Catherine Fookes MP: speeches

Speeches

• 27 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  At the Conservative party conference, the shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury called for the state pension to be means-tested. This has caused deep concern to pensioners in Monmouthshire who have worked hard all their lives and built up modest savings. Under the Conservative party’s plans, they would risk losing their state pension. Will the Secretary of State confirm that, under this Labour Government, the state pension will remain available to all?

• 27 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

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  Last weekend, I attended the reopening of a wonderful pub in my constituency: the Star in Llansoy. It was one of the 10,000 pubs that shut on the Conservatives’ watch, and it has now been reopened by the community. Does the shadow Minister agree that our policies are giving businesses confidence to reopen?

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

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  Last week I was delighted to attend the reopening of what was once my local pub when I first moved to Monmouthshire 25 years ago. The Star on the Hill in Llanfihangel Tor y Mynydd was one of 6,000 UK pubs and bars that closed during the 15 years of Tory neglect, but it has been revived by the brilliant local community and its new landlords, who have worked tirelessly to get it started again. Other new hospitality businesses have opened recently, including the Fuzion restaurant in Abergavenny and Rustica in Monmouth. Monmouthshire is the food capital of Wales. We have the Abergavenny food festival, which was once described as the Glastonbury of food festivals. Members are welcome to visit on 20 and 21 September and see the incredible hospitality we have on offer. Over 450 hospitality businesses, employing over 2,800 people, play a vital role in making Monmouthshire a fantastic place to live and visit—from the Black Bear Inn and the Boat Inn, to my new local, the Halfway. The Halfway is run by Rhi and Jason, who have also opened an amazing shop so that people do not have to drive to the nearest shop, because we are a bit out in the middle of nowhere. It is a community interest company, and it is doing fantastic stuff for our community and employing people from the community. I am relieved that the Government are determined to deliver the support that pubs and hospitality need to survive and begin to thrive once again. Labour backs hospitality and, unlike the Conservatives, it is matching that message with meaningful action. This Labour Government have cut tax on pints and are getting rid of the red tape that stops customers being able to take their after-work pint on to the pavement. The Welsh Labour Government will help my constituents in Monmouthshire by providing a 40% discount on non-domestic rates for businesses in retail, leisure and hospitality for the sixth year in a row. This is the life support that our pubs need, and I know that the Government will continue to do the right thing by engaging with the sector about the challenges it is navigating and the help that it needs. I look forward to spending as much time as this job will allow in the various pubs and cafés I have mentioned in Monmouthshire. I can now be hopeful that after over a decade of neglect, we can start to see hospitality businesses go from strength to strength.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Support for Trans People · Hansard source

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  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?

• 16 Jul 2025 · Family Farms · Hansard source

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  The Welsh Government’s budget contains over £300 million to support Welsh farmers. Is it not the case that Plaid Cymru and the Tories put Welsh farmers’ livelihoods at risk by voting against that crucial money?

• 9 Jul 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q8. I am delighted at the spending review commitment of £445 million for Welsh rail. A new station at Magor and Undy will take cars off the congested M4, offer greener journeys and open doors for local residents without a vehicle to get jobs. It is also great value for money due to the track and infrastructure that is already in place. Does the Prime Minister agree that Magor and Undy is an excellent candidate to be the first Burns station to be built, so that it can start serving local people?

• 8 Jul 2025 · Road and Rail Projects · Hansard source

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  I welcome the ramped up spending that the Secretary of State has announced today and the £445 million for Wales that was promised at the spending review. The new station at Magor and Undy could take cars off the M4 and open doors for local people who do not have a car and currently cannot get a job because of a lack of transport. Does she agree that the Magor and Undy walkway station would be an excellent candidate for starting the five Burns stations, given the track and infrastructure that already exist at Magor and Undy?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Supporting Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  9. What steps she is taking to help increase economic growth in Monmouthshire.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Supporting Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  As the Minister knows, I am delighted with the spending review’s investment in Welsh rail of £445 million. It shows the power of two Labour Governments working together and corrects years of underfunding from the Tories. This investment in Welsh communities and Welsh business is extremely welcome and it will be a brilliant driver of our Government’s mission for economic growth. Will she outline what steps she is taking with other Departments to ensure that rural economies and market towns such as Monmouth, Abergavenny, Caldicot and Chepstow, and small businesses across Monmouthshire, can be helped to thrive and contribute to that growth mission?

• 26 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  As the Secretary of State knows, I welcome the £445 million being invested in Welsh rail over the next five years, but will she help me to secure a meeting with the Rail Minister, so that we can discuss the need to start off building the Burns stations with the Magor and Undy station in Monmouthshire?

