Yvonne Fovargue
MP for Makerfield
Lab
Questions Asked by This MP
Parliamentary questions and government responses.
Response classifications show how directly each question was answered.
Requests commitment to stripping Northern Rail of its franchise and devolving power/money to regions for local control over transport.
Context
References Northern Rail's issues with delays, overcrowding, cancellations.
The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)
Shares outrage, developing contingency plans for Northern Rail replacement, looking at franchising system through Keith Williams report.
Session: PMQs
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Can the Minister confirm that there will be no removal of funds from face-to-face services so potential claimants can still access help via these methods?
Context
The Help to Claim contract tender only specifies digital and telephone channels, which may not be accessible for many claimants.
David Rutley
We are committed to ensuring best advice for people. We have reviewed our approach post-pandemic and will provide more details on how we plan to move forward.
Session: Topical Questions
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The last year saw a record rise in council tax arrears of £1.5 billion, as families struggled under the weight of the pandemic. With tens of thousands more people likely to receive a call or a knock on the door from a bailiff in the months and years ahead, will the Secretary of State look at proposals from the Centre for Social Justice for an enforcement conduct authority, developed through a historic coming-together of bailiffs and the debt advice sector?
Context
There has been a record rise in council tax arrears of £1.5 billion due to families struggling under the weight of the pandemic. The Centre for Social Justice proposes an enforcement conduct authority.
Robert Jenrick
I would be happy to look at those proposals. I have already seen them, but perhaps the hon. Lady and I can meet to discuss them in further detail.
Session: Topical Questions
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Will the Secretary of State reconsider the decision to scrap that highly successful programme and fund it through the national skills programme?
Context
The unionlearn fund has provided access to skills for over 200,000 workers, many of whom previously had few or no qualifications.
Gavin Williamson
No.
Session: Topical Questions
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There are yet more reports this week of bailiffs on people's doorsteps breaking the rules meant to govern their behaviour. In view of those reports, will the Minister meet me and representatives of concerned charities, such as StepChange and Citizens Advice, to discuss what further measures can be taken to protect vulnerable people?
Context
Reports suggest bailiffs are breaking rules meant to govern their behavior, raising concerns about protecting vulnerable people.
Alex Chalk
We have been very clear that there should be no enforcement of evictions during this pandemic—the law is in place—save for the most exceptional and egregious circumstances. I am very concerned to hear the hon. Lady's point about bailiffs behaving inappropriately. I would of course be delighted to meet her to discuss it further.
Session: Topical Questions
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Wigan Council estimates that it will lose £40 million in income this year, while spending on frontline services has rocketed because of the coronavirus crisis. In addition, the loss of the dividend from Manchester airport will exacerbate that pressure.
Context
Wigan Council faces a significant loss of income and increased spending on frontline services as a result of the pandemic. The council has also lost dividend from Manchester airport, exacerbating financial pressures.
Christopher Pincher
Wigan Council has received £10.5 million of the original £1.6 billion that has been allocated to local authorities, and that funding is unringfenced so they can use it as they see fit. As the House will know, local authorities will be fully compensated for the business rates loss that they have incurred.
Session: Covid-19: Local Authority Revenue
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Given the Department's oversight of the UK financial wellbeing strategy, what will the Department do to ensure that Universal Credit helps people recover from debt and does not exacerbate the problem?
Context
A report from StepChange, a debt charity, found that 65% of clients said universal credit made it harder for them to budget and manage their finances.
The Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance Therese Coffey
We do important work through the Money and Pensions Service to make debt advice available. We also work closely with Citizens Advice on the Help to Claim service, which we fund, to provide an alternative holistic approach.
Session: Universal Credit: Personal Finances
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Other Parliamentary Activity
Debates led and petitions presented.
