Victoria Collins Alert Sample


Alert Sample

View the Parallel Parliament page for Victoria Collins

Information between 4th February 2026 - 14th February 2026

Note: This sample does not contain the most recent 2 weeks of information. Up to date samples can only be viewed by Subscribers.
Click here to view Subscription options.


Calendar
Tuesday 24th February 2026 2:30 p.m.
Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)

Westminster Hall debate - Westminster Hall
Subject: Impact of planning developments on local transport
View calendar - Add to calendar


Division Votes
4 Feb 2026 - Climate Change - View Vote Context
Victoria Collins voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 51 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 0 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 392 Noes - 116
11 Feb 2026 - Climate Change - View Vote Context
Victoria Collins voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 52 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 0 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 362 Noes - 107
11 Feb 2026 - Local Government Finance - View Vote Context
Victoria Collins voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 50 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 0 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 277 Noes - 143


Speeches
Victoria Collins speeches from: Police Grant Report
Victoria Collins contributed 1 speech (84 words)
Wednesday 11th February 2026 - Commons Chamber
Home Office
Victoria Collins speeches from: Oral Answers to Questions
Victoria Collins contributed 1 speech (115 words)
Wednesday 4th February 2026 - Commons Chamber
Cabinet Office


Written Answers
Hospices: Finance
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Wednesday 4th February 2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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 published statutory guidance and a service specification.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable ICBs to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.

Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality. We will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of our MSF. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

The recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium-Term Planning Guidance also make clear the expectations that ICBs should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.

Hospices provide both core and specialist palliative care. Whilst acknowledging that not everyone will need specialist palliative care, we must ensure is that there is equitable and timely access to these services, whether they are provided by hospices or the National Health Service.

While no specific assessment has been made of the cost of changes in the levels of funding to hospices on the wider healthcare system, as part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Government will shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community. We recognise that it is vital to include palliative care and end-of-life care, including hospices, in this shift.

Hospices: Finance
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Wednesday 4th February 2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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 published statutory guidance and a service specification.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable ICBs to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.

Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality. We will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of our MSF. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

The recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium-Term Planning Guidance also make clear the expectations that ICBs should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.

Hospices provide both core and specialist palliative care. Whilst acknowledging that not everyone will need specialist palliative care, we must ensure is that there is equitable and timely access to these services, whether they are provided by hospices or the National Health Service.

While no specific assessment has been made of the cost of changes in the levels of funding to hospices on the wider healthcare system, as part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Government will shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community. We recognise that it is vital to include palliative care and end-of-life care, including hospices, in this shift.

State Retirement Pensions: Women
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 5th February 2026

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

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.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

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.

Artificial Intelligence: Intimate Image Abuse
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 5th February 2026

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timeline her Department has for introducing regulations that ensure generative AI cannot be misused to create extreme sexual abuse material involving children.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government recognises the serious and evolving threat posed by AI being misused to create child sexual abuse material. We know offenders will seek to exploit emerging technologies for their own sexual gratification.

AI-generated child sexual abuse is not a victimless crime. The material often includes depictions of real children, escalating the risk of contact abuse. The volume and realism of this material can make it increasingly challenging for safeguarding partners to identify and protect children. Offenders can also use these images to groom and blackmail children.

That is why this Government has introduced a measure within the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise AI models that have been developed to create child sexual abuse material. These optimised models produce hyper-realistic indecent images that often contains the likeness of real children. This offence will carry a sentence of up to five years. To further ensure that generative AI models are not misused to create extreme child sexual abuse material, this Government has also sought to update the existing law criminalising ‘paedophile manuals’ to cover AI as well. Manuals which provide guidance on how to use AI to create child sexual abuse material will be punishable by up to three years in prison.

The Crime and Policing Bill is currently at the Lords Committee stage. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Crime and Policing Bill – and thus these two crucial measures to criminalise AI-generated child sexual abuse material – is expected to secure Royal Assent by the Spring of 2026.

Digital Service Providers: USA
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 5th February 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

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 Department has made of the risks to UK data sovereignty and service continuity this poses.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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 providers, both of whom are US based.

