Victoria Collins MP: written questions
407 published records · newest first.
Written questions
New Businesses: Economic GrowthDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111011More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many UK technology company acquired by foreign buyers were of (a) pre-revenue startups and (b) companies with revenues (i) under £10 million, (ii) between £10-50 million and (iii) £50 million in th
Answer: The statistics requested are not readily available. The Department for Business and Trade is supporting the next generation of start-ups and scale-ups, aiming to create the UK’s first trillion-dollar technology business by 2035. The Industrial Strategy an...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110208More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle the decline of British birds.
Answer: We are committed to delivering our statutory biodiversity targets which will support the recovery and conservation of native wild birds. Nationally, government actions to restore and create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042, alon...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordClimate Change: WildlifeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110207More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on UK wildlife.
Answer: Under the UK Climate Change Act 2008, the Government must complete a Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme outlining how identified risks will be addressed. The fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment w...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPer- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl SubstancesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110206More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the EU’s proposed restrictions of PFAS.
Answer: As set out in the PFAS Plan published on 3 February 2026, this Government will consider our approach towards further UK REACH restrictions. The Government will reform UK REACH to enable protections that address chemical pollution to be applied more quickl...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110205More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle barriers to work for disabled people in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to ta...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPoverty: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110204More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish an equalities impact assessment of the Child Poverty Strategy, including its impact on groups at highest risk of poverty.
Answer: A full summary Equalities Analysis was published alongside the Strategy and is available at: Child Poverty Strategy: Summary Equalities Analysis - GOV.UK.The impacts of policies contributing to the Child Poverty Strategy will be kept under review and moni...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110203More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women living in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: ICTDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110202More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the amount of technology required by state schools in England.
Answer: The department monitors the level of technology required by state schools in England through the Technology in Schools Survey 2025, which captures evidence on digital infrastructure, devices and connectivity.To support schools, the department has publishe...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHospices: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of changes in the levels of funding to hospices on the wider healthcare system.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHospices: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110200More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of funding the full cost of specialist palliative care delivered by hospices.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110199More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle the decline in the numbers of British birds.
Answer: We are committed to delivering our statutory biodiversity targets which will support the recovery and conservation of native wild birds. Nationally, government actions to restore and create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042, alon...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110198More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure the 30 by 30 on land in England nature recovery target is met.
Answer: The UK Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). Progressing this target on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCarer's Allowance: OverpaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of pausing deductions being taken from Carer's Allowance payments as a result of earnings-related overpayments while the Department reassesses t
Answer: We have been clear that the Sayce review into earnings related Carer’s Allowance overpayments was not a substitute for legal proceedings. The report’s findings do not prejudice business-as-usual activity by DWP. The department must balance fairness for un...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: Business RatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109365More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason business rates treatment is different for community pharmacies and (a) GP and (b) NHS dentist surgeries; and whether his Department plans to extend business rate reimbursements to c
Answer: Community pharmacy, general practice and National Health Service dental surgeries all play a vital role in delivering our Neighbourhood Health Service offer for communities across the country. They are treated differently in relation to business rates bec...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: Speech and Language DisordersDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109364More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the education system distinguishes between children with short-term speech and language delays and lifelong communication needs.
Answer: We know that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists is essential. This is why the department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, inclu...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDigital Service Providers: USADepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109363More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of a) government departments b) critical public services and c) critical national infrastructure rely on US-owned cloud infrastructure; and what assessment her Departmen
Answer: Survey results in the State of Digital Government Review state that around 55% of central government organisations reported that over 60% of their estate is now on the cloud. All survey participants indicated that they use one of two leading cloud provide...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPrivate Life: FraudHome OfficeTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108939More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of Dating Scam Fraud were reported in 2025; and what the financial loss was.
Answer: The Home Office does not collect information on Dating Scam Fraud. City of London Police are the national lead force for fraud and operate the Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) reporting service which collects data on Dating Scam Fraud. The below data ...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGreen Belt: Harpenden and BerkhamstedMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Grey Belt policy on speculative development proposals on village edges in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 98288 on 5 January 2026, UIN 105177 on 20 January 2026, and UIN 106373 on 26 January 2026.
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: PricesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108082More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce annual increases in household energy bills in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answer: Tackling the affordability crisis is Government’s number one priority. Energy bills remain too high – that is why we are acting to bring bills down now and for the long term. At the last Budget, we took an average of £150 of costs off energy bills from th...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCorporation Tax: Tax CollectionTreasuryTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108081More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the quarterly instalment payment regime on companies that realise large but infrequent capital gains, particularly in cases where tax liabilit
Answer: If a company or a group's annual profits exceed £1.5 million, they will be classed as ‘large’ and will be required to pay their Corporation Tax in quarterly instalments. This long-standing regime ensures that larger companies pay their Corporation Tax bil...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCorporation Tax: Interest ChargesTreasuryTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108080More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of interest charges on companies that are unable to estimate quarterly instalment payments accurately due to the unpredictable timing and size of capital gains.
Answer: If a company or a group's annual profits exceed £1.5 million, they will be classed as ‘large’ and will be required to pay their Corporation Tax in quarterly instalments. This long-standing regime ensures that larger companies pay their Corporation Tax bil...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSanitary Products: ConcessionsDepartment for EducationTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108079More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that free period products are accessible to everyone who needs them in schools, workplaces, and public facilities.
Answer: Nobody 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 their place of study through the period products scheme. The scheme aims to remove periods as a barrier to...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSanitary Products: ConcessionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108078More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce a statutory right to access free period products.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of women and girls being able to access the care they need for their reproductive health, including period products.We know that poverty doesn’t recognise gender, and that women and girls may suffer given the cost ...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGovia Thameslink Railway: PlanningDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether passenger demand forecasts for Thameslink services have been updated to reflect the approved expansion of London Luton Airport, planned housing growth along the route and the proposed Universal Studios
Answer: Govia Thameslink Railway has shared demand modelling with the Department which does include projections for planned developments along the Thameslink network. The Department requires all operators to plan future timetables that reflect expected demand and...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Health: NursesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reductions in local authority public health nursing contracts on prevention and community-based care.
Answer: Decisions related to public health nursing contracts are taken at a local level.Public health nursing has been funded by local authorities since 2015 through the Public Health Grant. We increased the Public Health Grant by £224 million this year, 2025/26,...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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