Lisa Smart Portrait

Lisa Smart

Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove

6,500 (14.1%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)

(since September 2024)


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lisa Smart has voted in 31 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lisa Smart Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Judith Cummins (Labour)
(4 debate interactions)
Yvette Cooper (Labour)
Home Secretary
(4 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(3 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(12 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(6 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(3 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lisa Smart's debates

Hazel Grove Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petitions with highest Hazel Grove signature proportion
Open
283
of 75,856 signatures (0.37%)
Open
259
of 127,701 signatures (0.20%)
Open
4,960
of 2,961,770 signatures (0.17%)
Petitions with most Hazel Grove signatures
Open
4,960
of 2,961,770 signatures (0.17%)
Open
283
of 75,856 signatures (0.37%)
Open
259
of 127,701 signatures (0.20%)
Lisa Smart has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Lisa Smart

30th October 2024
Lisa Smart signed this EDM on Wednesday 20th November 2024

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication shortages

Tabled by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
That this House expresses deep concern over the shortage and intermittent availability of ADHD medications such as concerta XL; notes the symptoms those with ADHD exhibit, such as difficulty focusing and acting without thinking, as well as the impacts of these on the daily functioning of individuals; further notes the …
30 signatures
(Most recent: 21 Nov 2024)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 16
Plaid Cymru: 4
Green Party: 3
Independent: 3
Labour: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
6th November 2024
Lisa Smart signed this EDM on Wednesday 20th November 2024

Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief

Tabled by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
That this House recognises the essential role of family-run farms in sustaining rural communities, particularly in areas like West Dorset, and providing high-quality food for the nation; notes that the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief from April 2026, with only the first £1 million of …
26 signatures
(Most recent: 4 Dec 2024)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 25
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Lisa Smart's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lisa Smart, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


1 Urgent Question tabled by Lisa Smart

Wednesday 20th November 2024

Lisa Smart has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Lisa Smart has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lisa Smart has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 23 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to require (a) unused and (b) decommissioned (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones and (iii) other public sector devices to be donated to device banks.

Digital inclusion is a priority for the Government and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to extending the life of its equipment and devices, to reduce our environmental impact and provide more people with access to devices. Device donation is one of the issues we shall be looking at as we develop our approach on digital inclusion.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources allocated to enforcement agencies responsible for checking pets entering the UK.

We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain non-commercially on approved routes undergo 100% documentary and identity check. We keep resource allocation for these checks under review in close liaison with enforcement agencies.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of puppies illegally smuggled into the UK for sale in the last five years.

By its very nature, we cannot know the true extent of puppy smuggling operations. However, the Animal and Plant Health Agency does hold data on the numbers of interceptions and detentions. In 2023, there were over 500 landings of cats and dogs intercepted at the Port of Dover and found to be non-compliant with the import requirements. Of these, 116 puppies and kittens were quarantined for being below the legally required minimum age for import.

The Government is committed to introducing the most ambitious boost in animal welfare in a generation.  As outlined in the manifesto, this includes ending puppy smuggling.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the illegal smuggling of dogs into the UK.

As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. We will clamp down on unscrupulous traders who prioritise profit over welfare. We are considering the most effective ways to deliver this and will be setting out next steps in due course

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
29th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to launch a public awareness campaign to promote pedestrian and cyclist visibility on roads by encouraging the use of light or reflective clothing.

THINK!, the Government’s flagship road safety campaign, aims to reduce those killed and seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales by driving awareness of key road safety issues and encouraging attitude and behaviour change among high-risk road users.

We encourage the use of bright or reflective clothing for pedestrians and cyclists through our THINK! social channels, including at key moments such as around school term times, when the clocks change and darker mornings and evenings in the winter.

This advice is also shared via THINK! education resources, which are used widely by schools and other teaching intermediaries to support road safety education for children, and the THINK! campaign works closely with road safety charities and partners to share road safety advice and resources.

The primary audience for THINK! paid campaign activity is young men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over. To maximise the impact of our paid campaigns, these focus on the road safety issues which contribute to the highest numbers of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, such as speeding and drink driving.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to tackle delays arising from block booking of driving tests; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that such tests can only be booked (a) by and (b) on behalf of an individual.

It is not possible to block book car practical driving tests. A driving licence number can only be assigned to one car practical driving test at a time. A survey by The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suggests that only 10% of learner drivers use third parties to book their tests. Most either book appointments themselves or through their approved driving instructor (ADI).

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests. Such apps or bots are not approved by DVSA. They make it harder for candidates to get a test and can also result in people paying more for a test. DVSA will continue to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system, which are having a positive impact.

DVSA operates an online booking service (OBS) for instructors and trainers so that they can book and manage driving and riding tests for their pupils. DVSA has made changes to the OBS by stopping automatic online registrations to use the service, ensuring each company that registers employs an ADI and removing access for any companies not linked to driving instructors.

