Catherine Fookes

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 network coverage. Ofcom’s improved consumer facing coverage checker, ‘Map Your Mobile’, went live on 26 June showing coverage data that should be more in line with people’s lived experience. More granular data, including at a local authority level, will be published as part of the Connected Nations 2025 report, expected later this year.

I am committed to continuing to work with Ofcom to improve the accuracy of reporting of mobile coverage across the UK. This remains a priority as set out in the proposed Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services.

The Government is committed to keeping children safe online. Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so that children benefit from its wide-reaching protections.

The Act requires that all in scope services that allow pornography use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing it, including services that host user-generated content, and services which publish pornography. Ofcom has robust enforcement powers available against companies who fail to fulfil their duties.

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 to obstruct access to a resting or sheltering place. Local Planning Authorities require a bat survey to be completed if a proposed development is likely to negatively affect bats or their habitats. Appropriate measures must be taken by developers to avoid, mitigate and, as a last resort, compensate for any negative effects on bats that could be caused by any proposed development. An example of a compensatory measure could be the erection of a bat box, whilst a mitigation measure could include carrying out works to a summer roost site in the winter when bats are not present.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework we published in December expects developments to minimise impacts on and provide net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and through incorporating features that support priority or threatened species such as bats.

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 Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.

Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.

DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners (DE) and is in the final processes of the most recent campaign.

From recent recruitment in Monmouthshire, DVSA has two new DEs starting in Llantrisant, who will start testing this week, and has another awaiting an upcoming training course. There are also two potential new DEs currently in training for Newport and Cardiff driving test centres.

DVSA’s next campaign, which will include driving test centres in the area, is due to launch shortly.

As of 30 June 2025, there were 15,918 vocational practical driving tests booked and 1,216 tests available in the 10-week booking window

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for car practical driving tests it has ever seen.

Whilst DVSA are continuing to deploy examiner resource to vocational testing, it needs to ensure this is done in a way which balances all of the demands on DVSA’s examiner resource.

The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.

The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.

The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.

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 training providers, universities, and graduate employment platforms such asMilkround, Gradplus, and Prospects to enhance graduate employment opportunities. These partnerships not only connect graduates with relevant vacancies, training, and careerdevelopment resources, but also help strengthen the availability of suitable jobs.

We are also reforming Jobcentre Plus to create a new, more personalised employment support service across Great Britain. This new service will move away from a one-size-fits-allapproach and recognise that individuals – including graduates – have different needs. It will provide tailored help to find good, meaningful work and support progression in employment,with a stronger focus on skills and careers.

The new Jobs and Careers Service will be universal and designed to work for everyone,including graduates, ensuring they can access the right support to build their careers and contribute to a dynamic and growing economy.

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.

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 are about to start a job or who are renewing.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2024 to Question 11735.

Where a paying parent's income is at least 25 per cent different than the figure obtained from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the last available full tax year, or no figure is available, the Child Maintenance Service will consider whether the liability should be based on the parent's current income. A change will not be considered unless it breaches the 25 per cent tolerance.

The 25 per cent threshold ensures that both parents can continue to budget with certainty and therefore provide ongoing stability for the child. Most people's income does not change to this degree over the course of one year. This approach ensures that minor changes to income do not interfere with the efficiency of the system, increasing costs for the taxpayer.

The Department has been conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. The review will also consider income change thresholds including their potential impact on both the paying and receiving parents.

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 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). Currently, all GLP-1 RA medicines are available for NHS patients. We are aware of a short-term supply issue with one strength of Wegovy FlexTouch injection for private patients which is expected to resolve in mid-September 2025.

We continue to monitor the supply of GLP-1 RAs closely to ensure these medicines remain available. Any patient concerned about their condition, or access to these medications, should speak to their prescriber in the first instance.

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 diplomacy to maximise our impact, including through encouraging multilateral organisations to deliver on their commitments to women and girls.

