Monmouthshire / data
Catherine Fookes · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
405
of 504 possible
Attendance
80%
99 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
159
61 debates
Written Qs
50
45 answered
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£213k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 199 claims
Interests
2
1 category
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 78 | |
| Economy | 73 | |
| Crime & Policing | 42 | |
| Employment | 36 | |
| Education | 32 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 27 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 23 | |
| Pensions | 22 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 26 | 5,323 |
| Local Government | 10 | 2,796 |
| Cost Of Living | 9 | 1,921 |
| Culture Community | 9 | 1,867 |
| Crime | 10 | 1,716 |
| Defence | 4 | 1,550 |
| Social Care | 10 | 1,489 |
| Transport | 9 | 1,290 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
No notable votes recorded for this MP yet.
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Economic GrowthI 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 … Economy JobsLocal Government | 85 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Economic Growth6. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support economic growth in Wales. Economy JobsLocal Government | 15 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Crime and Policing BillI support Lords amendment 361 because some women, even after being found not guilty, have investigations that show up on their Disclosure and Barring Service checks, which impacts … CrimeTechnologyCulture Community | 109 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Crime and Policing BillI really welcome the Government’s amendment on image deletion orders, which will ensure that after a conviction, courts are properly mandated to destroy those intimate images and f… CrimeTechnologyCulture Community | 84 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Driving Test Waiting TimesI, too, have heard lots of stories from learners in my constituency about their long wait for driving tests, and waits for medical driving licences are also going up. I am delighte… TransportEconomy Jobs | 103 |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Violence against Women and Girls15. What steps she is taking to help tackle violence against women and girls. CrimeSocial Care | 14 |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Violence against Women and GirlsSurvivors in Monmouthshire tell me that economic abuse not only featured in their relationships, but stopped them rebuilding their lives long after they left. For some, the separat… CrimeSocial Care | 63 |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Fuel DutyThe Government are not just talking about it—we have put £53 million into supporting the cost of heating oil. That is doing something about it. When the Conservatives were in gover… Cost Of LivingTransportFiscal Policy | 38 |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Fuel DutyIn Wales, it is fantastic news that the Welsh Labour Government have put in place a £1 cap on bus fares for young people and a £3 fare for all people over 18. Does the hon. Lady ag… Cost Of LivingTransportFiscal Policy | 51 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Child Maintenance ServiceI thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. As a child of divorced parents way before the CMS came into existence, I know that the whole issue of how much the paying parent sh… Social CareCost Of LivingCrime | 129 |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Heating Oil SupportI welcome the £3.8 million commitment, which will help Welsh households with rising costs. A 70-year-old woman in my constituency saw a quote for 500 litres of oil rise by £250 in … Cost Of LivingUtilitiesEconomy Jobs | 67 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Topical QuestionsT2. 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 … HealthLabour MarketCrime | 61 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Courts and Tribunals BillI agree that we need to do more. As a recipient of legal aid myself in the past, I know how important it is that its budget is increased. It is almost 10 years since the birth of t… CrimeEconomy Jobs | 73 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Courts and Tribunals BillI rise to speak in favour of the Bill, but first I want to remind the House why these reforms matter to victims. When the powerful wave of the MeToo movement washed over us in 2017… CrimeEconomy Jobs | 405 |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Topical QuestionsSadly, I have been contacted by a number of constituents who are facing a hidden problem in the child maintenance system: their ex-partner has found ways of hiding their income to … Labour MarketEducationSocial Care | 77 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Work and Pensions | 11 | 22.0% |
| Department for Transport | 7 | 14.0% |
| Home Office | 5 | 10.0% |
| Treasury | 5 | 10.0% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 4 | 8.0% |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 4 | 8.0% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 3 | 6.0% |
| Wales Office | 2 | 4.0% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for the issuing of medical driving licences. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure rural households have access to adequate smart meter network coverage. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure households without access to reliable broadband or mobile signal will be able to make calls following the digital switchover. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure consumers are adequately protected from rogue builders. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | 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 prevent biodiversity loss associated with deforestation globally. | Pending |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle the use of cash intensive businesses for money laundering. | Answered |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce car driving test wait times at (a) Monmouth test centre, (b) Abergavenny test centre and (c) test centres in South Wales. | Answered |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | What steps he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service. | Answered |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure newly qualified paramedics can access appropriate NHS job opportunities. | Answered |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a UK Maternity Commissioner. | Answered |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help support right holders’ control over whether their works are used to train AI models. | Answered |
| 29 Jan 2026 | Cabinet Office | To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Capita on ensuring newly retired civil servants receive pensions on time. | Answered |
| 29 Jan 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect STEM jobs in Wales. | Answered |
| 25 Nov 2025 | Wales Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support recovery from flooding caused by Storm Claudia in Wales. | Answered |
| 10 Oct 2025 | 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 |
E · Committees
No committee memberships recorded for this MP.
