Catherine Fookes MP: written questions 2025
29 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Flood Control: WalesWales OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 906626More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support recovery from flooding caused by Storm Claudia in Wales.
Answer: I saw first-hand the devastating impact of Storm Claudia in Monmouthshire when I visited on 20 November with my hon. Friend. My thoughts, and I’m sure those of the whole house, remain with affected residents. I went to Monmouth to thank emergency responde...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: WalesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure patients living near the England-Wales border receive timely care after a cross-border referral.
Answer: It is unacceptable that patients across the United Kingdom continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment and it is imperative that the elective waiting list is a top priority.We have committed to closer working with the Welsh Government as a step towards...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFloods: InsuranceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80681More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce insurance premiums for homes at high risk of flooding.
Answer: Flood Re is a joint Government and industry flood reinsurance scheme established specifically to help UK households at high risk of flooding to access affordable insurance through their insurance provider.In 2024/25, Flood Re provided cover for over 346,0...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHuman Trafficking: VictimsHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure victims of sex trafficking are adequately safeguarded from being trafficked in the future.
Answer: The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this ambition.The ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Self-employedDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help support Universal Credit claimants to become self-employed.
Answer: Universal Credit supports self-employment where it is the best route for customers to become financially independent. Work Coaches can signpost customers to national and local support where available, such as business advice, mentoring or training. Depen...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Money LaunderingHome OfficeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75847More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of cash intensive businesses for money laundering.
Answer: Cash intensive businesses can be exploited by criminals who seek to launder their cash enabling them to profit from their illegal activities. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, law enforcement may seize cash of £1,000 or more if they reasonably suspect...
Answered 1 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the effectiveness of access to work programmes for disabled people.
Answer: Numerous steps are being taken to improve the effectiveness of access to work programmes, so that more disabled people and those with health impairments are supported to thrive in employment. By the end of the Parliament, the Government will be investing ...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordJob Creation: GraduatesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74969More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help support the creation of graduate jobs.
Answer: The government is committed to supporting graduates to secure high-quality employmentand develop the skills they need to thrive in the labour market.The Department for Work and Pensions has an established strong network of partnerships with external train...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid Scheme: Domestic AbuseMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that low-income (a) victims of domestic abuse, (b) victims of sexual abuse by someone in the home and (c) immediate family members of victims of sexual abuse can
Answer: This Government recognises that legal aid – a vital part of the justice system – supports the ability of individuals, who need it most, to have access to publicly funded legal assistance in order to uphold their legal rights.Legal aid is available for pri...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Severn: Mobile PhonesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the River Severn Partnership and Streetwave's Mobile Coverage Survey.
Answer: The River Severn Partnership commissioned the survey in support of its wider activities and projects as a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology funded 5G Innovation Region.The regulator, Ofcom, is responsible for measuring and reporting on net...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBats: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73388More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what actions he is taking to mitigate the potential impact of the built environment on bat populations.
Answer: All bats, including their breeding sites and resting places, are protected under UK and international law. This strict legal protection makes it an offence to deliberately capture, injure, or kill bats; to damage or destroy a breeding or resting place; or...
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDiabetes and Obesity: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73387More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of the supply of GLP1 medication.
Answer: The Department of Health and Social Care has worked intensively with the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and others in the supply chain to largely resolve the supply issues with GLP-1 re...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Conduct AuthorityTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73386More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the regulatory efficacy of the Financial Conduct Authority.
Answer: The government monitors the performance of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a number of ways. For example, the FCA is required to respond annually to the letter of recommendation sent by the Chancellor which sets out aspects of the government’s ec...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Maintenance ServiceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73385More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to introduce legislation to implement the commitments outlined in the Government’s response to the consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Paymen
Answer: Primary legislation is required to make the change to remove Direct Pay and reform the collection fee structure. Subject to Parliamentary time, we hope to implement the changes so they can take effect within the current Parliament.
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFraud: Internet and Telephone ServicesHome OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73384More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle scams perpetrated (a) by telephone and (b) online.
Answer: We are working extremely closely with all partners, including telecommunications networks and tech platforms, as well as regulators, law enforcement, and consumer groups to close the vulnerabilities that criminals exploit to commit fraud and to stop scams...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: MonmouthshireDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of practical car driving tests in Monmouthshire.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Se...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRevenue and Customs: Telephone ServicesTreasuryTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63958More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of HMRC phone line performance.
Answer: HMRC publish monthly performance data, including information on their telephony service, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports. A key part of this plan is expanding HMRC’s digital services. Imp...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicle Drivers: Driving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of (a) HGV driving test slots and (b) HGV driving test examiners.
Answer: As of 30 June 2025, there were 15,918 vocational practical driving tests booked and 1,216 tests available in the 10-week booking windowThe Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for car practical driving tests it h...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: WomenForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63956More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK ODA spending supports women and girls internationally.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to supporting women and girls around the world. We are strengthening the integration of gender equality across the full breadth of FCDO work and will use our convening power and diplomac...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63955More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of making changes to Ukraine visa schemes to facilitate routes to settlement.
Answer: We are committed to standing with Ukraine and providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an addit...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEconomic Growth: WalesWales OfficeTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 904460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing economic growth in Wales.
Answer: Growth is the number one mission of this government. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.I have also est...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLGBT Financial Recognition SchemeMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57129More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on issuing payments under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme.
Answer: The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) launched in December of 2024, and as of 9 June 2025, 44 applicants have received payment. We have been prioritising payment to the elderly and those with serious health conditions to ensure they receive support ...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Conduct AuthorityTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45376More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the recent Report on the Call for Evidence about the Financial Conduct Authority, published by the APPG on Investment Fraud & Fairer Financial Services, whether she plans to introduce the recommend
Answer: I noted the report with interest, and I recognise the difficulties faced by those who have lost out. Many of the issues explored in the report have already been extensively reviewed, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has made significant changes i...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44052More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Pathways to work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, what steps she is taking to (a) reduce levels of time taken to access
Answer: We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have (a) increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims and (b) prioritised applications from customers who ar...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41739More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of disabled people unable to claim an exemption on vehicle tax due to being over the age limit to access a benefit with a mobility component; and whether she has plans to r
Answer: The Government does not hold statistics on the number of disabled people who are not eligible for the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) exemption due to being above the state pension age. The aim of the VED exemption is to provide additional help for people who b...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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