Julian Smith MP: written questions
79 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Civil Proceedings: FinanceMinistry of JusticeTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 901382More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on bringing forward legislative proposals on litigation funding agreements.
Answer: Litigation funding helps level the playing field, enabling individuals and small businesses to pursue claims against well-resourced opponents. We are pursuing the earliest legislative vehicle to deliver reforms that mitigate the effects of PACCAR by resto...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordSmoking: Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27451More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data sources her Department is using to assess whether smoking prevalence among people aged 14 to 30 years is on track to reach the modelled level of near-zero by 2050; and whether she has pla
Answer: The Department used a range of data sources to estimate and model smoking prevalence among those aged 14 to 30 years old. The main data sources used were Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England by NHS England Digital, Adult smoking ha...
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordCancer: ConsultantsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Action 25 of the National Cancer Plan, which NHS trusts have been identified as requiring additional oncology training places; and what proportion of those areas are in rural vers
Answer: Reducing inequalities in cancer care is a priority for this Government. As part of the National Cancer Plan for England, the Government committed to creating additional training places for cancer consultants in areas with the greatest workforce need, incl...
Answered 22 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPatients: TransportDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27449More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for each of the last five financial years, what data is available on the uptake of a) the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service, and b) the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme among patients living in
Answer: No data is centrally held on the uptake of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service provision. The following table shows the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’s uptake over the last five financial years:2021/2212,7632022/2313,8172023/2412,9302024/2510,3152025...
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Inclusion Innovation FundDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund funding allocated to each region in England.
Answer: The £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund funded over 80 projects across all nine regions of England, helping people get online safely and with confidence. Funding was distributed broadly evenly across the regions, with each receiving between 10...
Answered 16 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Inclusion Innovation Fund: Rural AreasDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of successful Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund grant applicants were located in rural areas.
Answer: The £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund funded over 80 projects across all nine regions of England, helping people get online safely and with confidence. Funding was distributed broadly evenly across the regions, with each receiving between 10...
Answered 16 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20011More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the improvement of water companies’ developer services.
Answer: For the current Price Review period (PR24) Ofwat introduced a new incentive of ‘developer services measure of experience’, and water companies now face financial and reputational penalties for underperforming in this area.https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/wp-conte...
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Supply: InfrastructureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that water companies do not delay (a) housing developments, and (b) commercial developments as a result of a failure to upgrade relevant infrastructu
Answer: The Government is ensuring water infrastructure supports housing delivery and environmental resilience. Water companies have a statutory duty to maintain secure water supplies and must plan for future housing through their Water Resources Management Plans...
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026Awaiting answerUIN 20009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that housing developments are not delayed by the failure of utility companies to (a) build and (b) upgrade the necessary infrastructure.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the quality of autism assessments on demand for reassessments.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that all autism assessments result in a detailed report of the assessment, to allow sufficient evidence for a second opinion.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Social Care Excellence recommendation of an autism assessment within 3 months of referral is fulfilled.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20005More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of face-to-face rather than remote autism assessments on the quality of such assessments.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging autism assessment providers to conduct face-to-face autism assessments.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20003More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that autism assessments are a) comprehensive and b) completed in a timely manner.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20002More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of the national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services (2023) on a) the quality of autism assessments and b) the average waitin
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20001More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a system of quality control for autism assessments.
Answer: The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Controlled BurningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 20000More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including controlled burning for wildfire prevention as part of the definition of favourable conservation status for blanket b
Answer: The 2025 Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for Blanket Bog describes conditions in which blanket bog thrives across its natural range. It states that both prescribed burning and wildfire can damage blanket peat hydrology. Fully functioning blan...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHeather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the licencing system under the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.
Answer: This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustain...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Controlled BurningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement visits relating to suspected breaches of heather burning regulations have been undertaken in the last 12 months; what the average cost to the Department was of con
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting England’s peatlands. The Heather and Grass Burning Regulations establish a licensing regime for burning on protected peatland with a peat depth of more than 30cm. Suspected breaches of the Regulations are subject ...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Controlled BurningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the scientific evidence on the environmental impacts of managed heather burning on deep peat; and whether it has commissioned any inde
Answer: This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustain...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Controlled BurningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on land managers of the change in the peat-depth threshold used for regulating heather burning from 40 centimetres to 30
Answer: This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustain...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Controlled BurningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to officials conducting inspections of land subject to allegations of unauthorised heather burning; and how many cases in the last two years have
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting England’s peatlands. The Heather and Grass Burning Regulations establish a licensing regime for burning on protected peatland with a peat depth of more than 30cm. Suspected breaches of the Regulations are subject ...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordStatutory Sick PayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory sick pay rebate for businesses.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 July 2026 to Question UIN 17890.
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordStatutory Sick PayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 19993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of the availability of statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness absence on trends in the levels of employment, specific
Answer: Prior to the introduction of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) reforms, the Government published an impact assessment which can be found at Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period. The Government wi...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament record
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