Written questions by Fookes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK ODA spending supports women and girls internationally.

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.

What assessment her Department has made of the availability of (a) HGV driving test slots and (b) HGV driving test examiners.

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

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of HMRC phone line performance.

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.

What progress his Department has made on issuing payments under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme.

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.

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing economic growth in Wales.

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.

With reference to the recent Report on the Call for Evidence about the Financial Conduct Authority, published by the APPG on Investment Fraud & Fairer Financial Services, whether she plans to introduce the recommended legislative changes.

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.

With reference to her Pathways to work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, what steps she is taking to (a) reduce levels of time taken to access Access to Work applications and (b) ensure that those levels of time do not prohibit people from taking up offers of employment.

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.

If she will make an estimate of the number of disabled people unable to claim an exemption on vehicle tax due to being over the age limit to access a benefit with a mobility component; and whether she has plans to reduce this gap.

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.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of motorcycle compulsory basic training.

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.

If her Department will take steps to improve the training required for motorcycle drivers.

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.

What progress she has made following her Department's closed consultation on improving moped and motorcycle training.

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.

Communities and Local Government, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including housing associations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

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.

What assessments her Department has made of the adequacy of Personal Independence Payment tribunal wait times; and what steps she is taking to reduce them.

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...

What support is available to people waiting for a Personal Independence Payment tribunal.

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

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of altering the income change threshold on child maintenance allowance reviews.

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...

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the income change threshold on child maintenance allowance on both the (a) paying and (b) receiving parents.

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...

What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of including long covid as an industrial illness for people working the NHS during the covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), an independent scientific body, on changes to the list of occupational diseases for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) can be paid....

How many estates were subject to inheritance tax in Monmouthshire constituency in each tax year between 2019-20 and 2022-23.

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 li...

If she will meet with Auditory Verbal UK to discuss (a) barriers to opportunities and (b) improved outcomes for deaf children.

There are no current plans to meet. However, I note that my colleague the Minister for Early Education has met with and visited Auditory Verbal UK to understand the work they are doing to improve the lives of deaf children.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent children in Monmouthshire being exposed to pornography.

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 pornogra...