Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of adequacy of the time taken for National Savings and Investments to action a request for a valuation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
National Savings and Investment (NS&I) customers with an online account can log in and see the value of their investments instantly. Alternatively, NS&I customers can phone the customer service team for a valuation, which can be provided during the phone call.
As noted in my update to Parliament on 19 May, in response issues in its handling of bereavement claims, NS&I is conducting a new, more thorough process for bereavement claims. As a result, valuation requests following a bereavement and tracing valuation requests received by NS&I via post are taking longer than the usual 14 days for NS&I to process. An additional 100 people have been hired to ensure this is temporary and NS&I expects to return to processing bereavement claims within usual service standards by Autumn 2026.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing the measures in the Chalk Streams (Sewerage Investment) Bill.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to the protection and restoration of our cherished chalk streams.
We are already taking action to hold water companies and other polluters to account through the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and water companies are required to prepare, publish and maintain comprehensive Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans setting out the actions the company intends to take or continue, to deliver robust public sewerage services and prevent environmental damage, including to chalk streams.
Chalk streams are ‘high-priority sites’ as part of the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan and are prioritised as part of the £11bn of investment to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows in England and Wales over the next 5 years.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including content on contemporary antisemitism within the existing mandatory Holocaust material in the school curriculum.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The purpose of Holocaust education in history is to teach about why and how the Holocaust happened. This will include teaching about antisemitism in this historical context due to the centrality of antisemitism to the Nazi’s ideology. Such teaching can provide schools with a basis for teaching about contemporary antisemitism in lessons beyond history, for example in citizenship.
The department supports teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides teachers with a range of free, quality-assured resources, including on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.
We have also committed £7 million to fund projects and programmes to improve confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism in education. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has also asked Sir David Bell to undertake an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges, which will be published this autumn.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of acute mental health inpatient places in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since the pandemic, mental health services in Hertfordshire have faced sustained pressure, including a reliance on out‑of‑area beds, reflecting national trends. A 2023/24 review found local inpatient capacity was significantly below comparable areas.
In response, the integrated care board (ICB) and Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have expanded capacity, commissioning additional beds to bring provision in line with the benchmarked average. This includes securing local independent sector beds to keep patients closer to home and creating 15 new adult acute beds alongside additional older adult provision. The ICB has confirmed these beds will be open from the end of March 2027.
Alongside this, investment has focused on alternatives to admission, including a new urgent care centre model in Stevenage, and expanded community and voluntary sector crisis support, with improving mental health crisis care a key strategic priority.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received reports on welfare conditions for beagle puppies at MBR Acres, in the context of the current heatwave.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
ASRU maintains regular engagement with MBR Acres as part of its ongoing oversight of establishments licenced under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This includes updates on operational matters and environmental conditions, including temperature monitoring, to ensure that appropriate standards of animal welfare are maintained.
Daily checks by competent personnel are mandated under licence conditions to monitor animal welfare and environmental conditions, with prompt action required to address any issues. Establishment are also required to report any breaches or potential breaches of licence conditions to the Secretary of State.
ASRU has released a number of inspection reports for MBR Acres, which found no evidence of non-compliance with the requirements of ASPA, associated licence conditions, or the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used in scientific Procedures.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training healthcare professionals are given on the impacts of diethylstilbestrol.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I apologise and express my sincere sympathy to all those affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), including those exposed in utero and their families.
The Government’s focus is on carefully considering the available evidence and determining the most appropriate next steps, rather than establishing a public inquiry. Current work includes ensuring that appropriate clinical pathways, professional awareness, and sources of support are in place for people who may have been affected by DES exposure.
Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for patients.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he would hold a public inquiry into the effects of diethylstilbestrol.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I apologise and express my sincere sympathy to all those affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), including those exposed in utero and their families.
The Government’s focus is on carefully considering the available evidence and determining the most appropriate next steps, rather than establishing a public inquiry. Current work includes ensuring that appropriate clinical pathways, professional awareness, and sources of support are in place for people who may have been affected by DES exposure.
Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for patients.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with Affinity Water on the reduction of water pressure to residents of Park Street village, Hertfordshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra Ministers and officials engage regularly with the water sector, including specific companies, on strategic policy issues. The Government expects water companies to keep affected customers informed and to take all appropriate steps to minimise disruption including maintaining adequate water pressure. Affinity Water is responsible for the day-to-day operation of its network and for managing pressures within the system to maintain supplies across its area.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's regulatory policies of building societies using electronic quick vote systems to approve board recommendations at AGMs.
Answered by Rachel Blake - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government is committed to supporting the growth and long-term success of the mutual sector, including building societies, in line with its manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutual and co‑operative sector.
The Government recognises the importance of member ownership and engagement as a defining feature of mutuals. Within the existing legislative and regulatory framework, it is generally for individual building societies and their members to determine detailed governance arrangements, including matters such as executive remuneration, board composition and the format of annual general meetings. This includes the use of different voting mechanisms, such as electronic voting systems, which are a matter for individual societies and their members within the existing framework.
The Government therefore has no plans to introduce prescriptive requirements in these areas, but will continue to keep the framework under review as part of its broader work to support mutuals.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding eligibility for the MenB vaccination programme to students aged 26 and older.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 12 June 2026, we announced a one-off, time-limited meningococcal group B (MenB) immunisation programme to protect those at highest immediate risk of MenB disease this autumn.
People currently in the Year 13 age group in England and Wales, those born from 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008, will be eligible for vaccination, as well as people under 25 years of age attending higher education or living at some residential further education settings for the first time in the 2026/27 academic year.
Data on invasive meningococcal disease over the last five years has shown that after infancy, the highest number of cases are seen in 18- to 19-year-olds. Students in their first year of university have a risk that is about seven times higher than young people of a similar age who do not go to university.
The risk, and MenB incidence, declines rapidly in older age groups, which is why these age- based cohorts have been selected.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which provides expert independent advice on our vaccination programmes, is updating its assessment of the appropriate eligibility for routine MenB vaccination, which will be provided to ministers in due course. I will consider that advice before making any longer-term decisions regarding MenB vaccination.