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 support his Department is providing to people living with Multiple Sclerosis in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the national level, initiatives such as NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme and the NHS RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions toolkit both aim to reduce unwarranted variation in services and improve equity of care for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
At the local level, the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s neurology department provides care to patients with MS in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. The team consists of consultant neurologists, a consultant neurophysiologist, and two specialist nurses. All consultants hold joint appointments with University College London Hospitals or the Royal Free Hospital, giving access to specialised neurological care.
The Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust provides the community neurological rehabilitation service for adults in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. The service provides specialist therapy to patients with long term neurological conditions, including those with MS. Specialist advice and oversight is available from a consultant neurologist where clinically appropriate. The service offers complex care, needs-led intervention, specialist equipment, and self-management support according to intensity of clinical needs.
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 increase public participation in the bowel cancer screening programme in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Bowel screening uptake in Berkhamsted and Harpenden is currently between 84% and 87%. The NHS Central East Integrated Care Board (ICB) works closely with general practices (GPs) to encourage promotion of bowel screening through a ‘making every contact count’ approach when they are informed which of their patients have not returned their faecal immunochemical test (FIT).
The ICB has also used regional innovation screening funding to support cancer screening projects in Hertfordshire, including some specifically for bowel cancer. In 2025/26, the programme included:
In England, coverage of bowel cancer screening has been increasing in recent years. In 2019, 60.5% of people took the offer up, while now it is 71.8%. To further increase coverage across England, NHS England is doing the following:
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reform access to work in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We also considered the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption.
We are using the outcomes of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultations, the Collaboration Committees, and upcoming work of the Independent Disability Advisory Panel to inform the future direction of Access to Work. Once the outcome is established, we will consider timelines, and work closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate transition, 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 assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029, published by the Home Office on 9 March 2026, to tackle online scams advertising on social media.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
While the Online Safety Act continues to be implemented, fraud is a ‘priority offence’ under the Act, with platforms already required to mitigate against criminals using their services and to remove scam content where appearing. Ofcom has existing robust powers to act where services do not fulfil regulatory obligations.
In the Summer, Ofcom intends to publish its register of Category 1 and 2A services and consult on additional duties for these platforms to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising.
The Home Office’s Fraud Strategy was published on 9 March and so Government has not yet conducted a review of its impact.
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 recent steps her Department has taken to tackle online scam advertising on social media.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
While the Online Safety Act continues to be implemented, fraud is a ‘priority offence’ under the Act, with platforms already required to mitigate against criminals using their services and to remove scam content where appearing. Ofcom has existing robust powers to act where services do not fulfil regulatory obligations.
In the Summer, Ofcom intends to publish its register of Category 1 and 2A services and consult on additional duties for these platforms to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising.
The Home Office’s Fraud Strategy was published on 9 March and so Government has not yet conducted a review of its impact.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of children’s happiness at school.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is committed to improving pupils’ experience of school, which can affect attendance, engagement, attainment and wider wellbeing.
As set out in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper, the government will work with partners to produce a Pupil Engagement Framework to be published later this year. This framework will help schools to measure and improve the key factors that determine pupils’ engagement in education, including their sense of belonging and safety, inclusion and relationships with teachers and fellow pupils. By the end of the Parliament, we expect every school to monitor children’s sense of belonging and engagement, up from around 60% of schools today, and take action in line with the Framework so more children, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and disabilities, will feel a strong sense of belonging in school.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Statutory Instrument required to enable civil enforcement against unnecessary pavement obstruction has been drafted; and when he plans to lay that instrument before Parliament.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Statutory Instrument is being drafted and will be laid before Parliament by the end of the year.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on 1950s-born women living in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government carefully considered the findings of the Ombudsman’s report on the communication of changes to women’s State Pension age, and a detailed response including an Equality Analysis has been deposited in the House library.
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 trends in the length of time it takes parents who suspect their child has SEND to get an assessment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), rests with local authorities. To support this, we are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/2026 and 2029/2030. In 2025/26 and 2026/27, Hertfordshire has been allocated just over £11.1 million and circa £17.3 million respectively through high needs provision capital allocations.
This funding can be used to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools to deliver more tailored support. It can also be used to improves accessibility in mainstream settings and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.
Hertfordshire County Council will receive over £220 million through the high needs funding block of its 2026/27 dedicated schools grant, following a 10% per-head increase in its high needs revenue funding last year.
Across Hertfordshire, the rate of education, health and care plans issued within 20 weeks was 94% in January 2026, 97% in February, and 93% in March.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support disabled people into work in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, we 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. Our Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work is being delivered by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), and is supporting disabled people, people with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment.
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 and referrals to Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies.
DWP is also working with the NHS and HCC as part of the Get Hertfordshire Working strategic plan. Representatives from 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 through providing support in managing their health conditions. The group is also developing employment pathways such as work experience, internships and apprenticeships with partner agencies.