Every parliamentary written question tabled by Lisa Smart this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 121–140 of 544 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for the adoption of (a) highways and (b) drainage infrastructure on completed housing developments.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 81305 on 24 October 2025.
Whether she plans to update guidance for police forces on the investigation of (a) false and (b) malicious allegations as potential criminal offences.
Section 5 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 sets out that wasting police time is a criminal offence, which includes by knowingly making a false report.Furthermore, the Common Law offence of perverting the course of justice could also be considered by police and the Crown Prosecution Service when investigating and making a decision on whether an offence has been committed.The Home Office has no plans to amend or update any existing guidance in use by police in relation to these matters.
What assessment he has made of the impact of waiting times at the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Chamber) on claimants’ financial wellbeing.
Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.The Ministry of Justice is working to reduce the outstanding caseload across the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which includes the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction. This is key to reducing the waiting time for tribunal hearings.The Department continues to invest in improving tribunal capacity and productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. We expect these actions to have a positive effect, improving timeliness and overall performance in the Social Entitlement Chamber.The Ministry of Justice has not conducted assessments of the impact of tribunal waiting times on claimants but we recognise the potential negative impacts and uncertainty for individuals waiting for their appeal to be resolved.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of gender bias in policing responses to allegations of domestic abuse or related offences; and what steps she is taking to ensure parity of treatment for all parties under investigation.
The government recognises the devastating impact that domestic abuse can have for all victims, of any gender.Domestic abuse is serious, and we expect police to take all allegations seriously from the point of disclosure. Every victim should be treated with dignity and every investigation and prosecution should be conducted thoroughly and professionally.We are investing £13.1 million in a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, which will transform the way police respond to domestic abuse through strengthened training, support to forces and evidence-based practice.We are committed to ensuring policing have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to all victims of domestic abuse, and we are working closely with the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection to deliver this.The government is absolutely committed to tackling domestic abuse in all its forms and achieving the best possible outcome for all victims.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for hearings at the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Chamber).
Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.The Ministry of Justice is working to reduce the outstanding caseload across the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which includes the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction. This is key to reducing the waiting time for tribunal hearings.The Department continues to invest in improving tribunal capacity and productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. We expect these actions to have a positive effect, improving timeliness and overall performance in the Social Entitlement Chamber.The Ministry of Justice has not conducted assessments of the impact of tribunal waiting times on claimants but we recognise the potential negative impacts and uncertainty for individuals waiting for their appeal to be resolved.
What estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) children and (b) adults who are accessing mental health support through artificial intelligence platforms after being unable to access statutory mental health services.
No such assessment has been made. We recognise that people are facing unacceptably long waiting times to access mental health support. This is why we are transforming the current mental health system so that people can access the right support at the right time in the right place.Building on the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published on 24 October 2025, sets targets for integrated care boards in 2026/27 to improve the quality of and access to mental health services. This includes expanding NHS Talking Therapies and expanding the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.This builds on the significant progress we’ve made since July 2024 to hire almost 7,000 extra mental health workers. And by spring next year, over 900,000 children and young people will have access to a Mental Health Support team in schools and colleagues.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 to protect internet users from (a) suicide and (b) self-harm content on artificial intelligence platforms.
Every death by suicide is a tragedy, and the government is deeply concerned about the role that online content can play in facilitating suicide and self-harm. This government is committed to keeping people safe online. For the first time, platforms now have a legal duty to ensure that they are protecting users from illegal content and, in particular, safeguarding children from harmful content. But we have gone further still. We have made self-harm and cyber-flashing, and now strangulation, priority offences. We will go further still by backing Ofcom to make sure that enforcement is robust too.Some chatbots, including live search and user-to-user engagement, are in scope of the Online Safety Act 2023, and we want to ensure that enforcement against them, where relevant, is robust. The Secretary of State has commissioned work to make sure that, if there are any gaps in the legislation, they will be looked at fully and robust action will be taken too.
What steps she is taking to help increase economic growth in Hazel Grove constituency.
There is excellence right across the country and this government is backing it: lifting living standards and putting more money in people’s pockets. Greater Manchester Combined Authority will receive £2.5bn through the Transport for City Regions Fund and the Greater Manchester Investment Zone is expected to deliver £1.1 bn in private sector investment and 32,000 jobs.
Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the amount of time taken by police forces to complete digital advice examinations; and what steps her Department is taking to help reduce those times.
We are aware that the amount of time taken by forces to examine digital devices varies considerably, but that urgent requests are always prioritised.Chief Constables, and ultimately Police and Crime Commissioners, are currently responsible for forensics procurement and delivery, with some regional coordination. We are exploring the creation of a specialist national capability for police forensics, within the proposed National Centre for Policing, and have recruited a Director of Forensic Services to stabilise and reform forensics in the meantime.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of sentences for people convicted of crimes involving breaches of trading standards.
