Budget Resolutions

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

Britain needed a much bolder Budget for growth—one for families and businesses, and to boost our economy.

For families, heating—or even cooling—our homes, getting around and feeding the family are all costs that continue to rise. The energy price cap is set to rise again in January, and 1.4 million low-income households in higher council tax bands will miss out under this Budget. However, our Lib Dem essential energy guarantee would take £100 off the average bill for everyone, paid for by clawing back excess profits made by monopoly energy operators. We would also cut rail fares by 10%, bus fares to £1 and fuel duty by 10p, paid for by the Treasury’s fuel price windfall.

For most businesses, rent, rates, energy and hiring costs are going up. At DJ’s Play Zone in my local area, Mark says that his rates bill has gone up by 52%, from £21,000 to £32,000 a year, on top of the national insurance jobs tax and rising wages. He is running a small business in a big building, so small business relief never reaches him. The Chancellor’s new £18,000 threshold changes nothing for him and many other businesses that slip under the net.

[Daisy Cooper]

My hon. Friend mentions the example of an indoor play centre where the business rates are going up. Is she concerned, as I am, that this winter those increases will simply price children out of play altogether?

[Victoria Collins]

Absolutely. That is why we need wholesale reform, looking at how we are supporting the businesses that need it and at the broken business rates system.

Charlotte from Berkhamsted Bookshop tells me that the average independent bookshop will need to sell over 1,000 more books a year just to cover rising costs. Christopher, who runs a small martial arts academy in Tring, tells me that rising rent and service charges threaten his future, with almost no protection for small commercial tenants. Liberal Democrats have repeatedly called for more to be done to help our local businesses, including replacing business rates with a commercial landowner levy and cutting VAT on hospitality by 5p.

[Gideon Amos]

Does my hon. Friend agree with my constituent, Philippe Messy, who runs the excellent Little Wine Shop in Taunton, who was hoping to see a big move in VAT, but who has instead described the Budget as “a soufflé that did not rise—flat, flat, flat”?

[Victoria Collins]

I could not have put it better myself. On top of that there is the cost of hiring, as has been mentioned again and again. The Government have to tackle that for businesses.

If we truly want fresh hope for the future and for our wider economy, we need bold action. Supporting our entrepreneurs is key, and as Lib Dems who have pushed for a type of young entrepreneurs allowance for almost a decade, we are pleased to see that proposal and look forward to hearing more details. I would also push the Government to look at further work to support start-ups and scale-ups, including reviewing the seed enterprise investment scheme, tax on SEIS, tax credits and relief so that they work for businesses.

As for the founders’ relief, I ask the Government to work with the industry to ensure that it works. One founder said to me that they felt that if they stood on one leg and turned around enough times they might just about get close to getting some of it.

On incentivising innovation, the Government must take spin-outs from our world-leading universities across the UK more seriously. We are calling for the Government to quintuple proof-of-concept funding, create regional innovation centres and introduce standardised frameworks for negotiating intellectual property across the sector. As regards innovative spending, the extra £120 million for the Sovereign AI fund pales in comparison to the nearly £8 billion of active contracts with US tech giants or the billions spent on procurement. We call for a proper digital sovereign strategy to back our British businesses and to look at increasing research and development spending, so that we do not have to make decisions over Jodrell Bank, for example, and how that is impacting innovation.

Finally, we need a bold plan on Europe. We are calling for a growth and defence partnership with Europe, rejoining the single market and customs union. Not only can we cut taxes for families with that growth dividend, but inject real growth into our economy for families, businesses and our future.

Performance of Royal Mail

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

I thank the hon. Members for Redditch (Chris Bloore) and for Lichfield (Dave Robertson) for securing this very important debate.

As has been highlighted, the post is not a nostalgic luxury. For millions of people it is how the hospital tells them when their appointment is, how the banks send their statements, and how they find out about their benefits. People need to know that their post will arrive on time so that they can go about their lives. As the hon. Member for Calder Valley (Josh Fenton-Glynn) eloquently put it, it is also about that human connection in a world where we feel disconnected. I am sure that many Members know the impact of a handwritten note, especially to constituents who are having a difficult time or facing difficult issues. It really does make a difference.

We also know, as so many Members have highlighted, that the posties are working hard to get us our post, but Royal Mail is letting them down. I have so many incredible posties, but I would like to give a special shout out to postman Paul. Members would not be surprised to think that Postman Pat had jumped out of the TV and arrived in Tring with Jess the cat in tow, because Paul delivers not only letters and parcels but joy to residents and visitors alike—a special thank you to him.