Critical public services, including those delivered by arm’s length bodies and local authorities, operate under a range of governance and assurance arrangements. Responsibility for digital infrastructure decisions rests with the relevant accountable bodies, and there is no centralised record of the proportion of such services that use US-owned cloud infrastructure.

The government works closely with critical national infrastructure operators alongside our national technical authorities and industry partners. The government does not generally comment on national security or commercial matters related to CNI, including the use of individual suppliers.

‘Data sovereignty’ could cover numerous UK interests, including but not limited to economic, security, resilience, privacy, and diplomatic considerations. We will continue to seek to balance these objectives in our approach, to ensure the robustness of our digital services. UK public sector buyers of cloud services are advised to review their technology requirements against the Technology Code of Practice and consider the specific risk management and controls they need when procuring those services.

Land: Environment Protection
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 5th February 2026

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

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.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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 and management.

In October 2024 we set out our vision for progressing 30by30 on land in England and the criteria for land and inland water areas which can count towards this target. Our 30by30 Delivery Plan will set out how we will lead, support, and inspire action across England to deliver this vision. We will publish the 30by30 Delivery Plan later this year.

Poverty: Children
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 5th February 2026

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

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.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

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 monitored on an ongoing basis by departments using their own established approaches to considerations made under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

The ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation of the Child Poverty Strategy will also continue to assess the poverty risk and prevalence for groups with protected characteristics, as far as the data and evidence gathering allow. The Monitoring and Evaluation framework published alongside the Strategy set out that a baseline report will be published in Summer 2026, with annual reporting on progress thereafter.

Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Monday 9th February 2026

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 implications for her policies of the EU’s proposed restrictions of PFAS.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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 quickly, efficiently and in a way that is more aligned with our closest trading partners, especially the EU, by December 2028.

It is not yet clear what the EU’s final proposed more comprehensive restriction of PFAS will cover. Several stages remain before an EU restriction is adopted, including a further consultation period and provision for derogations.

Birds: Conservation
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Monday 9th February 2026

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

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.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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, along with projects funded through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme, will support the conservation and recovery of a wide range of bird species. Within the farmland environment, Environment Land Management schemes include actions that provide food, shelter, and nesting habitat for a range of bird species.

In addition, to support delivery of our statutory species targets, Defra is developing a detailed Threatened Bird Recovery Plan which aims to improve coordination, and drive the delivery, of actions to recover our most threatened bird species.

Birds: Conservation
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Monday 9th February 2026

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

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.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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, along with projects funded through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme, will support the conservation and recovery of a wide range of bird species. Within the farmland environment, Environment Land Management schemes include actions that provide food, shelter, and nesting habitat for a range of bird species.

In addition, to support delivery of our statutory species targets, Defra is developing a detailed Threatened Bird Recovery Plan which aims to improve coordination, and drive the delivery, of actions to recover our most threatened bird species.

Climate Change: Wildlife
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Monday 9th February 2026

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 impact of climate change on UK wildlife.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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 will be published in 2027, informed by the independent assessment and advice provided by the Climate Change Committee. This will include a Technical Report outlining UK climate risks, including risks to terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, marine and soil ecosystems, and a Well-Adapted UK Report that will advise on how to address them.

Employment: Disability
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Monday 9th February 2026

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

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.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

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 tackling economic inactivity.

Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.

DWP is working with the NHS and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) as part of the Get Hertfordshire Working strategic plan. DWP and the NHS co-chair the Work and Health subgroup of the plan. This group is working with local employers and key partners from the statutory, education and voluntary sectors, to support residents with health conditions to both stay in and return to work through a range of activities such as employment and skills training and providing support in managing their health conditions. The group is also developing employment pathways such as work experience, internships, and apprenticeships with partner agencies.

DEAs in the Jobcentres supporting the constituency hold in-depth Work Ability conversations that focus on strengths, suitable work options, workplace adjustments and confidence building. There is a Weekly Wednesday Job Club for Berkhamsted customers. As part of the Pathways to Work initiative DEAs work in collaboration with HCC to deliver joined up services for residents by supporting disabled people into employment through our Connect to Work programme, referrals to Employment Advisors in Talking Therapies and IPS.

