Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for UK foreign policy of the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 25 March 2026 recognising the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity and calling for reparatory justice; and for what reasons the United Kingdom abstained in that vote.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

No such assessment is required, but the Hon Member can find the UK's Explanation of Vote at the following link on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-explanation-of-vote-on-the-declaration-of-the-trafficking-of-enslaved-africans-and-racialised-chattel-enslavement-of-africans-as-the-gravest-crime.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions her Department has had with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on the condition of Reddish library.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities in England to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing and maintaining a library service to meet those needs within their available resources.

DCMS has held no specific discussions with Stockport Council regarding Reddish library's condition. Building maintenance is an operational matter for the local authority. DCMS only engages with local authorities on this kind of matter where representations allege that the condition of the library building is impacting delivery of library services, meaning the local authority is not delivering its statutory duty.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Northern Rail and Avanti West Coast on the potential merits of (i) simpler and (ii) cheaper train tickets in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government remains committed to making ticketing simpler and more flexible for passengers. Passengers in Stockport and Greater Manchester are benefiting from simpler fares which were introduced in December 2025. Overall, the change means that the average fare in Greater Manchester fell by 5.6%.

Working with operators, Pay As You Go with contactless on rail in Manchester will arrive in December this year as part of the Bee Network expansion, initially covering 17 stations.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will discuss with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council the future of the 50m Grand Central Swimming Pool in Stockport.

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 swimming facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities.

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.

In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, over the next four years. 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.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in the North West region.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department actively promotes foreign direct investment into the North West through the Office for Investment, which works closely with regional stakeholders to identify, shape and market regional opportunities.

The Government has placed the North West at the centre of its Northern Growth Strategy and Industrial Strategy, using large public investments to attract private capital. This includes a multi‑billion‑pound investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail (including a new Liverpool – Manchester line via Manchester Airport and Warrington), as well as targeted investments such as the new Digital Campus in Manchester and the National Cryogenics Facility in Cheshire (Liverpool City Region), positioning the North West as a global quantum technologies hub.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that primary and secondary school pupils in Greater Manchester are provided with nutritious, healthy and minimally processed food in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We are consulting on proposed updates to the school food standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and supports children’s health, wellbeing and learning. The consultation will run for nine weeks, closing on 12 June 2026. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.

We have worked with the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care and consulted health and academic experts on the issue of ultra-processed foods, to ensure all changes are evidence-based. We know that many products classified as ultra-processed foods are often high in free sugars, saturated fats and/or salt, and it is levels of these which we are trying to reduce, including processed meats, confectionery and savoury snacks.