In Harpenden and Berkhamsted, I have Gordon and Evina from Jersey Farm who told me that they had gone 10 days without a single letter—so many Members have highlighted this—and then their postwoman arrived with a bundle of 12 or 13. Among them was an invite to my local surgery which—just as the hon. Member for North Somerset (Sadik Al-Hassan) highlighted—had already happened. They had already complained about the postal service. They raised the issue with me too and I continue to raise it, but the problem has not been fixed. It clearly goes on.

Another constituent in Jersey Farm, Irene, had no post for seven days and then 35 items in one go, including a new debit card. She also had to face severe delays in receiving a letter relating to a recent hospital appointment on how to take certain medicines. When people such as Irene and her husband rely on letters about regular medical appointments, there cannot afford to be delays. A constituent in Sandridge said that they are lucky to get one delivery a week—the House has highlighted that, unfortunately, that is quite a good delivery service—and that should not be happening in 2026.

Those are not isolated stories. They are happening up and down the country. Citizens Advice found that over Christmas 16 million people had letters delayed. I cannot remember which Member it was who asked at which Christmas this issue would get sorted out, but it is a very good question. We have 5.7 million people who have suffered serious consequences, including missed health appointments, fines and benefit decisions. A third of people who use Royal Mail recognised exactly what Gordon and Evina described: no post for several weeks and then five or more letters landing at once. The sorry saga of Royal Mail delays has been going on for far too long and people are rightly furious. Royal Mail is simply not delivering the service it is required to provide. It has missed both its first and second-class targets every year since 2021-22. Last year, just 75.7% of first-class letters arrived the next day, against a target of 93%.

The regulator has not got a grip. As the Business and Trade Committee put it:

“Ofcom is failing as the statutory regulator of the postal service”.

It could not even tell Parliament how many letters were arriving late. Instead of holding Royal Mail to account, Ofcom lowered the bar. It cut second-class deliveries to alternate weekdays and relaxed the targets. The Liberal Democrats warned at the time that this was letting Royal Mail off the hook. In the first three months, Royal Mail missed even those lower targets. It now says it will not meet them until April 2027.

Somehow, people are paying more for less. A first-class stamp now costs £1.80. In 2022, it was 95p. That is seven price rises in four years for a service that keeps getting worse. Many have highlighted that parcels are getting delivered but I would also highlight, as someone who ran an online business and whose mother had an online business, that products are also sent in letters. Something that has not been touched on much is the impact this situation is having on small businesses. I know this from first-hand experience. The cost is extortionate and with small margins it is killing a lot of businesses. The terrible service is also killing small businesses, when they have to compete with online services such as Amazon. This is a key service for people and businesses, and they do not need excuses; they need action.

Will the Minister commit herself tonight to consulting on new powers and teeth for Ofcom? Will she ask Royal Mail to publish performance levels for every delivery office, so that residents such as those in Jersey Farm and the many others mentioned by Members can judge for themselves? We must hold Royal Mail’s owners to their promises and fix the frontline. The Government say that they have secured legally binding commitments from EP Group to invest enough to deliver the universal service. When the Minister does meet Royal Mail, will she put the failing delivery officers at the top of the agenda, ensure that the agreements with postal workers are kept, and report back to the House with a timetable?

When post does not arrive, people miss appointments, pay fines that they never knew about, and lose faith that anything works. Christmas, Royal Mail’s busiest time of the year, is only weeks away, so this must be sorted out before then—but we all know that it will not be, and we will keep standing up for residents until it is.

Let me again thank all our wonderful posties who will be working so hard to deliver. We must ensure that Royal Mail does not let them or our local residents down.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I call the shadow Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Chris McDonald]

It is important to recognise that the changes have an impact on the staff that work for the STFC. I have been in the unfortunate position of working in a company undertaking such a restructure—and of having to do such restructures in the past—and I appreciate how difficult that is for staff. I have spoken to the executive chair of STFC, and at the core of the programme —exactly as my hon. Friend has described—is a desire to get STFC into a position where it has appropriate financial management, while also increasing productivity and modernising in response to new technology. The Government are supporting that with an increase in STFC’s funding to £842 million by 2029-30, from the £835 million of 2025-26.

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

Harpenden is home to Rothamsted Research and our universities lead the world, yet too much of that brilliance never leaves the lab. Will the Minister look at Lib Dem proposals to bring in a standard national framework for spin-out IP, and quintuple proof-of-concept funding, so Britain’s discoveries scale here and not abroad?