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Costs | 160 | 26,459 | 12.4% |
| Accommodation | 11 | 18,043 | 8.5% |
| Staffing | 1 | 155,457 | 73.1% |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 348 | 0.2% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 5,300 | 2.5% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 7,167 | 3.4% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 16,491 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 26 | 5,408 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 84 | 4,356 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 7 | 4,340 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 5 | 3,520 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 12 | 3,061 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 4 | 2,420 |
| Postage & couriers | Office Costs | 5 | 1,883 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 3 | 1,552 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 4 | 918 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 10 | 405 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Nov 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Printing costs at home | 4 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | A5 Welfare booklet [200011797-192] | 300 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-7922] | 46 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8959] | 41 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8957] | 35 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8956] | 22 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-8958] | 10 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -595 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | AMAZON [***] [200011726-8644] | 580 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | AMAZON [***] [200011725-6478] | 170 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | AMAZON [***] [200011726-9640] | 1,117 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 17 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 309 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 85 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-5502] | 76 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-5776] | 76 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-5501] | 76 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-5500] | 76 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | AMAZON [***] [200011725-5503] | 76 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 49 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
16 Aug 2024
School Governor, Monmouth Comprehensive School. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 25 July 2024)
11 Dec 2024
Smallholding jointly in my name, though I am not the landowner.
(Registered 1 December 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 39 wards, 46 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulwark Thornwell | Armand Watts | Labour Party | 693 | 05 May 2022 |
| Bulwark Thornwell | Sue Riley | Labour Party | 635 | 05 May 2022 |
| Caerwent | Phil Murphy | Conservative and Unionist Party | 457 | 05 May 2022 |
| Caldicot Castle | Rachel Garrick | Labour Party | 305 | 05 May 2022 |
| Caldicot Cross | Jackie Strong | Labour Party | 331 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cantref | Sara Burch | Labour Party | 476 | 05 May 2022 |
| Chepstow Castle Larkfield | Dale Rooke | Labour Party | 381 | 05 May 2022 |
| Chepstow Castle Larkfield | Paul Griffiths | Labour Party | 432 | 05 May 2022 |
| Croesonen | Su McConnel | Labour Party | 368 | 05 May 2022 |
| Crucorney | David Wynne Hughes Jones | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 416 | 05 May 2022 |
| Devauden | Rachel Egerton Buckler | Conservative and Unionist Party | 268 | 20 Oct 2022 |
| Dewstow | Tony Easson | Labour Party | 303 | 05 May 2022 |
| Drybridge | Catrin Maby | Labour Party | 263 | 05 May 2022 |
| Gobion Fawr | Alistair Klaas Neill | Conservative and Unionist Party | 399 | 05 May 2022 |
| Goetre Fawr | Jan Butler | Conservative and Unionist Party | 412 | 05 May 2022 |
| Grofield | Laura Wright | Labour Party | 523 | 05 May 2022 |
| Lansdown | Martyn Groucutt | Labour Party | 315 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanbadoc Usk | Meirion Howells | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 847 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanbadoc Usk | Tony Kear | Conservative and Unionist Party | 755 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanelly | Mary Ann Brocklesby | Labour Party | 518 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanelly | Simon Howarth | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 619 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanfoist Fawr Govilon | Ben Callard | Labour Party | 727 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llanfoist Fawr Govilon | Tomos Dafydd Davies | Conservative and Unionist Party | 679 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llangybi Fawr | Fay Bromfield | Conservative and Unionist Party | 357 | 05 May 2022 |
| Llantilio Crossenny | Ian Chandler | Green Party of England and Wales | 474 | 05 May 2022 |
| Magor East With Undy | Angela Marie Sandles | Labour Party | 651 | 05 May 2022 |
| Magor East With Undy | John Crook | Labour Party | 760 | 05 May 2022 |
| Magor West | Frances Taylor | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 553 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mardy | Malcom Lane | Conservative and Unionist Party | 256 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mitchel Troy Trellech United | Jayne Elizabeth McKenna | Conservative and Unionist Party | 730 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mitchel Troy Trellech United | Richard John | Conservative and Unionist Party | 753 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mount Pleasant | Paul Robert Pavia | Conservative and Unionist Party | 333 | 05 May 2022 |
| Osbaston | Jane Lesley Lucas | Conservative and Unionist Party | 416 | 05 May 2022 |
| Overmonnow | Steven Garratt | Labour Party | 262 | 05 May 2022 |
| Park | Tudor Thomas | Labour Party | 553 | 05 May 2022 |
| Pen Y Fal | Maureen Powell | Conservative and Unionist Party | 389 | 05 May 2022 |
| Portskewett | Lisa Dymock | Conservative and Unionist Party | 558 | 05 May 2022 |
| Raglan | Penny Jones | Conservative and Unionist Party | 422 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rogiet | Peter Strong | Labour Party | 187 | 05 May 2022 |
| Severn | Maria Marinella Stevens | Labour Party | 256 | 05 May 2022 |
| Shirenewton | Louise Brown | Conservative and Unionist Party | 493 | 05 May 2022 |
| St Arvans | Ann Webb | Conservative and Unionist Party | 341 | 05 May 2022 |
| St Kingsmark | Christopher Edwards | Conservative and Unionist Party | 399 | 05 May 2022 |
| Town | Catherine Fookes | Labour Party | 339 | 05 May 2022 |
| West End | Jill Bond | Labour Party | 316 | 05 May 2022 |
| Wyesham | Emma Bryn | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 305 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 92,955 | Electorate 74,823 (2024) |
| Median age | 49 | years |
| Degree-educated | 39.4% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 96.9% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 72.3% | households |
| Private-rented | 13.6% | households |
| Social-rented | 14.0% | households |
| Employment rate | 54.7% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.