We set out our plan for the Pathways to Work Guarantee in our Pathways to Work Green Paper and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits. The guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Technology: Foreign Investment in UK
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Friday 13th February 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of foreign acquisition of UK technology companies in the last five years.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

International deals have remained constant at around 60% of total merger and acquisition activity since 2021, with a greater concentration in innovation-driven fields.

Whilst this brings significant inward investment and unlocks funds to be reinvested back into our innovation ecosystem, Government is also taking steps to increase capital available from UK sources so that companies have the option to scale, grow and list in the UK. Measures taken to support this include increasing capitalisation of the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund, launching a new Listings Taskforce, ongoing pensions reforms, and wider measures set out in the Entrepreneurship Prospectus.

Energy: Housing
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Friday 13th February 2026

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made to help improve the energy efficiency of homes in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The recently published Warm Homes Plan, backed by £15 billion, represents biggest investment in home upgrades ever. Households, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, will be able to benefit from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can cut energy bills and improve energy efficiency.

The Warm Homes Plan makes an offer to every household, and we will reach up to 5 million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, and innovative low-interest finance available to all. New energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors will also lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.

Schools: ICT
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Tuesday 10th February 2026

Question to the Department for Education:

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.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

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 published clear digital and technology standards, covering broadband, wireless networks, filtering and monitoring, cyber security, cloud storage, devices and digital leadership. These standards help schools make informed decisions about the technology required for safe and effective teaching.

We continue to invest in programmes such as Connect the Classroom and the Plan Technology for Your School service to ensure all schools can meet these expectations by 2030.

New Businesses: Economic Growth
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Tuesday 10th February 2026

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

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 the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of UK scale-ups being acquired before reaching their full growth potential.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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 and Digital & Technology Subsector plan set out how we will achieve this. They set out a whole-of-government approach to the sector, reforming the business environment for digital and technology companies and addressing their needs for greater investment, skills, infrastructure, regulation and access to international markets.

Foreign Companies
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Tuesday 10th February 2026

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many UK technology startups and scale-ups were acquired by foreign companies in each of the last three years; and what the total value of those acquisitions was in each of the last three years.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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 and Digital & Technology Subsector plan set out how we will achieve this. They set out a whole-of-government approach to the sector, reforming the business environment for digital and technology companies and addressing their needs for greater investment, skills, infrastructure, regulation and access to international markets.

Artificial Intelligence
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Tuesday 10th February 2026

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure AI companies embed safety-by-design principles in generative AI products.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act places duties on many AI services to make them more responsible for their users’ safety. The Secretary of State tasked officials to review how the Act covers chatbots and has said government will act to fill any gaps in the Act.

The AI Security Institute works closely with AI developers to understand potential risks from AI and develop mitigations. The Institute’s research is making AI models safer, with findings being used by industry to strengthen AI model safeguards.

Pharmacy: Business Rates
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Tuesday 10th February 2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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 community pharmacies.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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 because GP practices and most NHS dental services have their premises costs reimbursed under NHS contracts, whereas community pharmacies are treated as retail businesses and do not have a comparable, automatic reimbursement mechanism for business rates.

That difference in this treatment is rooted in how each service is commissioned, contracted, and classified. Community pharmacy have been afforded support through the business rates relief for retail, hospitality or leisure which is not provided for general practice or dental surgeries. From 2026, this relief is being replaced by two lower business rates multipliers for properties with a rateable value below £500,000.

Children: Speech and Language Disorders
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Tuesday 10th February 2026

Question to the Department for Education:

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.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We also know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings and announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that every teacher, teaching assistant and leader can be trained to support pupils with SEND.

We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

Dance and Music: Education
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 12th February 2026

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure children from non-privileged backgrounds can access music and dance training (a) through the Music and Dance Scheme Schools and (b) any other schemes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to revitalising arts education.

