Navendu Mishra Portrait

Navendu Mishra

Labour - Stockport

First elected: 12th December 2019


International Development Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 20th Nov 2023
Committees on Arms Export Controls
5th Oct 2020 - 20th Nov 2023
Opposition Whip (Commons)
8th Jan 2022 - 5th Sep 2023
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
7th Jun 2023 - 11th Jul 2023
Online Safety Bill
18th May 2022 - 28th Jun 2022
Transport Committee
5th Jan 2022 - 17th May 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
2nd Mar 2022 - 22nd Mar 2022
Charities Bill [HL]
19th Jan 2022 - 25th Jan 2022
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill
5th Jan 2022 - 12th Jan 2022
Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill
1st Jul 2021 - 8th Jul 2021
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
21st Sep 2020 - 22nd Feb 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Navendu Mishra has voted in 806 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Navendu Mishra Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Penny Mordaunt (Conservative)
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(34 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(16 debate interactions)
Chris Philp (Conservative)
Minister of State (Home Office)
(13 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Transport
(32 debate contributions)
Leader of the House
(26 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Navendu Mishra's debates

Stockport Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

Reverse the plan to withdraw funding for most applied general qualifications such as BTECs and guarantee they will continue to play a major role in the qualifications landscape. Students should not be forced to choose between studying A levels or T levels from the age of 16.

We would like the Government to ban all animal testing UK, including for the development of cosmetics, household products and medicines. Alternatives need to be actively funded. Many products that are tested on animals end up not being suitable for humans. Animal testing is outmoded and should end.

The Government must recognise the urgent need to use animal-free science and publish a clear and ambitious action plan with timetables and milestones to drive the phase-out of animal experiments. As well as preventing animal suffering, this will benefit public health and business.

Being the first to close and still no clue as to when we can open, this seasonal industry is losing its summer profits that allows them to get through the first quarter of next year.

Even if we are allowed to open in December, 1 months profit won't be enough to keep us open in 2021. We need help

The UK hospitality industry. Responsible for around 3m jobs, generating £130bn in activity, resulting in £38bn in taxation. Yet, unlike the Arts or Sports, we do not have a dedicated Minister.

We are asking that a Minister for Hospitality be created for the current, and successive governments.

The government is helping private firms to protect jobs by paying up to 80% of staff wages through this crisis. If it can do this why can it not help key workers who will be putting themselves/their families at risk and working extra hard under extremely challenging and unprecedented circumstances.

During the pandemic government workers have delivered vital public services and kept our country safe and secure. After ten years in which the real value of civil service pay has fallen, many face hardship. The Government must start to restore the real value of their pay with a 10% increase in 2020.

After owning nurseries for 29 years I have never experienced such damaging times for the sector with rising costs not being met by the funding rates available. Business Rates are a large drain on the sector and can mean the difference between nurseries being able to stay open and having to close.

For the UK government to provide economic assistance to businesses and staff employed in the events industry, who are suffering unforeseen financial challenges that could have a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector.

If nurseries are shut down in view of Covid-19, the Government should set up an emergency fund to ensure their survival and ensure that parents are not charged the full fee by the nurseries to keep children's places.

The prospect of widespread cancellations of concerts, theatre productions and exhibitions due to COVID-19 threatens to cause huge financial hardship for Britain's creative community. We ask Parliament to provide a package of emergency financial and practical support during this unpredictable time.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak there are travel bans imposed by many countries, there is a disastrous potential impact on our Aviation Industry. Without the Government’s help there could be an unprecedented crisis, with thousands of jobs under threat.

The cash grants proposed by Government are only for businesses in receipt of the Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Relief, or for particular sectors. Many small businesses fall outside these reliefs desperately need cash grants and support now.

To extend the business rate relief to all dental practices and medical and aesthetics clinics and any small business that’s in healthcare

Zoos, aquariums, and similar organisations across the country carry out all sorts of conservation work, animal rescue, and public education. At the start of the season most rely on visitors (who now won't come) to cover annual costs, yet those costs do not stop while they are closed. They need help.

As we pass the COVID-19 Peak, the Government should: State where the Theatres and Arts fit in the Coronavrius recovery Roadmap, Create a tailor made financial support mechanism for the Arts sector & Clarify how Social Distancing will affect arts spaces like Theatres and Concert Venues.