Following the Spending Review, detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of ongoing resource allocation processes. We will publish the FCDO final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts in July.

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 economic policy to which the FCA must have regard. The government scrutinizes this response, as well as other publications such as the FCA’s annual report.

The FCA publishes data against a range of metrics which support the government in monitoring its performance. The FCA is also developing new metrics to monitor its performance as part of its 2025-30 Strategy. This provides opportunities to assess how effectively the FCA is carrying out its role.

The Regulation Action Plan, published in March 2025, committed the government to holding regular performance reviews with relevant regulators. I have held the first meeting with the FCA, and the minutes of this meeting will be made publicly available. The government will use these meetings to build on its already extensive engagement with the FCA and other regulators, to hold them to account for their performance against their statutory duties, their work to reduce administrative costs, and alignment with government priorities.

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. Improving day-to-day performance is one of the Government’s key priorities for HMRC.

A key part of this plan is expanding HMRC’s digital services. More than 6 million customers now use the HMRC app, which allows people to manage their tax affairs quickly and easily.

This summer, HMRC will publish a transformation roadmap. Setting out further steps to improve the customer experience for taxpayers, agents, and businesses.

This will reduce pressure on phone lines, freeing up HMRC advisors to help those who are digitally excluded, have complex tax affairs, or find themselves in vulnerable circumstances.

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 in response. The government has no plans to make the legislative changes recommended in this report.

I regularly engage with the FCA to ensure that it continues to learn from these experiences and is effectively delivering on its objectives.

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 become disabled early, or relatively early, in life and as a result experience economic disadvantage. These allowances are therefore only available to people who become disabled before the age of 65 and who claim before their 65th birthday.

For individuals who develop a disability after the State Pension age, Attendance Allowance (AA) is a non means-tested benefit which provides targeted help with the extra costs of disability and helps them maintain their independence. The AA does not have a mobility component, and therefore does not include an exemption from or reduction in VED. While the intention is for AA to cover the need for care or supervision an individual requires as a result of their disability, individuals may choose to use their AA to fund mobility aids. The Government also provides Pension Credit for pensioners with low incomes and who, for whatever reason, have been unable to save for their retirement.

The Government publishes the latest Inheritance Tax liabilities statistics at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-liabilities-statistics. Table 12.9 of the Inheritance Tax liabilities statistics has the estimated numbers of estates liable to tax on death by UK (Westminster) Parliamentary Constituency, for the latest available tax year, which is currently 2021-22. The statistics for 2022-23 has not yet been published.

In that year, 58 estates were liable for inheritance tax in the Monmouth Parliamentary constituency. The equivalent number of estates in 2020-21 and 2019-20 were 47 and 39 respectively.

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 from reaching the public in the first place

The Government is currently working with telecommunications networks to develop a second Telecoms Charter, to build on the success of the first and go further in identifying, preventing and disrupting telecoms fraud. Under the first Telecommunications Charter, telecoms operators introduced firewalls that have stopped more than 1 billion scam text messages since January 2022. In a landmark, Europe-first move, we are also banning ‘SIM farms’, which are technical devices used to send out scam texts to thousands of people at once. The ban on ‘SIM farms’ is progressing through Parliament as part of the Crime & Policing Bill.

Regarding online fraud, the Online Safety Act’s illegal harm duties have been in force since March this year, of which fraud is included. The Act therefore requires all in-scope platforms to tackle fraud originating on their platforms, by taking proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing, and removing it quickly when they become aware of it. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, have the power to levy significant fines on companies who they deem as non-compliant.

Late this year, this Government will also be publishing an expanded fraud strategy, which will include further details of collaboration telecommunications networks and online platforms to tackle these pernicious crimes.

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 additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements, such as work routes and family routes. These routes are published on GOV.UK at: Work in the UK - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) and Family in the UK - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).

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 as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Some cases are more complex and require additional time due to the unique and individual circumstances involved. We envisage the scheme speeding up once the most complex cases are delt with.