This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximately 1100 students at Centres for Advanced Training. Future funding will be announced in due course.

The government funds the Music Hub network, providing £76 million annually to support all state-funded schools and pupils. The government also provides means‑tested Dance and Drama Awards for dance students, and Arts Council England funds a wide range of music and dance education programmes.

We will establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September, investing £13 million over three years to support state-funded schools to deliver more equitable arts education. Dance teaching in state‑funded schools will also be supported by the new PE and School Sport Partnership network as part of the revised physical education curriculum.

Dance and Music: Education
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 12th February 2026

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the levels of funding for music and dance schools on the adequacy of the provision of music and dance training.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to revitalising arts education.

This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximately 1100 students at Centres for Advanced Training. Future funding will be announced in due course.

The government funds the Music Hub network, providing £76 million annually to support all state-funded schools and pupils. The government also provides means‑tested Dance and Drama Awards for dance students, and Arts Council England funds a wide range of music and dance education programmes.

We will establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September, investing £13 million over three years to support state-funded schools to deliver more equitable arts education. Dance teaching in state‑funded schools will also be supported by the new PE and School Sport Partnership network as part of the revised physical education curriculum.

Music and Dance Scheme: Finance
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 12th February 2026

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to provide support to schools that face financial challenges to participate in the Music and Dance Scheme Schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to revitalising arts education.

This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximately 1100 students at Centres for Advanced Training. Future funding will be announced in due course.

The government funds the Music Hub network, providing £76 million annually to support all state-funded schools and pupils. The government also provides means‑tested Dance and Drama Awards for dance students, and Arts Council England funds a wide range of music and dance education programmes.

We will establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September, investing £13 million over three years to support state-funded schools to deliver more equitable arts education. Dance teaching in state‑funded schools will also be supported by the new PE and School Sport Partnership network as part of the revised physical education curriculum.

Music and Dance Scheme: Finance
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Thursday 12th February 2026

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to provide long-term funding for schools supported by the Music and Dance Scheme.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to revitalising arts education.

This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximately 1100 students at Centres for Advanced Training. Future funding will be announced in due course.

The government funds the Music Hub network, providing £76 million annually to support all state-funded schools and pupils. The government also provides means‑tested Dance and Drama Awards for dance students, and Arts Council England funds a wide range of music and dance education programmes.

We will establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September, investing £13 million over three years to support state-funded schools to deliver more equitable arts education. Dance teaching in state‑funded schools will also be supported by the new PE and School Sport Partnership network as part of the revised physical education curriculum.



Early Day Motions
Thursday 5th February

Grey belt policy and the impact on villages and rural communities

19 signatures (Most recent: 26 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
That this House notes that the December 2024 National Planning Policy Framework, and the December 2025 consultation version, defines the term grey belt planning applications as those on Green Belt land that does not strongly contribute to three Green Belt purposes which all relate to towns and large built-up areas, …
Wednesday 11th February

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

43 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
That this House celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Wednesday 11 February 2026; recognises the vital contributions of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics throughout history, including those whose achievements have been overlooked; acknowledges that stereotypes in education, a lack of female role models …


Early Day Motions Signed
Monday 2nd February
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Friday 27th February 2026

Role of the House of Lords in scrutinising legislation

53 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
That this House believes that the use of filibuster tactics in the House of Lords to frustrate the majority will of the democratically elected House of Commons is unacceptable, including where the elected Commons has given its majority support to a Private Members’ Bill; further believes that the case for …
Monday 26th January
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Wednesday 25th February 2026

Dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands

49 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
That this House condemns the grindadráp (Grind) in the Faroe Islands, where pods of dolphins are driven into bays by small boats and slaughtered by hand; notes with concern that more than 1,000 cetaceans were killed in 2025, including juveniles and pregnant females; further notes that this practice is largely …
Monday 26th January
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Wednesday 25th February 2026