In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Since then, DVSA has issued 283 warnings, 746 suspensions, and closed 689 businesses for misuse of its booking service.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she next plans to update the guidance entitled Strategic road network and the delivery of sustainable development, published on 23 December 2022; and if she will take steps to include new guidance on the placement of fixed speed cameras.

I can confirm to the honourable member that my department continuously monitors the impact of the circular ‘Strategic road network and the delivery of sustainable development’ (Circular 01/2022), published by my department, to consider whether updates are needed. This Circular sets out National Highways’ relationship with the planning system. There is guidance on the placing of speed cameras contained in the document ‘Using speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement: deployment, visibility and signing’ (Circular 01/2007), also published by my department.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Jobcentre Plus to signpost people to digital inclusion services.

Jobcentre work coaches will consider the range of barriers faced by claimants to best support them into work and to progress in their careers. Digital inclusion is amongst the challenges that some claimants may experience and work coaches are encouraged to take action to address issues relating to poor digital skills and/or digital connectivity (access).

Where claimants have poor Essential Digital Skills, work coaches will consider referral to locally available skills provision to help them address these needs.

Where claimants are digitally excluded due to issues relating to access to digital equipment or connectivity, work coaches are able to use the Flexible Support Fund to procure devices, internet dongles, talk time, and broadband in the home on the basis that this will support labour market progression.

DWP has also ensured that all operational staff in Jobcentres, Universal Credit service centres, Pension Centres, and partnership managers who engage with claimants and stakeholders are able to signpost to information promoting broadband social tariffs.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to improve support for employers who hire people with autism.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting autistic people to thrive as part of the workforce. Our current support to employers includes the Disability Confident scheme and a digital information service for employers which offers tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace.

In our plan to Make Work Pay, we committed to raising awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace. Our forthcoming employment White Paper considers how to improve employment outcomes and experiences for disabled people and people with health conditions. We are exploring how we can build on the earlier, independent, Buckland Review which was focused more narrowly on autism and employment, to improve understanding and support for all neurodivergent people at work.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to deliver a long-term (a) funding settlement and (b) strategy for local crisis support when the Household Support Fund ends in March 2025.

The Government announced funding to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.

As set out by the Chancellor in July, the Government has inherited a number of significant pressures within public spending and took immediate action to reduce spending in-year and set out a clear process to a Budget this autumn and a full Spending Review to follow. The Government will set out its overall fiscal and spending plans then.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
28th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure insulin is distributed to (a) large and (b) small pharmacies across the UK.

The Department continues to work with all suppliers to ensure that insulin products are distributed and available for both small and large pharmacies.

There are ongoing global supply issues with Tresiba FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre pre-filled pens and Fiasp FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre pre-filled pens. We have issued communications to National Health Service healthcare professionals, providing comprehensive management guidance, advice, and information to allow them to support their patients in the management of the supply issues.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people diagnosed with autism at the age of 30 or later receive comparable (a) support and (b) resources to people diagnosed in childhood; and what plans he has to tackle disparities in services.

The Department is currently considering next steps to improve support for autistic people of all ages. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support services for autistic people of all ages, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The NICE guideline, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, aims to improve access and engagement with interventions and services, and the experience of care, for autistic adults.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. This guidance will help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance sets out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism based on the available evidence. This includes setting out specific considerations for developing post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed as autistic.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure ADHD testing is accessible to children in Greater Manchester.

The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD care pathways, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England is establishing to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD and help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.

NHS Greater Manchester advises that it has launched a public engagement exercise to gather views on improving children and young people’s ADHD services in Greater Manchester. The engagement exercise, which runs until 29 November 2024, seeks to address several issues including long wait times, levels of ongoing support for patients, the referral and assessment process, and how services vary across Greater Manchester.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people diagnosed with autism are actively consulted on the support they require by (a) addressing healthcare barriers, (b) improving health outcomes and (c) implementing necessary adjustments in health services.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines for autism highlight the importance of working in partnership with autistic people and, where appropriate, with their families, partners, and carers. The national framework and operational guidance for all-age autism assessment pathways, published by NHS England, set out what types of support autistic people may benefit from following diagnosis.

From 1 July 2022, service providers registered with the Care Quality Commission are required to ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022. To support this, we are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. Over 1.7 million people have now completed the e-learning module, which is the first part of the training.

To make it easier for autistic people to use health services, NHS England has mandated the use of a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag in health records from April 2024. This shows where a disabled person needs a reasonable adjustment to their care. In addition, in June 2024, NHS England published a Health and Care Passport guidance and template. Owned by the individual, hospital passports aim to support personalised care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, enabling better informed clinical decisions and shared decision making.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to reduce waiting times for autism diagnosis; and what steps he is taking to improve access to diagnostic services for (a) children and (b) adults.

