single directin...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ReformDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to include representatives of the (a) voluntary and (b) charitable sector in the consultation on the proposed welfare reforms.
Answer: We strongly value the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to representative organisations that support them, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and the consultation.The consultation welcomes the vi...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ReformDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the merits of involving the (a) voluntary and (b) charitable sector to support people in need of employment support as part of her Department's proposed welfare reforms.
Answer: We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billio...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCybercrime: North KoreaTreasuryTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47050More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the vulnerabilities of cryptocurrency to North Korean criminals.
Answer: The Government is aware of reporting relating to the recent cyber activity linked to the DPRK, involving the cryptocurrency exchange ByBit. The UK works closely with our allies to deter all malign actors from conducting malicious cyber activity. This incl...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMoney Laundering: North KoreaTreasuryTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47049More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to prevent North Korean cyber criminals laundering stolen funds through UK institutions.
Answer: The Government is aware of reporting relating to the recent cyber activity linked to the DPRK, involving the cryptocurrency exchange ByBit. The UK works closely with our allies to deter all malign actors from conducting malicious cyber activity. This incl...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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