Latest EDMs signed by Navendu Mishra

5th June 2023
Navendu Mishra signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 5th June 2023

Odisha train collision

Tabled by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
That this House conveys condolences to the people of Odisha and the Republic of India following the tragedy of the railway collision in Odisha; pays tribute to the work of railway workers, the emergency services and all first responders in saving lives and securing the safety of those present; remembers …
19 signatures
(Most recent: 26 Jun 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 9
Independent: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Scottish National Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Alba Party: 1
19th April 2023
Navendu Mishra signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 19th April 2023

Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Tabled by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
That this House marks that on 24 April it is 10 years since the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed at least 1,132 workers and injured more than 2,500, a large proportion of whom were women in what was one of the worst industrial accidents …
36 signatures
(Most recent: 22 May 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 22
Scottish National Party: 6
Plaid Cymru: 3
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Green Party: 1
View All Navendu Mishra's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Navendu Mishra, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


2 Urgent Questions tabled by Navendu Mishra

Wednesday 7th September 2022
Tuesday 9th November 2021

1 Adjournment Debate led by Navendu Mishra

Navendu Mishra has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
13 Other Department Questions
10th Jul 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, for what reasons the Government disbanded the LGBT Advisory Panel.

In 2018, the then government published the LGBT Action Plan which contained a broad range of commitments designed to improve the lives of people at home and abroad, and the way that public services work for them. Significant progress was made in delivering those commitments including taking action to tackle bullying in schools, and taking steps to ensure the safety of LGBT people at home and abroad.

This Government is determined to continue to take meaningful steps to advance opportunity for all LGBT people in the UK and beyond, including banning conversion practices. More details on this Government’s priorities will be shared in due course.

In March 2019, the Government at the time appointed a 12 person LGBT Advisory Panel for a period of two years to advise on LGBT policies. In April 2021, that two year period came to an end and the Panel ceased to operate.



Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Jul 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the LGBT Action Plan published in July 2018 is Government policy.

In 2018, the then government published the LGBT Action Plan which contained a broad range of commitments designed to improve the lives of people at home and abroad, and the way that public services work for them. Significant progress was made in delivering those commitments including taking action to tackle bullying in schools, and taking steps to ensure the safety of LGBT people at home and abroad.

This Government is determined to continue to take meaningful steps to advance opportunity for all LGBT people in the UK and beyond, including banning conversion practices. More details on this Government’s priorities will be shared in due course.

In March 2019, the Government at the time appointed a 12 person LGBT Advisory Panel for a period of two years to advise on LGBT policies. In April 2021, that two year period came to an end and the Panel ceased to operate.



Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th Jun 2023
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June to Question 186759 on House of Commons: Fairtrade Initiative, if the Commission will make it its policy to record details of all the Fairtrade branded products purchased by Catering Services.

Procurement standards for catering contracts include minimum ethical criteria and the Administration does not plan to keep a record of the scheme relating to each product due to the volume and range of goods purchased.

24th May 2023
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will publish a list of all items purchased by the House authorities for use on the parliamentary estate that carry the Fairtrade accreditation.

Catering Services at the House of Commons does not currently record details of all the Fairtrade branded products it purchases. Fairtrade is only one of a number of ethical trading schemes that exist within the food and beverage sectors. Catering Services procurement set minimum ethical criteria pertinent to the category and strong environmental and social commitments with all suppliers demonstrating that they operate to those standards via recognised third-party accreditation.

15th May 2023
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make it its policy to ensure that all tea and coffee served on the parliamentary estate has Fairtrade accreditation.

All fresh coffee served is Fairtrade certified.

100% of our tea is certified under the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) scheme. For black tea and by value, 85% of the tea we purchase carries Fairtrade accreditation. The remainder is either Rainforest Alliance or UTZ certified.

7th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many VisitBritain staff are based in the US.

VisitBritain has 14 staff members based in the US across two offices in New York and Los Angeles. This includes their International Director who is based in New York and oversees all of VisitBritain’s international markets and operations.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
6th Mar 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that guide dog owners are not refused access to (a) shops, (b) other businesses and (c) taxis.

No one should be refused access to businesses or services because they use a guide or other assistance dog.

