Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 14th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I also wish His Majesty the King a very happy birthday.

This is Islamophobia awareness month—a chance for us all to come together to tackle all forms of religious and racial hatred. It is also transgender awareness week, which started yesterday, celebrating our trans heroes. It is a chance to remind ourselves that the trans community is one of the most abused, suffers high levels of mental health problems, and is more likely to be homeless or ostracised.

I congratulate the right hon. Member for Croydon South (Chris Philp) on his big promotion to the shadow Cabinet. As I said last week, the Leader of the Opposition does indeed love a tryer, and the right hon. Gentleman’s many talents are at long last being recognised. I also warmly welcome the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman) to his place in what I think is his first ever contribution to Business questions in his quite long parliamentary career. I have to say that there has been a slight upgrade in the jokes in comparison with those of some of his predecessors.

I understand that the right hon. Gentleman is a biographer of Edmund Burke, who is seen as a founder of modern Conservatism and modern politics. As such I am very much looking forward to working with him on the Modernisation Committee and the agenda of modernising this Parliament. I cannot promise him that all our dealings will be quite that highbrow, because I am afraid his responsibilities bring other things with them, and he might find himself getting bogged down with the state of the toilets or complaints about the wi-fi, but I look forward to working with him.

May I take this opportunity to thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill? Many colleagues have asked me about the process, and whether there will be sufficient time for further debate and scrutiny of this important Bill, so perhaps I may take this opportunity to explain further some of the issues around it. I know that people care deeply about this issue, and there are strongly held views on both sides. As such, it is a matter for Members to consider personally and freely. I know from the last debate on this issue held in the House that it can be the best of moments for Parliament, with considered, thoughtful and respectful debate. It is not a Government Bill. Similar issues such as legalising abortion and homosexuality have come about via private Member’s Bills in the past, and I believe that is the appropriate way to consider matters of conscience, with a free vote and a neutral Government position.

As the Bill will be the first item of business on 29 November, it is highly likely that the debate on Second Reading will last for the full five hours. That is comparable to proceedings on any other Bill—perhaps longer—and I am sure the House would want that to be the case. Should the House agree to its Second Reading, the Bill would then be considered in Committee, probably for several weeks. The whole House will also have further opportunities to debate and vote on those matters on Report and again on Third Reading, which will not be until April at the earliest.

The Government have a duty to ensure that any Bill that passes through Parliament is effective and can be enforced. That is why if any Bill is to be supported by the House, we would expect to work with the promoting Member to ensure that it is workable. This is a matter for the House to decide, and the Government will implement the will of the House, whatever it so chooses. I hope that will help Members when considering these issues.

The right hon. Gentleman asked about a number of Budget measures, but I am afraid the cat really was let out of the bag this week, because we finally learned that the Conservative party supports all the benefits that the Budget brings, but does not support any of the measures that will pay for them. We are now seeing a return to the magic money tree economics pursued by his predecessor Liz Truss.

We have had to make difficult choices to balance the books, so that there is no return to austerity and so that we can invest in the economy and renew our public services for the long run. I am afraid that the shadow Leader of the House is scaremongering with a number of the issues that he raises. He will know that more than half of employers will see no change at all or will pay no additional national insurance from this package. He failed to mention the important changes we are making to business rates, which will support many high street businesses. He might want to include that in his future calculations. Charities, GPs and other healthcare providers, as has just been said at the Dispatch Box by my hon. Friend the Minister for Secondary Care, have been put in an incredibly precarious position after 14 years of chronic under-investment and mismanagement by the Conservatives. We will do what we can, and further announcements will be made about the distribution of health funding.

I put on record that the NHS has received its single biggest increase in spending power for many years. Is that something that the shadow Leader of the House supports or rejects? I am not clear what his party’s position on the Budget is any more. We have had to make tough choices because of the poisoned chalice and inheritance left by his party. That was once described as a “struggling” economy and “anaemic” growth. Those are not my words, but his.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

Many people who have permanent and often worsening medical conditions are rejected when they apply for a blue badge with their local authority. The blue badge scheme helps people who have medical issues—physical or mental—with access to car parking that is closer to their destination. I am aware of a constituent who has dementia and other medical conditions whose application for a blue badge has been rejected by my local council. As such, may I request that we have a debate in Government time on the blue badge scheme in England and how local authorities implement the scheme for residents?

