Civil Service Pensions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sally Jameson]

I believe that Cabinet Office officials are now working in lockstep with Capita to ensure that it delivers against the new rectification plan, which was recommended by the remedial adviser. As I have said, we will be able to see on a fortnightly basis how Capita is doing in bringing down the case numbers, and that should give some indication of the service recovery level. If it is not up to scratch—we will know whether that is the case in the coming weeks—I will of course update the House on any further action that we can take to improve the service.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

Communications with Capita did get better for a time, but I am afraid they have dropped off a bit now. Let me share with the House the sad case of a constituent who came to us in May 2026. She had spent two hours on the phone to Capita; she could not get through, and she had two pensions unpaid. She had retired from the Department for Work and Pensions with breast cancer. In June, she was contacted by another scheme member—a completely different person—who said that on two occasions, she had been sent my constituent’s details, both the annual benefit statement and some other details about the scheme, which was an appalling breach of GDPR. Can the Minister please help me to resolve that case, as it is still outstanding, and will she consider compensation for those who have waited for more than two years, and from whom I have many emails in my inbox?

International Update

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Monday 12th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Indeed; I will give the hon. Gentleman that assurance here and now. That is exactly the point: it should be free to do that, and with independent oversight, as the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry), said. Let us remember, the Russian Government spend over £1 billion every year on misinformation and disinformation, and we have to be open-eyed about that and start to respond accordingly. It is not about a ministry of truth, or whatever people want to say; it is about ensuring people are aware of what is being done, and where there is interference in our democratic process. It will be more successful if it carries the full support of all sides of the House, with the requisite independence and oversight.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

I thank the Prime Minister for his statement. It is an absolute no-brainer that we move closer to our closest trading partner, the EU, and I know that thousands of businesses in my constituency of Monmouthshire will welcome the reduction in costs. I am sure that Monmouthshire farmers, too, will be delighted that they were at the centre of his statement, as they will be by the prospect of less red tape and lower costs when dealing with the EU. They were sold a lie by the Conservatives about Brexit. Can the PM confirm that Welsh lamb and Welsh beef exports will increase as a result of his statement and of the renegotiation with the EU?

[The Prime Minister]

Not as a result of the statement—if only I had that power—but yes, if we can secure the deal that I talked about in the statement. This is a really important moment for British farmers, who have had a very difficult year, and it is incumbent on me to do everything that I can. I can assure them—and my hon. Friend can assure them, because she heard it from me—that I will do everything that I possibly can to get this deal over the line in the next five weeks.

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Anna McMorrin]

We are listening closely to farmers, as we always have. We have announced more to protect family farms. We have changed the allowance for the 100% rate of relief, increasing it from £1 million to £2.5 million. That gets the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances and funding our public services.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

12. Farmers in Wales are suffering the dire consequences of drought, topped off by the horrific wildfires we had in south Wales and across the Monmouthshire borders in recent weeks. I am extremely grateful to the Prime Minister for sending troops to help the amazing fire service, including to Blaenavon. At this difficult time, will the Minister update me on how the UK Government are supporting our farmers?

[Anna McMorrin]

I thank my hon. Friend for her important question. She is absolutely right: these are challenging times right across the country. Wildfires are a stark reminder for us to take care of our environment as we face the ongoing challenges of our changing climate, and we need to mitigate the effects of more summers like this. Most importantly, I want to pay a huge tribute to our incredible fire and rescue services, our police and our military for putting their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.

Rewiring the State

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Louise Haigh]

I absolutely agree with the right hon. Gentleman. The Prime Minister has been clear repeatedly that we stand against Scottish independence and against an independence referendum. We will continue to make the case for the Union. That responsibility will be held very highly, importantly and closely by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

I, too, welcome the First Secretary of State to her place, particularly as she has smashed another glass ceiling by being the first woman to hold the role. In her statement, she talked about wildfires. There was not one in Monmouthshire per se, but they were all around the edge of Monmouthshire, and there was a lot of smoke in houses in Abergavenny. I therefore really look forward to the summit she will hold on wildfires.

One thing that the First Secretary of State did not mention and which I would like to draw her attention to is civil service pensions. I have a huge number of constituents who are waiting. I know that that issue comes under her Department, and I would really like her support on it.

[Louise Haigh]

May I be absolutely clear that the service levels for the civil service pension scheme following the move to Capita have been completely unacceptable? Our immediate priority is to stabilise the service and give current and former civil servants the service they deserve. We are using all our commercial levers, including withholding payments, to hold Capita to account for its failure, and we will continue to do so until service levels are fully restored. The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster Central (Sally Jameson), will shortly update the House on further progress.

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Anna McMorrin]

I do not know if the hon. Member heard my answer just now: I talked about a £14 billion commitment across Wales. I am sure that she does not agree with her party’s plan to rip up that £14 billion commitment to rail, robbing Wales and our communities of a generation of rail investment, connecting communities and delivering jobs right across Wales.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

6. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support economic growth in Wales.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)]

This Government are creating tens of thousands of high-quality jobs across Wales. From offshore wind in the Celtic sea and nuclear power at Wylfa, to AI growth zones, freeports, investment zones, rail enhancements, a defence growth deal and the steel strategy, our vision for economic growth in Wales is unashamedly ambitious and already delivering results.