Under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services to the public must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those with assistance dogs. The Act places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This could include allowing the use of assistance dogs so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers. Taxi and private hire drivers have a specific duty under the Act to carry guide dogs and assistance dogs at no extra cost to the passenger.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published guidance for all businesses, including service providers, on this subject. The guidance explains that assistance dogs should be treated as auxiliary aids and not as pets. The guidance is available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/assistance-dogs-a-guide-for-all-businesses.pdf and makes clear that businesses and service providers should allow assistance dogs access to buildings where dogs would normally not be permitted whenever this is reasonable.

Anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against in the services offered to them - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to resolve the issue. Before doing so, they might first find it useful to contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) which provides free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination concerns via their website - http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/, or by telephone on 0808 800 0082 or by text phone on 0808 800 0084.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many VisitBritain staff are based in China.

There are nine VisitBritain staff based in China. They are located in the British Embassy in Beijing and the British Consulate-General’s office in Shanghai.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
22nd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many VisitBritain staff are based in India.

There are six VisitBritain staff based in India. They are located in the High Commission Offices in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Jun 2022
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has made a comparative assessment of the cost of booking rail tickets for MPs and their staff from (a) rail operators and (b) booking agents.

The Parliamentary Travel Office (PTO) books train tickets through Evolvi. Rail tickets sold in the UK are regulated and the cost of booking tickets is the same irrespective of where the ticket is purchased. Parliament, however, receives commission from individual rail operators, where partnership agreements are in place – which effectively makes the overall cost to Parliament of booking rail tickets cheaper than purchasing elsewhere.

5th Jul 2021
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission plans to take to help improve the transparency of the funding of All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

The Commission is aware that the Committee on Standards is currently undertaking a wide-ranging inquiry into the rules relating to All-Party Parliamentary Groups. The Committee has announced that its inquiry will cover the "transparency and appropriateness of funding of APPG activities and secretarial support". The inquiry will also cover other subjects including financial governance and controls, use of passes, the role of external secretariats and the risk of APPGs being used for access by lobbyists, other organisations or foreign governments, and who should be accountable for ensuring that APPGs comply with the rules.

The Committee has taken written evidence in this inquiry, which is available on its website, and plans to announce a series of oral evidence session after the summer recess and making a report to the House as soon as possible. The Commission looks forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations on this important matter.

30th Sep 2020
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the House of Commons' Travel Office books tickets solely through the Trainline; and what comparative assessment the Commission has made of the cost of booking rail tickets through (a) Trainline and (b) directly from rail operators.

The Parliamentary Travel Office (PTO) books train tickets through Trainline.

Rail tickets sold in the UK are regulated and the cost of booking tickets is the same irrespective of where the ticket is purchased.

Parliament, however, receives the 3% commission paid to the PTO service provider by Trainline – which effectively makes the tickets cheaper than purchasing elsewhere.

28th Nov 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled The UK Government Resilience Framework, published in December 2022, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the role of the voluntary sector in participating in local resilience forums.

The Government recognises the value that the voluntary and community sector (VCS) have in improving UK resilience. The UK Government Resilience Framework commits to deepening and strengthening relationships with the sector to maximise their contribution at the local and national levels.

Today (4th December 2023), the Deputy Prime Minister has provided an update on progress made since the publication of the Framework. Steps taken include the voluntary and community sector’s membership of the UK Resilience Forum chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. The forum brings together national, regional and local government; private and voluntary sectors and other interested parties to consider risk; provide challenge and insight and help align emergency preparedness activities. The Cabinet Office hosts a Voluntary and Community Sector Strategic Discussion Forum to discuss opportunities for greater alignment in more detail. We have also published the 2023 National Risk Register which provides an increasingly transparent resource for relevant bodies including the voluntary and community sector to prepare for the risks to the UK.

To make it easier for more people to volunteer to help before, during and after an emergency, we will also be creating an online volunteering hub. This will be a single place to showcase existing resilience-related volunteering opportunities across the public, voluntary and charitable sectors, locally and nationally. More details can be found in the annual statement and associated publication in the Library.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
16th Oct 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Investment Security Unit is currently assessing the national security implications of the proposed merger between Vodafone UK and Three.

The Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment on individual cases, given commercial and national security sensitivities.

