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 upgrade homes to make them cheaper to heat in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government provides grant support for low‑income households worth £4.4 billion up to 2030 through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, funding measures such as insulation, heat pumps, solar, and batteries.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a universal grant offer of up to £7.500 for low carbon heating such as heat pumps, with a recent uplift to up to £9,000 for properties heated by oil or LPG in response to the Middle East situation.
We’ve also committed to offering new low-interest loans backed by an initial £2 billion of Government support, raising minimum standards in the rented sectors to ‘C’, and implementing the new Future Homes Standard to ensure new-build homes are fitted with solar, heat pumps, and high levels of insulation as standard.
These policies are part of the Government’s wider £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, which represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history.
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 on the usage of Artificial Intelligence in schools by a) students and b) teachers.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department continuously monitors the emerging implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on education, including its use by pupils and teachers.
AI can have a transformative effect on education, supporting every child and young person to achieve and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world, and enabling teachers do their jobs more efficiently, but only when it is implemented safely. Earlier this year, we announced our updated Generative AI Safety Standards, which aim to make AI for education safe by design.
AI and other digital technologies should enhance, but never replace, the human spark of learning. It is most effective when its use is overseen by a digitally confident workforce, and in instances when it can genuinely improve the learning experience.
Our published policy position on generative AI is evidence-based and sets out expectations for schools and colleges on safe, responsible and ethical use.
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 have taken to improve NHS urgent referral delays to ensure that cancer patients do not have to wait more than 62 days to start treatment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that cancer patients receive timely diagnosis and treatment and to meeting all National Health Service cancer waiting time standards, including the 62-day referral to treatment standard.
NHS England continues to work with integrated care boards, Cancer Alliances, and providers to improve performance against the 62-day referral to treatment standard in all parts of England, including the areas serving patients in Harpenden and Berkhamsted. This includes targeted support for providers facing the greatest challenges in meeting the 62-day referral to treatment standard such as strengthening delivery plans, improving diagnostic and treatment pathways, and reducing delays between referral, diagnosis, and treatment.
The Government is also supporting the wider transformation of cancer services through measures set out in the National Cancer Plan, including expanding diagnostic capacity, increasing access to community diagnostic centres, rolling out straight-to-test and one-stop models where appropriate, alongside improvements to services such as histopathology. In addition, the Government is investing in modern radiotherapy equipment, including a £70 million programme to replace and upgrade radiotherapy machines across England, helping to increase treatment capacity and support patients to begin treatment more quickly once a diagnosis has been made.
These actions are intended to help ensure that patients begin treatment sooner and support improved cancer waiting time performance across England, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
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 artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
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 artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides access to a range of secure, enterprise-grade artificial intelligence tools that have been assessed and approved for official use. These include services provided through existing contractual arrangements with suppliers, including Microsoft 365 Copilot within the Department’s secure Microsoft environment.
All such tools are subject to appropriate security, data protection and assurance processes. The Department does not permit the use of unapproved consumer AI tools for official business unless they have been specifically assessed and authorised.
Contracts are in place with approved providers for the supply of these enterprise-grade services in line with government procurement and assurance frameworks.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records.
In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard. In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) uses Microsoft Copilot as its approved artificial intelligence tool. AGO staff are provided access to Copilot through arrangements managed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which provides IT services to the AGO.
The AGO does not hold separate contracts for Microsoft Copilot. As a small ministerial department, its IT services, including access to approved AI tools, are provided through the CPS as the AGO’s shared service provider.
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
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 artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
AI represents a significant opportunity for DCMS, alongside other government departments, to enhance how we work and to improve the quality, efficiency and impact of policy design and delivery.
DCMS currently holds contracts with Google for the use of Google Gemini and Phoenix Software for Microsoft 365 Copilot. We also use a number of approved and assured central government tools such as Consult, Assist and Parlex.
The use of AI tools and technologies in DCMS is driven by an approach, where all AI outputs are comprehensively reviewed and evaluated before any use in evidence synthesis, drafting or briefing, with explicit human ownership, oversight and accountability.
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 she has made of the potential impact of proposed SEND reforms on regional variations in access to specialist education support.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that there are currently unacceptable regional variations in access to support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Our proposed reforms will address these disparities by introducing a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages for children and young people with the most complex needs, helping to end the postcode lottery in support.
These Packages will be developed by independent sector experts and tested with parents and families, ensuring they are evidence-based and reflect best practice. This will support more consistent delivery and stronger accountability across all areas, giving families greater confidence.
Those who do not require a Package will be supported in a more inclusive mainstream system. We plan to introduce National Inclusion Standards, which we propose should set out minimum standards all settings must adhere to, including a range of evidence-based tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with SEND.
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 she has made of the adequacy of the level of PE funding in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
On 21 May 2026, the government announced that it is increasing investment and over £1 billion in school sports over the next three years, including funding for the new Partnerships Network, improvements to school sports facilities and transitional support for primary schools while we move to the new approach.
The Network will provide practical, targeted support to help schools increase participation. This includes coaching, swimming provision and support to open facilities; stronger links to extra‑curricular sport and local clubs.
Schools will also receive funding to test and share effective practice, alongside more accessible programmes from National Governing Bodies and clearer pathways into community sport. Support will align more closely with wider programmes and include competitive sport opportunities and inclusive events for less‑active pupils. Detailed design and funding allocations will be confirmed through the procurement process.