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 stop the illicit (a) manufacturing, (b) importation and (c) sale of (i) counterfeit and (ii) unlicensed weight-loss drugs.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood products for transfusion in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
Many authorised weight loss medicines are prescription-only, meaning that a consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional is needed to assess the patient's suitability for the treatment and to consider any potential risks. Usually, such products should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription.
Sourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.
Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices, and it takes robust enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry, to identify, remove, and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.
The MHRA seeks to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute online sellers responsible for putting public health at risk. Last year, the MHRA and its partners seized more than 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines, including those usually issued on prescription. A recent example of our enforcement activity is available at the following link:
Additionally, the MHRA has also disrupted thousands of links to websites and social media pages selling medical products to the public illegally.
The MHRA’s FakeMeds campaign provides advice to people in the UK who are considering buying medication online, outlining how products can be accessed from safe and legitimate source. Further information on the FakeMeds campaign is available at the following link:
https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/
Anyone who believes they’ve had a side effect from a medicine, or think they’ve received falsified stock, can report it to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, with further information available at the following link:
https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing national regulations on bus lane fines for volunteer motorcycle riders delivering emergency medical supplies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Decisions on which other vehicles may use bus lanes are for local traffic authorities to take. They are best placed to manage their networks and can grant exemptions through Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) where appropriate. Exemptions can include emergency service vehicles, such as volunteer motorcycle riders delivering emergency medical supplies.
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, pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85334 on Private Rented Housing: Construction, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Build to Let developments on housing affordability in areas with high rental demand.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer given to Question UIN 85334 on 4 November 2025.
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 support (a) housing providers, (b) housing associations and (c) arms-length management organisations with meeting the costs of regulatory standards for supported housing.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department consulted on a proposed licensing regime and standards for supported housing between 20 February 2025 and 15 May 2025. A government response to the consultation will be published as soon as possible.
The Department is working closely with supported housing providers and stakeholders to ensure that standards and licensing are proportionate and that implementation is carefully planned, to avoid any unintended consequences.
The Department will continue to work closely with supported housing providers and stakeholders as implementation of the measures set out in the Act proceeds.
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 recent assessment his Department has made of trends in levels of (a) Hinduphobia and (b) anti-Hindu sentiment.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There was a 3% increase in police recorded religious hate crime in the year ending March 2025. Of the total number of religiously motivated hate crimes, 2% targeted Hindus (a total of 182 hate crimes).
We are committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and we will not tolerate anti-Hindu hatred in any form. No one should ever be a victim of hatred because of their race or religion, and the Government continues to work with police and community partners to monitor and combat this.
The Government also recognises that Hindus can experience anti-Muslim hate, and that the misidentification of Hindus as Muslims can compound the burden of religious hatred and discrimination faced by Hindus.
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 his Department will take steps to help increase the number of 16-30 year olds who are registered to donate stem cells.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom aligned stem cell registry, a national register managed collaboratively by Anthony Nolan, DKMS UK, NHS Blood and Transplant, and the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry, has over 2.3 million potential stem cell donors registered. The Department is taking action to increase the number of 16 to 30 year olds on the UK aligned stem cell registry by funding the Department’s Stem Cell Programme, with £3.2 million invested for the period of 2022 to 2026. The programme, which is delivered by NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony Nolan, aims to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and equity of the UK's stem cell supply through a targeted recruitment campaign focussed on male donors aged 16 to 30 years old, who are most likely to be recalled to donate, as well as donors from ethnic minorities.
By increasing the pool of potential donors, the programme seeks to improve the availability of matches in the UK, ultimately reducing waiting times and improving outcomes for patients in need of stem cell treatment.
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, what discussions her Department has had with Ofcom on mid-contract price increases by O2, in the context of levels of rises set out in customers’ contracts.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State met and wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 31st October to ask for its assessment of telecoms consumer protections and what could be done further, faster on transparent and fair pricing. The Secretary of State made clear that it is imperative that people feel empowered when interacting with the telecoms market, and that they can be confident they are getting a fair deal. The letter set out a number of potential measures for Ofcom to consider.
My department will continue working closely with Ofcom to ensure telecom contracts remain fair and transparent.
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 steps her Department is taking to support Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, Official Report, vol. 774, col. 33WS to 35WS.
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 steps her Department is taking to support Cuba following Hurricane Melissa.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, Official Report, vol. 774, col. 33WS to 35WS.
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 he has made of the potential impact of precision medicine on the (a) life expectancy and (b) quality of life of people living with motor neurone disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a future where genomic information and insights are fundamental to healthcare, enabling precision medicine, predictive prevention, and personalised treatment, including for people with motor neurone disease.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has selected tofersen for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by SOD1 gene mutations as a topic for guidance development through its Highly Specialised Technology (HST) programme. The HST programme appraises medicines for the treatment of very rare, and often very severe diseases, and evaluates whether they can be considered a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If a positive recommendation is made, then NHS commissioners will be under a legal duty to fund the treatment for all eligible patients in England.