Lisa Smart MP: written questions
242 published records · newest first.
Written questions
General Practitioners: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of additional fully qualified full-time equivalent GPs required in England to restore the GP-to-patient ratio to 2015 levels.
Answer: The number of patients per full time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified general practitioner (GP) was 1,938 in September 2015 compared to 2,133 in January 2026, including GPs employed by primary care networks. To reach the same number of patients per fully ...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the accessibility and clarity of NHS information for patients navigating care pathways across primary and secondary care.
Answer: A revised Accessible Information Standard (AIS) was published on 1 July 2025 and can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/accessible-information-standard/ The revised standard requires those staff in relevant communication and inform...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDoctors: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the pathways used by other Common Travel Area countries to enable qualified medical professionals from outside the EEA
Answer: No assessment has been made by the Department of the potential policy implications of the pathways used by other Common Travel Area countries to enable qualified medical professionals from outside the European Economic Area to practise medicine in the Uni...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordInfant Mortality: Bereavement CounsellingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to address regional disparities in NHS mental health support for bereaved parents following pregnancy or baby loss; and if she will issue national standards for
Answer: The Government recognises that the experience of losing a baby or pregnancy loss can be very difficult for parents and families.Mental health services are available in all areas of England for women who experience mental health difficulties during, or due...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: CurriculumDepartment for EducationTabled 24 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 908037More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support teachers to deliver effective financial education in the new national curriculum.
Answer: The government is committed to strengthening pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship following the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review's final report in November 2025. From budgeting to unde...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: InsolvencyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer redress options for customers with unresolved complaints against energy suppliers that have entered administration.
Answer: There are two routes through which energy suppliers enter administration. Where a supplier enters a special administration, they continue to hold a licence and to be regulated by Ofgem, including ensuring that consumers have access to redress. Where a sup...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDomestic Abuse Protection OrdersMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what evaluation criteria he is using to assess the impact of the Domestic Abuse Protection Order pilot on people against whom orders are sought.
Answer: Domestic Abuse Protection Order Notices and Orders (DAPNs and DAPOs) have been piloted in selected areas since November 2024, and are being fully evaluated, which will help to inform implementation as the orders are rolled out across England and Wales.Reo...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBuildings: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112912More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that residents are not left liable for the costs of remediating fire safety defects caused by developer failures and regulatory weak
Answer: Government has introduced caps for most leaseholders to limit their exposure to building safety costs and worked with industry such that fifty-three developers have, as of 31 October 2025, agreed to fix or pay to fix 2,497 buildings in England with life-c...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: CorrespondenceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of changes to Royal Mail's Universal Service Obligation on the delivery of time-critical NHS correspondence.
Answer: Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has made changes to the obligations imposed on Royal Mail to push the business to improve reliability across all types of postal deliveries.The government recognises the importance of delivery of tim...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFamily Courts: ReformMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to reform the family court system; and whether such reforms will include strengthening enforcement powers where child arrangement orders have been breached.
Answer: This Government is committed to reform of the family court to improve the experiences of, and outcomes for, children and families. Central to this is the expansion of the private law Pathfinder model, which amplifies the voice of the child through a Child...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Licences: HealthDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112860More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers are reliant on Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to continue driving while awaiting a medical licensing decision from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated will deliver significant improvements, including improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased ...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Licences: HealthDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to process medical driving licence applications since the introduction of its new casework syst
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated will deliver significant improvements, including improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased ...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112319More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what mechanisms are in place to help facilitate Parliamentary scrutiny of contracts awarded for the administration of public sector pension schemes; and how value for money and performance are monitored once suc
Answer: Details of Government contracts over £12,000 are published online primarily to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in the expenditure of public money. Ministers and senior officials regularly appear before parliamentary committees as an inte...
Answered 9 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPensions Ombudsman: StandardsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112317More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Pensions Ombudsman operating on a voluntary basis, in the context of (a) its statutory responsibilities and (b) its role in resolving pension di
Answer: We have interpreted this question as being about complaints that are resolved through The Pension Ombudsman’s (TPO) Resolution Service (RS). TPO operates independently to deliver its statutory responsibilities. Its RS includes 22 employed pension speciali...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: Workplace PensionsTreasuryTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112315More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in the speed of implementation of the McCloud remedy across public service pension schemes; and what steps are being taken to ensure consistent and timely
Answer: Scheme managers of the individual public service pension schemes are responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of the McCloud delivery to affected members. This is a complex and wide-ranging exercise. The amount of progress that has been made varies...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTreasury: Pensions OmbudsmanTreasuryTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112314More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether officials from HM Treasury who are providing support to the pensions Ombudsman have any involvement in the investigation of complaints concerning pension schemes for which HM Treasury has policy responsibili
Answer: No officials from HM Treasury are currently seconded to The Pensions Ombudsman and therefore there is no involvement of HM Treasury officials in its casework.
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Lottery: LicensingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is her planned timescale for further reviewing reform of annual society lottery licence limits.
Answer: Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We want to see them continue to thrive, alongside the National Lottery.On 26 June 2025, the Government announced it w...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordIncome Tax and National InsuranceTreasuryTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112274More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department will asses the impact of changes to income tax and national insurance, monitored through information collected from tax receipts, as referenced in Income Tax: Maintaining the Personal Allowance a
Answer: HMRC monitor the receipts of all taxes monthly through the Tax receipt and National Insurance Contributions publication. Revenue estimates from, and individuals impacted by, maintaining thresholds are set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility in the...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSewage: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to analyse the forthcoming annual sewage discharge data to identify differences in company performance before and after the Water (Special Measures) Act 2
Answer: Pollution incidents from the activities of the water industry are unacceptable and can have a devastating impact on our environment. The water industry must do more to reduce pollution and protect our rivers, lakes and seas. As part of the Water (Special ...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112272More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of DVLA's new casework system on processing times and the number of cases that have not been processed.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is rolling out a new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated. This will deliver significant improvements, including improved turnaround times, increased...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSpeed LimitsDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has conducted analysis of 20mph zones introduced across different localities in England comparing their impact on number of incidents, serious injuries and fatalities; and whether her Dep
Answer: The Department’s comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits was published on 22 November 2018. It substantially strengthened the evidence base on perceptions, speeds and early outcomes associated with 20mph speed limits....
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSpeed Limits: CamerasDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112270More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she will update Circular 01/2007 on speed camera guidance.
Answer: As outlined in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance, including Circular 1/007 ‘The use of speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement: guidance on deployment, visibility and signing’. The update is u...
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112269More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Dft 1-985, what progress she has made towards implementation of targets for Road Safety and the methods for monitoring of these targets in the long-term.
Answer: In November 2025, we published research and analysis on “Effectiveness of targets for road safety” which can be found here: Effectiveness of targets for road safety - GOV.UK. The evidence suggests that targets play a role in reducing fatalities, but their...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: Crimes of ViolenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111920More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of violence prevention measures in accident and emergency departments; and what steps she is taking to help improve the safety of NHS staff working in A
Answer: Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work, including those working in accident and emergency settings providing rapid and critical care.Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of thei...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTelemedicine: ComplaintsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111919More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance her Department provides on the complaints and redress routes available to vulnerable patients who have concerns about the contractual terms of telecare services to which they are refe
Answer: By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints, and anyone who has seen or experienced poor-quality care has the right to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.Telecare i...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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