• 25 Jun 2025 · Department for Transport · Hansard source

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  Monmouthshire is a rural county and access to transport is critical, so I am delighted to speak in this estimates day debate. Transport enables people to get to work, school, hospital appointments and, of course, anywhere else they need to be. It also enables me to get up here from Monmouthshire. I have already talked about my favourite bus service, the No. 65, which goes through the lovely villages of Trellech and Devauden, and is incredibly important for allowing young people who cannot drive yet to get to work and so on. I am delighted with the expenditure outlined in the comprehensive spending review for improving transport links across south Wales and reaching over the border. This has the potential to be an absolute game changer for my constituents. A lack of regular, reliable public transport is holding our county back, and it is frustrating and restrictive for residents. More importantly, it is a major barrier to economic growth, which is the main mission of this Government. That is why I and Monmouthshire residents were over the moon when, in the spending review, £445 million was committed to Welsh rail. The funding is being made available for the Burns stations—five stations outlined in the Burns review that run between my constituency of Monmouthshire and across to Cardiff. That includes an important station to me: the station of Magor and Undy. Hundreds of new homes have been built at Magor and Undy, and the commuters who live in them do not have a viable option to get to work other than by road. There are major road congestion problems around Magor, particularly on the nearby M4, so this transformative rail funding will see huge benefits for my community and allow huge numbers of people to avoid using a car at all for their commute.

• 25 Jun 2025 · Department for Transport · Hansard source

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  Buses are important to my community in Wales, including the No. 65 that connects Monmouth and Chepstow and is supported by an incredible community group called the Friends of the 65 Bus. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must have more funding for buses across the UK?

• 25 Jun 2025 · Department for Transport · Hansard source

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  I strongly agree. It is great to see two Labour Governments working together, here in Westminster and down in Cardiff, to deliver those better transport links between London and Reading and all the way down to south Wales. It is important that we have Magor and Undy station as soon as possible. It is a walkway station, which is really innovative; people will walk to the station from the surrounding area. It is innovative, it is green and it is an affordable choice to kick-start this important new set of transport links. We have to start somewhere with our five stations down in south Wales, so I am using this debate to strongly suggest that Lord Hendy and the other Transport Ministers support starting the journey at Magor and Undy. Another key issue we face is the closure to heavy goods vehicles of the M48 bridge over the Severn. That is really impacting businesses around Chepstow, particularly on the Newhouse Farm industrial estate. Drivers are being forced to add miles to their journeys. Of course the safety of our bridges is incredibly important, but the closure of the M48 bridge is bad for businesses, bad for the environment and bad for everyone driving locally, as they face even more congestion. Sadly, the situation is expected to continue until late 2026, but I am delighted that the Roads Minister has confirmed to me today that she is encouraging National Highways to expedite the process as soon as possible. I must stress that current timescales are going to hit Monmouthshire hard, so support for local businesses, many of which are in the logistics sector, and help for National Highways to move faster would be extremely welcome. We need the bridge fixing and we need our station at Magor. Those are two really big transport issues for Monmouthshire, proving the importance of the UK and Welsh Governments working together to improve connectivity, sort out congestion, reduce vehicle emissions and, ultimately, supercharge economic growth. I wholeheartedly welcome the funding outlined in the spending review to help us take steps in that direction.

• 24 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T5. Almost daily we hear reports of Israeli forces opening fire near aid distribution sites in Gaza. People cannot even access basic food supplies without risking their lives. Given the horrific level of suffering that we can all see taking place, is it not time to end all arms sales to Israel and to recognise the state of Palestine?

• 19 Jun 2025 · River Pollution · Hansard source

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  9. What steps he is taking to tackle river pollution.

• 19 Jun 2025 · River Pollution · Hansard source

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  I remain extremely grateful for the £100 million of support the Government have given to the River Wye action plan—a pioneering joint effort between the UK and Welsh Governments—but we must do more, including using sustainable farming initiatives to support farmers to look at their stocking rates. I am concerned by reports of Thames Water seeking regulatory easements. Can the Secretary of State assure me that this Government will continue to crack down on water pollution from all sources, in the Wye, the Thames and all across the UK?

• 19 Jun 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  I was glad to hear, after I raised this matter for the first time in November, of the launch of the west midlands pilot of the victims’ right to review scheme, which will give victims of rape and serious sexual violence an opportunity to challenge a prosecutor’s decision to drop their case. However, too many victims have already waited a huge amount of time to get any opportunity for justice, including those in my constituency of Monmouthshire. After being reported to the police, adult rape cases take an average of two years to complete in court. What work are the Government doing to reduce those waiting times?

• 19 Jun 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  1. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for cases involving violence against women and girls.

• 17 Jun 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  I rise to speak in support of new clause 1, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi), which would remove women from the criminal law on abortion. Before my election last year, I served as the director of the Women’s Equality Network Wales, and this issue has long been close to my heart. Until very recently, violent men ending their partners’ pregnancies made up the bulk of prosecutions under this 1861 law, but recently we have seen a big rise in women being targeted, many erroneously. This is not a law that exists in Northern Ireland, Scotland, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or even, Members may be surprised to know, the most anti-abortion states of America, but it is increasingly used against women in this country. I want to take some time today to speak about one of these women. I will call her Becca, which I stress is not her real name. I know about what happened to Becca because her mum and dad were horrified at what happened, and they want us to hear about the injustice this law causes and to think of Becca when we cast our votes later.

