Written questions by Collins.

What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of reported violent crime in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on violent crime recorded by the police in England Wales at the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.Figures for the CSP areas of St Albans and Dacorum can be found in Open Data Tables, available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UKGiven the relatively low volume of offences involving knives or sharp instruments, such statistics are only published at the Police Force Area (PFA) level and those for Hertfordshire PFA can also be found at the weblink given above.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the statutory right to connect new developments to the public sewer network on storm overflow discharges.

Defra is working together with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the right to connect for water supply and to the sewerage system supports the Government’s housing delivery objectives and enables sustainable development. The Government is committed to taking a systematic approach to tackling the issues with drainage and wastewater. This includes a real focus on tackling the root causes of sewage pollution. We will enable a step change to allow for more ‘pre-pipe’ solutions to reduce the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewerage system. This includes better rainwater management, including sustainable drainage systems, and tackling sewer misuse. This approach will have benefits for communities, the environment, flood prevention and urban development, ensuring policies and services work better together to deliver real benefits for people and nature. It will also enable economic growth, creating headroom for new development, and create opportunities to alleviate pressures on water supply.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of not commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 on sewer capacity and storm overflow discharges.

Pre-pipe drainage and wastewater solutions, such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), alleviate pressure on the sewerage system by reducing the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the system. This approach has benefits for communities, the environment, flood prevention and urban development. The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of SuDS. In December 2024, we made changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to support increased delivery of SuDS. The Government consulted on a revised National Planning Policy Framework – including for flood risk and SuDS – and, separately, on proposals to increase adoption of shared amenities, with planned guidance to ensure lifetime maintenance. In June 2025, the Government introduced new national standards for SuDS. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with private parking operators on their duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled motorists; and what enforcement mechanisms are available where operators fail to meet those obligations.

The Government is aware that disabled motorists can face challenges when parking and my officials ensure these issues are actively discussed through ongoing engagement with the parking sector, the Department for Transport and other relevant stakeholders. Most recently, officials met with Disabled Motoring UK specifically to understand how disabled motorists can be protected and supported.Private parking operators are required to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, the form those adjustments take are up to individual operators. We will continue to proactively consider how the Code of Practice will affect disabled people and take steps to remove barriers.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the duplication of safeguarding requirements for volunteers working across schools, charities and community organisations.

It is for employers and the sectors involved to set requirements for criminal record checks as part of their safeguarding requirements. However, the disclosure and barring regime does allow for transfer of criminal record certificates, provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, if the certificate is for the same workforce and at the same level.For further information, I would refer the hon member to the response previously provided by the Home Office, UIN: 119660.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices at hospital sites on patients attending medical treatment; and whether additional protections are being considered for those who overstay due to clinical circumstances.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices at hospital sites on patients attending medical treatment and protections are being considered for those who overstay due to clinical circumstances.National Health Service organisation make decisions locally on how they provide their car parking for patients, visitors, and staff. This will include whether parking services are provided in-house or outsourced. Where outsourced, the NHS car parking guidance 2022 for NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts states that:- NHS organisations are responsible for the actions of private contractors who run car parks on their behalf; and- NHS organisations should act against rogue contractors in line with the relevant codes of practice where applicable Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principlesIt is recognised that the attendance at hospitals cannot be predicted in advance and therefore, the NHS parking guidance states that trusts should consider installing ‘pay on exit’ or similar schemes so that drivers pay only for the time that they have used. Additional charges should only be imposed where reasonable and should be waived when overstaying is beyond the driver’s control, such as when treatment takes longer than planned, or when staff are required to work beyond their scheduled shift.

What assessment she has made of the feasibility of making enhanced DBS certificates transferable between organisations where the role and level of check required are equivalent.

