Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide funding for step-free access at Heaton Chapel Station.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - 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 Heaton Chapel railway station.
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 accessibility at this station further forward.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, 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.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has a strategy to help increase participation in cricket by women and girls.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding.
This includes long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, the National Governing Body for cricket, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives. This includes programmes such as Chance to Shine, that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people. ECB Cricket youth programmes such as All Stars and Dynamos also provide fun and engaging ways for young women and girls to engage in inclusive cricket.
We look forward to hosting the Women's T20 World Cup in 2026. By supporting the ECB to host major events such as the World Cup, the Government is committed to making sure that women and girls have clear routes to see elite female athletes compete at the highest level which is key to inspiring and engaging fans and players now and into the future.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on levels of trifluoroacetic acid in the River Mersey.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in Stockport.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 centre | Average waiting time in June 2025 (weeks) |
Bredbury (Manchester) | 24 |
West Didsbury (Manchester) | 24 |
Sale (Manchester) | 24 |
National | 22.5 |
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 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.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on the status of the territory of Western Sahara.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to Business Property Relief on family-owned manufacturing businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will publish the average response time for British Transport Police at Stockport station in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 year | Immediate* grade incident BTP response time (20 minute target) | Priorityˤ grade incident BTP response time (60 minute target) |
2024/25 | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
2023/24 | 17 minutes | 19 minutes |
2022/23 | 15 minutes | 32 minutes |
2021/22 | 16 minutes | 29 minutes |
2020/21 | 13 minutes | 20 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.