The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government as part of this process.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
16th Oct 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Investment Security Unit has received representations from Vodafone UK in relation to its proposed merger with Three.

The Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment on individual cases, given commercial and national security sensitivities.

The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government as part of this process.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
24th Apr 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from alcoholism in (a) Stockport constituency and (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in each year since 2015.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman Parliamentary Question of 24th April is attached.

25th Jan 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many British nationals have died due to Dengue fever in the last ten years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 26 January is attached.

17th Jun 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (b) arm's-length bodies handle Freedom of Information requests on an applicant-blind basis.

The information regarding the Clearing house advice has been provided to the requester in line with the Tribunal’s judgement. Details regarding the clearing house advisory functions are published on GOV.uk.

As this case has only just concluded we are not yet in a position to confirm the cost.

Cabinet Office handles all FOI requests on an applicant blind basis and works with other departments to make sure the rights and obligations embodied in the FOIA are understood fully.

17th Jun 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total cost to the public purse was of contesting the informational tribunal appeal brought Open Democracy on the operation of the Clearing House in relation to freedom of information requests.

The information regarding the Clearing house advice has been provided to the requester in line with the Tribunal’s judgement. Details regarding the clearing house advisory functions are published on GOV.uk.

As this case has only just concluded we are not yet in a position to confirm the cost.

Cabinet Office handles all FOI requests on an applicant blind basis and works with other departments to make sure the rights and obligations embodied in the FOIA are understood fully.

17th Jun 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the judgment of 19 May 2021 of the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) Information Rights, appeal reference EA/2020/0240, what steps his Department is taking to amend guidance on the handling of Freedom of Information requests following that judgment.

The information regarding the Clearing house advice has been provided to the requester in line with the Tribunal’s judgement. Details regarding the clearing house advisory functions are published on GOV.uk.

As this case has only just concluded we are not yet in a position to confirm the cost.

Cabinet Office handles all FOI requests on an applicant blind basis and works with other departments to make sure the rights and obligations embodied in the FOIA are understood fully.

25th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to (a) ensure and (b) oversee compliance in respect of the award by contracting authorities of commercial contracts to businesses that supply public bodies and that have been deemed to be at risk under the terms of procurement.

The overarching principle in all public procurement is to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer. While individual departments are responsible for their own commercial decisions, including the award and monitoring of contracts, there are rigorous due diligence processes in place.

The Cabinet Office continuously reviews the performance of strategic suppliers and works closely with those suppliers and their customer Departments to improve performance, ensure value for money and deliver policy objectives while reducing risk across outsourced public services.

At the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, we issued guidance (PPN 02/20) on 'supplier relief' measures ensuring service continuity during the pandemic. Further guidance, published in June, updated PPN 02/20 and set out how contracting authorities should put in place transition plans with their suppliers to exit any contractual relief and transition to a new, sustainable, operating model taking into account strategic and reprioritisation needs.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
25th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many covid-19 related deaths took place in care homes in (a) Stockport constituency and (b) the Borough of Stockport during (i) the first wave and (ii) second wave of the pandemic.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

22nd Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason information on the number of businesses supplying public bodies that have been deemed to be at risk under the terms of procurement is not held centrally.

As has been the case under successive administrations, contracting Authorities are responsible for their own commercial contracts.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
9th Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses supplying public bodies that have been deemed to be at risk under the terms of Procurement Policy Note 02/20.

This information is not held centrally.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
12th Nov 2020
What discussions he has had with private companies providing services across Government on the (a) employment practices and (b) safety of staff during the covid-19 outbreak.

Suppliers have played a vital role in supporting the Government’s Covid-19 efforts in addition to delivering their existing public sector contracts.

All suppliers must adhere to Health and Safety legislation, as well as relevant departmental policy when staff are working at Government sites.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
30th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled UK and Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership arrangement, published on 14 November 2023, whether she plans to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with Taiwan.

The UK’s longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed: the UK has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan but a strong, unofficial relationship based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties.

The Department for Business and Trade is currently working on an Enhanced Trade Partnership with Taiwan; currently there are no plans to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with Taiwan.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
17th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data his Department holds on the number of subpostmasters in (a) Stockport constituency and (b) Greater Manchester who (i) were wrongfully convicted and (ii) left their jobs as a result of the flawed Horizon accounting system.

