Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that homes which have received (a) insulation and (b) internal wall insulation under the ECO4 scheme are independently inspected any sub-standard or unsafe work is remediated at no cost to the homeowner, and that the homeowner is informed of their rights to redress.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is offering free inspections of all properties where external wall insulation was fitted under ECO4. Ofgem will contact every household with external wall insulation that has not yet been audited.
Remediation is already taking place to address substandard and unsafe work, and over half of the issues identified to date have been fixed. They will be rectified at no cost to the consumer.
Issues in external wall insulation are substantially higher than those for internal wall insulation. If customers have concerns about the quality of their internal wall insulation, they can contact their original installer or Ofgem’s dedicated helpline.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the standard corporate insolvency regime for ensuring the timely and cost-effective transfer of client Self-Invested Personal Pensions; and if she will commit to reviewing the case for a bespoke Self-Invested Personal Pensions Operator insolvency regime to better protect retirement savings.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that the insolvency of a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) operator can have a significant impact on customers as we have seen in some high-profile cases recently. The current corporate insolvency regime does enable transfers of client assets in these situation, but HM Treasury is monitoring developments. The FCA regulates SIPP operators, and HM Treasury works closely with the FCA to monitor the sector and address emerging risks.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to make changes to the (a) accreditation, (b) certification and (c) guarantee regime of (i) installers and (ii) retrofit coordinators working under (A) ECO4, (B) future Warm Homes Plan programmes and (C) other Government-funded retrofit schemes to prevent (1) rogue and (2) negligent firms participating.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is reviewing the system of consumer protection and oversight for home retrofit installations that improve energy efficiency and decarbonise homes. This work is looking at the entire landscape: from how installers work in people’s homes to where homeowners turn for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. More information will be shared in the forthcoming Warm Homes Plan.
The government is planning to consult on proposals for retrofit system reform early next year.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the current six‑month deadline for the payment of Inheritance Tax in cases of administrative delays in the granting of probate.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The deadline for payment of Inheritance Tax (IHT) is the end of the sixth month after the month in which the death occurs. Personal representatives (PRs) are required to make a payment of IHT before applying for probate. This is a longstanding requirement which ensures that the tax due can be collected quickly and efficiently.
HMRC offers several payment options if there are not sufficient liquid funds in the estate to pay IHT before applying for probate, including the Direct Payment Scheme and the option to pay IHT by yearly instalments. For assets which are eligible for payment of IHT by instalments, only the first instalment will be due before PRs can proceed to apply for probate. Further information on IHT payment options is available at: https://www.gov.uk/paying-inheritance-tax
In certain circumstances, PRs may also apply to HMRC to defer payment of the IHT until probate has been granted (a ‘grant on credit’). Once probate has been issued, the PRs will be expected to pay the outstanding tax as soon as possible. Further information on this option is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-for-a-grant-on-credit-for-inheritance-tax
HM Courts & Tribunals Service has invested in more staff, alongside system and process improvements to reduce and maintain lower processing times for probate applications during the last year. The Ministry of Justice publishes regular data on probate timeliness in the quarterly family court statistics bulletin: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what transparency conditions are currently required when government departments procure AI systems from private companies; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure public sector bodies can explain AI-driven decisions to citizens when the underlying models are proprietary.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Since February 2024, all government departments and arm’s-length bodies must comply with the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), which mandates publishing details on algorithmic tools, including decision-making processes, human oversight, technical specifications, and risk assessments. Suppliers are required to provide sufficient information for transparency records, with exemptions balancing commercial sensitivities. Over 36 ATRS records have been published to date.
The AI Knowledge Hub further enhances transparency by sharing open-source code, problem statements, and performance metrics.
Additionally, the Open Source AI Fellowship promotes explainability through publicly inspectable models. These measures enable government to explain AI-driven decisions while maintaining accountability.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle misleading advertising online.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator for advertising in the UK and enforces the Advertising Codes. These codes include specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications, including online. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, it can be considered misleading. The ASA works with online platforms via its Intermediary and Platform Principles to promote greater adherence to the non-broadcast advertising codes, resulting in more responsible advertising online.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions and omissions, that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decisions. The Government commenced Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Act, which sets out rules on unfair trading, in April 2025.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to develop national guidelines and quality standards for vision rehabilitation services; and if he will commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop evidence-based standards in this area.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidelines and quality standards for the health and care system on best practice. Topics for the development of NICE guidelines and quality standards are identified by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE does not currently have any plans to develop a guideline or quality standard on vision rehabilitation. The NICE prioritisation board considered vision rehabilitation as a potential topic for the development of guidance in August 2024 and concluded that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the cumulative impact of multiple concurrent airport expansions at Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises a role for, and is supportive of, airport expansion where it provides economic growth and is compatible with our legally binding net zero target and strict environmental standards.
The Secretary of State has approved Luton and Gatwick Airport’s Development Consent Order (DCO) planning applications on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the relevant national policy and any material considerations. I can't comment on the merits of the Luton or Gatwick DCOs as legal proceedings are ongoing.
The Government is reviewing the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the primary basis for decision making on DCO applications for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. As part of this we will review and update the existing Appraisal of Sustainability which includes an assessment of potential cumulative effects, in line with any amendments made to the ANPS.
Any DCO application for a third runway at Heathrow Airport will need to include an assessment of the cumulation of effects with other existing and, or approved projects in its Environmental Statement.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring vision rehabilitation services under the same regulatory and monitoring framework as other adult social care services; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of doing so.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people, including those with sight loss, have a choice of appropriate services and equipment that maximises independence.
Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not currently required to assess vision rehabilitation services, as regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, do form part of CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care.
CQC assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, in their delivery of their duties under part 1 of the Care Act. This facilitates the sharing of good practice and helps us to target support where it is most needed. It may be helpful to know that the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Curriculum Review to provide algorithm literacy and AI education to help children understand that AI systems can have inaccurate outputs; and what steps will be taken through the curriculum to ensure that young people are educated on the potential harms of AI including a) Deepfakes and CSAM content, b) AI generated online fraud and scams, c) Chatbot algorithmic biases.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendations for computing and are committed to going further through explicitly including AI within the curriculum, and exploring a potential Level 3 qualification in data science and AI. This will empower students to harness the opportunities of AI, whilst navigating its risks responsibly.
We will work with subject experts to ensure that AI and issues like bias in technology will be included within the refreshed computing curriculum in an age-appropriate way. The exact content will be determined following engagement with experts, and we will publicly consult on the draft proposals next year.
It is worth noting that algorithms and online harms are currently covered in the curriculum, through computing and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). In July, the government published updated RSHE statutory guidance introducing new content on AI, online safety and pornography, which will be mandatory from 1 September 2026.