• 17 Jun 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  Due to time, I will not; I apologise. When Becca gave birth, her baby was small and premature. She says the first hospital she stayed in was amazing, providing support for her, her partner and their baby. The second, however, made the decision—against professional guidance and rules on patient confidentiality —to report her and her partner to the police on suspicion of attempted abortion. One month after her child was born, Becca returned home to register the birth. The police swooped. Both she and her partner were arrested, her from her parents’ house and him from their baby’s cot side. They were held in police cells and interviewed under caution, without understanding what was happening or why. When they were bailed, social services visited their house and told them they were not allowed to care for their baby without supervision, meaning that Becca could not breastfeed or hold her baby until her parents were approved as supervisors. During that visit, the social worker made a difficult situation even worse, telling the family their baby was deaf and blind as a result of the alleged abortion attempt. The baby was not. This casual cruelty by a social worker caused immense distress. Fortunately, Becca, her partner and her baby are now doing well. Social services agree that they are good parents and are no longer monitoring them. I imagine that many Members across the Chamber today had never thought this kind of cruelty existed under abortion law in this country. I know that I had never considered it. The truth is that the current legal framework harms women and girls when they are at their most desperate, and the only people who can stop it are us here in Parliament today. While changing the law by voting through new clause 1 today cannot erase what happened to Becca and her family, it can stop it happening to any more women. I urge Members to keep women like Becca in the forefront of their minds when they vote. Think of Becca and vote for new clause 1.

• 17 Jun 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  I urge the hon. Lady to rethink what she is saying. There is nothing in new clause 1 that refers to abortion up until term. There would be no change to the abortion law—absolutely no change at all. We are not saying aborted to term, and it is extremely harmful for her to say that.

• 13 Jun 2025 · Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · Hansard source

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  I rise to support new clauses 20 and 21, and amendments 70, 71 and 92 to 95. They are all about the right people having the right powers at the right time, and they respect the devolution settlement for Wales. I am mindful of time, and therefore I am sorry but I will not take interventions. I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater) for engaging so meaningfully and strongly with the Welsh Government, including going to Cardiff to speak with Welsh Health Ministers and officials, to ensure that they are continually consulted during this process. New clause 20 ensures that the Secretary of State, not the chief medical officer, is responsible for issuing guidance on the operation of the Bill. It enhances oversight and accountability by placing that responsibility with the Secretary of State, so that scrutiny and accountability regarding how the Bill will be implemented in practice is put in the right place. It is normal practice that officials whose roles and responsibilities may alter over time are not named in primary legislation. It is, however, important to note that the chief medical officer is not being cut out of the process, because the chief medical officers for England and Wales must be consulted. The new clause also allows persons with learning disabilities and other protected characteristics, as well as providers of palliative care services, to contribute to the process of provisioning guidance. It is a simple but important measure that ensures the right level of ministerial oversight, and I urge colleagues to support it. As my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff West (Mr Barros-Curtis) has explained, it is important to urge Members to support new clause 21, because it ensures that people in Wales are able to access the assisted dying process in the Welsh language if that is their preference. Almost 30% of the population in Wales speak Welsh, and it is so important that they can access this service in their language should they wish to do so. It is a small change, but it will make a huge difference to patients, families and clinicians in Wales. Amendments 70 and 71 simply refine provisions around the use of interpreters, requiring the Secretary of State to publish a code of practice on the matter. Interpreters are essential to ensure fair and equal access to the assisted dying process for those whose first language is not English or Welsh. Amendments 92 and 93 provide greater detail on the Welsh Government’s responsibilities in delivering assisted dying services in Wales. Some hon. Members seem confused about what is and is not devolved, but as a Welsh MP, I wholeheartedly support the amendments, which 100% respect devolution. They ensure that Welsh Ministers have all the powers they need regarding the devolved aspects of the Bill and the health provisions, while retaining the powers of UK Ministers over those aspects that are not devolved, such as criminal justice provisions and, crucially, changes to the Suicide Act 1961. Amendments 94 and 95 clarify how and when provisions relating to voluntary assisted dying will come into force in Wales. They do not impinge on the devolution settlement, but simply provide clarity and legal certainty. All the amendments would help my constituent, Noah, a 19-year-old with a terminal brain tumour who knows what he wants if his pain becomes unbearable. The Bill is about giving people like Noah the choice, control and compassion that they deserve at the end of life. Who are we to deny that choice? I pay tribute once again to my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley for working closely with officials in both Wales and this place to craft what could be the strongest and most safeguarded assisted dying legislation anywhere in the world. It is a Bill designed to protect everyone, including my constituents in Monmouthshire and people across Wales. Thanks to the careful, considered amendments, including the ones that I have spoken about today, the Bill not only respects the devolution settlement but ensures that the right people hold the right powers at the right time to deliver this law safely. I urge Members to join me in the Aye Lobby to legislate to protect the rights of the terminally ill in their final months—to legislate for compassion, for choice and for dignity.

• 2 Jun 2025 · Decriminalising Abortion · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. and learned Friend agree that the best way of keeping women’s protections to have an abortion and to stop the criminalisation of women, which he has been talking about, is to support new clause 1, which my hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) has tabled, to the Crime and Policing Bill?

• 22 May 2025 · Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  Will the Secretary of State give way?