The Government does not hold the data requested.

95 postmasters in England have had their convictions overturned to date. The Government will fast-track legislation to overturn the convictions of all those convicted in England or Wales.

Our focus is on ensuring that all those who lost their Post Office roles or experienced other losses as a result of the Horizon scandal receive the compensation they deserve.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has an industrial strategy for the retail sector.

The industry led Retail Sector Council is the key forum to address significant sector issues and define a strategic future for the retail sector. It aims to accelerate positive change, increase productivity, and ensure it remains robust and sustainable, continuing to provide good jobs and a beneficial service to consumers, communities, the economy.

In July 2023 the Council published a discussion paper ‘Retail – The Great Enabler’ exploring the value of and pressures on the sector. The Council is developing a strategic approach for retail that embraces several key areas including sustainability, labour and retail careers, cost of living pressures and impact on supply chains and high street regeneration and investment.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff from her Department are based in India.

On 31 October 2023 there were 13 UK Based Staff and 90 Country Based Staff working for the Department for Business and Trade located in India.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support pubs.

We understand the many challenges pubs are facing. The Government is supporting pubs with business rates relief, the Brexit Pubs Guarantee, and help with energy costs. We are also working across Government to identify opportunities to ease regulatory and licensing burdens.

We continue to work with businesses, including members of the Hospitality Sector Council, to deliver our 2021 Hospitality Strategy, which aims to support the sector's recovery from COVID-19 and improve longer term resilience.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
11th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress her Department has made in negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the Republic of India.

We are continuing to negotiate with India to secure a comprehensive and ambitious trade deal.

Round 12 of negotiations concluded on 31 August. While visiting India for the G20 Trade Ministers meeting on 24-26 August, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade met with India’s Ministers for Commerce and Finance. They discussed how to make meaningful progress in this complex next phase of talks, which is focused on goods, services, and investment.

The Prime Minister also met with Prime Minister Modi on 9 September while at the G20 Summit. They reaffirmed their joint commitment to work at pace towards an ambitious deal.

The next round will be later this month.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
11th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to issue a waiver to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in the context of the negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the Republic of India.

In negotiations with India, as with all our trading partners, the UK’s approach to intellectual property (IP) is to strike a balance between rewarding research, innovation and creativity, which can benefit all countries, whilst ensuring that medicines remain affordable and reflecting wider public interests, such as access to and use of IP on reasonable terms.

The UK considers the TRIPS Agreement as an essential tool to achieve this balance, including our support for flexibilities enshrined in the Agreement.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans she has for the future of the Crown Post Office estate.

Government sets the parameters for Post Office to operate in and asks its management to be responsible for running the company day-to-day. Post Office therefore has the freedom to make commercial decisions regarding the composition of its network, providing it fulfils the Government-set access criteria, which ensure that, for example, 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a post office.

Post Office CEO, Nick Read, has been clear that it’s the business’ ambition to operate the network on a fully franchised basis in time. Directly Managed Branches (also known as Crown branches) represent around 1% of the Post Office network.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
26th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of people on zero hours contracts in Stockport constituency.

Zero hours contracts are an important part of the UK’s flexible labour market. They are useful where there is not a constant demand for staff, allowing flexibility for both employers and individuals – like carers, people studying, or retirees. For some, a zero hours contract may be the type of contract which works best for them.

Individuals on zero hours contracts represent a very small proportion of the workforce. The ONS estimates that 122,000 people aged 16 and over were employed on a zero hours contract in North West England in January – March 2023, representing 3.5% of people in employment in the area.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
5th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department first became aware of the use of racial classifications on official documents used by Post Office staff investigating postmasters.

We can find no evidence that the Department was aware of this issue prior to the press reports on 27th May 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2023 to Question 183602 on Overseas Trade: India, if he will make an estimate of the number of jobs that have been created in Greater Manchester as a result of the UK-India investment relationship.

The Official Statistics on inward investment at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/department-for-international-trade-inward-investment-results-2021-to-2022 contain details on the number of jobs created from Foreign Direct Investment from India in to the UK, and jobs created from all FDI in to Greater Manchester. However it is not possible to publish figures at a more granular detail due to the risk of disclosing company level details. More information is available in the technical annex.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers on working conditions for retail workers.

