Samantha Niblett MP: written questions
147 published records · newest first.
Written questions
General PractitionersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to enable all day booking at GP surgeries.
Answer: The 2025/26 GP Contract has been updated to give patients the right to access help electronically, including requesting appointments, throughout the duration of core practice hours.All practices in England are required to offer online and video consultati...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: Public BodiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to abolish (a) Primary Care Support England and (b) any other NHS organisations, in the context of the abolition of NHS England.
Answer: Work is progressing at pace to map functions, appraise options, and inform decision making on where NHS England’s functions will best sit.There are important choices to be made, and ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executiv...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is available for young people where a temporary break in post 16 education due to mental health leads to the removal of the child and disability element of Universal Credit.
Answer: There is no guidance available for the young person, however, their parent or guardian who loses the child element and any disabled child addition payable can speak to colleagues in their local Jobcentre or use their UC Journal to ask about how a temporar...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support Ukrainians whose visas are due to expire without automatic renewal.
Answer: The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the ...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46302More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting t...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Energy Performance CertificatesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that purchasers are not financially disadvantaged by incorrect EPC certificates.
Answer: The Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2012 place a duty on accreditation schemes to ensure that Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are produced in a consistent and accurate manner and the energy assessors are suitably qualified and experienc...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLevetiracetamDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 40872 on Epilepsy: Drugs, what steps he is taking to support patients whose neurologist has specified that Levetiracetam must come from Millfarm.
Answer: The Department is not aware of any supply issues with levetiracetam tablets from the manufacturer, Milpharm. Pharmacies can obtain stocks from their usual wholesalers.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEpilepsy: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the availability of (a) Levetiracetam and (b) other medications in the supply chain.
Answer: The Department is aware that some manufacturers of levetiracetam tablets are facing supply issues. However, alternative suppliers can fully support the market during this time.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39778More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to ensure a multi-year funding agreement for social care to cover the full cost of care and enable care providers to plan long term.
Answer: From 2026/27, we want to fundamentally improve the way we fund councils and direct funding to where it is most needed through the first multi-year settlement in 10 years. This will provide greater long-term certainty for local authorities and will enable ...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances benefits are paid to foreign nationals.
Answer: It is the expectation of the Government that, in general, migrants coming to the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to ‘public funds’ (such as Universal Credit). Access to benefits flows from an individual’s immigrat...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMirtazapineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available to patients where tapering off of Mirtazapine has been unsuccessful and subsequently they find themselves taking a drug that they know is causing them harm.
Answer: NHS England encourages integrated care boards (ICBs) to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop prescribed medicines that can cause dependence and withdrawal.In March 2...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to encourage Integrated Care Boards to commission Referral Management Systems to reduce the significant time taken by primary care in chasing secondary care referrals and appointm
Answer: The Government is committed to cutting waiting times for secondary care appointments, which in turn should minimise the time that general practitioners spend chasing referrals. As a first step, we have seen the waiting list reduce by over 190,000 and have...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the The Getting It Right First Time programme.
Answer: The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a national NHS England programme designed to improve treatment and care by reviewing health services in England.The GIRFT team is working with systems and regions to help the National Health Service emb...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPre-school Education: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to support early years providers with increases in employer National Insurance contributions.
Answer: This government has had to take some tough decisions to get public finances back on track, but we are continuing to invest in the early years sector, supporting the delivery of expanded childcare entitlements and recognising the vital role the sector play...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: EU CountriesHome OfficeTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to enter a reciprocal agreement with the EU to enable visa-free travel entry for six months to EU Member States for UK citizens.
Answer: Article 492 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement already provides for the UK and the EU provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits in respect of their nationals in accordance with their domestic law.
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnology: EqualityDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36913More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support the technology industry in adopting data-led practices to improve diversity in the sector; and whether the Department plans to support an industry div
Answer: The Government is committed to promoting diversity in the tech sector and is doing so in a number of ways. DSIT is supporting the Tech Future Taskforce on Social Mobility, which includes helping companies to collect and act upon data to promote tech workf...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving under Influence: ReoffendersDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing drink driving laws in ensuring that repeat offenders cannot reoffend.
Answer: There is a High-Risk Offender (HRO) scheme for those who have been disqualified by a Court for 2 or more drink driving offences within a 10 year period. Currently, the practical consequence of becoming a drink drive HRO is that the driver’s licence is not...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has issued guidance on the adequate travel distance for accessing out of hours pharmacy provision.
Answer: Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment every three years, to assess whether their population is adequately served, and keep these assessments under review. These assessments inform integrated care boards (ICBs) when ...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSustainable Farming Incentive: Legumes and Pulses and SeedsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to allow payments for farmers to grow home grown (a) pulses and (b) legumes as protein sources as SFI.
Answer: The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays farmers and land managers to carry out actions that support the sustainable production of food and boost farm productivity and resilience, while protecting and enhancing the environment. Within SFI there are ex...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: Mental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme Consultation removes the right to choose for families with ADHD.
Answer: The proposed 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme does not remove a patient’s right to choose. The Government is committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Feb 2025WithdrawnUIN 29869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for the third round of the (a) slurry infrastructure and (b) water management grants.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordWater: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide grants to farmers for rainwater harvesting.
Answer: We are committed to supporting all farming sectors to increase levels of productivity whilst increasing their sustainability and resilience. We are looking carefully at how to position further investment and support to enable the delivery of this Governme...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGurkhas: PensionsMinistry of DefenceTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on granting retrospective pension arrangements to Gurkha veterans who served in the armed forces.
Answer: The Government greatly values the contribution that Gurkhas make in support of the UK’s security and defence and takes its responsibilities to our Gurkha veterans very seriously. The legal basis for Gurkha pensions has been upheld by three Judicial Review...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release GP reforms to cut red tape and bring back family doctor, published on 20 December 2024, whether GPs will be able to determine how to spend the addit
Answer: On 20 December 2024, we announced a proposed £889 million uplift for general practice (GP) in 2025/26 and set out the proposed areas of reform which will help us to deliver on our commitments. This is the largest uplift to GP funding in years and means we...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordVaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28712More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 27349 on Vaccination, what steps his Department is taking to ensure contemporaneous vaccine delivery across all regions.
Answer: NHS England is responsible for the operational delivery of the vaccination programmes, including the respiratory syncytial virus programme, in line with recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and considering local...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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