Victoria Collins MP: written questions
786 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Pupils: Children in CareDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46384More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the attainment gap between children in care and their peers.
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 recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46383More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be offered by the NHS in the Spring booster programme.
Answer: The spring 2025 campaign will continue to use mRNA vaccine supply secured under existing pandemic contracts with Pfizer and Moderna. Those eligible will be offered either Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines during the spring 2025 campaign.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Leavers: UnemploymentDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46382More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of care leavers who are Not in Education, Employment or Training.
Answer: The number of care leavers who are not in education, employment or training is published annually in the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’.Figures on the activity of care leavers aged 17-21 years old, including tho...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: SchoolsDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46381More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what eligibility criteria her Department is using to choose successful schools for Great British Energy's rooftop solar panels project.
Answer: The department recently announced, in partnership with Great British (GB) Energy, an £80 million (£40 million from the department and £40 million from GB Energy) initiative to install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 s...
Answered 9 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: SchoolsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46380More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether there is a timeline for the delivery of Great British Energy’s first project to install rooftop solar panels in schools.
Answer: The match funding between GBE and DfE announced on 21 March 2025 will enable around 200 schools in England to install solar power and complementary decarbonisation technologies, helping to drive down their energy bills. It is estimated to provide up to £1...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordReligious Freedom: GenderForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46379More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle gender-specific religious persecution.
Answer: The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Working with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, we are ...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNigeria: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46378More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Nigeria in implementing the Universal Periodic Review recommendations relating to the Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Answer: The UK Government is committed to upholding the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and was an active participant in Nigeria's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in January 2024. Our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46377More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of taxation policies on (a) farm investment and (b) succession planning on domestic food production.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inherita...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: InfrastructureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to permit local planning authorities to commission independent assessments of (a) water and (b) drainage infrastructure capacity.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 45308 on 22 April 2025.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46375More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken in response to the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices to review working practices for (a) taxis and (b) private hire vehicle.
Answer: The Taylor Review was published in 2017 and while it continues to be a valuable contribution to the debate on working practices, this Government is focused on delivering our plan to Make Work Pay.Once implemented, our Plan to Make Work Pay will represent ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInheritance Tax: Rural Areas and TenantsTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46374More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to inheritance tax on (a) rural communities and (b) low-income tenants.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inherita...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily Hubs: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46373More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department have to extend the Start for Life programme beyond the 75 upper-tier local authorities that currently receive funding.
Answer: In 2025/26, £57 million will be made available to 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation to provide a range of Start for Life services. Funding for future years is being considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHospices: Community Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46372More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the role of hospices in providing care in communities.
Answer: We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families r...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNurseries: Fees and ChargesDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to improve transparency in (a) fee structures and (b) pricing practices in private nurseries.
Answer: It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.This working parent entitlement aims to suppor...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the £100,000 threshold for entitlement to 30 hours of free childcare on affected families.
Answer: It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.This working parent entitlement aims to suppor...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered introducing a tapered withdrawal of the 30 hours of free childcare entitlement for households earning above £100,000.
Answer: It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.This working parent entitlement aims to suppor...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare: Fees and ChargesDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46368More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of uprating the income threshold for the free childcare entitlement in line with inflation.
Answer: It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.This working parent entitlement aims to suppor...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46367More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of changes to the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief Scheme on businesses.
Answer: The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. At Autumn Budget 2024, we took the first step with the announcement of permanently lower tax rates for the Re...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSewers and Water: Planning PermissionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) Thames Water and (b) other water companies provide (i) accurate and (ii) locally verified assessments of (A) wastewater and (B) draina
Answer: As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastr...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: FraudDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46365More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure social media companies (a) remove and (b) report (i) illegal counterfeit currency and (ii) fraudulent foreign exchange trading.
Answer: The illegal content duties under the Online Safety Act came into force on 17 March 2025. Social media services must now have systems and processes in place to proactively protect users from illegal fraudulent content. Ofcom’s illegal content Codes of Prac...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46364More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will take steps to prioritise the reform of funding for (a) palliative and (b) end-of-life care in the NHS 10-year plan.
Answer: We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and families receiv...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLondon Northwestern Railway and Thameslink line: ConcessionsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46363More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to enable railcard holders to use their discounts with contactless payments on (a) London Northwestern Railway and (b) Govia Thameslink Railway services.
Answer: Whilst currently you are not able to link railcards to contactless bankcards, we are working with Transport for London on the functionality to use Railcard discounts with Pay As You Go (PAYG) with contactless, and this will follow in due course. Passenge...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBlue Badge Scheme: ApplicationsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) review and (b) amend the Blue Badge eligibility criteria to accommodate individuals with temporary disabilities.
Answer: The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping people with a long-term disability, that affects their capacity to access the goods and services they need to use. The Department for Transport currently has no plans to amend the eligibility criteria. The ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Skilled WorkersHome OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas were issued under the digital technology stream of the Global Talent visa in each calendar year since 2020.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Global Talent and Scale-Up Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on outcomes of visas (issued, refused, withdrawn, lapsed) are published in table ‘Vi...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Skilled WorkersHome OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were (a) approved and (b) denied under the scale-up worker visa route in each calendar year since 2022; and what the average waiting time was for a decision.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Global Talent and Scale-Up Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on outcomes of visas (issued, refused, withdrawn, lapsed) are published in table ‘Vi...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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