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for that important question, which gets raised many times in these sessions. He is right that it is for local councils to decide whether individuals are eligible for a badge, but I will certainly make sure that the Department for Transport has heard his question today. I think it would make a very good topic for an Adjournment debate.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 10th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. Rolling out the availability of pharmacy services is vital for the Government’s agenda on prevention and on providing services—be they GPs or pharmacies—in every community. Those are important matters. I know that the Health Secretary will continue to update the House. Health questions are next week should the hon. Gentleman wish to raise the matter then.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

I congratulate the Leader of the House—my constituency neighbour—on her birthday, and wish her and her family the best.

Mr Speaker has left the Chair, but I know that he is, like me, a long-standing user of Avanti West Coast trains for his constituency travel, so I am sure that he will be familiar with their poor reliability. Last week, I was made aware of a serious crisis at my local station, Stockport. It seems that Avanti is simply not employing enough staff for the station to function when it comes to passenger and worker safety, and passenger experience. The Financial Times recently reported that Avanti was the worst-performing train operator in the UK between April and June. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on the impact of Avanti’s operational performance not just on the regional economy in the north, but on the national economy and public infrastructure?

[Lucy Powell]

Like my hon. Friend, I am a regular user of Avanti West Coast services and Stockport station. I hope that Avanti’s reliability will be spot on this afternoon so that I can get home in time for a birthday meal—please take note! He raises an important issue. The privatisation programme has not worked, and our trains have for too long been unreliable and expensive, serving the country poorly. That is why we very quickly introduced the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, which is now in the other place. We will soon bring forward a further Bill to establish Great British Railways in order to bring our trains back into public ownership once again.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 18th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I welcome the hon. Lady her to her place and congratulate her on surviving the tsunami that, I am afraid, took out some of her colleagues. She raises a very important matter. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs orals have not yet been timetabled, so the subject would make a good candidate for an Adjournment debate application, should she want to do that. In the meantime, I will get her a response on the Government’s plans for flood defences.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Stockport, can I congratulate you on your re-election? I also congratulate my fellow Greater Manchester Labour MP on her appointment as Leader of the House. I am certain that she will do a fantastic job.

Public libraries are a vital hub for communities across the nation, providing important spaces for drop-in sessions, internet connectivity, reading books and so much more, yet in my local authority of Stockport borough the local Liberal Democrat council is reducing staffed hours in our libraries—a move that threatens to leave many adults and children isolated and without access to critical services. As such, will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on our treasured public libraries?

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for his best wishes and for that important question. Libraries and access to them play a vital role in our communities, supporting local people and children with their education. I am afraid that the previous Government hollowed out local government funding over their 14 years in office. They promised levelling up, but in fact we got years and years of cuts. I will make sure that the Culture Secretary has heard my hon. Friend’s question and supplies him with a reply.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 14th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am very sad to hear about the ongoing issues in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. It must be incredibly frustrating for him. It is incredibly frustrating for us. He will know that the previous Secretary of State for Health and Social Care offered England resources to assist with the backlog in Scotland, and the First Minister turned down that opportunity. I think that is a disgrace. I will continue to raise the issue. The hon. Member knows that health is a devolved matter, but we will do all that we can to improve the lot of his constituents.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

My local authority in Stockport states that the average waiting time for a blue badge parking pass is 12 weeks, but my constituents tell me that in reality the wait is often much longer. In addition, the rigid criteria to quality for a blue badge laid out by the Department for Transport mean that people with genuine serious and complex medical issues are frequently refused. That leaves many people who are in genuine need isolated and struggling to find adequate support for car parking. The key issues are the long wait times, the need for additional resources for local authorities, and the need to extend the qualifying criteria for those with degenerative medical conditions. As such, will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on the blue badge scheme in England?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am sure that all Members have had casework relating to that. It is a complicated system. Local authorities have some discretion in the scheme. If the hon. Member wants to give me the specific details of his case, I will try to get some advice for him from the Department.

Retirement of the Clerk of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Tuesday 12th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

It is a matter of pride for me to contribute to this debate because Sir John is from Stockport, and many people are not aware of the fact. I remember when, after I was elected, I walked through those doors, took the affirmation and signed the register, that he shook my hand and informed me that he was from Stockport and had been to Stockport Grammar, and I was fascinated by that and by his manner. Anyone who interacted with him knew that he was extremely intelligent. Well, he is extremely intelligent—I am speaking of him in the past tense for some reason—as well as very polite and extremely helpful, and he goes out of his way to help people.