[Catherine Fookes]

I was pleased to see the Secretary of State and the First Minister launch the local growth fund in Wales this week, to boost jobs and investment in local economies. That is on top of the local Wales placemaking grant funding and the UK Government’s Pride in Place funding, which will give £1.5 million to my constituency and improve six Monmouthshire towns. Will the Secretary of State update the House on how our two Labour Governments are working together to invest in our Welsh communities?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend is right to say that this Labour Government’s more than half-a-billion-pound local growth fund will fuel economic growth in every corner of Wales. It will support people to start and grow their businesses, it will help people to secure new skills and jobs, it will revitalise Welsh communities, and it is a great example of what can be achieved with two Labour Governments working together.

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 11th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

What absolute rubbish. This is a serious issue. We know that there are people who want to pull our country apart, but I am proud that we live in a multi-ethnic, diverse and tolerant nation where we celebrate our shared values. It is right that we take action against anti-Muslim hatred in our country, as we take action on antisemitism, and we have set out further steps in that regard. It is completely unacceptable that anyone should face intimidation or harassment on the basis of their faith, but that is not in conflict with our fundamental belief in the right to freedom of speech.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

T2. According to Surviving Economic Abuse, an economic abuse victim loses her life every 19 days, with more than 50% of domestic homicide reviews involving that form of abuse by a partner. What steps is the Minister taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle it, both through the Government’s violence against women and girls strategy and by improving understanding within relevant agencies?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Jess Phillips)]

The cross-Government violence against women and girls strategy to which my hon. Friend has referred contains an ambitious package of measures to prevent and tackle economic abuse and to support victims. It includes exploring how to prevent joint mortgages from being used as a tool of abuse, ensuring that coerced debt is reflected accurately and that the severe problem of victims’ credit files is addressed, and piloting the use of the economic abuse evidence form within the Government to improve our response to victims of economic abuse.

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Thursday 5th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the delivery of the civil service pension scheme.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

5. What recent discussions he has had with Capita on ensuring timely payments under the civil service pension scheme.

[Mr Speaker]

Welcome back, Minister.

--- Later in debate ---

[Satvir Kaur]

The priority right now is to ensure that the robust recovery plan is completed and that we get a normal service as quickly as possible. Of course, we will continue to update the House.

[Catherine Fookes]

I welcome my hon. Friend to her place. My constituents Richard, Peter and Chris all planned to retire in January and all gave at least the required notice to get their pensions; I have many other cases of people waiting too. January has been and gone, as has February, and despite repeated attempts to get their pensions and hours in phone queues, these poor people have not seen a penny. Will the Minister please update me on when she expects a return to proper service levels, and whether she will look at MyCSP and Capita providing compensation to those who face such serious financial hardship?

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 12th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Ian Murray]

The date is 2032: the Government are committed to ensuring 99% gigabit coverage by 2032. We have just rolled out 30 new Project Gigabit contracts across England, connecting 850,000 homes. The Government are fully committed to delivering this, and 2032 is the target.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

My constituents regularly tell me how frustrating it is to try to take work video-calls from home: they get the circle of doom. I know they are not exaggerating, because it happens to me too, especially when my kids are at home. Can the Minister update my constituents and me on Project Gigabit’s progress and plans for better broadband in rural areas?

[Ian Murray]

We all fear that circle of doom when we are on the internet, whether we are watching videos or doing anything else. Indeed, that is why the Government are committed to ensuring that everyone has that connectivity by 2032. Project Gigabit has just signed 30 new contracts for the hardest-to-reach rural areas, to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy gigabit connectivity across the country, and the reliability and robustness of the system are key parts of that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Anna McMorrin]

I fear that the Conservatives forget about the chaos that they created. We inherited a broken system after 14 years of chaos, and contracts that we have to honour, but in the past year we have halved the use of hotels. We have removed 30,000 people who have no right to be here. It is not job done, as I say, but it is a work in progress. We can compare that work in just one year with 14 years of chaos under the hon. Lady’s Government.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

6. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve cross-border rail connectivity between Wales and England.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)]

We are investing at least £445 million in Welsh rail in order to right years of underfunding by past Governments. That will mean new stations and more and faster trains along the key lines, and will improve cross-border connectivity, create jobs and boost economic growth.

[Catherine Fookes]

I thank the Minister for that £445 million investment, which will be a fundamental driver of economic growth and connectivity in south Wales. What action is she taking with Cabinet colleagues and industry partners to ensure that a new station serving my constituents in Magor and Undy is delivered without delay, getting my constituents on track, and faster, towards their destinations?

[Anna McMorrin]

My hon. Friend has been a strong champion for this rail investment, which is the key to unlock Wales’s economic potential. It includes funds to progress the five Burns stations in Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy. I will continue to work with the Wales Rail Board and the Welsh Government to ensure that the community my hon. Friend represents is given the infrastructure that it needs.

Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine Fookes Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I recognise the importance of gender recognition certificates. Let me be absolutely clear to this House, as I have been on many occasions: no one, including trans people, should suffer indignity or a lack of respect. They must of course have access to safe provisions and appropriate services. However, the Supreme Court ruling was clear that biological sex is the means by which single-sex provision will be delivered.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

I am really pleased that the Government are committed to delivering a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy. When will that legislation be introduced to bring that abusive practice to an end?