The Department is currently considering next steps to improve diagnostic assessment and support for autistic people. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessment and support services, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. This guidance will help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism, based on the available evidence.

In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing Government oversight of self-regulating acupuncture bodies.

The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited voluntary registers programme, providing a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers.

The British Acupuncture Council holds a voluntary register of acupuncturists, which is accredited by the PSA. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent, representative bodies and as such, they do not fall under Government oversight and therefore any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for those organisations and their members.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners.

The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited voluntary registers programme, providing a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers.

The British Acupuncture Council holds a voluntary register of acupuncturists, which is accredited by the PSA. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent, representative bodies and as such, they do not fall under Government oversight and therefore any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for those organisations and their members.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to (a) integrate acupuncture practitioners into the broader healthcare system and (b) ensuring their treatments are in alignment with (i) standard medical practices and (ii) patient safety protocols.

The Government has no plans to introduce statutory regulation for acupuncture practitioners in the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to make such assessments. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited voluntary registers programme, providing a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers.

The British Acupuncture Council holds a voluntary register of acupuncturists, which is accredited by the PSA. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent, representative bodies and as such, they do not fall under Government oversight and therefore any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for those organisations and their members.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing draught duty relief for (a) beer and (b) cider served in pubs in Hazel Grove constituency.

Pubs make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system.

The current alcohol duty system supports pubs through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty.

The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) accuracy and (b) reliability of personal immigration status information generated by the Government View and Prove system; and what safeguards her Department plans to introduce to avoid system failures.

The transition towards eVisas is already underway, with millions of people already receiving and using eVisas successfully, by logging into the View and Prove service using their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

While most people are able to use the online services successfully without problems, where issues do occur, we have robust processes in place. Any person experiencing issues with their eVisa should contact the UKVI Resolution Centre which provides a full range of digital and telephone support. The Resolution Centre can assist users who are experiencing technical issues with their eVisa, and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

As part of our move to an immigration system which is more digital and streamlined, we stopped issuing any new BRPs and BRCs on 31 October 2024. People with existing permission in the UK are encouraged to take action now to create a UKVI account if they have not already done so, to access their eVisa. Most people will be able to see their status right away. Anyone who cannot do so should be able to see their status shortly. Those who cannot see their status can use the existing Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Prove your right to rent in England: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) online services in the meantime, and, if they still have it, use their BRP to prove their rights for other purposes. Otherwise, they should contact the UKVI Resolution Centre.

We have designed our digital services to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing to build assurance, and deployed across multiple data centres. Our online services and their constituent parts are also proactively monitored for failures, which highlight any potential problems to allow support teams to triage and resolve them as quickly as possible. We are constantly improving the accuracy, reliability and accessibility of our digital status services, including the View and Prove service. This includes proactive work to enhance the service as well as resolving issues reported to us by customers. We also continue to engage with stakeholders to test whether any improvements to implementation or our communications need to be made. The View and Prove platform is rigorously tested for security and stability and proven to be reliable in terms of availability.

Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
1st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of police officers are currently classified as deployable; and what the primary reasons are for officers being deemed non-deployable.

The Home Office does not have an official measure of ‘deployable’.

The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number and proportion of police officers available for duty as at 31 March each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

Table H1 of the data tables accompanying the publication provides the number and proportion of police officers available for duty, by Police Force Area, as at 31 March 2024. The number of police officers available for duty is calculated by excluding those on long-term absence (that has lasted for more than 28 calendar days). Long-term absence includes career breaks, compassionate leave, maternity or paternity leave, sickness, special leave, study leave and suspension.

The number of police officers available for duty includes police officers that are on recuperative (duties falling short of full deployment, undertaken by a police officer following an injury, accident, illness or medical incident) or adjusted (duties falling short of full deployment, in respect of which workplace adjustments have been made to overcome barriers to working) duties. The Home Office does not collect data on the reason for recuperative or adjusted duties.

Table W5 and W6 of the data tables accompanying the publication provide the number and proportion of police officers on recuperative and adjusted duties, by Police Force Area, as at 31 March 2024.

The Home Office does not collect data on officers that are non-deployable due to management restricted duties.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
1st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) recruitment and (b) retention in police forces.

The latest Home Office statistics for the overall Police Workforce show a 1.2% increase when compared to the previous year. The total paid police workforce in the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales was 236,588 full-time equivalents (FTE) as at 31 March 2024; an increase of 2,752 FTE, compared to 233,836 FTE as at 31 March 2023. This includes 147,746 FTE police officers (up 0.2% on 147,434 in March 2023); and 81,303 FTE police staff and designated officers (up 3.4% on 78,596 in March 2023).

This Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively. As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, the Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This includes getting thousands of additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs back on the beat in communities across the country.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)