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, if he will introduce requirements to ensure that patients’ religious and philosophical dietary preferences, including vegetarian and vegan diets, are recorded in health and care records to ensure accessibility to care providers.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Regulation 14 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires care providers to ensure the nutritional and hydration needs of service users are met, which includes meeting any reasonable requirements arising from the service user’s preferences or their religious or cultural background.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidance states that people's religious and cultural needs must be identified in their nutrition and hydration assessment. When a person has specific dietary requirements relating to moral or ethical beliefs, such as vegetarianism, these requirements must be fully considered and met.
Providers must be able to demonstrate to the CQC that they meet this regulation.
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 assessment he has made of the barriers faced by leaseholders in accessing Government funding for low-carbon heating upgrades.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that leasehold ownership can create additional complexity, as many must secure consent from freeholders before installations can proceed. The Warm Homes Plan committed to working with relevant organisations on how to remove barriers to low carbon heating installations in leasehold properties.
Announced on 21 April, the Government will consult this summer on expanding permitted development rights to make heat pump installation easier, including amending siting restrictions and seeking views on enabling more installations in flats.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Boiler Upgrade Scheme provide funding to support property owners, including leaseholders, to transition to low‑carbon heating.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his department has made an assessment of the potential merits of delivering the Synergy payroll service in-house.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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.
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 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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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.
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 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:
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.