Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Octopus Energy partnership with Ming Yang on national security.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We cannot comment on individual investment cases, but investment into the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny, and we will continue to work closely with industry to build secure supply chains and ensure the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.
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, whether her Department will provide travel support to elderly British residents seeking to visit (a) family and (b) friends in northern Cyprus.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As stated in our Travel Advice, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can only provide limited consular support for British Nationals visiting areas in the north of Cyprus that are not under control of the Republic of Cyprus.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to reduce reliance on Chinese-made components in UK energy infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department is committed to working closely across Government and industry stakeholders to take forward the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable, innovative and secure. The Government takes the security and resilience of UK energy infrastructure extremely seriously with the UK being one of the most reliable and safest energy systems, and one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world. We take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing relations with China and will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the (a) misuse (b) abuse and (c) theft of blue badges in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local authorities have powers under the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000, for local authorities to withdraw a badge if the holder consistently misuses it or allows it to be misused by others. Similarly, authorities have the power to withdraw the badge if the holder ceases to be eligible, for example because their impairment has improved or because they obtained the badge by false representation.
The Department provides non-statutory guidance to local authorities on operating the scheme, including advice on enforcing the scheme, and regularly engages with local authority stakeholder groups to help share best practice.
It also works closely with organisations such as the British Parking Association (BPA) and Disabled Motoring UK (DM:UK), who advocate for stronger enforcement powers and better data sharing between councils. These efforts have led to increased penalties and prosecutions for misuse, and the confiscation of fraudulent or stolen badges.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to invest in upgrades to (a) the M60 and (b) other national highways.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is currently developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), which will span the five-year period from April 2026 to March 2031. The Strategy is scheduled for publication in March 2026 and will outline the funding settlement allocated to National Highways for operating, maintaining, renewing, and enhancing the Strategic Road Network (SRN) during RIS3.
A draft version of the Strategy was published in August, setting out the overall funding envelope and the key objectives that National Highways is expected to achieve. RIS3 will build on the progress made since the first Strategy (RIS1) was introduced in 2015, continuing efforts to:
Deliver a long-term programme of capital renewals for ageing roads and structures
Implement committed enhancement schemes
Advance long-term performance targets
An Interim Settlement is currently in place for National Highways for the 2025–26 financial year.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a centralised policy on the treatment of veterans’ compensation when assessing eligibility for welfare benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 8 July 63814
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on implementing the VALOUR pilot scheme in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The VALOUR pilot was launched on 26 June in partnership with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire Combined Authorities. Work with our pilot partners to develop the VALOUR system is in progress, and I am grateful to them for their invaluable contributions so far.
VALOUR is a new programme that will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support that is available to them, overseen by the Office for Veterans' Affairs in the Ministry of Defence. It will improve the coordination of services at a national, regional and local level to ensure that veterans receive the support they need.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that build to let developments contribute to local affordable housing quotas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.
As part of this commitment, we are reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. That guidance currently recognises that the economics of Build to Rent (BtR) schemes differ from build for sale as they depend on a long-term income stream. As such, for build to rent it is expected that the normal form of affordable housing provision will be affordable private rent.
Where plan makers wish to set affordable private rent proportions or discount levels at a level differing from national planning policy and guidance, this can be reviewed through a viability assessment at the plan-making stage. This approach ensures that local planning authorities continue to maximise contributions towards affordable housing and community infrastructure, while supporting the delivery of viable developments.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the proposed removal of exemptions proposed in the Consultation on Reform of Landfill Tax in England and Northern Ireland, published on 28 April 2025, on (a) housebuilding and (b) development.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recently consulted on proposals for reform of Landfill Tax to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support our environmental goals. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the construction sector. The consultation closed on 28 July, and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps, including a summary of responses, in due course.
This government is committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over 5 years as set out in the Plan for Change, and any final proposals will be designed to maintain the environmental effectiveness of the tax while supporting these plans.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of modern language A-level entry at (a) state schools and (b) colleges in (i) Stockport Borough and (ii) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of location, have access to a high quality language education. This includes increasing the number of students studying languages at GCSE and ensuring that those who wish to continue to A level are able to do so.
The department is continuing to fund the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) to deliver a new model of support for schools. The programme offers free continuous professional development via Language Educators Online (LEO), supported by 14 Strategic Learning Networks and locally responsive National Priority Projects. It is research-informed, helping teachers collaborate and tackle key challenges in language education. Language teachers can join the NCLE Language Network in their area and sign up to LEO to keep up to date with current and evolving teaching practice in language education.
To further support languages education, the government is offering a £20,000 tax-free bursary for trainee language teachers starting courses in 2026, or alternatively, a £22,000 tax-free scholarship for those training to teach French, German, or Spanish.