The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) are a part of the Retail Sector Council where challenges faced by the retail sector are considered. Employment has been identified as a priority area for the Council.

There has been no recent engagement with USDAW specifically on working conditions for retail workers.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
2nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance her Department issues on access to UK markets for Indian businesses.

The Department for Business and Trade supports Indian businesses to invest in the UK by providing end-to-end project management; help with understanding the commercial opportunities through bespoke proposals and inward visits; a strategic account management offer and links with local and national partners, including Chambers of Commerce, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Mayoral Combined Authorities.

Making the UK the top investment destination in Europe from India, attracting new investment into communities and helping to level-up the country including in the north-west remains one of the Department for Business and Trade’s top priorities. Together, the UK-India investment relationship supports over half a million jobs across both economies.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support British companies to make trade agreements with individual Indian states; and if she will make a statement.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are negotiated at country or trade-bloc level. As such we do not have any state-level free trade agreements with India.

The ‘2030 Roadmap’ outlined our aim of doubling trade by 2030, with the intention to negotiate a forward-looking FTA and lowering barriers to trade through an Enhanced Trade Partnership.

The UK and India are committed to working towards the best deal possible for both sides. Progress is good; however, we are clear we will only sign when we have a deal that is fair, balanced, and in the best interests of the economy.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if the Government will appoint a trade envoy to the Republic of India.

As the Honourable Member is aware, India is a dynamic, fast-growing trade partner and negotiating a free trade agreement offers the opportunity to deepen our already strong relationship, which was worth £34 billion in the year to end Q3 2022.

The position remains the same and there are currently no plans to appoint a Trade Envoy to India, however, we regularly review countries and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the trade and investment aims of the UK, alongside the Department’s other support for exporters and investors.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department has taken to progress (a) economic development and (b) trade initiatives at the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors’ Summit 2023.

This Government is committed to driving mutual prosperity between the UK and all states of India, including Uttar Pradesh. My Hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham, Minister for Defence Procurement, led a delegation of over 30 UK businesses to Uttar Pradesh’s Global Investor’s Summit 10-12 February. He announced seven Memorandums of Understanding between UK businesses and the state of Uttar Pradesh, with businesses committing £165million of investment into Uttar Pradesh and generating almost a thousand jobs in the state.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
31st Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people living in fuel poverty in Stockport constituency.

The latest statistics for the number of households in fuel poverty in parliamentary constituencies in England, can be found in the published sub-regional fuel poverty Official Statistics, in Table 4: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
8th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of National Grid capacity issues on Stockport constituency.

Upgrading electricity network capacity is a matter for the private network companies which build, own, and operate the network. The regulator, Ofgem, uses a price control framework to set the level of infrastructure investment for each network company to ensure sufficient capacity is available. Government is accelerating the delivery of higher voltage electricity infrastructure and improving the connections process so that projects can access the network more quickly through the Transmission Acceleration Action Plan and Connections Action Plan respectively, published in November 2023.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2023 to Question 6350 on Energy: Payment Methods, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying the Energy Price Guarantee to small businesses.

The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) provides all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a baseline discount on high energy bills for 12 months from April 2023 until 31 March 2024. The EBDS is helping businesses locked into contracts signed before substantial falls in wholesale prices manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again.

A higher level of support is provided to some Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETIIs) that are particularly exposed to energy cost increases due to their energy and trade intensity.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
11th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of energy companies applying higher tariffs for customers who do not pay through direct debit.

Since July 2023, the Government has used the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) to provide a discount, so as to levelise prepayment charges with those for direct debit customers. The EPG discount applies until the end of March 2024 and Ofgem is, at the request of Government, currently consulting on proposals to levelise charges from April on an ongoing basis.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
10th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help large food manufacturing companies reduce high energy consumption.

The Government is reviewing what levers can be introduced to help organisations to be more energy efficient. The Energy Efficiency Taskforce was launched to help achieve our target of reducing UK energy demand by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030.

The IETF, which supports industries including the food and drinks sector to cut energy consumption by investing in more efficient technologies, has been extended. Pending business case approval, Phase 3 will launch in early 2023.

Some food manufacturing companies are supported in reducing energy costs through the Climate Change Agreements Scheme and the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance Programme.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)