Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Bangladeshi counterpart on the killing of Dipu Chandra Das.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 101933.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 22 December 202, to Question 99888 titled Railways: Conditions of Employment, (a) what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of Great British Railways on employment practices across the rail network and (b) whether her Department will make an assessment of potential differences in terms and conditions between outsourced and directly employed rail staff once workforce matters transfer to Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great British Railways (GBR) aims to integrate track and train operations while modernising working practices to deliver consistent standards across the network. As work to establish GBR continues, matters relating to employee terms and conditions will be considered. The Government’s approach will be driven by what delivers best value for users of the railway, and for taxpayers who contribute to the costs of running it, as well as the interests of the workforce.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025 to question 99889 titled Railways: Anti-social Behaviour and Crimes of Violence, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of statutory powers to intervene in budget-setting decisions made by the British Transport Police Authority.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA), the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the British Transport Police Force (BTP), plays a key role in ensuring there is independent and expert oversight of the BTP force. It agrees strategies and objectives, resourcing and budgets, and policy and regulatory requirements. The Department for Transport has powers to set overarching expectations of the Authority and I am satisfied that this oversight, as defined in the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, does not require amendment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Access for All scheme on passenger accessibility and satisfaction at stations across Stockport borough.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include any stations in the Stockport borough.

Given the acute funding pressures on capital investments, any sources of funding that can be identified locally, for example from s106 monies, would also be a way of bringing forward accessibility upgrades at stations in the borough.