Under current arrangements, enhanced and other certificates issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) are transferable between organisations, where the role and level of check required are equivalent. That is, where the level of check for which the role is eligible is the same.Employers can accept an existing criminal record certificate for recruitment purposes if it is the same type of check (for example, enhanced with a check of the adults’ barred list) and it has been issued for the same workforce (for example, adults’, children’s, other). There is no expiry date on criminal record certificates, as the information disclosed on certificates is correct at the date they are issued.Importantly, the level of check an employer or organisation is entitled to request depends on the role’s eligibility in relation to DBS checks. For example, if an individual already has an enhanced with children’s barred list check certificate and the second role is only eligible for a standard certificate, the second employer or organisation would potentially be seeing information it is not legally entitled to request.Conversely, if the employer for the second role requires an enhanced with barred list check but the existing certificate held by the applicant is enhanced only, not all relevant information would be available for the organisation to make a suitability decision. Further guidance and an eligibility tool are available at this link: www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-eligibility-guidance.The DBS Update Service supports the portability of an individual’s certificate by ensuring the information is up to date. To support ongoing suitability decisions, applicants can subscribe to the Update Service, which allows employers to check if any relevant information has changed since the certificate was issued, although it is the employer’s decision whether to use the Update Service or to request the applicant re-apply for a certificate.The Update Service offers a digital solution that supports real-time checking. It can also be of benefit to employers, who can undertake instant online checking of DBS certificates, thus saving time and money. The applicant would only need to obtain a new certificate in cases where there has been a change in recorded information, or in cases where they need to apply for a different type of criminal record check. The Update Service is free to use for volunteers and costs £16 a year for paid employees. Further information and details of how to subscribe can be found at https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the transition from student loan funding to NHS bursary support on the cost of living for medical students in the later years of their degree.

The Government reviews the funding arrangements for medical students annually. This includes the NHS Bursary Scheme and Student Finance England support.The 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, recognises the need to improve access to the medical profession for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and commits to a range of actions to achieve this. This includes exploring options to improve financial support for students from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds, so that they are able to thrive at medical school. We will set out next steps in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the subdivision and sale of agricultural land into multiple small plots on local planning enforcement workloads.

My Department has made no such assessment.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on the use of injunctions under section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in cases involving repeated or escalating breaches of planning control.

Relevant guidance on enforcement, including planning injunctions, can be found on gov.uk here.

What recent assessment he has made of levels in youth unemployment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Government is committed to transform young people’s prospects by ensuring every one of them has the chance to earn and learn through the Youth Guarantee.On 16th March, the Government announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, resulting in a total £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16-24 year olds.This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job. Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.The Department works closely with local partners to ensure support for young people reflects local labour market needs. In Harpenden and Berkhamsted, support is provided in the St Albans Jobcentre, which has specialist work coaches who work with young people claiming Universal Credit.At a local level, St Albans Jobcentre works closely with local colleges and training providers to commission tailored support programmes for young people, including provision focused on confidence building and mental health support.The information on geographic youth unemployment figures is published and available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

What steps his department is taking to reduce levels of youth unemployment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Government is committed to transform young people’s prospects by ensuring every one of them has the chance to earn and learn through the Youth Guarantee.On 16th March, the Government announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, resulting in a total £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16-24 year olds.This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job. Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.The Department works closely with local partners to ensure support for young people reflects local labour market needs. In Harpenden and Berkhamsted, support is provided in the St Albans Jobcentre, which has specialist work coaches who work with young people claiming Universal Credit.At a local level, St Albans Jobcentre works closely with local colleges and training providers to commission tailored support programmes for young people, including provision focused on confidence building and mental health support.The information on geographic youth unemployment figures is published and available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with (a) Starlink and (b) O2 on data protection.

All organisations providing services in the UK must comply with the UK’s data protection legislation, which is enforced independently of Government by the Information Commissioner.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made the potential merits of introducing content labelling requirements for AI-generated images and videos on social media platforms.

The government continues to explore the feasibility of technical solutions for the labelling of AI-generated content to support transparency, such as through the Deepfake Detection Challenge.AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the government believes that most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Action Plan, the government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities. The government has been clear that we will legislate where needed but we will do so on the basis of evidence where any serious gaps are.

Whether his Department has taken recent steps to develop a modern service framework for frailty and dementia; and if he will take steps to ensure that it includes national standards for diagnostic pathways.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality in diagnosis and care for those living with dementia. It will set national standards and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best care and support.Central to this modern service framework will be improved care and support and access to a timely and accurate diagnosis.We are still developing plans for the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia and, in doing so, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia.As part of this exercise, we are considering all options to help reduce variation, including reviewing existing guidance and pathways. This will include the D100: Pathway Assessment Tool and the Dementia Care Pathway, covering all elements of the Well Pathway from Prevention through to Dying Well.We are working to develop the content as soon as possible and we will keep partners updated on progress and timings as this work unfolds.

If he will take steps to ensure that the final guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 provides direction on required provision, including speech and language support and transition to adulthood; and how implementation will be monitored.

