Lisa Smart MP: written questions
321 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to improve the (a) timeliness and (b) efficiency of the Environment Agency’s response to pre-application advice requests from (i) Stockport Hydro and (ii) ot
Answer: The Stockport Hydro scheme was licensed by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2011/2012 and there are no current pre-application enquiries or licence applications from them. The Environment Agency has dealt with over 100 pre-application enquiries over the las...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the capacity of rail services to meet levels of demand during (a) parades, (b) football matches and (c) other events.
Answer: The Department requires its train operating companies to use all reasonable endeavours to operate adequate railway passenger services to or from any special events which are not already provided for in the base timetable, including providing an appropriat...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55206More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to expand public campaigns to improve driving safety awareness.
Answer: THINK! is the Government’s flagship road safety campaign. The campaign prioritises budget where it can have most impact, targeting priority issues such as drink driving and speeding and focusing on young men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to b...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBarbecues: Public Spaces Protection OrdersHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55202More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) support and (b) guidance provided to local authorities on the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders to prevent the use of disposable barbecues
Answer: The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (P...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBarbecues: SalesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the voluntary agreement by major retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues within one mile of Nationa
Answer: Defra does not hold this data and has not made an assessment. As the lead department for wildfires, MHCLG encourages the public to follow local advice from their local Fire and Rescue Service, Local Authority and landowners. Officials continue to work alo...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFirst-tier Tribunal: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55098More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays in the (a) processing and (b) hearing of cases at the First-Tier Tribunal.
Answer: This Government inherited a broken justice system with record and rising court backlogs. We are determined to reverse these trends in this Parliament. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) continues to invest in improving tribunal productivity by:Incr...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordOxygen: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England plans to include (a) diver safety organisations and (b) medical experts in future consultations on the national contract for recompression services.
Answer: Last year, NHS England held a public consultation on a revised service specification and changes to commissioning arrangements for hyperbaric oxygen services. This included consideration of the impacts on geographical access to services and traveling time...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordOxygen: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate NHS England has made of average emergency travel times to hyperbaric chambers for cases of suspected decompression illness.
Answer: Last year, NHS England held a public consultation on a revised service specification and changes to commissioning arrangements for hyperbaric oxygen services. This included consideration of the impacts on geographical access to services and traveling time...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordOxygen: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to ensure equitable regional access to hyperbaric treatment services.
Answer: Last year, NHS England held a public consultation on a revised service specification and changes to commissioning arrangements for hyperbaric oxygen services. This included consideration of the impacts on geographical access to services and traveling time...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordOxygen: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England conducted an impact assessment on (a) diver safety and (b) emergency response times before reducing the number of hyperbaric chambers available under the national contract for r
Answer: Last year, NHS England held a public consultation on a revised service specification and changes to commissioning arrangements for hyperbaric oxygen services. This included consideration of the impacts on geographical access to services and traveling time...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Nationality: Greater ManchesterHome OfficeTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's revised guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, on levels of community cohe
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish NationalityHome OfficeTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54440More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who arrived in the UK as child
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish NationalityHome OfficeTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54439More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of UK citizenship applications refused since 10 February 2025 have had entry to the UK by irregular means cited as the reason for refusal.
Answer: The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish NationalityHome OfficeTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the good c
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEmpty Property: Business PremisesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing measures to support the redevelopment of vacant commercial properties into affordable housing
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements, including bringing back into residential use empty homes and the development of under-utilised la...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: FamiliesHome OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52733More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions her Department has had with the charity sector on changes to refugee family reunion rules.
Answer: The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including family reunion, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52732More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, what level of English language proficiency people applying for refugee
Answer: The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including family reunion, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: FamiliesHome OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52731More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to family reunion rules on the number of refugees taking dangerous journeys.
Answer: The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including family reunion, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordParking Offences: FinesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether they will consider introducing a requirement for companies issuing parking tickets by post to use signed-for delivery services in order to provide proof of receipt.
Answer: The government is aware of concerns regarding the poor practises on some parking operators. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a Code of Practice containing guidance about the operation and management of pri...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the time taken to process visa applications.
Answer: Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). UKVI are currently processing appl...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMortgages: CompetitionTreasuryTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52017More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support people in switching to more affordable mortgage products.
Answer: According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the vast majority of borrowers switch within 6 months of the end of an introductory deal. However, the Government understands the challenges facing mortgage borrowers that struggle to switch to new loans...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMortgages: CompetitionTreasuryTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52016More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of homeowners who are unable to switch to a cheaper mortgage due to changes in the (a) lending regulations and (b) policies of their current lender.
Answer: According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the vast majority of borrowers switch within 6 months of the end of an introductory deal. However, the Government understands the challenges facing mortgage borrowers that struggle to switch to new loans...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: SafetyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he expects Ofcom to publish updates on the (a) progress and (b) outcomes of the investigations conducted by the online safety small but risky taskforce.
Answer: The Government has regular meetings with Ofcom on matters relating to online safety, including on how it will enforce against non-compliant providers.Ofcom established the Small but Risky (SBR) task force to address the unique risks posed by these service...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: SafetyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51539More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many online platforms the Ofcom online safety small, but risky, taskforce has engaged with to date.
Answer: The Government has regular meetings with Ofcom on matters relating to online safety, including on how it will enforce against non-compliant providers.Ofcom established the Small but Risky (SBR) task force to address the unique risks posed by these service...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: SafetyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51538More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what criteria is used by Ofcom's online safety small but risky, taskforce to identify which online platforms pose a sufficient risk to warrant (a) engagement, (b) investigation and (c)
Answer: The Government has regular meetings with Ofcom on matters relating to online safety, including on how it will enforce against non-compliant providers.Ofcom established the Small but Risky (SBR) task force to address the unique risks posed by these service...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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