[Chris McDonald]

I agree with the hon. Member’s point about the need for Britain’s discoveries to be scaled at home rather than abroad. I am taking an end-to-end approach on that, starting with scientific discovery and hopefully ending with large companies listed on the London stock exchange, supporting businesses throughout that process. UKRI and Innovate UK are doing great work in that area, supported by the increased role of the British Business Bank.

Oral Answers to Questions

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Commons Chamber

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

May I gently but urgently reiterate the previous two questions? Sam, one of my constituents, has raised Dynamic Metals, an independent British supplier working on specialised steel and metals for aerospace and motorsports. We have to champion those industries in this country. From 1 July, his business will see import tariffs go from zero to more than £3 million. That is pretty much insurmountable, and this policy could have an awful impact on industries that we must champion. Will the Minister consider the points raised in the previous two questions, as well as extending the deadline and meeting my constituents and those of many others in order to understand the full impact? That way, we can stand up for our industries and support our steel partners.

[Chris McDonald]

I am not familiar with the situation with Dynamic Metals. I was just having a discussion on the Front Bench with the Minister for Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant), and if the hon. Lady writes to him, he will look carefully at the matter she has raised.

Oral Answers to Questions

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Thursday 29th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Kate Dearden]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question, and for all his work on behalf of his constituency and businesses in Blackpool. He makes an excellent point, and I would be keen to hear more about his work and discuss it further. Through the hospitality zones that we are looking to create, there is a real opportunity to drive investment and ensure that businesses and people alike benefit across our country.

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

Hospitality is on its knees, and it is already too late for many of the pubs and restaurants in Harpenden and Berkhamsted that are closing down. The small café Nook in Markyate is a real lifeline for that village, but Helen, the owner, talks about business rates, national insurance costs and the minimum wage. The Liberal Democrats have long been crying out, alongside the hospitality sector, for Government help for the sector. Although we welcome the U-turn, I call on the Minister and the Government to hear that cry before the next one, when it will be too late for the next swathe of hospitality businesses that will have closed down.

Oral Answers to Questions

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Tuesday 18th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris McDonald]

The Government have been clear that North sea oil and gas has a future for decades to come, but let us be clear that the closures in that and other industrial sectors are a result not of this Government’s policies but of the poor, uncompetitive business environment created over 14 years and a lack of investment in British industry by the previous Government. That has been reversed under this Government, with £50 billion of investment in new clean energy industries and investors wishing to continue investing in those industries in the UK.

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

5. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for businesses facing increased energy costs.

[Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

7. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for businesses facing increased energy costs.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Chris McDonald)]

This Government recognise the importance of reducing energy costs to boost UK manufacturing competitiveness. Under the modern industrial strategy, the British industrial competitiveness scheme will reduce electricity costs by up to £40 per megawatt-hour for over 7,000 manufacturing businesses. We will also increase support for our most energy-intensive industries under the British industry supercharger, uplifting the network charging compensation scheme from 60% to 90%. These measures are supported by the connections accelerator service.

[Victoria Collins]

Businesses across my constituency, such as Redbournbury Mill and Total Cow Burger in Redbourn, have written to me about the crippling increases in energy costs. Coupled with the increased cost of national insurance and business rates, that means they are struggling to keep going. Ahead of the autumn Budget, will the Government commit to break the link between gas and electricity prices, as the Liberal Democrats have called for, to provide much-needed relief for businesses and families?

[Chris McDonald]

I acknowledge the work the hon. Member does in Parliament on energy-related issues and her Adjournment debate on high street businesses; that theme clearly runs through a lot of her work. She is right to point out the fundamental weakness we have that, when it comes to our investment in renewable energy, the price is ultimately set by gas. We want to address that through our clean power mission.

UK Modern Industrial Strategy

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Monday 23rd June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jonathan Reynolds]

I thank my hon. Friend for her work on the Business and Trade Committee; I always enjoy my sessions there, as do my ministerial team. She is right that finance is a huge issue and scale-up finance is a particular challenge. We intend to use the British Business Bank, as I have said, with much greater financial capacity to work directly with fund managers focused on the scale-up part of the finance journey. I know how big a problem this is. There is a lot of capital in the world and we have got to address this particular stage, and these are real measures that seek to do that.