Under the Down Syndrome Act 2022, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. We considered a range of evidence from our Call for Evidence and engagement when developing the draft Down syndrome guidance, currently out for public consultation, including research on speech and language therapy (SLT). The draft guidance highlights that people with Down syndrome are likely to have communication needs and sets out support that can be provided, including that people with Down syndrome should be able to access speech and language assessment and support in a timely manner. The guidance is also clear that NHS commissioners and providers may offer people with Down syndrome, and their families and carers, a range of SLT services and interventions to support their communication, tailored to their specific needs. This should include early intervention services starting from birth, continuing through early years to support a good start in life, and then into primary and secondary school and transition to adulthood, including transitions from child to adult care and support. Relevant authorities, as defined in the schedule to the act, have a duty to have due regard to the final guidance once it is published. The act does not create any new functions beyond this duty. Rather, it brings together existing statutory requirements and guidance that relevant authorities must and/or should already be complying with to support people with Down Syndrome and people with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs. NHS England published statutory guidance on 9 May 2023 which says that every integrated care board (ICB) should identify a member of its board to lead on supporting the ICB to perform its functions effectively in the interest of people with Down syndrome. The statutory guidance sets out NHS England’s expectations about fulfilling executive lead functions and outlines the responsibilities of these roles in more detail at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/executive-lead-roles-within-integrated-care-boards/

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of diagnostic overshadowing on people with Down syndrome; and if he will take steps to include expectations on condition-specific training for relevant professionals within guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022.

In 2023, NHS England produced a guide for frontline staff as they support people with a learning disability which asks staff to be aware of diagnostic overshadowing, and which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/clinical-guide-for-front-line-staff-to-support-the-management-of-patients-with-a-learning-disability-and-autistic-people-relevant-to-all-clinical-specialties/NHS England does not hold data on the extent of diagnostic overshadowing for people with Down syndrome, nor is the data held centrally.Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to support the needs of people with Down syndrome. The draft guidance, which was published for public consultation on 5 November 2025, acknowledges that the care of people with Down syndrome may be affected by diagnostic overshadowing and recognises its impact on the care and treatment that people receive. Once the consultation has closed on 30 March 2026, the Government will consider all consultation responses to inform the final guidance to be published.Relevant authorities, as defined in the schedule to the act, have a duty to have due regard to the final guidance once it is published. The act does not create any new functions beyond this duty. Rather, it brings together existing statutory requirements and guidance that relevant authorities must and/or should already be complying with to support people with Down syndrome and people with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs.Under existing legislation, Care Quality Comision registered providers must ensure that staff receive appropriate professional development which is necessary for them to carry out their duties and must receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, as per Section 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Section 181(7) of the Health and Care Act 2022 and Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We expect that providers should be considering whether specific training on Down syndrome is required for their staff, and the draft guidance under the Down Syndrome Act sets out that some staff who work frequently with people with Down syndrome may require additional training on Down syndrome.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of Government decarbonisation support for medium-sized community buildings that are not classified as public sector bodies.

Eligible community buildings can access support through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides grants of up to £7,500 towards the installation of low‑carbon heating systems. Landlords and tenants in this sector can search for local grant and advice schemes via the Government’s finance and support for businesses pages at: https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support. They can also access energy efficiency advice through the Government’s Business Energy Efficiency Campaign at: https://businessenergyefficiency.campaign.gov.uk/

What consideration her Department gave to transition arrangements for UK citizens living abroad who have been making voluntary Class 2 National Insurance contributions but have not yet qualified for a full State Pension.

The changes to voluntary National Insurance contributions policy announced at Budget retain routes for individuals living outside of the UK to fill gaps in their NI records by paying Class 3 NICs, which allows individuals to continue to build entitlement to the UK State Pension. This includes transitional arrangements for existing voluntary Class 2 and 3 customers to not be subject to the new 10-year qualifying conditions. The removal of access to voluntary Class 2 NICs applies for the 2026/27 tax year onwards, and does not affect the ability of any customer to pay voluntary Class 2 NICs for periods abroad prior to 6 April 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to support the hospitality sector in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Government recognises the important role the hospitality sector plays both in terms of its economic contribution but also to our culture.That is why we are delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street businesses, as promised in our manifesto. We are introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties which are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.This Government has worked closely with the hospitality sector. We announced the first National Licensing Policy Framework and are working to ensure local authorities apply it consistently to ease licensing decisions ‘on the ground’. We have extended opening hours for Home Nations games in the later stages of the Men’s Football World Cup. We will also legislate to increase the number of Temporary Events Notices venues can hold, helping them screen further national moments and host community and cultural events.In addition, we are more than doubling the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 over three years, ending upward-only rent review clauses and introducing a strong Community Right to Buy.We will continue to work with the hospitality sector to develop a new cross-government High Streets Strategy to help businesses in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, and across the country, to remain the centre of local communities.