Lisa Smart MP: written questions
242 published records · newest first.
Written questions
TelemedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111918More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that contracts drawn up by telecare services provided by local authority-connected bodies comply with consumer protection legislation, data protection
Answer: Telecare is not a mandatory service for local authorities, but many choose to provide a telecare service due to its benefits. Local authorities are responsible for the contractual terms of telecare services that they provide. All public authorities are re...
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordReport Fraud: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111917More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the performance of the Report Fraud service since its launch in December 2025 including of the (a) average response times to fraud reports, (b) proportion of reports re
Answer: Report Fraud is the new and improved national police reporting service for fraud and cybercrime which replaced the previous Action Fraud service on 4 December 2025.Report Fraud uses the latest technology to enhance the reporting experience and report upda...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPay Television and Telecommunications: Fees and ChargesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111916More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for customers from price rises from telecommunications and subscription television providers; and what steps she is
Answer: The Government supports Ofcom’s strengthened transparency rules, which came into force in January 2025, to ensure consumers know clearly how and when any price changes will occur. These rules require telecoms and Pay TV providers to set out in pounds and ...
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving LicencesDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111915More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of seasonal trends in licence processing through the DVLA including the number and type of decisions, length of time to respond and delays in decision-making; wheth
Answer: No assessment of seasonal or non-seasonal trends of variations in driving licence applications has been made. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. Customers should re...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: HospitalsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of complaints received by NHS Trusts relating to end of life care priorities in hospitals; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a)
Answer: The Department does not hold central estimates of the number of complaints National Health Service trusts receive specifically relating to end‑of‑life care priorities in hospitals. Complaints are managed locally by NHS organisations in line with the Local...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: StockportDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the West Coast Main Line at Stockport; and what steps she is taking to ensure that local rail services are not adversely impacted by th
Answer: We recognise there are capacity constraints on the West Coast Mainline at Stockport. The Rail Minister has asked officials to work with Network Rail and the wider industry to explore options to address this and meet future demand.
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWest Coast Main Line: TrainsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of non-tilting HS2-compatible trains on West Coast Main Line capacity.
Answer: We anticipate the use of non-tilting trains to have no impact on the capacity of the West Coast Mainline. We are currently developing the timetable for when HS2 opens and decisions will made closer to the start of services and will be subject to consultat...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed 2 Line: Compulsory PurchaseDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to extend land powers for the HS2 route between Birmingham and Crewe beyond 10 February 2025; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those powers lapsing on future norther
Answer: The Northern Growth Strategy set out the Government’s intention to ultimately deliver a full North-South new line between Birmingham and Manchester. As part of this announcement, the Government confirmed that its existing land holdings between the West Mi...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInjuries: SurgeryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will review information on the NHS website regarding hamstring injuries to ensure it adequately reflects the potential severity of hamstring avulsion injuries and the possible nee
Answer: Decisions on the need for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in the case of hamstring avulsion injuries are clinically led. The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of the relevant guidance.The hamstring injury page on the NHS.UK webs...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMagnetic Resonance ImagersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108347More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase MRI scanning capacity in the NHS.
Answer: We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including investment in new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. This will ...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInjuries: Magnetic Resonance ImagersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of guidance for NHS trusts on the urgent provision of MRI scans for patients with hamstring avulsion injuries.
Answer: Decisions on the need for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in the case of hamstring avulsion injuries are clinically led. The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of the relevant guidance.The hamstring injury page on the NHS.UK webs...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: InjuriesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that clinicians in emergency and urgent care settings receive adequate training in the recognition and management of hamstring avulsion injuries.
Answer: Regulated healthcare professionals need to meet the standards of proficiency, conduct, and performance set by the relevant professional regulator, which are independent of the Government. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure their st...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPsychiatry: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107203More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the amount of hours of training that newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists have to complete before being eligible to work in the NHS.
Answer: It is the responsibility of individual employers to set any specific requirements for their roles and to ensure staff meet patient safety, clinical quality, and professional competence.