Covid-19: Household Debt
08 July 2021
Responding: John Glen
Main Concerns
['The effects of the covid-19 pandemic on household debt have been uniquely lopsided, with at least 11 million people experiencing increased debt. The average debt built up by March 2021 was £25 billion according to StepChange, and about 4.3 million people are now behind on bills such as council tax, rent or fuel. Independent polling shows that 14 million people have suffered an income shock over the course of the pandemic, with almost half turning to crisis borrowing. Additionally, 9 million people had to borrow money in the last year to buy food and pay essential bills.']
Specific Asks
['The Government should halt enforcement action for debts built up as a result of coronavirus, cease non-priority benefit deductions from universal credit, and extend repayments over a longer period. The £20 uplift to universal credit should be made permanent to give people the certainty and security needed to live on.']
Online Scams — [Peter Dowd in the Chair]
10 November 2020
Responding: John Glen
Main Concerns
['Fraud and scams are the most prevalent types of crime in the UK, with 85% being cyber-enabled. The value of reported losses is £2.3 billion. Scammers use fake websites, celebrity endorsements, and social engineering techniques to target vulnerable consumers. APP scams resulted in £208 million lost in the first half of 2020, with only 40-45% of losses repaid by banks.']
Specific Asks
['The Minister should propose solutions for APP scams and widen the scope of the online harms Bill to include financial harms. If not, introduce further legislative action to protect people from online scams effectively.']
Ways and Means
12 March 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
The debate focused on improving productivity, a theme close to the heart of Laura Trott. She highlighted that under the current government, private sector productivity increased by an average of 0.7% ...
Cost of Living Increases
25 April 2023
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Ms. Siddiq condemns successive Conservative Governments for their mismanagement of the UK economy over 13 years, citing that it has resulted in Britain being the only G7 economy smaller than before th...
Prepayment Meters
23 January 2023
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
12 July 2022
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill: Committal
20 June 2022
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Called for the debate on motions related to the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill, outlining procedures and rules for Select Committee operations. Emphasised the necessity of assessing environme...
Other
20 June 2022
General Debate
Led by this MP
Ms Fovargue seeks to extend the debate on the Golborne spur of HS2 Phase 2b and calls for full consideration of alternatives before making a decision. She argues that removing the Golborne link is pre...
HS2 (High Speed Rail) Bill - Section from Crewe to Manchester
20 June 2022
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
The amendment proposes the construction of a high-speed rail route from Crewe to Manchester, which will connect the UK’s three largest conurbations. It aims to double capacity on one of the busiest ra...
High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill: Instruction
20 June 2022
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Making Britain the Best Place to Grow Up and Grow Old
16 May 2022
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
In honour of Her Majesty's jubilee year, the Government will focus on delivering a Queen’s Speech that rises to the scale of the challenges we face and addresses key issues such as education, healthca...
Budget Resolutions - Income Tax (Charge)
02 November 2021
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
1
PMQs Asked
6
Ministerial Questions Asked
24
House of Commons Debates Involved
2
Westminster Hall Debates Led
8
Statements / Bills
0
Petitions Presented
0
Voting Record
Activity Compared to Peers
How does this MP's parliamentary activity compare to the national average across 1457 MPs?
Prime Minister's Questions
-73% below average
This MP:
1
Average:
3.7
Ministerial Questions
-55% below average
This MP:
6
Average:
13.4
Westminster Hall Debates Led
-20% below average
This MP:
2
Average:
2.5
Commons Chamber Debates
+391% above average
This MP:
24
Average:
4.9
Statements / Bills Proposed
-15% below average
This MP:
8
Average:
9.5
Petitions Presented
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Voting Attendance Rate (%)
-100% below average
This MP:
0.0
Average:
69.2
Important Context
- - Ministers answer questions rather than asking them, so have different activity patterns
- - Activity quantity doesn't measure quality or effectiveness of representation
- - Some MPs focus more on constituency work than parliamentary questions
- - Newly elected MPs will have less parliamentary history
About This Page
This page tracks Yvonne Fovargue's parliamentary activity including questions asked, debates (Commons Chamber + Westminster Hall), statements/bills, and petitions presented.