Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding is available for research into Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 16 July 2026 in response to Question HL1674.
Available data on this issue is also published by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/our-research/cancer/brain-tumours
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides found in birds of prey in England in the last ten years.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Health and Safety Executive chairs the Government Oversight Group for Rodenticide Stewardship (GOG). GOG received annual reports from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) on the residues of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) detected in barn owls and red kites from 2016 until 2022 and these are published online by UKCEH. There has not been a statistically significant reduction in exposure of barn owls to SGARs in this time. Natural England monitors SGARs in the red kite and there was no observed change in concentrations for the sum of SGAR residues found in this species over the period 2015 – 2021. Reports have been unavailable since 2022 as outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza prohibited collection of samples. Sample collection resumed in 2025 and GOG expects to receive further SGAR residues reports by January 2027.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider the views of rewilding and nature recovery experts when drafting the Wildfire Action Plan.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will jointly develop a cross-Government Wildfire Action Plan to improve resilience and preparedness over the short, medium and long term. The Government will consider evidence from a range of stakeholders, including nature recovery experts.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to support people with dyslexia in the justice system.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) has a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for users with disabilities, including dyslexia.
HMCTS supports court and tribunal users with dyslexia and autism through its reasonable adjustment process. The type of reasonable adjustments we can provide to support users with dyslexia and or autism include:
• providing our forms in Alternative formats such as large print;
• providing our guidance in audio or easy read;
• allowing more time to explain procedures;
• offering to read forms and leaflets out to our users;
• allowing more time in hearings;
• allowing a close relative or carer to accompany the person;
• consider appointing an intermediary to help communication;
• explanations and instructions given slowly and clearly;
• fully or partially remote hearings; and,
• speaking slowly and allowing extra time to answer.
HMCTS is a member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network to help people visiting court and tribunal buildings who may need additional support. Users who choose to wear the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower are discreetly indicating they need additional support, help or a little more time. Court and tribunal staff know how to recognise the Sunflower lanyard and may ask what we can do to help. Sunflower lanyards are available in all our buildings free of charge.
Users are encouraged to contact HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments so that the support can be tailored to their individual needs. Staff will sensitively ask those needing reasonable adjustments what support they need.
The Equal Treatment Bench Book, published by Judicial College (Equal Treatment Bench Book - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary) contains guidance on fair treatment, equality issues and general information on disability issues and religion for judges. It includes information on dyslexia and autism and how to support court and tribunal users.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to support autistic people in the justice system.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) has a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for users with disabilities, including dyslexia.
HMCTS supports court and tribunal users with dyslexia and autism through its reasonable adjustment process. The type of reasonable adjustments we can provide to support users with dyslexia and or autism include:
• providing our forms in Alternative formats such as large print;
• providing our guidance in audio or easy read;
• allowing more time to explain procedures;
• offering to read forms and leaflets out to our users;
• allowing more time in hearings;
• allowing a close relative or carer to accompany the person;
• consider appointing an intermediary to help communication;
• explanations and instructions given slowly and clearly;
• fully or partially remote hearings; and,
• speaking slowly and allowing extra time to answer.
HMCTS is a member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network to help people visiting court and tribunal buildings who may need additional support. Users who choose to wear the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower are discreetly indicating they need additional support, help or a little more time. Court and tribunal staff know how to recognise the Sunflower lanyard and may ask what we can do to help. Sunflower lanyards are available in all our buildings free of charge.
Users are encouraged to contact HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments so that the support can be tailored to their individual needs. Staff will sensitively ask those needing reasonable adjustments what support they need.
The Equal Treatment Bench Book, published by Judicial College (Equal Treatment Bench Book - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary) contains guidance on fair treatment, equality issues and general information on disability issues and religion for judges. It includes information on dyslexia and autism and how to support court and tribunal users.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to research carried out by Dr Steven Hall and Dr Stefanie Menzies at Lancaster University, whether his Department has plans to invest in snakebite research, in the context of the UK commitment under the World Health Organisation 2030 Neglected Tropical Disease Road Map to prevent, control and eliminate NTDs by 2030.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced new funding for Product Development Partnerships including support to Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) for the development of new effective treatments for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in May 2026. DNDi are mapping and assessing opportunities for collaboration across the snakebite envenoming innovation landscape. FCDO also supports applied research for NTDs through the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs.
To make the FCDO's research and development (R&D) more open and accessible, we have created a Global Research and Technology Development (GRTD) platform that pulls together our R&D portfolio. In May 2026 the FCDO published its Areas of Research Interest (ARI) highlighting where we are keen to develop and expand our evidence. Future funding opportunities will be advertised via GRTD Funding Opportunities.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the level of global climate finance that is provided through loans on indebtedness in lower income countries.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK only provides climate finance directly to lower income countries' governments in the form of grants.
The UK also supports the Multilateral Development Banks and multilateral climate funds to provide climate finance, including through loans. These institutions have robust frameworks that explicitly take into account both the income and debt levels of countries to ensure financing is sustainable. Poorer countries and those with higher debt levels are prioritised for grants. Loans provided to lower income countries are highly concessional with grace periods and low interest rates making them far cheaper sources of funding than countries would otherwise be able to access.
The UK expects other partners to consider and assess debt sustainability in their provision of climate finance.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women's health hubs have been established in NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB and what services do they provide.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board currently has one women’s health hub operating, provided by Queen Square Medical Practice in Lancaster. The hub delivers a community gynaecology service, including assessment and treatment for routine gynaecological conditions and fertility work-up services.
The service provides a range of interventions and treatments, including support for abnormal uterine bleeding, prolapse, cervical polyp removal, complex intrauterine contraception procedures, vulval skin conditions and other conditions that do not require secondary care management.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the free bus travel for children in August scheme will permit travel by minors unaccompanied by an adult.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In May, the Chancellor announced the Summer Bus Fare Offer, which will enable children aged five to 15 to travel for free on participating local buses in England throughout August to help ease cost-of-living pressures for families and to help them get out and about for less this summer.
In developing the scheme, the Department for Transport continually assesses its potential impacts. We have carefully considered operational and safety issues raised through extensive engagement with the bus sector, including bus operators, and have incorporated a number of measures to ensure the scheme is delivered in a way that is safe and operationally workable. This includes enabling operators to require that children under 11 are accompanied by a person aged 16 or over, and have discretion in applying this requirement where doing so could place a child at risk.
The Department has also been in correspondence with trade unions on the development of the Summer Bus Fare Offer and continues to engage with stakeholders, including bus operators and local authorities on its delivery.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation with trade unions representing bus workers was undertaken (a) prior to and (b) since the announcement of the free bus travel for children in August scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In May, the Chancellor announced the Summer Bus Fare Offer, which will enable children aged five to 15 to travel for free on participating local buses in England throughout August to help ease cost-of-living pressures for families and to help them get out and about for less this summer.
In developing the scheme, the Department for Transport continually assesses its potential impacts. We have carefully considered operational and safety issues raised through extensive engagement with the bus sector, including bus operators, and have incorporated a number of measures to ensure the scheme is delivered in a way that is safe and operationally workable. This includes enabling operators to require that children under 11 are accompanied by a person aged 16 or over, and have discretion in applying this requirement where doing so could place a child at risk.
The Department has also been in correspondence with trade unions on the development of the Summer Bus Fare Offer and continues to engage with stakeholders, including bus operators and local authorities on its delivery.