Every parliamentary written question tabled by Navendu Mishra this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 221–240 of 287 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on levels of trifluoroacetic acid in the River Mersey.
The EA continues to evaluate scientific evidence, develop new testing methodologies for TFA, and refine its monitoring approach. Future recommendations may involve expanded data collection and updated regulation.
Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing levels of participation in cricket in state secondary schools in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) England.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engages with the Secretary of State for Education on a range of issues, including school sport.The Government is committed to protecting time for physical education in schools. The ongoing independent expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the National Governing Body for cricket, has committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible for children and young people through their new strategy and state school action plan. I have also seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket, at the Mill Academy in Worsbrough last year.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. The ECB receives £10.2 million funding from Sport England across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57392 on Western Sahara: Politics and Government, what his policy is on United Nations Security Council Resolution 377 passed in 1975 on Western Sahara.
As a member of the UN Security Council, the UK continues to support the UN-led process and efforts, and engage with the UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura closely on Western Sahara. It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution on the final status of Western Sahara and the UK offers its full support to both the parties and the UN to achieve a mutually-acceptable solution to the conflict.On 1 June, the Foreign Secretary endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. Through our endorsement we hope to progress the stalemate of the conflict towards a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.
If she will take fiscal steps to prevent the sale of high-strength ciders at low prices in supermarkets; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of preventing those sales on levels of alcohol harm.
Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. As part of this, the Government is considering carefully what further action is needed to address alcohol-related harms. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced an increase in alcohol duty in line with inflation on all non-draught products, alongside a cut in duty rates for lower strength products sold on draught. This decision balanced cost-of-living pressures on people who drink moderately and responsibly with the need to tackle increasing alcohol-related deaths and economic inactivity. Reforms to alcohol duty made in 2023 increased duty on cider over 4.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Further, duty on cider now increases with product strength, such that the production and sale of lower strength cider is incentivised within the duty system.
If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a standalone offense of assaulting a retail worker that includes (a) bank and (b) building society workers.
Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public, including public-facing roles in banks and building societies.Through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has also introduced a specific standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to help tackle the epidemic of shop theft and violence towards shop workers that we have seen in recent years, and protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.
If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in Stockport.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across the country.As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers and the importance of helping learners pass quickly. Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK. The table below shows the average waiting time for a car practical driving test in May 2025, at centres that serve customers in Stockport. Driving test centreAverage waiting time in June 2025 (weeks)Bredbury (Manchester)24West Didsbury (Manchester)24Sale (Manchester)24National22.5 From recruitment campaigns, one potential new driving examiner (DE) will be starting their training course on 23 June for West Didsbury. A further potential new DE for Sale will start their course on 25 August. DVSA has made three further offers, with applicants scheduled for courses in the late summer/early autumn. The latest recruitment campaign has yielded nine recruitment drives for the cluster, all of which will be completed by 14 June.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on the status of the territory of Western Sahara.
The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined. We support the parties and the UN to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.On 1 June, the Government endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable, and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution, and welcomed Morocco's willingness to engage in good faith with all relevant parties, and to expand on details, with a view to restarting serious negotiations on terms acceptable to the parties. Both the UK and Morocco have reaffirmed the paramount importance of a rules-based international order, including support for the principle of respect for self-determination. The UK will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, and work with all stakeholders to encourage dialogue and compromise.
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53645 on Parkinson's Disease: Greater Manchester, whether his Department plans to (a) collect and (b) publish regional data on the average waiting time for Parkinson’s patients to see a neurologist.
There are no current plans to collect and publish regional data on the average waiting time for patients with Parkinson’s disease to undergo their first neurology appointment following referral.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) impact of the AUK1 specification for toilet backflow protection on the quality of drinking water and (b) merits of formally adopting the new AUK4 standard.
Under the previous Government, a small number of cases of contamination of drinking water have been discovered in which water from toilet cisterns re-entered (or backflowed into) a building’s drinking water system. The water industry and the Bathroom Manufacturers Association set up a task and finish group to identify the issues, review relevant technical specifications, and suggest solutions. Defra considered the proposals and consulted on amendments (which include a new AUK4 specification). We are finalising the summary of responses from the consultation and the government response to them and will consider approval of the new and updated specifications in due course.
