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Written Question
Primodos
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of the report by the APPG on Hormone Pregnancy Test entitled Bitter Pill: Primodos - the forgotten thalidomide, published on 27 February 2024.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

We remain hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered due to the use of Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs). In 2017 an independent Expert Working Group conducted a comprehensive review of the available scientific evidence, and concluded that the data did not support a causal association between the use of HPTs, such as Primodos, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This remains the Government’s position. The Government has committed to reviewing any new evidence related to HPTs, and a possible causal association with adverse pregnancy outcomes.


Written Question
Primodos
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will implement the recommendations in the report by the APPG on Hormone Pregnancy Test entitled Bitter Pill: Primodos - the forgotten thalidomide, published on 27 February 2024.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

We remain hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered due to the use of Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs). In 2017 an independent Expert Working Group conducted a comprehensive review of the available scientific evidence, and concluded that the data did not support a causal association between the use of HPTs, such as Primodos, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This remains the Government’s position. The Government has committed to reviewing any new evidence related to HPTs, and a possible causal association with adverse pregnancy outcomes.


Written Question
LGBT+ People
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which stakeholder groups representing the LGBT+ community she has met in the last 12 months.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Equality Hub Ministers and officials conduct regular engagement with stakeholders across a wide range of topics in the LGBT area. Most recently, these have included hate crime and hate speech, homelessness, healthcare, conversion practices and gender recognition. This engagement consists of, but is not limited to, holding conversations with victims and survivors, LGBT groups, healthcare professionals, faith groups, groups advocating for sex-based rights and parliamentarians.


Written Question
Asylum
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of when the asylum backlog will be reduced to 2010 levels.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Provisional data indicates that between the end of November 2022 and October 2023 the legacy backlog reduced by 64% and we remain on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year as per the Prime Minister’s commitment last year.

We will continue the steps we are already taking to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes better performance management, overtime, and shorer, focussed interviews.


Written Question
USA: Travel Restrictions
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made the US Administration on greater transparency for UK nationals on the reasons for Electronic System for Travel Authorization refusals.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have no records of recent discussions with the US regarding greater transparency for UK nationals on the reasons for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation refusals.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Monday 20th November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the number of households that have (a) had pre-payment meters removed and (b) received compensation due to the involuntary installation of pre-payment meters since February 2023.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government does not hold this data. The Government has always been clear on the importance of protecting energy consumers, particularly the most vulnerable. Ofgem has been clear that suppliers will not be able to resume involuntary installations of prepayment meters (PPM) until they have amongst other things showed readiness to comply with Ofgem’s new rules regarding involuntary PPM installations and demonstrated progress through an independent audit to identify wrongly installed meters and provide redress where appropriate.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Monday 20th November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the number of households that have been involuntarily fitted with pre-payment meters since October 2022.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government does not hold this data. The Government has always been clear on the importance of protecting energy consumers, particularly the most vulnerable. Ofgem has been clear that suppliers will not be able to resume involuntary installations of prepayment meters (PPM) until they have amongst other things showed readiness to comply with Ofgem’s new rules regarding involuntary PPM installations and demonstrated progress through an independent audit to identify wrongly installed meters and provide redress where appropriate.


Written Question
Ayrton Fund
Friday 17th November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding has been allocated to clean energy research, development and demonstration projects from the Ayrton Fund as of 8 November 2023.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK Government has committed up to £1 billion for the Ayrton Fund to support the research, development, and demonstration of clean energy innovations for developing countries, between April 2021 and March 2026, delivered via a portfolio managed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Departments for Energy Security and Net Zero and for Science, Innovation and Technology.

As of 8 November 2023, Ayrton funding of £595 million has been approved and allocated to 29 programmes. The Departments are working on the design of further new and scaled-up programmes, including some expected to be announced at COP28 in December.


Written Question
Ayrton Fund
Friday 17th November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's published guidance on the Ayrton Fund, how much funding was allocated to each of the 23 RD&D projects that that fund supported in its first two years.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In its first two years (April 2021 to March 2023) the UK Government spent £146 million through the 23 Ayrton Fund programmes, listed on the Gov.uk website, delivering international clean energy research, development, and demonstration.


Written Question
Energy: Consumers
Tuesday 14th November 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan, published in March 2023, when she plans to consult on options for a new approach to consumer protection.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

As set out in Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan, we are exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms. The government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households.