Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether the NHS target of treating 85% of cancer patients within 62 days is being met in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not collect this data. The data collected by NHS England is not collected at a constituency level. Data on what proportion of cancer patients in the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board received a first treatment within the 62-day cancer waiting time standard can be found on the NHS England website at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

In March 2026, the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board performed at 75.4% on the 62-day cancer waiting time standard. This exceeds the Operational Planning Guidance for NHS systems to perform at 75% by March 2026. We have committed in the recently published National Cancer Plan to improve performance against the 62-day standard by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his department has made of the impact of the Iran War on heating oil costs for houses and businesses in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

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

The Government is aware of the exposure heating oil has to the short-term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise it is a significant concern for those reliant on it.

This is why the Chancellor announced £53 million for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices, £27m is for England and is being delivered through the Crisis and Resilience Fund in England.

The Department has also worked closely with the Competition and Markets Authority to monitor profiteering or unfair practices.

The CMA has commenced an accelerated Heating Oil Market Study, and are looking into further consumer protections.

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 develop AI content labelling to (a) support creatives and (b) reduce the impact of AI deepfakes on the creative industries.

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

There is an increasing use of AI tools and other forms of technical innovation in the creation and distribution of digital content, including by the creative industries. The government recognises that labelling AI-generated content can be helpful to consumers to understand whether content has been made using AI, and to protect against disinformation and harmful deepfakes.

The government has committed to establishing an AI labelling taskforce, with an interim report to be published in autumn. We will also launch a consultation on digital replicas in the summer.

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 encourage small businesses to offer apprenticeships for young people in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, which will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and give employers, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need to grow and succeed.

To support non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) to meet the additional costs associated with employing young people, we are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 when they take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees.

Additionally, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible young people aged under 25 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16 to 21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.

We also provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises over 3,000 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England, including in Hertfordshire, through nine regional networks. These networks provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the eligibility rules for Carer’s Allowance on unpaid carers seeking to access higher and further education.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department works very closely with the Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care, and stakeholders such as Carers Trust and the Learning and Work Institute, to help ensure young carers get the help and support they need and deserve.

We continue to look at how we can best identify and support young carers to combine study with their caring responsibilities where they can, including taking account of changes in the education system

The information requested regarding entitlement is not collected and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many carers have lost entitlement to Carer’s Allowance as a result of exceeding the 21‑hour study limit in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department works very closely with the Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care, and stakeholders such as Carers Trust and the Learning and Work Institute, to help ensure young carers get the help and support they need and deserve.

We continue to look at how we can best identify and support young carers to combine study with their caring responsibilities where they can, including taking account of changes in the education system

The information requested regarding entitlement is not collected and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

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 accessibility of the consultation entitled Growing up in the online world: a national consultation, published on 2 March 2026, for people (a) without technical expertise.

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

The government is committed to ensuring that as many people as possible can take part in Growing up in the online world: a national consultation, including those without technical expertise.

The government has produced tailored and more accessible versions of the consultation for parents and carers and children, designed to be easier to complete and navigate, with over 69,000 responses to the consultation so far.

Through ongoing engagement on the National Conversation, ministers and officials will continue to host bespoke engagement reaching hundreds of civil society organisations, schools and community groups right across the United Kingdom, focusing on voices which are seldom heard and hard to reach.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she plans to take to include children’s perspectives in the policymaking process for generative AI.

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

Children’s perspectives are central to the government’s policy approach to generative AI.

The Secretary of State recently brought together young people, campaigners, experts, and industry, to discuss childhood in the age of AI at Wilton Park. The event highlighted the opportunities and challenges AI creates for young people and reinforced the need to involve them in future policy development.

The government also launched the Growing Up in an Online World consultation, seeking views from children and young people on their experiences and perspectives on AI. We encourage responses before it closes on 26 May.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment 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 1,100 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.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made on the ability of Local Authorities to effectively halt unauthorised planning developments in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department has made no specific assessment of the ability of Dacorum Borough Council or St Albans City and District Council to effectively halt unauthorised planning developments in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

NHS funding for mental health services

GP access

NHS dentistry

NHS maternity services

A&E corridor care

Palantir and the NHS

Risk of AI chatbots to children

Access to GP appointments

Draft Code of Practice on Services, public functions and associations

Government response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on communication of changes to women’s state pension age

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Civil Service pensions

Improvements to and funding for Hertfordshire’s SEND service

National Emergency Briefing