Whether her Department has considered extending eligibility for (a) Child Benefit and (b) the child element of Universal Credit to families of 16 to19 year-olds undertaking apprenticeships, in order to remove financial disincentives to vocational training.
When a young person becomes an apprentice, they are in work and no longer regarded as a child or qualifying young person for Child Benefit or Universal Credit child element purposes, even though they might still live with their parents or guardians. Education or training provided by means of a contract of employment (which includes apprenticeships) does not count as education or training for the purposes of satisfying the definition of a qualifying young person. The parent or guardian will no longer be entitled to Child Benefit or Universal Credit child element for the young person in these circumstances. In the case of waged apprentices under the age of 19, employers are required to pay a minimum wage of £7.55 an hour, and many tend to pay more as young people develop their skills. A young person working 35 hours a week on a waged apprenticeship should therefore earn no less than £264.25 each week. Depending on age and the number of hours undertaken on the apprenticeship, the young person may be able to claim Universal Credit in their own right.
If her Department will publish the average response time for British Transport Police at Stockport station in each of the last five financial years.
British Transport Police (BTP) response times are dependent on the severity of the incident. BTP have provided the following figures for incidents at Stockport railway station over the last 5 financial years:Financial yearImmediate* grade incident BTP response time(20 minute target)Priorityˤ grade incident BTP response time(60 minute target)2024/2519 minutes25 minutes2023/2417 minutes19 minutes2022/2315 minutes32 minutes2021/2216 minutes29 minutes2020/2113 minutes20 minutes* incidents where there is, or is likely to be, a danger of death, the use of violence, or a serious injury to a person or serious damage to property.ˤ urgent initial police action is required, but the incident does not meet the threshold for immediate response Home Office forces will also attend if they are available and are able to arrive at the scene before BTP. Please note that reduced rail travel in 2020/21 and 2021/22 due to COVID-19, and therefore also reduced numbers of incidents, may have contributed to the reduced response times for those years.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to Business Property Relief on family-owned manufacturing businesses.
The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The Government has set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to pay more inheritance tax in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those estates only holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent OBR certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.
If his Department will review the medical exemption list for free prescriptions.
We have no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of Produodopa treatment for people with Parkinson’s in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.
The Department is not aware of a supply issue affecting Produodopa.The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within Stockport and Greater Manchester is not held centrally.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits.NICE has recommended Produodopa, also known as foslevodopa–foscarbidopa, for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's with motor symptoms. This treatment should now be available to NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance.
What the average waiting time was for patients with Parkinson's disease to see a neurologist in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in the latest period for which data is available.
The Department does not hold data at the required level of granularity to provide the average waiting time for a first neurology appointment for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
How much his Department has allocated to medical research into Parkinson's disease in each of the last three financial years.
The Department delivers research into Parkinson’s disease via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between the financial years 2022/23 and 2024/25, the NIHR has allocated over £24 million to medical research into Parkinson’s disease through its research programmes. The following table shows a breakdown of the allocated funding to medical research into Parkinson’s disease via the NIHR for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:Year2022/232023/242024/25TotalAllocated funding£1,900,000£21,000,000£1,400,000£24,300,000 The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Parkinson’s disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on Parkinson’s disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for the British Transport Police.
The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of improving diabetes care on reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease.
The relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well known, as adults with diabetes are two to three times more likely to develop CVD and are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease and stroke compared to those without.We know that receiving all eight National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended care processes, such as monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol, significantly reduces mortality for all causes, and from CVD causes specifically, for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, compared to those who received five or less of these processes.We continue to improve care for those with diabetes. For those who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and who are overweight or obese, the highly effective NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is available.We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with diabetes, as we develop the plan.
If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of rail (a) capacity and (b) performance of Manchester Airport Station.
I recognise that Manchester Airport station needs to be improved, both in terms of its capacity and its passenger experience. That is why Network Rail is working with TransPennine Express as the station operator and local stakeholders including Manchester Airports Group to extend the platforms to allow more trains to serve the station. At the same time, we are looking at how to improve the experience for passengers, including those from overseas, for whom this station is a major gateway to Manchester and the whole of the North.
Whether her department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people with Parkinson's disease.
No assessment has been made. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’. Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions. There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis, but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.