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, when she plans to introduce the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill; and whether she plans to bring forward the commencement of the proposed £250 cap on ground rents for existing leases from late 2028.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department will issue a substantive response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee and introduce a substantive Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill in due course.
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 estimate her Department has made of the number of leaseholders whose ground rent has increased ahead of the commencement of the proposed £250 cap; and whether she plans to introduce transitional protections for leaseholders facing backdated ground rent increases.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department will issue a substantive response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee and introduce a substantive Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill in due course.
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, when the Government plans to publish the terms of reference and membership of the National Commission on Electoral Reform.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government will set out further details about how the National Commission on Electoral Reform will carry out its work in due course.
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, when she plans to respond to Question 36666, tabled on 20 October.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government will set out further details about how the National Commission on Electoral Reform will carry out its work in due course.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Chair of the Better Regulation Executive will be appointed.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Better Regulation Executive will be a joint unit between HM Treasury and the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Per the Budget Document, a Chair will be appointed shortly.
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 her Department is taking to prepare for the implementation of recommendations made by the National Commission on Electoral Reform.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government will set out further details about the National Commission on Electoral Reform in due course. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the Commission's work.
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 guidance NHS England has issued to integrated care boards on providing (a) counselling, (b) psychological therapies and (c) other mental health support to people on the national waiting list for adult gender services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July in response to Question 14396.
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 plan NHS England has for reducing waiting times for a first appointment at adult gender services; and if she will publish that plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July in response to Question 14396.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for existing claimants awaiting a work capability reassessment; and what steps he is taking to reduce that time.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Demand for initial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assessments has risen so we continue to prioritise initial claims. This enables us to ensure that claimants receive the right level of benefit, and we establish capability for work at the outset of a claim.
The department is taking a number of steps to increase the capacity of the Health Assessment Advisory Service to deliver WCAs, including reassessments for existing Universal Credit (UC) claimants. This includes the recruitment and training of additional healthcare professionals across all assessment suppliers, alongside improvements to workforce planning to better align available resources with demand. The department continues to monitor assessment volumes closely and works with suppliers to ensure sufficient capacity is in place to reduce waiting times and support timely reassessment activity.
The department prioritises WCAs for new claims in order to minimise waiting times and ensure that individuals receive the correct benefit entitlement as early as possible. We recognise that some existing claimants may experience delays when awaiting reassessment and continue to keep the impact of these arrangements under review while taking steps to improve overall assessment capacity and reduce waiting times.
As of 1st October 2026, the average waiting time for a WCA reassessment was 272 working days. Claimants awaiting reassessment continue to receive their existing rate of benefit in the meantime. Where a reassessment results in entitlement to a higher rate of benefit, any increase due will be backdated in line with the date entitlement arose.
Please Note
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 assessment she has made of the adequacy of the sector’s single Code of Practice in preventing Parking Charge Notices being issued to motorists who have complied with parking requirements; what steps her Department is taking to ensure private parking operators cancel charges where the motorist has complied with the parking terms; whether the Code will include sanctions for operators who repeatedly issue Parking Charge Notices in such circumstances; and what her timetable is for introducing a statutory code with an independent appeals service and enforceable sanctions.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Since the introduction of the Sector Single Code in 2024, the Government has continued to receive evidence of poor practice. The consistency of concerns raised by motorists, representative groups and regulators suggests these issues are not limited to isolated cases. This underlines the need for statutory standards, stronger oversight and improved data collection which the Government is taking action to address through a new Code of Practice.
Alongside the Code, the Government is introducing a Certification Scheme approved by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. Once implemented, the Certification Scheme will provide independent assurance of individual operator compliance. Operators that fail to meet the Code’s requirements may ultimately lose access to DVLA vehicle keeper data and, in turn, their ability to pursue parking charges.
The Government laid the Code before Parliament on 20 October 2026 and in parallel published its response to its private parking consultation last year. The Government Response contains more details on the plans for enforcement and appeals.