Seema Kennedy Portrait

Seema Kennedy

Conservative - Former Member for South Ribble

First elected: 7th May 2015

Left House: 6th November 2019 (Standing Down)


Seema Kennedy is not a member of any APPGs
5 Former APPG memberships
Apprenticeships, Credit Unions, Iran, Reeling, Women in Parliament
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
27th Jul 2019 - 12th Dec 2019
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
4th Apr 2019 - 27th Jul 2019


Division Voting information

Seema Kennedy has voted in 925 divisions, and 3 times against the majority of their Party.

27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Seema Kennedy voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 94 Conservative No votes vs 157 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 160 Noes - 400
27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Seema Kennedy voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 122 Conservative No votes vs 126 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 139 Noes - 422
14 Mar 2019 - UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union - View Vote Context
Seema Kennedy voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 112 Conservative Aye votes vs 188 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 412 Noes - 202
View All Seema Kennedy Division Votes

All Debates

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
Angela Eagle (Labour)
Minister of State (Home Office)
(12 debate interactions)
Kit Malthouse (Conservative)
(10 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(165 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(42 debate contributions)
Home Office
(37 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Seema Kennedy's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Seema Kennedy

Seema Kennedy has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Seema Kennedy, 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.


Seema Kennedy has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Seema Kennedy has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Seema Kennedy has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Seema Kennedy has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 12 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
1 Other Department Questions
16th Jul 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that the fuel poverty strategy benefits people living in park homes.

The Government will be guided by the fuel poverty strategy published in March 2015 which sets out a clear policy of working towards improving energy efficiency standards across the English housing stock, including in the homes of the fuel poor. The strategy highlighted a concern relating to issues faced by park home residents in keeping their homes warm. Therefore, the Government is undertaking further research and working with stakeholders to understand the drivers of fuel poverty in park homes.

DECC has also been ensuring park homes residents are able to benefit from our existing schemes targeted at the fuel poor such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Warm Home Discount (WHD).

27th Apr 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to address skills shortages in the workforce.

This Government is committed to giving young people the skills they need to succeed in life.

We are supporting 3 million more apprenticeships in this Parliament, and we are ensuring that employers play a leading role in the design of our new Degree Apprenticeships. Following our Higher Education Green Paper, we will be launching a technical consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework, which will ensure our universities continue to focus on helping their students into employment.

9th Oct 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the Drinking Water Inspectorate to announce the findings of its investigations into the causes of the recent cryptosporidium water contamination.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) holds the statutory responsibility to investigate and report on drinking water quality incidents that affect public water supplies in England and Wales. It continues to carry out a detailed and thorough investigation into the recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Lancashire. Once the final report is completed, it will be made publicly available.

9th Oct 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Drinking Water Inspectorate are taking to ensure that utility companies take all reasonable measures to resolve efficiently and effectively (i) water contamination issues and (ii) cryptosporidium contamination.

Water companies are required to provide safe supplies of drinking water to the public. Where contamination of a public water supply occurs, whether by cryptosporidium or by any other cause, the water company involved is expected to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the public remains safe, and that a safe supply of drinking water is restored. The DWI has a rigorous independent regulatory and inspection regime, and holds enforcement powers to ensure that the likelihood of such an event is minimised, and, when they do occur, that the measures taken to resolve any issues are in interests of the customer.

Defra is the sponsor department for the water industry and is responsible for setting the legal and policy framework for the regulatory regime as applied by Ofwat (the economic regulator) and the DWI (the drinking water quality regulator). When the DWI produces its report on the recent cryptosporidium incident in Lancashire, Defra will consider, with other stakeholders, what wider lessons can be learnt about the effectiveness of the current regime.

4th Jan 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will support the increase of infrastructure for onboard wifi along the West Coast rail line.

We recognise intermittent internet access is a frustration felt by many rail passengers. I have met with Virgin Trains to discuss their ambitions to improve internet connectivity on both West Coast and East Coast main lines. I recognise that this is an important issue for West Coast passengers and that we need to find a solution where all passengers can benefit.


Free Wi-Fi is being introduced on all Department for Transport-controlled rail franchises in England and Wales. All train operators bidding for new franchises and direct award agreements will have to present a phased implementation plan for free Wi-Fi. The West Coast franchise is being tendered this year with the new contract commencing in 2018, which will include this obligation.


On-train Wi-Fi addresses some of the issues, however we recognise that there is more to do that will require enhancements to trackside infrastructure. That’s why we are working with the rail and telecommunications industries to reach a shared understanding of the technical and commercial challenges, and seek out potential solutions.

