Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce car driving test wait times at (a) Monmouth test centre, (b) Abergavenny test centre and (c) test centres in South Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been strengthening the booking system further through major booking reforms (from March–June 2026) to protect access for genuine learners and reduce abuse. It is still too early to draw definitive conclusions, but there are clear early signs, particularly in Wales, that these measures are increasing the availability of test slots, improving access and making the system fairer for learners.
From recent recruitment in South Wales, DVSA has had three new entrants who have successfully completed training and are now conducting tests; one at Abergavenny driving test centre (DTC) and two at Newport DTC.
Abergavenny DTC also has two potential new driving examiners (DE) who are currently in training. There is also another potential new DE for Swansea due to start training in August, with a further two potential candidates undergoing pre-employment checks for Cardiff and Carmarthen respectively.
Where some DTCs have higher wait times across the region, DVSA is looking at bringing in additional resource from other areas to increase test availability.
Additionally, at DTCs in South Wales, 5,168 additional overtime tests were delivered between June 2025 and May 2026 when compared to the previous year. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce wait times for medical driving licences.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued. The length of time taken to deal with an application often depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a licence can be issued.
To keep up with growing demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA has launched a new casework system and a new digital medical services portal. This new online service covers around 1,600 medical conditions and allows the majority of people to apply online via the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account. These enhancements are already helping the DVLA to process applications more quickly and further enhancements for people applying for a provisional licence and those renewing at the age of 70 or over will be made later this summer.
The DVLA encourages people to use the online service wherever possible to help speed up processing times.
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 tackle financial abuse.
Answered by Natalie Fleet
The VAWG strategy and the Financial Inclusion Strategy set out ambitious commitments to tackle this issue of financial abuse.
We are working with the financial sector to make sure that coerced debt, credit ratings, Child Maintenance Service payments, and joint mortgages cannot be used as tools of abuse.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help people who have been victims of a) scams by rogue builders and b) poor workmanship by rogue builders.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.
Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.
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 actions it is taking to promote engagement between the HSE and the heritage sector in relation to the proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW) 2002 to enable the potential impact to be fully assessed. HSE have been engaging with the heritage sector about possible changes to CLAW since early 2025 and are continuing to engage with a range of businesses to inform this work, including representatives of the heritage sector, prior to making any final recommendations.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle the normalisation of violence as part of sex among young people.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
We have published updated guidance for relationships, sex and health education for teaching from September 2026, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences.
Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary level, pupils are expected to develop an understanding of the concepts and laws relating to harmful sexual behaviour and the role of consent, including in romantic and sexual relationships. Pupils should understand that ethical behaviour goes beyond consent and involves kindness, care, and attention to the needs and vulnerabilities of the other person.
The department is investing £16 million into a brand-new prevention programme that will robustly evaluate interventions that support positive relationships and help children recognise abusive behaviour, as well as enhance teaching about violence against women and girls.
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 increase price transparency in the milk supply chain.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government recognises the importance of greater transparency in the milk supply chain to support a fair and sustainable dairy sector.
The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations, which fully came into force in July 2025, requires that all dairy contracts must clearly set out the factors that determine the price of milk.
In addition, producers have the right to request a written explanation of how the price has been determined and, where applicable, how those factors have influenced the price. This improves transparency and ensures farmers better understand how the price received relates to the terms of their contract.
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 maximise the effectiveness of the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) has been appointed to oversee and enforce the Fair Dealing Regulations for the Milk and Pig Sectors, providing a route for raising issues and complaints where parties believe the rules have not been followed.
Since being appointed, the ASCA has carried out a wide range of proactive activities to engage with the sectors to raise awareness of the regulations and provide support, including but not limited to running surveys, attending and speaking at conferences and agricultural shows, farm visits and convening sector roundtables.
To further support producers, the ASCA also established an in-confidence email channel to enable producers to raise issues anonymously with the ASCA.
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 assessment he has made of the potential impacts of proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations on women working in heritage and conservation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW) 2002 to enable the potential impact, including any specific impacts the proposals may have on women, to be fully assessed. HSE have been engaging with the heritage sector about possible changes to CLAW since early 2025 and are continuing to engage with a range of businesses to inform this work, including representatives of the heritage sector, prior to making any final recommendations.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help protect consumers who require LPG for home heating from global price instability.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Households that rely on LPG may be eligible for support through the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Guidance issued to local authorities makes clear that crisis payments may be used to assist with energy costs associated with any fuel used for domestic heating, cooking or lighting, including bulk LPG and portable gas cylinders.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing individual circumstances and determining the most appropriate form of support, in accordance with the Fund’s guidance and its person-centred, needs-based approach.
In addition, all domestic electricity consumers will benefit from measures announced at the Budget, under where the price cap has fallen by 7% and will be fixed until July.