I often talk about the north-south divide, the Westminster bubble and all those things, so it is wonderful for me to see that someone who was born and brought up in Stockport and grew up and went to school in Stockport then found his way to the House Service, gave all those years—almost 37 years—of service to this House and rose up through the ranks to become the head of the House Service, which I think is fantastic. I was also interested when I found out that Sir John not only went to Stockport Grammar, but went on a scholarship and then went on to read English literature at St Catharine’s, Cambridge.

Over the last four years I have had several interactions with Sir John, and he was always very polite and helpful. A few months ago, he was supposed to visit my constituency and I was supposed to organise a visit for him to a local school so that he could talk about his journey from Stockport to Westminster and, in the future, back to Cambridge. Unfortunately, that visit hit a snag, so I want to place on the record that the invitation is still open, and I think Sir John has agreed to come back. I have only just found out from your contribution, Mr Speaker, that he supports Manchester United. I assure him that I would be happy to take him to Edgeley, where Stockport County plays, although I cannot guarantee that he will find many Manchester United supporters there.

I wish Sir John the best for the future. People often talk about MPs and Lords when they talk about this place, but it is outstanding Crown servants who are the real engine of this institution. Without people like Dr Benger, our democratic institutions would fail to function. I want to place on the record, on behalf of the people of Stockport, our thanks to him for his service. I wish Mr Tom Goldsmith, the incoming Clerk, the best success in the future. Once again, it is a matter of great pride that someone from the north came down and achieved this status, and I really hope that Sir John will take up my offer of a visit.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 7th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

My hon. Friend is right that we are committed to this matter. We are not intending to ban things such as perimeter fencing, which protect animals, but shock collars cause unnecessary suffering. I will make sure that the Secretary of State has heard her keenness for an update. She will know that the next Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions are not until 19 October, so I will write to the Department today on her behalf.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell)—my good friend and Greater Manchester neighbour—on her appointment to her new position as shadow Leader of the House. I know that she will do an excellent job. I also wish to congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith) on being appointed her deputy.

As Britain and India negotiate a trade agreement, it is important that benefits of such a deal are shared across the regions and nations. Despite a large community of people of Indian heritage and many Indian businesses in the north of England, and the fact that Manchester airport, a stone’s throw from my constituency, is the third busiest airport in the UK, there are no direct flights between Manchester and India. Will the Leader of the House therefore grant a debate in Government time on connectivity from Manchester airport to international destinations and the potential benefit that that would bring to the north-west and, indeed, to the rest of the country for trade, culture, family ties and our educational institutions?

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right and, as a former trade policy Minister, I can tell him that one of the benefits of more regular economic dialogue with our partner nations is to address precisely those things. In fact, part of my visits to various countries around the world, including the United States, was about securing extra flight routes into his local area. It is tremendously important, not least because we want to attract investment and businesses to those areas. He will know that we will not be having live discussions about trade deals, but I know that such accessibility will be very much part of the discussions and script from which our Ministers will be working.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 13th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I am always happy to help the hon. Gentleman get complex cases resolved. If he would let my office know about the contact he has had with HMRC, I will do my best to assist him in being able to speak to somebody who will get this resolved for his very important local business.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

I thank the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns), for raising the issue of exclusion in cricket based on gender, race and social class. It is a really important issue, and I hope the Leader of the House will allocate time for a debate on that.