The Scheme continues to make progress with applications, with process capacity expected to increase in the coming months. The FRS is continually looking for opportunities to automate processes where possible, to streamline processing and to work as efficiently as possible processing applications, taking account of the complexity and need for careful consideration.

Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.

There is no predetermined target for the number of claims that will be assessed at each sitting of the Independent Panel for the FRS. The volume of claims reviewed at each sitting will vary depending on the length and complexity of individual cases, so it is not possible to confirm in advance how many cases will be considered in any given meeting. The Department expects to increase the frequency of Independent Panel sittings, with the aim of holding up to two sittings per week.

No formal assessment has been made of trends in waiting times for the assessment of claims under the Scheme. However, the Department is currently working on how we can simplify the process to update applicants. Applicants can contact the Restorative Action Team at the following email address: lgbt-frscheme@mod.gov.uk

The Department will continue to keep resourcing under close review to ensure the FRS is fully supported. This includes assessing whether additional staff are required to manage demand and maintain the timely assessment of claims. The Department continues to monitor the overall progress of claims and remains committed to ensuring the scheme is delivered as efficiently and fairly as possible.

The government is committed to increasing transparency in the social rented sector. We intend to direct the Regulator of Social Housing to introduce new Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) for private providers of social housing, including housing associations, to enable residents to request information about their housing management.

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 private family matters such as child arrangements, financial remedy proceedings and divorce if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. Funding is subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests.

Legal aid is also available for domestic abuse victims for certain urgent protection applications – for example, non-molestation orders and occupation orders. We understand how important it is that anyone who needs a protective order can access legal advice and representation quickly, whatever their means. An eligibility waiver is available for victims of domestic abuse applying for urgent protection, which means they can receive legal aid even if they would not otherwise pass the means test, though they may then have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs.

The Government recently made changes to legislation to support victims of domestic abuse and to ensure that legal aid continues to be available to them.

Firstly, as part of a tailored package of measures the Ministry of Justice implemented in November 2024, a civil legal aid equity disregard was implemented for victims of domestic abuse who have temporarily left their home. This means that £100,000 of the value of a domestic abuse victims’ home will not be considered within the legal aid means test. This change recognises that while victims may own property, they are unable to benefit from the home due to the presence of an abuser.

Secondly, in May this year, a Statutory Instrument came into force which made various changes, including to the scope of legal aid for Domestic Abuse Protection Orders and Domestic Abuse Protection Notices to ensure the fuller availability of legal aid for individuals in respect of these orders.

We are also currently conducting a review of domestic abuse evidence requirements - which need to be satisfied in order to access legal aid for private family matters – to ensure that the evidence requirements are not a barrier to access legal aid for victims of domestic abuse.

For cases which do not qualify for legal aid, there are a range of options available to support individuals through the legal process. For example, they are able to seek free, independent advice, from legal support and advice organsiations.

The Ministry of Justice is providing funding to support litigants in person, including domestic abuse victims and victims of sexual abuse, to help them navigate the civil justice system effectively, including preparation for court and support at court. In 2025/26, we are providing over £6 million of funding to 60 organisations to support the delivery of free legal support and information, both in-person and online. This includes some Citizens Advice and Law Centres, Rights of Women and AdviceNow, as well as a few organisations that specifically focus on supporting victims of domestic abuse.

The Department also funds a specialist service FLOWS (Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors), delivered by RCJ Advice, to support victims of domestic abuse to apply for protective orders in the family courts. The service can help all survivors, whether or not they are eligible for legal aid.

We are working to reduce the outstanding caseload in the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal. Reducing the outstanding caseload is the key measure to bringing down the waiting times for tribunal hearings.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service continues to invest in improving tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology as appropriate. If an expedited hearing is requested, a Judge or Legal Officer will make a decision on that issue, taking all the circumstances into account.

Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

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 established the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group, which brings together business, industry, university and trade union leaders to plan how we unleash Wales’s economic potential.