15th Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the independent Mental Health Taskforce set out in the Five Year Forward View of February 2016.

An implementation plan for the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health was published in July which will see Mental Health spending increase by £1billion by 2020.

Jeremy Hunt
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
16th Jul 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of older people experiencing loneliness.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health set out in his speech to the Local Government Association on 1 July that we all have a responsibility at an individual, family, and community level to identify people with care needs such as loneliness and provide support and improve their wellbeing.

Through the Care Act 2014 the Department has required local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from universal services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support. This includes needs that may arise from social isolation.

The Department has supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness. Since its launch in July 2012, the toolkit has been supporting commissioners in understanding, mapping and commissioning for loneliness and social isolation in their communities.

Alongside work to build our understanding of the issue and expanding the evidence base, we have launched the Prevention Library where local authorities can exchange ideas and experience of the impact of information, advice and befriending services.

16th Jul 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve rates of early diagnosis of breast cancer.

To improve early diagnosis of cancer, the Department of Health and Public Health England (PHE, since 2013) have run numerous national Be Clear on Cancer public awareness campaigns, including two national campaigns on breast cancer in women over 70. PHE ran the first campaign early in 2014 and the second campaign is running from 13 July to 6 September 2015 to raise awareness of breast cancer symptoms, including non-lump symptoms and encourage women with symptoms to see their general practitioner (GP) without delay. The campaign is targeting women over 70 with the key message of “1 in 3 women who get breast cancer are over 70, so don’t assume you’re past it.” The campaign will run on television, radio, digital and out of home media. As with all Be Clear on Cancer campaigns, the impact of this campaign will be evaluated.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published an updated guideline “Suspected cancer: recognition and referral” on 23 June 2015, to ensure that it reflects latest evidence and can continue to support GPs to identify patients with symptoms of suspected cancer, including breast cancer and urgently refer them as appropriate.

Cancer screening remains an important way to detect cancer early, and women aged 50 to 70 are invited for free breast screening every three years. Women over 70 can request free three yearly screening. We have invested in a research trial to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of extending the programme to women aged 47-49 and 71-73 and over two million women have now been randomised. Results from the trial will be available in the early 2020s.

9th Oct 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the pilot resettlement scheme for Chagos Islanders meets their requirements.

The Government is carrying out a public consultation exercise, seeking the views of Chagossians and other interested parties, about a potential resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The consultation is scheduled to last 12 weeks, concluding on 27 October. I am pleased that an estimated five hundred Chagossians in the UK, Seychelles, and Mauritius have joined meetings with members of the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration to talk through the consultation document. Though we have been clear that this document is not a statement of UK Government policy, as no decision has yet been taken, it sets out the most realistic hypothetical scenario in which possible resettlements, including a pilot option, could take place. The consultation period will help us understand Chagossians’ aspirations and the level of demand for the options set out. This consultation continues the conversation with Chagossian communities as part of our review of resettlement policy started in 2012, which included an independent feasibility study, which concluded at the end of January 2015.

10th Feb 2016
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the financial sector and employer groups on workplace money management and workplace payroll savings schemes.

The government is committed to supporting savers, and government officials meet regularly with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals to discuss the role that payroll deduction can play in promoting workplace saving, particularly in relation to the credit union movement. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is funding a £38m project to enable participating credit unions to expand their services to many more consumers, including to employees via workplace payroll savings. DWP is also looking into providing payroll savings facilities for their staff who are members of a credit union.

Harriett Baldwin
Shadow Minister (Development)
6th Jan 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement powers for court orders relating to child custody.

The Government has not made any recent assessment. The family court has a wide range of enforcement powers to secure compliance with a child arrangements order.


Where a person named in a child arrangements order breaches it without good reason, the court may make an enforcement order requiring that person to carry out unpaid work. The court may also order that person to pay financial compensation for any loss suffered by another person named in the child arrangements order. These sanctions are in addition to the general powers of the court to treat the breach of a court order as a contempt of court, which is punishable by a fine or imprisonment. The court may alternatively vary the terms of the child arrangements order (reconsidering the provisions made) if it considers this necessary to make the arrangements work in the best interests of the child.

12th Apr 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland.

The Fresh Start Agreement created a Joint Agency Task Force to identify strategic priorities and co-ordinate joint operations against those involved in cross-border organised crime.

Tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland is primarily a matter for the devolved Department of Justice, under the auspices of the Organised Crime Task Force.