On a more local matter, one of the most recognisable features in my constituency of Stockport is the viaduct, which was built in the 19th century to carry the then Manchester and Birmingham Railway across the River Mersey. Sadly, I receive regular correspondence about the upkeep of the structure. Constituents are concerned that parts of the viaduct have fallen into disrepair, and are worried for its ongoing integrity and appearance. Separately, in another part of the constituency many homes are around land belonging to Network Rail, and while the trees and vegetation provide screening from the railway lines, many constituents are concerned that the trees and vegetation are not tended, leaving their homes affected by overgrowth. Will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on the refurbishing and maintenance of Network Rail land and properties, please?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising these matters. He will know how to apply for a debate. I would also suggest to him that these are matters that the local authority should be helping to get resolved. I think many options for doing that would be in its gift, and I would expect it to be talking directly to Network Rail on these matters. I will make sure that the Department for Transport has heard what he has said, as there will not be opportunity to raise this at questions for some time.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 8th June 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my hon. Friend for making that incredibly important point. I am sure that all of us across the House value the work that St John Ambulance does for the NHS and elsewhere in our communities. We should not forget its assistance during the vaccine roll-out and in placing volunteers in NHS hospitals to undertake a range of clinical and administrative tasks. It is an incredible organisation and one of the things we think about when we think of the voluntary sector in the United Kingdom. I thank my hon. Friend for enabling us all to say congratulations and thank you to St John Ambulance. I hope that the unit in his constituency will be having an appropriate celebration for its 80th year.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

Crown post office branches provide a range of vital services to local communities, but sadly many are at risk of closure, with the House of Commons Library suggesting that nine branches were closed between 2020 and 2022 alone. Thankfully, in Stockport our Crown post office was saved from closure, but elsewhere, closing flagship branches, getting rid of experienced staff and putting counters in the back of other shops is not the plan for growth or innovation that the post office network so desperately needs. The Communication Workers Union’s “Save our Post Office” campaign has rightly called for a halt to the closures and a new strategy for the post office network as a matter of urgency. As such, will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on the future of Crown post office branches and the impact that they have on high streets such as mine in Stockport?

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Gentleman raises a very important matter: this is a critical service for many communities. He will know that the Government have brought forward both funding and support to enable local communities to retain such facilities that are not viable on their own. I encourage the hon. Gentleman to raise this matter with the Secretary of State, but I will also make sure that they have heard his remarks today, to see whether there is any further advice that they can give him in retaining that important facility for his constituents.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 25th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

May I congratulate my hon. Friend’s entrepreneurial constituent? Who knows—the VT may take over from the WC. I wish Mr Moore well in his application. It is through such innovation that we will improve our management of water, which is a vital resource. I hope that my hon. Friend will keep us all updated on Garry Moore’s progress.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

This weekend, Stockport County are playing Carlisle at Wembley, so I wish to place on record my best wishes to the entire team.

I was recently contacted by an NHS hospital trust specialising in cancer care and treatment, which shared with me its problems in obtaining the tracer dye used in highly specialised PSMA PET-CT scans. Despite the importance of cancer scans to the delivery of high quality cancer care, when I subsequently asked the Minister for Health and Secondary Care about that in written parliamentary question 137980, he responded:

“We are not aware of any supply issues with tracer dyes used in PSMA PET scans.”

All cancer patients deserve the highest quality care. Will the Leader of the House confirm who is right: the health workers in the hospital or the Department of Health and Social Care? Will she ask the Secretary of State to correct the record and address this serious and potentially life-threatening issue?

[Penny Mordaunt]

Diagnostics of all descriptions are a priority for the Government, which is why we have uplifted funding and created new diagnostic centres, in part to help us crack through the covid backlog. I strongly suggest that the hon. Gentleman raises this matter with the Secretary of State at the next questions on 6 June, and asks to speak to the Minister. I am not equipped to answer his question, but the Department will be. I strongly suggest that he seeks a meeting.

Business of the House

Navendu Mishra Excerpts

Thursday 11th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind remarks. Although I will announce business in the usual way, he will not have long to wait for the renters reform Bill. This is an important issue, as are many of the issues covered by the leasehold reform work that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been undertaking.

[Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)]

I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Recent media reports inform us that Vodafone UK and Three are in advanced talks about a merger, but my trade union, Unite, is campaigning against it on two major grounds. First, it could pose a national security risk by giving a company whose controlling family collaborates with the Chinese state an even more influential role at the heart of our sensitive telecoms infrastructure. Secondly, the merger would fatally undermine competition by reducing the number of major providers in the British telecoms market, resulting in substantially higher prices for British consumers. As such, will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on the merger, as it will impact people in each and every constituency across the UK?

[Penny Mordaunt]

The next opportunity for the hon. Gentleman to raise this issue with the Department for Business and Trade will be on 18 May, but I know that it will be a matter of concern to two other Departments, so I will write to all of three on his behalf and ask them to contact his office.