Victoria Collins MP: written questions 2025
508 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to assessments for Special Educational Needs in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) England.
Answer: The department wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream settings through early identification, effective support, ...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: DischargesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49606More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the rate of discharge from hospitals into social care in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) England.
Answer: It is a priority for the Government to support hospital discharge and ensure that people receive the care that they need.On 30 January 2025, the Government published the policy framework for the Better Care Fund (BCF) in 2025/26, which took effect on 1 Ap...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Harpenden and BerkhamstedDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to emergency dentistry in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild den...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOnline Information Advisory CommitteeDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the terms of reference for the Advisory Committee on Online Information.
Answer: Ofcom and its advisory committees are independent of government. The design of the advisory committee’s Terms of Reference are therefore a matter for Ofcom.The Online Safety Act includes clear requirements for the Committee’s responsibilities: advising Of...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordExport Health Certificates: Fees and ChargesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a cap on the fees charged by veterinary practices for issuing Animal Health Certificates.
Answer: All fees set by veterinary surgeons or veterinary practices are a private matter between individual practices and their clients. Neither the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the UK regulator of the veterinary profession, nor Defra intervene in...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: Debts Written OffForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed reductions in spending on official development assistance on levels of debt-cancellation to heavil
Answer: Supporting developing countries to tackle unsustainable debt is a priority of this government. Where the UK Government is a creditor, we will fully engage in multilateral negotiations with debtor countries via the Paris Club and G20 Common Framework mecha...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRight to Buy SchemeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that homes sold under Right to Buy are not used as private rental properties.
Answer: Former council tenants who have purchased their home under the Right to Buy scheme but wish to resell or dispose of it within a 10-year period, must first offer the property for sale at the full market value to either the former landlord or to another soc...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has considered allowing local authorities to (a) retain and (b) reinvest all proceeds from Right to Buy sales into building new council homes.
Answer: Former council tenants who have purchased their home under the Right to Buy scheme but wish to resell or dispose of it within a 10-year period, must first offer the property for sale at the full market value to either the former landlord or to another soc...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Right to Buy scheme on local councils’ ability to invest in new social housing.
Answer: Former council tenants who have purchased their home under the Right to Buy scheme but wish to resell or dispose of it within a 10-year period, must first offer the property for sale at the full market value to either the former landlord or to another soc...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Review of the Loan ChargeTreasuryTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47470More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to expand the scope of the Loan Change review to include (a) promoters, (b) umbrella companies, (c) recruitment agencies, (d) accountants and (e) tax advisers.
Answer: The Government has commissioned an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government does not think it is right for people affected by the Loan Charge to...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisqualificationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) removing sanctions on Universal Credit and (b) ensuring sanctions are used only in exceptional circumstances.
Answer: As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and moving away from the current one-size-fits-all approach. We are creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, me...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of granting Ukrainians settled in the UK through sponsorship schemes the right to remain (a) indefinitely and (b) until it is safe
Answer: We are committed to standing with Ukraine and providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and those who still need our sanctuary.The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMedia: EducationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 29226 on Media, what the two media literacy programmes funded in 2024 were called; and where he plans to publish further informati
Answer: In 2024 the Government provided £0.5 million to expand the National Literacy Trust’s ‘Empower’ and Parent Zone’s ‘Everyday Digital’ programmes.‘Empower’ provided media literacy education to nearly 4,000 vulnerable students aged 11-16, who were excluded or...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPathways to WorkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42060 on Pathways to Work: Impact Assessments, whether her Department’s further programme of analysis will include a disaggregation of data by category
Answer: A breakdown of the impact of the reforms on disability overall has been published as part of an Equality Analysis of the Spring Statement package of measures (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-g...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOffshore Industry: North SeaDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 27613 on Offshore Industry: North Sea, what further steps his Department is taking to avoid prejudicing future regulatory decision-making
Answer: Neither the Secretary of State nor I will be commenting on the specifics of individual in order to avoid potentially prejudicing any future regulatory decisions the Secretary of State is required to make in relation to these projects. We remain committed ...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: Social ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to social care provision for disabled children in all areas.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted to the answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 45293.
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47463More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to improve the energy efficiency of homes in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future, including those in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. We will upg...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: Job CreationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47462More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support job creation in the renewable energy sector in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answer: The Government’s initial assessment of the challenges of building the skilled workforce to deliver the Clean Energy Superpower Mission has been outlined in the Clean Power Action Plan. The Plan includes an Evidence Annex which provides a basis for Governm...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to include people impacted by low-grade brain tumours which follow the cancer pathways, care and treatment, but are not technically cancer in the National Cancer Plan.
Answer: The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with brain tumours.Although low-grade brain tumours are generally non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and req...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment and Universal Credit: Visual ImpairmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy that claimants of (a) Personal Independence Payment and (b) Universal Credit with sight loss conditions that have no prospect of improvement will be exempt from reassessme
Answer: Our wide-ranging package of reforms to health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, will improve experiences of the system for those who need it. The functional impact and severity of a condition can significantly vary acro...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRespiratory Diseases: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to include lung health in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMeans-tested Benefits: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase the take-up of means-tested benefits in households with children in poverty.
Answer: The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit including on GOV.UK that supports customers to identify what support may be available. Additionally, we signpost potential customers to external benefit calculators where they can identify ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: TransportDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether increases to employer National Insurance contributions will impact transportation services for children with SEND.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: Children in CareDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the disparities in educational outcomes for children in care.
Answer: Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the start in life they deserve.We are committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive out...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: Children in CareDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve educational outcomes for children in care.
Answer: Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the start in life they deserve.We are committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive out...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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