If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. The questioner argues that the government's approach to introducing legislation is too bureaucratic and has resulted in absurdities like three consultations on microchipping cats. The public expects change and less red tape.

The questioner asks if the government will consider index-linking compensation to inflation to prevent delays from reducing the value of compensation awards. The scheme has faced delays and the constituent's family has been affected.

The questioner asks what steps are being taken to ensure prompt pension payments for civil servants upon retirement. The current delays are unacceptable and cause distress to families.

The questioner asks why Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen will not be allowed to use the income tax receipts to cut taxes or offer rebates. The questioner believes that mayors should have the same power as councils to offer rebates.

The questioner reiterates his previous question and asks again about the income tax receipts that Ben Houchen will retain. He wants to know why mayors cannot provide rebates like councils.

The questioner asks what specific steps the Cabinet Office is taking to ensure that the Government's new procurement rules translate into more jobs, apprenticeships, and opportunities for young people in rural communities.

The questioner asks if the Government agrees that covert overseas finance represents a threat to national security and if measures in the Representation of the People Bill are sufficient to stop foreign money from influencing UK democracy. She suggests capping political donations as a solution.

I welcomed the announcement about reforming procurement to benefit British businesses. I met farmers in Northumberland who felt previous reforms did not benefit them as they hoped. Will the Minister join me on a visit to a local farm to discuss how procurement can benefit British farmers?

My constituent Simon gave 31 years' service at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, supporting the Royal Navy. He contacted Capita in March, June and July, and was assured that his pension would be sorted. His case is still awaiting triage. Can the Minister say when the backlog will be cleared and when Simon can expect his pension?

It has been nearly two years since the contaminated blood inquiry report was published. People think that the matter is finished, but it is not: some 18,000 infected and affected individuals still have not begun their claims. Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm to this House her commitment to the contaminated blood community, and will she meet the all-party parliamentary group on haemophilia and contaminated blood so that we can discuss the best way to press those cases home expediently?

One of my constituents served His Majesty's Revenue and Customs for 43 years, yet more than five months on from taking partial retirement she is still waiting for her pension and lump sum. My office has attended two casework surgeries with Capita and the Cabinet Office, neither of which has secured a resolution. My constituent is now paying additional mortgage interest because of the delays. Will the Minister meet me urgently to resolve this case, secure a payment date and ensure that my constituent is compensated for the financial losses incurred?

The Prime Minister was right last week to say that too many buses are being bought from abroad. The 10% social value commitment from combined mayoral authorities following the conclusion of the bus manufacturing expert panel earlier this year will not be enough to protect British bus building as China continues to scale up its automotive dumping. Will the First Secretary of State work with devolved mayors, the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to bring social value requirements in line with the 20% she has rightly set for major Government contracts?

Upon her appointment as First Secretary of State, it was widely reported in the press that the right hon. Lady's responsibility for fraud in the Cabinet Office was removed from her. I wonder whether the First Secretary of State could outline why there was such speculation, and if she struggles with that, perhaps she can use the phone-a-friend option.

May I say how happy I am to welcome my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to her place? I know she will continue to be a fantastic champion for the Isle of Wight. Per capita—not the pension people but per head of population—the island tops the league for tech and advanced manufacturing, but despite our brilliant pedigree, under the previous Government, we were continually overlooked for funding and investment. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that she will use her office to secure sustained growth in our postcodes, so that the island can finally receive the recognition, investment and job opportunities that its contribution to our economy deserves?

Most fire responders in North East Hampshire are volunteers. After an unprecedented summer of wildfires, including in my constituency, will the Minister meet me and fire volunteers to hear about the pressures on the fire service at first hand?

I very much welcome the procurement changes that this Government have brought in. In the summer, the docks in my constituency lost a UK Research and Innovation contract on the RRS Sir David Attenborough to a Danish dockyard. Can the Minister assure me that the new rules will refer to agencies across government, rather than just procurements within Government?

The Minister said that Governments are elected to lead. Most people would assume that means that Ministers are elected to lead, because they are accountable to Parliament and to the people. Why, then, are the Government giving away powers to the Cabinet Secretary to direct permanent secretaries, which should be the role of Secretaries of State? Do Ministers not want these powers to actually do their jobs?

I hate to take the Minister back to Capita, but unfortunately, I have a number of constituents who have been through the many stages already explained by the Minister. Capita is not working, and I accept that you are doing all these things in government, but it is not making a blind bit of difference. I have people who cannot pay their mortgages and who have been waiting for more than a year for a settlement sum. Something more needs to be done, and it is very depressing for these people when they read in the papers that Capita is getting more Government contracts, so what more can the Government do?

Brexit has created a web of red tape preventing businesses in Wokingham from developing relationships with European partners. Will the Government start negotiations for a growth and defence partnership with the EU to boost trade and growth?

Returning to the emergency alerts, what assessment has the Secretary of State made of issuing alerts on a regional or county basis for important but more local emergencies, such as bluetongue outbreaks in cattle and sheep in rural areas?

I am sorry to return to Capita, but I may have a solution. My constituent John is retiring partly due to ill health and his salary is now at half level—he is really struggling. He explained to me that under the current system a retirement date must be selected four months in advance, and if the delay goes one day past that, rather than amending the figures, the system has to start all over again. My suggestion is that we make a slight tweak so that we save Capita a lot of work and our residents a lot of heartache. Will the Minister comment on that and pick up my constituent's case?

The next national adaptation programme, NAP4, is not due until 2028, but the wildfires and droughts we saw this summer and the impending extreme El Niño show that we cannot wait that long. Will the Minister commit to taking urgent action to tackle resilience before then and give our farmers, communities and householders the support they need to face the challenges of drought, wildfire and flood risk?