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

I welcome that we finally have an industrial strategy for this country; that is very exciting. On driving innovation, I absolutely support that larger British Business Bank and making sure we invest in scale-ups, although we need to make sure that it is about long-term investment and that there are incentives to de-risk investment. I really want to focus, though, on digital and technology businesses. As much as I welcome training 1 million young people, it is not just about young people. I have businesses like BT, Sage and Xero saying they work with small businesses that need to improve their AI and tech adoption, so what are the Government doing to support them and people of all ages?

[Jonathan Reynolds]

I thoroughly agree. It is an exciting day and the challenge is long-term consistency and reliability—which, frankly, this Parliament and previous Governments have not supplied. There is a key voice from business to us that we need to address. Digital and tech skills are one of the prominent features of the skills interventions in the industrial strategy in order to do what the hon. Lady says. It is a significant funding package and a significant partnership with businesses, who are telling us they want to work with Government and with young people and that they want to reskill people. I think there is more we can do, but this is the start. I am keen to work with the hon. Lady and any colleague who sees the urgency of this work and the benefits it could bring.

Businesses in Rural Areas

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Wednesday 18th June 2025 Westminster Hall

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk (Steff Aquarone) on securing this excellent debate. In preparation, I surveyed local businesses to hear from them directly. What came through loud and clear is that rural businesses face the same mounting pressures as many others. As one business in Tring said:

“The cost of business is the highest it has ever been.”

Another told me:

“Currently, there is no incentive for small businesses to employ staff or even start up.”

I grew up helping my mum on the shop floor in a rural market town, so that breaks my heart. Such businesses are the backbone of our community.

Practically all the businesses who responded cited the combined impact of Government Budget measures, from the employment costs faced by Claire in Wheathampstead, who runs 2by2 Holidays, to Tring Martial Arts Academy and DJ’s Play Zone, which are reducing operating hours and workforce, and shelving expansion plans. How does that support the growth of our economy?

Accountants are often the canary in the coal mine when it comes to business health. AngloDutch accountants in Tring confirms that numerous clients, especially in hospitality, are struggling with employer’s national insurance increases alongside rising business rates. There are also the rising costs of day-to-day operations, from energy bills to products, as highlighted by Savage’s and Tabure in Berkhamsted. The cost of living has an impact on customers too. Chantal from Wheathampstead tells me that people simply are not buying like they used to, a concern also raised by businesses such as iQuilt.

As has been mentioned, our rural businesses face additional structural burdens. Connecting people to businesses in person or online is hindered by terrible internet and inadequate transport services. Flamstead, Markyate, Gaddesden and parts of Wheathampstead are in the worst 10% for connectivity nationwide. What is more, under the Conservatives, Hertfordshire saw the biggest cut—56.5%—in vehicle mileage on bus services from 2016 to 2021. I call on the Minister to take action for our rural businesses.

[Matt Western (in the Chair)]

Order. I remind Members to keep an eye on the clock. The time limit is two minutes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Gareth Thomas]

It is a little while since I have been called a hero by the right hon. Gentleman, but I am glad that I have finally had some recognition from him. I do not think that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is a villain at all; indeed, I think the spending review she announced yesterday will help to unlock investment in our high streets and our small businesses up and down the country. The record investment in research and development and in infrastructure, and the additional capacity for the British Business Bank, will help to unlock billions of pounds of new investment and many more job opportunities across the country.

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

Charlotte from Harpenden and her family run Gatwards, one of the oldest family-run jewellers in the UK. It is a small business that has been there for so many years, but it has been hit by the rise in national insurance contributions and changes to business property relief and inheritance tax, meaning that it will shelve plans to hire staff and the premises are in peril. Will the Minister work with the Treasury to review the impact of these policies on small businesses and our high streets?

[Gareth Thomas]

We will always work across Government with the Treasury to look at issues that affect businesses, whether on the high street or beyond. In the discussions the hon. Member has had with the particular businesses in her constituency, I am sure she will have noted our plans to reform business rates, which will help many businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector. She will also have noted that more than 40% of businesses will pay no business rates in the coming year.

Space Industry

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Westminster Hall

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I thank the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mark Garnier) for his passionate and expert input today; he certainly got my cogs turning. I am sure that the Minister has been taking notes.

Every day, 18% of Britain’s economy depends on technology orbiting 300 miles above our heads, from our morning coffee purchase to the GPS that may have got us here today. As I learned this morning, even paying for our tube tickets depends on the satellites above us. Satellites orchestrate our daily lives. Nearly one fifth of everything that we produce as a nation now relies on the invisible infrastructure spinning above us.

