Navendu Mishra

The Government’s assessment is that the National Audit Office (NAO) report of 16 June 2025 reinforces the need for markedly stronger governance, oversight and performance management over the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

There is a continuing commitment to the forthcoming outsourcing arrangement with Capita, commencing in December 2025.

At present there are no plans to reverse or conduct a formal review of the decision to outsource Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) administration.

The Government remains committed to the forthcoming outsourcing arrangement with Capita, subject to strengthened governance, enhanced oversight and performance management to secure better outcomes for all members.

The impact of the Horizon scandal on postmasters and their families has been horrendous. The Government is determined to hold those responsible to account and will continue to seek to make rapid progress on compensation and redress. Fujitsu’s role in Horizon is one of the issues currently being reviewed by Sir Wyn Williams’s statutory inquiry. The Government are carefully considering volume 1 of the report. Once the inquiry has established the full facts, we will review its final report and consider any further action, where appropriate.

In January 2024, Fujitsu committed to withdraw from bidding for contracts with new government customers until the Post Office Horizon inquiry concludes. It will bid for work with existing government customers only where it already has a contract with them or where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu’s skills and capabilities.

Individual contracting authorities are responsible for the award and management of contracts. With regard to scrutiny during procurement processes, the Procurement Act 2023 enables and, where appropriate, requires the exclusion of suppliers where they pose particular risks to public procurement. The Cabinet Office has issued substantial guidance for departments, available on gov.uk. The exclusions regime provides a framework within which contracting authorities must consider a supplier’s recent past behaviour and circumstances (or their presence on the debarment list) to determine whether it should be allowed to compete for or be awarded a public contract.

The National Procurement Policy Statement asks contracting authorities to ensure they have the appropriate procurement and contract management skills and capability necessary to deliver public contracts and encourages the use of collaborative procurement frameworks, where appropriate, to deliver value for money.

To provide transparency, the government regularly publishes Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for its most important contracts, and the performance of the vendor against those KPIs.

There is no central policy, across the Civil Service, which provides time-off to donate (a) blood and (b) plasma.

Departments can provide employees with time off to donate blood and plasma.

Many British National Overseas (BNO) visa holders have professional qualifications. Recognition of overseas qualifications is determined by independent occupational regulators, many of which accept Hong Kong qualifications.

The recognition process can be challenging for BNO visa holders and refugees. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) developed the Regulated Professions Register, which Hongkongers can use to find information on entry requirements and regulators. DBT also published guidance on GOV.UK to support refugees, including those from Hong Kong, navigate the recognition process.

BNO visa holders have the right to work in the UK, and employer guidance on right to work checks is available on GOV.UK.

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.

The Competition and Markets Authority has a general duty to monitor the effectiveness of the Controlled Land Order. This includes regularly assessing whether any grocery retailers meet the criteria for designation that are outlined in the Order. The CMA is in the process of carrying out its latest assessment. Government will continue to work closely with the CMA following its assessment to determine the best way forward.

The law is clear: if you are a UK-based worker, you are entitled to rights under UK employment law, regardless of where your employer is based.

HMRC enforces the minimum wage on behalf of DBT. It considers all complaints from workers and where it finds underpayment orders employers to pay workers their money back, and a penalty to government. Since the minimum wage was introduced, the Government has overseen the repayment of over £186 million to 1.5 million workers, issued over £100 million in financial penalties and completed over 90,000 investigations.

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has powers to take compliance action against employers who are found not to be paying employer pensions contributions, including, where necessary, through court action. The Pensions Ombudsman will consider complaints from individuals and award compensation when appropriate.

The Employment Rights Bill will create the Fair Work Agency to bring together employment rights enforcement. This body will provide better support for employers to comply with the law and will have powers to take tough action against the minority who flout it.

The Government has committed to establishing a new Fair Pay Agreement in the adult social care sector, empowering worker representatives and employer representatives to negotiate fair pay and terms and conditions in a regulated and responsible manner.

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.

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.

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.

• Digital inclusion is a priority for this Government, a step-change from the last ten years.
• That is why the Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan – First Steps in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking on digital inclusion.
• One of those first actions is the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund which launched in August with £9.5 million to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online.
• In addition, a recent funding programme of £2 million supported Mayoral Combined Authorities across England to deliver innovative and meaningful support for digitally excluded people in their communities.
• The full detail of DSIT's longer-term spending plans is still being considered, and further information will be provided as allocations are decided later in the year.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, including swimming pools, 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.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set 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.

In June, we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will ensure that this funding promotes health, wellbeing and community cohesion and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

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.

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.

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.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engages with the Secretary of State for Education on a range of issues, including school sport.

