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 have discussions with Greater Manchester Police on the potential impact of not supplying naloxone to frontline officers on levels of drug-related deaths.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Naloxone is an important lifesaving medicine to respond to suspected opioid overdoses, when used alongside other first aid measures, and is mitigating the threat posed by synthetic opioids.
Work has been ongoing for several years led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office to support police carriage of this medicine, leveraging officers’ frequent interactions with individuals at risk of overdose to reduce drug-related deaths. In September 2024 and May 2025, I wrote to Chief Constables in England and Wales to reiterate my support for all police forces to roll-out the voluntary provision of naloxone to operational officers.
The Home Office and NPCC recently published data showing that, as of December 2024, approximately 7,300 police officers in England and Wales regularly carry naloxone. The medicine had been administered over 550 times by police since June 2019, and only two out of 43 police forces had no plans to carry. One of those forces is Greater Manchester Police.
Whilst the provision of naloxone for police officers remains voluntary and is an operational decision for Chief Constables, the Government is strongly supportive of forces making this highly effective antidote available.
The NPCC and the Home Office are in ongoing dialogue with all police forces on this topic.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made on the adequacy of waiting times for audiology appointments in (a) Stockport constituency and (b) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We do not hold specific data on audiology waiting lists in the Stockport constituency, Greater Manchester, or nationally.
In May 2025, the waiting list for Ear, Nose and Throat, which includes audiology appointments, stood at 4,492 in the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, and stood at 37,477 in the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB). In the same month, Ear, Nose and Throat performance against the 18-week referral to treatment standard was 54.6% at the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, and 50.5% in the NHS Greater Manchester ICB.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are on the waiting list for tinnitus treatment in Stockport constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold information on this particular condition. However, the latest published data on the waiting list for Ear, Nose and Throat, which includes those waiting for tinnitus treatment, stood at 4,492 in the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust as of May 2025. This represents a 2.8% reduction compared to the start of July 2024.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 62269 on IVF: Finance, whether his Department has had discussions with NHS Greater Manchester on the proposed reduction in the number of NHS-funded IVF cycles.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such discussions have taken place.
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards, and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with Fujitsu Ltd on its involvement in the Horizon IT system failures; and whether his Department plans to pursue accountability for the company’s involvement in the wrongful prosecution of sub-postmasters.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We welcome Fujitsu’s acknowledgement of their moral obligation to contribute to the cost of the scandal.
On 7 March 2025, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and Fujitsu’s global CEO agreed to begin talks on Fujitsu’s contribution to the costs of the scandal, prior to the conclusion of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report.
The extent of culpability for the scandal of Fujitsu and others – and hence any further accountability measures – will not be clear until all parts of Sir Wyn Williams’ Inquiry report are published.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58271 on Driving Tests: Stockport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the average waiting time at the Bredbury driving test centre.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this is having on learner drivers. All staff at the agency are working tirelessly to reduce waiting times at all test centres, including at Bredbury.
There are currently 13 driving examiners at Bredbury test centre. This has risen from 9 examiners in 2022. Bredbury test centre is part of a cluster of test centres, including West Didsbury and Sale, that serve customers in Stockport.
DVSA continues to deploy examiners within the cluster to test centres based on demand.
Within the cluster of test centres from recruitment campaigns, one potential new driving examiner (DE) started 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.
DVSA is continuing with its recruitment campaigns, including for this cluster of test centres. DVSA will continue to assess recruitment needs of all test centres in Great Britain when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.
DVSA continues to offer overtime incentives to its driving examiners, including those in this cluster.
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, what steps her Department is taking to support disabled people from lower socioeconomic groups to be more physically active.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone. Sport England, the Government’s Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, is committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for all underserved communities, including disabled people, and those from lower socioeconomic groups.
Sport England's Movement Fund invests over £20 million of Lottery and Exchequer funding every year to help people play sport and take part in physical activity. The Movement Fund prioritises projects that give opportunities to least active groups, including disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. Sport England also has partnerships with organisations such as Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense, to help more disabled people get active.
The Government also recognises that the barriers which disabled people face around improving their physical and mental health are often compounded by socioeconomic factors. To address this, the Government is investing £100 million in 2024-25 through the Multi Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to build and upgrade high-quality grassroots sports pitches and facilities in the communities across the UK that need it most. The Multi Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme’s aims include regular, weekly use by under-represented groups, including disabled people, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate.
On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to ensure disabled people from lower socioeconomic groups are at the heart of plans to help more people get physically active.
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, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the leisure facilities available for disabled people in Stockport constituency.
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 leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities across the country. Sport England, the Government’s Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, is committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people and improving their access to sport facilities.
The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG 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, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) Avanti West Coast on the quality of public toilets at Stockport station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department meets with Avanti West Coast (AWC) regularly to discuss issues impacting passengers, such as this and to ensure they are addressed as soon as possible. The Rail Minister will also make sure that AWC arranges a meeting with you directly to discuss improvements that can be made for passengers.
AWC is responsible for day-to-day management of Stockport Station, including facilities management and cleaning. To help monitor performance and drive high standards of customer experience, the Department requires train operators to employ the Service Quality Regime, which consists of regular inspections of the condition and availability of assets such as toilets, as well as the cleanliness of stations and trains. Responsibility for repairs to the structure of the property lies with the station’s landlord, Network Rail. AWC works with Network Rail seeking improvements on behalf of passengers where this is required.
Responsibility for repairs to the structure of the property lies with the station’s landlord, Network Rail. AWC works with Network Rail, seeking improvements on behalf of passengers where this is required.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help protect places of worship in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is absolutely committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer, including providing funding through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant and the Protective Security for Mosques scheme.