Health and Care Worker visas

32 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
That this House notes with concern the thousands of migrants currently working on Health and Care Worker visas, most notably those classified as medium-skilled workers, who, following new Government reforms, will not be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain for a further fifteen years, despite having been promised …
Thursday 12th February
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Wednesday 25th February 2026

Review of the student loan system

42 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
That this House notes with concern the cumulative impact of successive changes to the terms and conditions of student loans in England including the decision to freeze loan repayment thresholds and the introduction of new loans with different repayment thresholds and write off periods; further notes that successive Governments have …
Wednesday 25th February
Victoria Collins signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 25th February 2026

Palantir and the NHS

26 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
That this House condemns the Department for Health and Social Care over the lack of transparency and public scrutiny around the decision to grant Palantir the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) contract; highlights reports around Lord Mandelson's role in helping Palantir secure Government contracts; expresses regret at the impact this …
Monday 23rd February
Victoria Collins signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 23rd February 2026

Securing the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

30 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
That this House notes that, as the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, many Ukrainians living in the United Kingdom continue to face uncertainty regarding their status and future security; recognises that Ukrainian families have become valued members of communities across the country, including in Newton …
Tuesday 16th September
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Monday 23rd February 2026

The Chilterns National Landscape boundary review

15 signatures (Most recent: 23 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
That this House notes with concern the decision to cancel the Chilterns Boundary Review; acknowledges the Government’s commitments to biodiversity, landscape protection and access to nature; recognises that Protected Landscapes, National Parks and National Landscapes, are critical in delivering those aims; further notes that the Government risks failing to achieve …
Tuesday 8th April
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Monday 23rd February 2026

Chalk stream river protection

42 signatures (Most recent: 23 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
That this House recognises the crucial role of chalk stream rivers in ensuring water security and supporting local ecosystems; acknowledges the significant threats faced by chalk stream rivers, including over-abstraction, wastewater pollution, sewage dumping, and urban development; notes with concern that, without action, incidents of water scarcity and ecological degradation …
Thursday 5th February
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Tuesday 10th February 2026

Public inquiry into Epstein links

89 signatures (Most recent: 27 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
That this House stands with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims whose relentless courage and pursuit of justice has led to the publication of the Epstein files; notes with concern the number of British public figures included in these files; recognises that child sexual abuse on this scale is likely to have involved …
Monday 26th January
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Tuesday 10th February 2026

St David’s Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi)

25 signatures (Most recent: 10 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
That this House recognises St David’s Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi), celebrated on 1 March, as the national day of Wales and a celebration of Welsh culture and identity, and of the life and legacy of Saint David (Dewi Sant), the patron saint of Wales; notes that St David’s Day should …
Monday 19th January
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Tuesday 10th February 2026

Dolly Parton's birthday

23 signatures (Most recent: 10 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
That this House wishes Dolly Parton a happy 80th birthday; recognises her philanthropic efforts through the Dollywood Foundation to inspire children in her home county to achieve educational success; acknowledges that the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has been in operation for over 30 years, gifting millions of free books to …
Thursday 18th December
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Tuesday 10th February 2026

UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

100 signatures (Most recent: 25 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
That this House supports the protection of the rights of older people in the UK and globally; recognises that a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons is an important step for establishing a global minimum standard of legal protection for older people everywhere; acknowledges the strong track record …
Wednesday 17th December
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Tuesday 10th February 2026

Sinking of SS Tilawa

52 signatures (Most recent: 24 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
That this House remembers the 83rd anniversary of the sinking of the British passenger ship SS Tilawa on 23 November 1942 during World War Two; regrets that 280 passengers and crew perished, mostly Indian nationals; is grateful that 678 were rescued by HMS Birmingham and SS Carthage; notes that survivors …
Tuesday 3rd February
Victoria Collins signed this EDM on Wednesday 4th February 2026

Artificial Intelligence chatbots

37 signatures (Most recent: 26 Feb 2026)
Tabled by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
That this House notes the rapid advancement and accelerated adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots by both adults and children; further notes that many AI chatbots provide human-like responses and are designed to encourage emotional connection, friendship and intimacy; expresses concern that such chatbots are not required to clearly and …