Victoria Collins MP: written questions 2025
508 published records · newest first.
Written questions
EndometriosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45299More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the training of healthcare employees in recognising symptoms of endometriosis.
Answer: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions including endometriosis.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines support healthcare...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: Ovarian CancerDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45298More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support GPs in diagnosing ovarian cancer.
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including ovarian cancer, earlier and faster.We are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availab...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEndometriosis: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45297More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of endometriosis.
Answer: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and we are making progress to ensure that women with endometriosis receive a timely diagnosis and effective treatment.Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat co...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHoney: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve testing methods, (b) strengthen labelling regulations and (c) help tackle honey adulteration in other ways.
Answer: Defra carries out scientific research in partnership with the Food Standards Agency to help improve testing methods help address honey adulteration. The Honey (England) Regulations 2015 lay down detailed specifications which honey must comply with regardi...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOvarian Cancer: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on ovarian cancer research in the latest period for which data is available.
Answer: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer being one of the largest areas of spe...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNeurological Diseases: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle shortages of medication for (a) Parkinson's and (b) epilepsy.
Answer: The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, most issues, including with c...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: Social ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure disabled children can access social care support.
Answer: This government is taking forward significant reform of children’s social care, with the aim to rebalance the system towards earlier intervention and ensure that all children and families can access the right help at the point of need, rather than needing...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: CrewDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45292More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to raise the retirement age for commercial pilots.
Answer: Age limits for commercial pilots are set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in standards and recommended practices, which the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) apply. These are under review by ICAO and the CAA remain engaged with ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: Closures and VacanciesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45291More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent (a) staff shortages in and (b) the closure of local pharmacies.
Answer: The Government recognises that pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Employers clearly have a key role in retain...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45290More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to provide financial support to help scientists phase out the use of animals in medical research.
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. UK Research and Innovation is committed to reducing the use of animals in research and provide a number of financial support mech...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with social media companies on age restrictions for accessing social media.
Answer: Government is committed to protecting children’s safety online across the UK.The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to consider, as part of their risk assessments, how their algorithms impact children’s exposure to illegal and harmful conte...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: HertfordshireDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve bus connectivity in )a) Great Gaddesden and (b) other rural areas.
Answer: The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) rates of early diagnosis, (b) access to treatment and (c) specialist care for people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Answer: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), by supporting earlier diagnosis, improving access to treatment, and enhancing specialist care. Under the England Rare Disease...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: Young PeopleDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the potential impact of social media algorithms on addiction of young people to social media in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constitu
Answer: Government is committed to protecting children’s safety online across the UK.The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to consider, as part of their risk assessments, how their algorithms impact children’s exposure to illegal and harmful conte...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: Buckinghamshire and HertfordshireDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the (a) early commencement of services and (b) reliability of bus services between (i) Tring, (ii) Aylesbury, and (iii) Hemel Hempstead.
Answer: The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: PricesTreasuryTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44792More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to help support households in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency with their energy bills.
Answer: The Government is taking several fiscal steps to help support households, including those in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, with their energy bills. St Albans City and District Council and Dacorum Borough Council have received £2.5 million an...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Cost of LivingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) England.
Answer: The Government is honouring its commitment to the Triple Lock with a recent 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension, the new State Pension, and the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit. Over this Parliament (2029/30), the OBR forecasts that the G...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCarers: Legal Aid Scheme and Respite CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on reviewing the eligibility of unpaid carers for (a) legal aid and (b) advocacy; and what assessment he has made of the potentia
Answer: To be eligible for legal aid, which includes advice, assistance, and advocacy, where applicable, generally an applicant’s legal matter must be in scope for legal aid, and they must pass both a merits and a means test. The merits test, for civil legal aid,...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRented Housing: Tenants' RightsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44789More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to improve the rights of residents in non-traditional housing against (a) eviction, (b) sudden contract cancellations and (c) large rent increases.
Answer: All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to feel safe and secure in their homes.Residents in non-traditional housing who fall outside the assured tenancy system are likely to possess a licence to occupy and thus are excluded from the s...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: WomenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44788More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve staffing levels at GP surgeries to ensure ring timely access to women's health services.
Answer: The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the fut...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Harpenden and BerkhamstedDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of available NHS dental appointments in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 April 2025 to Question 44281.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Fees and ChargesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44786More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the cost of dental care for (a) low income families and (b) pensioners.
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 areas that need them most.The responsibility ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to (a) update the basic rate of Universal Credit annually inline with inflation and (b) introduce an essentials guarantee to reflect the cost of living.
Answer: We will bring in a permanent, above inflation, rise to the standard allowance in Universal Credit for the first time ever by raising the standard allowance above inflation from 2026/27 until 2029/30. This is in stark contrast to a freeze between 2016/17 a...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44784More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to fund the Adoption and Special Guardianship fund after 2025/26.
Answer: The department remains committed to supporting adoptive and kinship families, who play an essential role in providing stable and loving homes for children in need. On 1 April, it was announced that the adoption and special guardianship support fund would ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPeriod PovertyDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle period poverty for young girls in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England.
Answer: No-one should have to miss out on education because of their period, which is why the department provides free period products to girls and women in all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England.Since the launch of the Perio...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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