Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the UK National Screening Committee to publish its recommendation following the consultation on newborn screening for metachromatic leukodystrophy; and when Ministers expect to make a decision on whether to add metachromatic leukodystrophy to the newborn blood spot screening programme.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is advised on all screening matters by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which is made up of leading medical and screening experts.
The UK NSC considered newborn screening for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), undertaking a review and a three-month consultation on those findings which closed on 5 August 2025. At the November 2025 UK NSC meeting, committee members concluded that there was not enough evidence to support newborn screening for MLD. Further information on the meeting is available at the following link:
https://nationalscreening.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/08/minutes-published-of-uk-nsc-november-2025-meeting/
However, members agreed that MLD would be a good candidate for inclusion in a multi-condition in-service evaluation within the United Kingdom newborn blood spot screening programme.
The Department is currently considering what would be needed to introduce such an evaluation.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration has been given to ensuring equitable permitted development rights for homeowners for properties that were originally built with stepped rear elevations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the householder permitted development rights (set out in The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (as amended) homeowners are able to extend and improve their homes and to erect outbuildings incidental to the main dwellinghouse without the need for a planning application. The rights are subject to certain conditions and limitations to minimise their impacts, including on local amenity.
We continue to keep permitted development rights under review.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on upgrading smart meters in North Northumberland constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy suppliers are now able to install smart meters in the ‘North’ region using the 4G cellular mobile network, with 4G communication hubs available for rollout across Great Britain since July 2025.
4G operates alongside the existing long range radio solution in the North, giving energy suppliers an additional option for connectivity and improving installation success rates.
The Department does not collect data on smart meter installations at a constituency level. The latest statistics are available here: Smart meter statistics - GOV.UK