Lisa Smart MP: written questions
321 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Windrush CommissionerHome OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41567More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the the independence of the Windrush Commissioner in terms of (a) appointment, (b) resourcing and (c) reporting mechanisms.
Answer: The Windrush Commissioner will be a public appointee, operating independently of the Home Office to serve as an advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal. They will provide indep...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWindrush CommissionerHome OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41566More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Windrush Commissioner will have the authority to compel responses from government departments or agencies in the course of their work.
Answer: The Windrush Commissioner will be a public appointee, operating independently of the Home Office to serve as an advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal. They will provide indep...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWindrush CommissionerHome OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41565More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what metrics will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Windrush Commissioner in assuring delivery of the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Answer: The Windrush Commissioner will be a public appointee, operating independently of the Home Office to serve as an advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal. They will provide indep...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWindrush CommissionerHome OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Windrush Commissioner will have (a) statutory powers of investigation and (b) access to Home Office data to fulfil their role independently.
Answer: The Windrush Commissioner will be a public appointee, operating independently of the Home Office to serve as an advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal. They will provide indep...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArts: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40834More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13614 on Arts: Finance, what progress her Department has made on ensuring that artists and creators are appropriately remunerated for the us
Answer: This government is committed to ensuring that all creators receive the recognition, respect, and fair compensation they rightfully deserve for their work, while also fostering an environment that enables the creative industries to flourish, innovate, and ...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMusic Venues: Greater ManchesterDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40833More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support grassroots music venues in Greater Manchester.
Answer: The government is urging the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector. We welcome steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribu...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Working HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40832More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of four-day working weeks.
Answer: While the government continues to monitor the impact of flexible working, it has made no assessment of the four-day week specifically. Additionally, the government has no plans to mandate a four-day week, however, through the Employment Rights Bill we are...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Greater ManchesterDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40831More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase recruitment in NHS mental health services in Greater Manchester.
Answer: As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers nationally to reduce wait times and provide faster treatment. To ensure the NHS has the right people, in the ri...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Visual ImpairmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support visually impaired people in the workplace.
Answer: Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. The DWP & DHSC are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, inc...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordParental Leave: ReviewsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress has been made on the upcoming parental leave review; and if he will make a statement.
Answer: The government has committed to review the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families. Planning work is underway across government. Details of the timeline of the review will be shared in due course.
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordParental Leave: ReviewsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned timetable for when the review of the parental leave system will report.
Answer: The government has committed to review the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families. Planning work is underway across government. Details of the timeline of the review will be shared in due course.
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordParental Leave: ReviewsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40368More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on the upcoming parental leave review; and if he will make a statement.
Answer: The government has committed to review the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families. Planning work is underway across government. Details of the timeline of the review will be shared in due course.
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: Furniture PovertyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40318More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Child Poverty Taskforce on (a) furnished tenancies and (b) the potential impact of the Decent Homes Standard on trends in the levels of f
Answer: The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors. The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: FurnitureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40317More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to update the Decent Homes Standard to provide for at least 10 per cent of homes for social rent to be offered furnished.
Answer: The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors. The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: NursesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will increase the number of dementia specialist nurses working in transitions of care roles.
Answer: The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs)...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordContinuing CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the future of NHS continuing healthcare will form part of the scope of the (a) NHS 10-year Health Plan for England and (b) Casey Commission.
Answer: We have committed to developing a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. It will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs.The independent commission...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordConditions of EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40277More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of companies closing and subsequently setting up a new similar company, with the result of (a) job losses, (b) workplace bullying and (c)
Answer: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced new measures to help combat ‘phoenixing’ - when a director dissolves a company to avoid debts or other responsibilities, to then set up another similar company. The accompanying impact asse...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCompany LiquidationsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce stricter limits on the number of businesses that an individual can (a) incorporate and (b) manage after multiple company liquidation
Answer: Company and insolvency law already provides relevant authorities with the ability to investigate the conduct of directors of liquidated companies and to act upon misconduct. Imposing prescriptive prohibitions risks penalising the innocent and we have no p...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCompany LiquidationsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to improve regulatory oversight of company directors with a history of multiple liquidations.
Answer: Company and insolvency law already provides relevant authorities with the ability to investigate the conduct of directors of liquidated companies and to act upon misconduct. Imposing prescriptive prohibitions risks penalising the innocent and we have no p...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39622More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to review the application of (a) National Insurance contributions and (b) home responsibilities protection in cases where an individual was contracted out of the Additio
Answer: Before 6 April 2016, people were able to contract-out of the Additional State Pension. For the years they were contracted-out, they would be entitled to the basic State Pension only. When assessing State Pension eligibility under both the pre-2016 and new...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: AssessmentsDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39621More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes made by exam boards on pupils (a) with SEND and (b) with poor working memory.
Answer: It is vital that students with special educational needs and disabilities can access exams and assessments without disadvantage. The Equality Act 2010 requires exam boards to make reasonable adjustments where a student with disabilities would be at a subs...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnglish Language and Mathematics: GCSEDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) GCSE and (b) equivalent assessments in (i) Mathematics and (ii) English prioritise the evaluation of students' analytical and problem-solving skills.
Answer: High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Re...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39619More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for children born in the UK to parents with refugee status to make a separate asylum claim to obtain refugee status on people wi
Answer: Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s bes...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39618More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce an (a) expedited and (b) automatic process for granting refugee status to children born in the UK to parents with existing refugee status.
Answer: Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s bes...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39617More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the requirement for children born in the UK to parents with refugee status making separate asylum claims to obtain refugee status on
Answer: Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s bes...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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