The Government is committed to protecting time for physical education in schools. The ongoing independent expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the National Governing Body for cricket, has committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible for children and young people through their new strategy and state school action plan. I have also seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket, at the Mill Academy in Worsbrough last year.

We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. The ECB receives £10.2 million funding from Sport England across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.

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.

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.

The department collects annual data from local authorities about primary and secondary state-funded school places, local authorities’ pupil forecasts and local authorities’ planned changes to school places. The data is published at local authority level in the annual School Capacity statistics publication, accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24.

The latest data relates to school capacity as at 1 May 2024. The latest school capacity data for secondary schools in Stockport local authority and latest modelled estimates of the future number of secondary school places needed to meet predicted demand for Stockport local authority can be found in this publication.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.

The government will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund in the 2025/26 academic year. This includes funding the ‘Free courses for jobs’ offer, which gives eligible adults the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.

The government will also support learners through our technical education offer, including through a range of apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps. Our new levy-funded growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England.

From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for funding from the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will be the new student finance system for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards. The LLE will allow people to develop new skills and gain new qualifications across their working lives, at a time that is right for them, such as those returning from a career break.

The government announced a £40 million package to trial a new kinship allowance. The pilot will begin in autumn 2025 and the department will evaluate the pilot to build an evidence base on how best to deliver financial support for kinship families. We will confirm the process for selecting local authorities taking part in the pilot in due course.

Total leakage data is reported to the Environment Agency annually by water companies through the statutory Water Resources Management Plan annual review process.

A summary of 2023/24 water company performance across the country, which includes leakage data, is available here.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ UIN 41698.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department is engaging with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.

The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its manifesto and we will deliver on this. Defra continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern in the most effective way.

Defra supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and is providing £424,000 to the Unit in 2025-2026. It is satisfied with the NWCU’s effectiveness. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats, and assisting law enforcers with investigations. Defra has a strict grant reporting mechanism in place with the Unit whereby each quarter it provides qualitative and quantitative information setting out how Defra funding has been spent. In 2024-25 the NWCU provided support on wildlife crime cases to every local police force in the North West and indeed the whole of the UK.

The Government is acting through the Employment Rights Bill to improve protections for seafarers by providing powers to protect the working conditions of those working aboard international services frequently calling at UK ports. The Bill will also close a loophole that prevented prosecution of employers who failed to provide notification of proposed collective redundancies aboard ships registered outside of the UK. These protections will benefit seafarers working aboard services in scope, including when they are employed by companies registered outside of the UK.

My Department will also continue to work internationally to improve protections for seafarers, including through implementing the amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention agreed in April by representatives of shipowners, seafarers and governments at the International Labour Organization in Geneva. The new provisions include measures that will help to protect seafarers against violence and harassment, strengthen their rights to repatriation and improve access to shore leave. It is expected that these amendments will come into force internationally on 23 December 2027.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes matters of illegal driving instruction extremely seriously. DVSA strives to stamp out illegal driving instruction by targeting offenders and working in conjunction with the local Police force to identify and ultimately, when appropriate, prosecute those involved in this type of criminality.

DVSA’s Counter Fraud and Investigation team thoroughly investigate allegations of illegal driving instruction and always looks to validate any information it is provided with during any investigations. Depending on the information available, DVSA may proceed directly to an investigation or conduct targeted roadside checks, often involving the police, to identify ongoing illegal instruction. The outcomes of DVSA’s investigations can range from issuing a warning to pursuing prosecution.

Information for those wanting to start driving lessons is available on DVSA’s ‘Ready to Pass?’ website on GOV.UK. DVSA advises candidates that anyone teaching them to drive for payment must be either a qualified and approved driving instructor or a trainee driving instructor. There is also further information for candidates on how to find your nearest driving instructors.

DVSA advises candidates to check that their driving instructor is displaying their badge in their windscreen, which shows they are registered with DVSA, this could either be a green badge if they are fully qualified or a pink badge if they are a trainee instructor.

Individuals who have not been through the approved driving instructor process pose a very real threat to road safety. It also damages the reputation and credibility of the driver training industry. DVSA recommends that anyone with concerns about a possible illegal driving instructor follow the advice on GOV.UK: Report an illegal driving instructor.

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.

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.

The Government is committed to strengthening workers’ rights at sea, and the Employment Rights Bill includes measures to improve protections for seafarers facing collective redundancy, and powers to protect the working conditions of seafarers aboard frequent international services. My Department will continue to engage with the maritime trade unions and the sector more broadly about the application of employment rights to seafarers, as well as working with like-minded states and social partners to drive up international standards.