Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to investigate reports of alleged wrongdoing by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the fulfilment of his public duties as a UK Trade Envoy.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It would not be appropriate to comment on a live police investigation.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the effectiveness of the assessment process for NHS Continuing Healthcare in ensuring that decisions are based on sufficient clinical evidence; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that assessments are carried out and validated by a minimum of two independent medical practitioners.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Operational delivery of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England. NHS England’s assurance regime promotes accurate assessment, equal access, and consistency within CHC delivery.
Eligibility for CHC is determined through a two-stage assessment process. The second stage is carried out by a multidisciplinary team. The legislation for CHC sets out that the multidisciplinary team must include a minimum of two health professionals or one health and one social care professional. The multidisciplinary team should also ideally include someone with specialist knowledge about the individual’s health and social care needs.
As part of the assessment, the multidisciplinary team review evidence such as the individual’s medical records, examinations, and assessments using a standardised decision support tool to help inform the eligibility decision.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 116 of the Report published by the Justice Committee entitled The Coroner Service, HC 68, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delaying legislative steps to ensure that Records of Inquest can be amended without the need for a fresh inquest on access to justice for (a) victims and their (b) families.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government intends to bring forward the necessary amendments to section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988 as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Whilst we have not undertaken a formal impact assessment on timings, there remains a well-established process for applications to be made under section 13, which is available in relevant circumstances. The proposed change builds on that existing framework by enabling the High Court, in appropriate cases, to resolve issues rather than directing that a matter be remitted to a coroner for a fresh inquest. This will provide the court with greater flexibility to ensure that it can fulfil its role as expediently as possible and in a way that best serves the interests of justice.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 116 of the report by the Justice Committee entitled The Coroner Service, published on 27 May 2021, HC 68, when he plans to take legislative steps to introduce this measure.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government intends to bring forward the necessary amendments to section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988 as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Whilst we have not undertaken a formal impact assessment on timings, there remains a well-established process for applications to be made under section 13, which is available in relevant circumstances. The proposed change builds on that existing framework by enabling the High Court, in appropriate cases, to resolve issues rather than directing that a matter be remitted to a coroner for a fresh inquest. This will provide the court with greater flexibility to ensure that it can fulfil its role as expediently as possible and in a way that best serves the interests of justice.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support she is providing to small sports clubs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting grassroots sport clubs, which play an important role within communities across the country.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. Their Movement Fund offers grants ranging from £300 - £15,000 to sports clubs to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities that need it most. Sport England’s free online resource, Buddle, also offers free guidance to support small sports clubs.
In addition, on 27 January, the Government announced that £85 million of the £400 million package for grassroots sport facilities will be invested in during 2026/27, funding the continuation of the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. This funding is designed to increase participation opportunities and benefit the areas most in need, with 50% investment going to the 30% most deprived areas in the UK.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2026 to Question 110371 on Driving under Influence: Rural Areas, whether the impact assessment will consider rural (a) hospitality businesses and (b) pubs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is consulting on proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences, as part of the recently published Road Safety Strategy.
As part of this, the Government is consulting on the general principle of lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967 and is currently the highest in Europe.
Current evidence does not suggest a widespread or sustained adverse impact on the hospitality sector overall. However, the Government will consider potential impacts on rural hospitality businesses, including pubs, as part of its analysis of consultation responses.
The Government will conduct an impact assessment following consultation responses and an evidence-led options analysis, and will publish it in line with usual practice where required.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that data held by her Department on the condition of roads in England is a) consistent and b) of high quality.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England are published annually Road conditions in England to March 2025 - GOV.UK. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Local Highway Authorities are required to provide consistent Road Condition data in line with MHCLG single data list requirements 130-01 and 130-02.
In September 2024, DfT released a new standard for road condition monitoring. This new standard transforms the use of data in highway maintenance by introducing innovative new methods for monitoring the condition of local roads in England, while ensuring the quality and comparability of road condition data across the country.
Local authorities must procure a survey that has demonstrated that they can deliver data against PAS 2161 in the approval process defined by DfT. Regular approval exercises will be conducted to assess whether technologies can produce comparable and standardised road condition data. Only those technologies that meet the defined criteria and performance thresholds will be approved for use in national reporting.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Casey Commission plans to address the upper capital limit of £23,250 for England in the context of the higher thresholds in Wales and Scotland; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of maintaining the lower level in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The adult social care charging system is means tested and provides funded support for those with the least financial means. While the Department sets the minimum thresholds for accessing local authority support, local authorities have the discretion to set more generous thresholds if they choose.
The Terms of Reference for the Independent Commission into adult social care (The Commission) are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define the Commission's remit. Baroness Casey has been asked by the Prime Minister to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including how best to make it fair and affordable. Phase 1 will report later this year.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Casey Commission plans to assess the potential merits of a (a) national lifetime cost cap and (b) weekly maximum charge for long-term care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The adult social care charging system is means tested and provides funded support for those with the least financial means. While the Department sets the minimum thresholds for accessing local authority support, local authorities have the discretion to set more generous thresholds if they choose.
The Terms of Reference for the Independent Commission into adult social care (The Commission) are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define the Commission's remit. Baroness Casey has been asked by the Prime Minister to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including how best to make it fair and affordable. Phase 1 will report later this year.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number of flights into and out of Stansted Airport allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein; and if she will take steps to establish the nature of those flights, including the passengers on board.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.