The Ministry of Justice has made no assessment of sentencing for offending involving breaches of trading standards.Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, including discharges, fines, community sentences, suspended sentences and custodial sentences.When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department made an assessment of the potential long-term impact of climate change on the canal network before reducing the level of funding for the Canal and River Trust.
A comprehensive review of the current grant provision to the Canal and River Trust was conducted between 2021 and 2023. The review examined a number of forward-looking scenarios using data provided by the Trust that included consideration of potential climate change impacts.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 72309 on NHS dental professionals, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including areas with no NHS dentists in the Golden Hello scheme.
The Golden Hello scheme aims to support dental practices in areas that are experiencing significant dental pressures, including areas with no National Health Service dentists.The scheme is designed to encourage relocation to areas with workforce challenges, to attract new workers to the NHS, and to retain those who might have otherwise moved into private practice.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help prevent further political violence in Serbia.
The Foreign Secretary and I met Foreign Minister Djuric at the Berlin Process meeting of Western Balkans Foreign Ministers on 9 October, and I met Serbian MPs at the parliamentary meetings of the Berlin Process on 16 October where we discussed a range of issues.We have repeatedly emphasised to the Serbian leadership that all action to manage protests should be proportionate, legal, and respect fundamental rights to peaceful freedom of expression and assembly. Noting with concern recent violent clashes, including with the police, we have continued to be clear - including in our contact through our Embassy in Belgrade - that incidents should be fully investigated and perpetrators of crimes held to account.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Winter Fuel Payment changes on residents of Hazel Grove constituency in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Data on Winter Fuel Payments made in winter 2024/25 is available on Stat Xplore. In Winter 2024/25, 1,855 Winter Fuel Payments were made in Hazel Grove constituency to households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. This compares to 21,000 payments made in Hazel Grove constituency in winter 2023/24, when Winter Fuel Payments were made universally to those above State Pension age. The Government has increased the level at which Winter Fuel Payments are means-tested in England and Wales from winter 2025/26 so that the vast majority of pensioners, around 9 million individuals, will benefit from them. The Government has been clear that the Winter Fuel Payment should be means-tested on the basis of income. Winter Fuel Payments will thereby remain targeted by income, but with lower- and middle-income pensioners benefitting. For higher income pensioners, those with an annual income of more than £35,000, the payment will be recovered via the tax system. Estimates for winter 2025/26 are not available at the Parliamentary Constituency level. Statistics covering the winter 2025/26 period will be published in September 2026.
What steps her Department is taking to help prevent applications being delayed due to administrative errors by HM Passport Office.
His Majesty’s Passport Office is exceeding its performance indicator of 98.5% of standard UK passport applications where no further information is required being processed within three weeks. Performance data can be found in the most recent Transparency Data release at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UKAlongside its delivery of these high standards of performance, HM Passport Office will always endeavour to resolve an error as quickly as possible, and continues to work to identify improvements that will help to meet the needs of its customers.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with industry to reduce prices for alcohol-free beer to improve public health.
Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers on a range of food and drink supply matters. However, it is not for HM Government to set retail food and drink prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions taken by businesses. In the ‘Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England’, the Government has committed to tackling harmful alcohol consumption through promotion of no- and low-alcohol alternatives. This includes exploration of raising the alcohol-free descriptor to 0.5%, aligning with international standards to support growth of the sector. Alongside the plan, a large multi-year National Institute for Health and Care Research study is underway to examine the public health impacts of NoLo products, with findings of the study expected in the coming year.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with (a) European and (b) international counterparts to encourage the Serbian Government to (i) investigate ongoing political violence and (ii) take concrete steps to protect human rights.
The Foreign Secretary and I met Foreign Minister Djuric at the Berlin Process meeting of Western Balkans Foreign Ministers on 9 October, and I met Serbian MPs at the parliamentary meetings of the Berlin Process on 16 October where we discussed a range of issues.We have repeatedly emphasised to the Serbian leadership that all action to manage protests should be proportionate, legal, and respect fundamental rights to peaceful freedom of expression and assembly. Noting with concern recent violent clashes, including with the police, we have continued to be clear - including in our contact through our Embassy in Belgrade - that incidents should be fully investigated and perpetrators of crimes held to account.
Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of homes for social rent in Hazel Grove constituency.
I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).
Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the resources available to (a) Greater Manchester Police and (b) other police forces to seize illegal off-road bikes.
Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. That is why the Government is investing in restoring communities and providing the police with the resources they need.The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. Greater Manchester will receive up to £871.2 million in 2025/26, an increase of up to £55.6 million when compared to 2024/25. The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles of all types, including off-road bikes, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. And the Government recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
When the VALOUR scheme will become available to all veterans.
VALOUR is a new programme that will give all veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support that is available to them, overseen by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs in the Ministry of Defence. It will improve the coordination of services at a national, regional and local level to ensure that veterans receive the support they need.The programme will start supporting veterans in 2026.