Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for UK foreign policy of the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 25 March 2026 recognising the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity and calling for reparatory justice; and for what reasons the United Kingdom abstained in that vote.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

No such assessment is required, but the Hon Member can find the UK's Explanation of Vote at the following link on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-explanation-of-vote-on-the-declaration-of-the-trafficking-of-enslaved-africans-and-racialised-chattel-enslavement-of-africans-as-the-gravest-crime.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions her Department has had with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on the condition of Reddish library.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities in England to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing and maintaining a library service to meet those needs within their available resources.

DCMS has held no specific discussions with Stockport Council regarding Reddish library's condition. Building maintenance is an operational matter for the local authority. DCMS only engages with local authorities on this kind of matter where representations allege that the condition of the library building is impacting delivery of library services, meaning the local authority is not delivering its statutory duty.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Northern Rail and Avanti West Coast on the potential merits of (i) simpler and (ii) cheaper train tickets in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.

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

This Government remains committed to making ticketing simpler and more flexible for passengers. Passengers in Stockport and Greater Manchester are benefiting from simpler fares which were introduced in December 2025. Overall, the change means that the average fare in Greater Manchester fell by 5.6%.

Working with operators, Pay As You Go with contactless on rail in Manchester will arrive in December this year as part of the Bee Network expansion, initially covering 17 stations.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will discuss with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council the future of the 50m Grand Central Swimming Pool in Stockport.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to swimming facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve.

In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, over the next four years. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in the North West region.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department actively promotes foreign direct investment into the North West through the Office for Investment, which works closely with regional stakeholders to identify, shape and market regional opportunities.

The Government has placed the North West at the centre of its Northern Growth Strategy and Industrial Strategy, using large public investments to attract private capital. This includes a multi‑billion‑pound investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail (including a new Liverpool – Manchester line via Manchester Airport and Warrington), as well as targeted investments such as the new Digital Campus in Manchester and the National Cryogenics Facility in Cheshire (Liverpool City Region), positioning the North West as a global quantum technologies hub.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that primary and secondary school pupils in Greater Manchester are provided with nutritious, healthy and minimally processed food in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We are consulting on proposed updates to the school food standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and supports children’s health, wellbeing and learning. The consultation will run for nine weeks, closing on 12 June 2026. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.

We have worked with the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care and consulted health and academic experts on the issue of ultra-processed foods, to ensure all changes are evidence-based. We know that many products classified as ultra-processed foods are often high in free sugars, saturated fats and/or salt, and it is levels of these which we are trying to reduce, including processed meats, confectionery and savoury snacks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more people to become blood donors in a) Stockport and b) Greater Manchester.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England and is delivering initiatives to encourage more people to become blood donors nationally, including in Stockport and across Greater Manchester.

This includes targeted partnership work with local employers in Greater Manchester, such as Aon and Deloitte, to engage and support staff to donate at nearby donor centres.

NHSBT also funds Community Grants Programme projects in Greater Manchester, including projects delivered with organisations such as:

• the Sickle Cell Society, which works with universities and partners such as ACS Give Blood to raise awareness of sickle cell disorder and promote blood donation among Black students. Further information is available at the following link:
  https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/about-us/;
• Become United, which raises awareness of blood donation within Black African and Caribbean communities, particularly among people facing barriers linked to ethnicity, religion, or refugee status. Further information is available at the following link:
  https://www.becomeunited.org.uk/; and
• the Caribbean and African Health Network, which work with Black African and Caribbean communities to raise awareness of blood donation and address barriers to participation. Further information is available at the following link:
  https://www.cahn.org.uk/

Further information on the Community Grants Programme overall is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/how-you-can-help/get-involved/community-grants-programme/

Additionally, NHSBT has also delivered extensive outreach activity in Greater Manchester, including two mass blood‑typing events held at the Trafford Centre, a three day event, and the Arndale Centre, a seven day event, which are accessible to people living in Stockport and the wider Greater Manchester area.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many post office branches have (a) opened and (b) closed in Stockport constituency since 2016.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

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

A response to the Rt. Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13th April is attached.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of uninsured drivers in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport has not made an estimate of the number of uninsured drivers in Stockport and Greater Manchester.

Across the country, the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) estimates that about 300,000 cars are being driven every day without insurance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with the insurance industry and relevant regulators on the rising cost of motor insurance in England.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Ministers and officials regularly engage with representatives from the insurance industry and regulatory bodies.

Furthermore, in order to fulfil the government’s commitment to tackling the soaring cost of motor insurance in the UK, the cross-government taskforce on motor insurance was formed in October 2024. The taskforce’s final report was published on 10 December 2025 and though the taskforce has now concluded, the government will continue its work to deliver against the actions set out in the report.

The annual average cost of cover in 2025 was £564, 9% (£58) lower than the average annual cost in 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking (a) to ensure that charities operating as member organisations are not precluded from recognition as a body of persons and (b) to safeguard children and young persons participating in brass banding.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department recognises the valuable role that charities and voluntary organisations play in supporting children and young people to participate in cultural and educational activities, including brass banding.

The department is clear that a Body of Persons Approvalmay be applied for by any organisation responsible for putting on a performance involving children.

Safeguarding children and young people is a fundamental priority for this government. All organisations involved in brass banding are expected to comply with relevant safeguarding legislation and guidance. This includes effective safeguarding policies, appropriate vetting and training of adults, and clear processes for reporting and responding to concerns, to ensure safe and positive participation for all young people.

Moreover, many brass bands operate as Out‑of‑School Settings (providing activities for children, without their parents’ or carers’ supervision). The department has published guidance outlining the safeguarding standards we expect these settings to meet, and free accompanying e-learning.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his Department is doing to support independent breweries in England.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government fully recognises the importance of independent breweries and pubs. We are committed to maintaining a beer and pub sector that is diverse, competitive and rooted in local communities, supporting jobs, investment and growth across towns and villages.

We have conducted a review of the beer market to determine whether there are any structural barriers preventing small breweries from accessing pubs, I am currently considering the findings of this review alongside hearing evidence directly from industry stakeholders and representative bodies with whom I am meeting over the next month. This includes meeting with small brewery owners and representatives from the Society of Independent Brewers.

Additionally, Small Producer Relief (SPR) supports smaller producers by allowing those producing up to 4,500 hectolitres a year to pay reduced duty on products below 8.5% ABV. At Budget 2025, the Government increased the cash discount for small producers, maintaining the value of SPR relative to main duty rates.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the French Government’s decision to transition public sector desktops to the Linux operating system; and whether she has considered the potential merits of a similar approach in the UK public sector.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is aware of strategic decisions made in France regarding their choice of operating systems. The UK will always be diligent in assessing the benefits to ensure it selects the most appropriate operating system for its context, balancing costs, functionality, upkeep and wider requirements.