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPsychiatry: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107202More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to a) make the Psychotherapeutic Counselling Core pilot training pathway permanent and b) increase the number of places available through the pathway.
Answer: The Psychotherapeutic Counselling Core training pathway is no longer a pilot and is a part of NHS England’s regular commissioning cycle for the education and training programmes. There are no plans to increase the number of training places on the Psychoth...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106644More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure parity of funding and service provision between physical health services and mental health services.
Answer: We are committed to giving mental health the same attention and focus as physical health. We know that, for people living with severe mental illness, life expectancy is 15 to 20 years shorter than that for the general population.As the Medium-Term Plannin...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106643More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of progress towards ensuring that all areas have a commissioned 24/7 community mental health crisis service; and what steps he is taking to support areas
Answer: While no such specific assessment has been made, integrated care boards, supported by regions, should maintain full 24/7 community mental health crisis coverage.To strengthen access to urgent mental health support, anyone in England experiencing a mental ...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCourier Services: BloodDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an estimate of the (a) number of local authorities which have exempted blood bikes from the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, (b) cost of those exemptions individually and (c) savings from
Answer: Local authorities cannot extend the speed exemption in section 87 of The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to ‘Blood Bikes’ or any other class of vehicle. Like the exemptions to red traffic lights and keep left / right signs in The Traffic Signs, Regulatio...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCourier Services: BloodDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106407More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there has been any consideration given to designating blood bikes within the exemptions to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, under section 87.
Answer: There are no plans to give ‘blood bikes’ any road traffic exemptions or warning equipment. ‘Blood bikes’ provide a valuable courier service to the NHS, but they do not respond to emergencies and are not an emergency service. NHS Blood and Transplant provi...
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: NationalisationDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the nationalisation of Northern Rail on punctuality, reliability, and frequency of service; and whether any improvements have been identi
Answer: My Department has regular discussions with Northern Trains, as with all publicly owned operators, to ensure it remains focused on reducing train service cancellations and providing a reliable, predictable train service for customers. As part of this, we s...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStepping Hill Hospital: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106357More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the repairs backlog at Stepping Hill Hospital on patient care and waiting times; and if he will make an estimate of th
Answer: We have inherited a broken National Health Service, with many hospitals in a state of disrepair, and patients unable to access the care they need. We recognise that hospitals across the country, including Stepping Hill, have challenging and poor-quality i...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAdoption: Self-employedDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103944More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of local authorities which voluntarily provide support for self-employed adoptive parents in each of the last five years.
Answer: The department does not collect information from local authorities or regional adoption agencies on the extent to which they provide voluntary support for self-employed adoptive parents.
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDental Services: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103943More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the places intended to be filled by the Government's Golden Hello Scheme for NHS dentists have been, and what work the Government will be doing with local ICBs to ensure that they hit m
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are continuing to recruit dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. The scheme offers a £20,000 recruitment incentive payment to dentists to work in those areas that need them most. The scheme remains a national priority.Gold...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad Works: Road Traffic ControlDepartment for TransportTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of promoting zipper merging at roadworks to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.
Answer: The Department for Transport works closely with local authorities to encourage effective traffic management during highway works, ensuring disruption to road users is kept to a minimum. Local authorities are responsible for determining the most appropriat...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDementia: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102929More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reimburse or provide financial support to families of dementia patients who are required to pay for care while local authorities consider their applications f
Answer: Local authorities are responsible for assessing individuals’ care and support needs and, where eligible, for meeting those needs, as set out in the Care Act 2014.The Care and Support Statutory Guidance states that “an assessment should be carried out over...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNew Homes OmbudsmanMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a mechanism allowing councils to insist that property developers are registered with the New Homes Ombudsman to make development applications.
Answer: The government expects all housebuilders to deliver high-quality homes and to swiftly resolve issues if and when things go wrong. We have committed to working with the devolved administrations to implement a statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman that deve...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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