Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
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.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 346,000 household policies. 650,000 properties have benefitted since the scheme’s launch. Notably, prior to Flood Re’s inception, the average home insurance quote for a householder with a flood claim was about £4,400. As of December 2024, the average was c. £1,100. Additionally, 99% of householders at high risk of flooding can now obtain quotes from 10 or more insurers.
I met with senior leaders from the insurance industry this month. We discussed how the industry can support their customers both to secure relevant and affordable insurance, and at the point of claim.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Home Office:
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.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
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 Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement activity aimed at tackling modern slavery threats and targeting prolific perpetrators. We will also work closely with the voluntary and community sector to help sexually exploited people and ensure that those who want to exit prostitution are able to.
To support victims to escape and recover from their exploitation, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of exploitation and trafficking in England and Wales. This support includes safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help them access wider support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.
The Home Office is also providing £475,000 to Changing Lives from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, to address the current gaps in evidence around the levels and types of online abuse and exploitation that are happening, and to help us better understand the pathways that are needed to improve support.
We recently ran a public Call for Evidence on how the Government can improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery, including for victims who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation. Following analysis of the responses from this Call for Evidence, we will consider whether any future policy changes are needed.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
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 help support Universal Credit claimants to become self-employed.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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. Depending on the customers circumstances, this may also include connecting them with other government support including:
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
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.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
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 sharing more insights and practice so that we can cut waiting lists across the UK and build a National Health Service that is fit for the future.
There are special cross-border arrangements for patients who live on the English-Welsh border to make sure they receive healthcare without confusion or delay, and that patient data can be accessed by relevant professionals. We will continue to ensure these arrangements support high-quality care for patients in both England and Wales.
To support these arrangements, NHS England and the Welsh Government have also published two sets of data on cross-border care as a starting point for greater transparency and closer working relations across the Devolved Governments.
Together we aim to deliver faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients across the UK, helping patients to get the care they need, in a timely manner.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Home Office:
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.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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 it is derived from or intended for use in criminal activity, even without a criminal charge or conviction. In the financial year ending March 2024, £49.5 million in cash was seized.
Driving down money laundering is critical to this Government’s key missions to deliver safer streets and economic growth. Addressing cash-based money laundering is therefore one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which sits within the National Crime Agency (NCA).
In March, the NECC, coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive business across England and Wales involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arrested 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.
This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal monies. The Government is committed to working with the NCA and partners to reduce this threat.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
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.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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 £1 billion per year in employment support for these groups.
Connect to Work is being rolled out nationally, with the roll out due to be complete early next year. In a radical shift from previous schemes, programmes are being locally commissioned, but taking a high fidelity approach based on the Individual Placement and Support and Supported Employment Quality Framework approaches.
Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. It is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. More details can be found at Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition - GOV.UK
As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers ensuring value for money for taxpayers. We will review all aspects of Access to Work after evaluating the findings of the Pathways to Work consultation.
In our Get Britain Working White Paper, published in November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead ‘Keep Britain Working’, an independent review to consider how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver a final report with recommendations in the autumn.
We are discussing ideas for improving the Disability Confident Scheme, which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The scheme covers all disabilities, including hidden disabilities. More details can be found at Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK. We have been discussing ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and officials are continuing to engage with stakeholders to discuss reform proposals.
In addition, DWP has a digital information service for employers, (www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk), which provides tailored guidance to businesses to support employees to remain in work. This includes guidance on health disclosures and having conversations about health and other topics.
In January this year, we launched an expert academic panel to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace and low overall employment rate, making their recommendations later this year.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
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.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help support the creation of graduate jobs.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Home Office:
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.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
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 Payments, updated 23 June 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.