The UK space sector has achieved something remarkable: in just three years, it has grown from a £7 billion industry into a £18.9 billion powerhouse, with more than 52,000 jobs across the country. Today we have heard about Scotland, Cornwall, Northern Ireland and the north-east, with their vibrant and growing industry, manufacturing, launch capabilities and data. Further downstream, in my constituency of Harpenden and Berkhamsted, the Rothamsted Enterprises centre hosts companies such as Agrilytix, an agricultural monitoring system that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to provide enhanced decision support for smaller farms in challenging environments. Locally, I have also spoken to Daniel, a co-founder of Safe Citizens—a platform that alerts citizens’ mobile phones if they are in the vicinity of potentially dangerous incidents, while remaining anonymous and reducing battery use.

Overall, the space economy represents growth that is three and a half times faster than that of our broader economy. Yet despite that remarkable success, Britain continues to under-invest compared to our international competitors. Just last week, the Royal Society warned that the UK risks missing out on one of the most significant technological and economic opportunities of the next half century unless we adopt a more coherent, forward-looking vision for space. We have an opportunity to lead the world in one of the most significant economic sectors of the 21st century, but only if we act now with vision and purpose.

Let us explore more where Britain stands within the international space industry. We host more than 1,500 space companies and rank as the world’s leading producer of space research. Additionally, 50 UK universities, including Durham University, mentioned today, contribute to cutting-edge space technology. We attract more private space investment than any nation, excluding the United States. But here is the challenge: while we excel at innovation, we lag in strategic investment, as was eloquently highlighted by the hon. Member for Wyre Forest and also mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George). Our space sector could reach £32 billion by the end of the next Parliament, creating up to 50,000 additional jobs. However, that potential will remain unrealised without proper Government backing.

Additionally, the international context around space is experiencing unprecedented growth. My hon. Friend the Member for St Ives talked about the importance of working internationally, as did the hon. Member for Wyre Forest. That rapid expansion brings significant challenges that we cannot ignore. Space is becoming increasingly crowded and contested, as the hon. Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell) also highlighted. We are witnessing a growing problem with space debris, as defunct satellites and rocket fragments threaten active missions and could eventually make certain orbits unusable for future generations.

Beyond environmental concerns, we are also watching space become increasingly militarised and contested. Without proper governance, space risks becoming dominated by whoever can afford the biggest rockets, rather than it serving humanity’s shared interests. Britain must advocate for responsible space development; innovation must serve society’s needs and not just commercial interests. That is why the Liberal Democrats believe that space must be a national strategic priority, but one that is pursued responsibly. Last year, the Government met only 31% of their physics teacher recruitment target and only 37% of their computing teacher target—subjects at the base of our space industry. What are the Government doing to address those shortages? Unless they do, we cannot build the skilled workforce that our space sector requires.

To quote the great Tim Peake, life in orbit is “spectacular”. That is why, as Liberal Democrats, we are also committed to increasing research and development investment to 3.5% of GDP by 2034, which would position Britain among the world’s leading space powers. Additionally, we would invest in science, technology, engineering and maths education; the hon. Member for Congleton highlighted the importance of that as well as of teacher recruitment.

What is the Minister’s view, or the view of the Department for Business and Trade? How does it link with our industrial strategy and workforce planning to support regional space hubs—from Scotland’s satellite clusters to Cornwall’s spaceport—and provide long-term funding that allows researchers to develop breakthrough technologies? The Liberal Democrats would also introduce proof-of-concept funding to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial application. We would ensure that public investment in space technology benefits the public, not just private shareholders. I would be interested on the Minister’s comments on that.

The Liberal Democrats would also reform UK Research and Innovation, as well as the British Business Bank, to ensure that public funding supports the public good, allowing the British to benefit from advances in UK space technology. Finally, on the international front, we will champion co-operation through organisations such as the European Space Agency while advocating for environmental stewardship in space development. The orbital environment must be protected for future generations.

In conclusion, Britain stands at a crossroads. We can continue to punch below our weight while others shape the space economy, or we can reclaim our position as a global leader in science and technology. With proper investment, strategic vision and responsible governance, Britain can lead the world in space technology. In all, that would not only be an economic opportunity for our country, but ensure that we stuck to our responsibility to protect space for future generations.

I thank the hon. Member for Wyre Forest once again for securing today’s debate. Together we can strengthen our economy, creating high-skilled jobs and developing technologies that solve real problems for communities across Britain. By doing so, we can ultimately “reach for the stars”, like the children, mentioned by the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham), who were watching as rockets were launched into space.