Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support people and families impacted by brain conditions such as iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy following neurological surgeries of Cadaver Implants in the brain.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Patients and families affected by neurological conditions, including iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy, can access a range of support through the National Health Service, including specialist neurological services, psychological support, and community-based care where appropriate to their individual needs. The Government recognises the significant impact that serious neurological conditions can have on patients and their families and is committed to ensuring that appropriate support is available through health and care services.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long her Department usually takes to obtain good character references for British citizenship applications; what the maximum length of time taken for such a reference to be obtained is; and how many British citizenship applications are currently waiting for good character references to be obtained.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office does not routinely request character references for British citizenship applications. Where further evidence is required, applicants are normally given 14 calendar days to provide it. The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to update the content of the Life in the UK test;; and when she expects a revised version to be introduced.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Government considers that everyone seeking to make a permanent home in the UK should be equipped to integrate successfully in UK society, with an appropriate level of English and an understanding of life in the UK.
Applicants for settlement and citizenship are required to pass the Life in the UK test. The aim of the test is to ensure that those who intend to settle in the UK have an understanding of life here and society’s expectations.
The Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, published on 12 May 2025, sets out the government's plans to create an immigration system which promotes growth but is controlled and managed. This includes proposed plans to conduct a refresh of the Life in the UK test and how it operates.
We are reviewing the test and will update it so that it better reflects the knowledge people need to live, work and take part in everyday life in the UK today. Our aim is to make the test clearer and more relevant.
The current Life in the UK contract expires in 2027. We will announce any changes in due course, ensuring transitional arrangements are in place so that applicants have sufficient notice.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the current Life in the UK test.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Government considers that everyone seeking to make a permanent home in the UK should be equipped to integrate successfully in UK society, with an appropriate level of English and an understanding of life in the UK.
Applicants for settlement and citizenship are required to pass the Life in the UK test. The aim of the test is to ensure that those who intend to settle in the UK have an understanding of life here and society’s expectations.
The Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, published on 12 May 2025, sets out the government's plans to create an immigration system which promotes growth but is controlled and managed. This includes proposed plans to conduct a refresh of the Life in the UK test and how it operates.
We are reviewing the test and will update it so that it better reflects the knowledge people need to live, work and take part in everyday life in the UK today. Our aim is to make the test clearer and more relevant.
The current Life in the UK contract expires in 2027. We will announce any changes in due course, ensuring transitional arrangements are in place so that applicants have sufficient notice.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her department is taking to reduce the waiting times for visa administrative reviews.
Answered by Mike Tapp
Applications for administrative review have increased and intake has doubled within the last five years. Resource for the Administrative Review Unit is now more than double the equivalent 2021 staffing levels in response to this continuing high demand.
Administrative Review are continuing to take steps to improve the time taken to reach a decision and resourcing planning is continuing alongside reforms to front-end processes, case management and data systems. These measures which are already underway will restore the system to its original purpose as a fast, effective remedy.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to support cross-community interfaith work.
Answered by Nesil Caliskan
Interfaith relations are vital for strong, cohesive communities. Learning about different faiths and beliefs builds mutual understanding and contributes to community cohesion.
The government’s support for cross-community interfaith work is demonstrated by our continued support for the annual Inter Faith Week. We are working closely with the organisers of Inter Faith Week 2026 to ensure new audiences are engaged and grassroots cross-community initiatives are supported.
Our continued support for programmes such as Near Neighbours and Schools Linking means we are ensuring that local communities and young people continue to have opportunities to meet across differences, build understanding, and develop lasting relationships and friendships.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of not paying interest on unpaid compensation awards for the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme on claimants, the estates of deceased claimants and bereaved family members.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
The Government has decided not to adjust individual compensation awards to account for interest a person could have received, or investments that someone could have made or could make in the future. The compensation scheme does not pay interest on awards for historic losses as the awards have been designed according to 2023/24 rates. For example, care awards are calculated using 2024 UK commercial care rates. Using historic rates would have made these awards considerably lower.
In some circumstances the Courts adjust compensation awards to account for interest and investment, including accounting for the lost interest that someone may have earned if they received their compensation earlier.
The Government has chosen not to adjust individual compensation awards in this way. This is to make sure that applicants have certainty about the total amount of compensation they will receive through the Scheme, regardless of when their application is processed, and to make sure Scheme is not made unduly operationally complex.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the barriers faced by patients in returning NHS-issued walking aids for reuse or recycling; and what steps he is taking to ensure return schemes are accessible to patients who cannot travel to drop-off locations.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The National Health Service is committed to reducing waste, whilst also delivering cost savings and minimising environmental impact, as set out in the Delivering a Net Zero NHS report. Since the publication of the report in 2020, there have been substantial improvements in the number of locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes. A range of resources and communications tools is available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns. This includes the Recycle Now website, where patients can check their nearest drop off location by postcode. As well as hospitals, NHS England has also established systems for walking aid return at waste and recycling centres in collaboration with local authority partners. Some trusts have offered home collection services for reusable walking aids in partnership with local authorities; however such services are less prevalent compared to schemes that utilise drop-off sites.
Additionally, the Design for Life Roadmap sets out the Government’s plan to tackle NHS medical technology waste through a circular economy. The ambition is that by 2045, the NHS will have transitioned away from all avoidable single-use medical products to a system that preserves the value of products for as long as possible. This will drive cost savings, resilience, economic growth and sustainability by maximising reuse, remanufacture and recycling of medical technology, which includes walking aids. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/design-for-life-roadmap
We are aware that reuse schemes will not currently be easily accessible to all patients. We are exploring how NHS infrastructure can be improved in future to promote better reuse, remanufacture and recycling of medical products through our commitments in the Design for Life Programme.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress, he has made in reforming the Penalty Charge Notice system for unpaid prescription charges.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government has no such plans for reforming the Penalty Charge Notice system.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential of anti-USAG-1 antibody therapy for tooth regeneration; and what steps he is taking to ensure UK (a) researchers and (b) patients can participate in or contribute to trials of this therapy.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which supports clinical, public health, social care and global health research in partnership with the National Health Service, academia and wider stakeholders. The NIHR has not funded work on the anti-USAG-1 antibody therapy, but it does fund research into dental health through a range of projects and programmes and is committed to ensuring patients, including those with tooth loss or damage, can benefit from innovative treatments and access cutting edge clinical trials. The Department is also taking steps to accelerate clinical research, improve patient outcomes and strengthen the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in life sciences.
To increase access to clinical research, the NIHR welcomes funding applications on all aspects of human health and care, including dental health, with proposals assessed through open, competitive peer review. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic
The NIHR funds research and research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research. The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. More information is available at the following link:
https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/