Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of people with disabilities in the UK that (a) stopped receiving a mobility allowance and (b) lost access to the Motability Scheme as a result of reaching state pension age in 2023.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) before reaching state pension age, are still entitled to their award after reaching state pension age.

No claimant over state pension age will lose their mobility component or access to the Motability scheme providing they continue to meet the qualifying conditions of the benefit.

During 2022-23, an average of 226,000 PIP claimants of pension age received the enhanced mobility award in England & Wales. Any claimant in receipt of enhanced rate mobility can choose to exchange this for a lease on a Motability car, powered wheelchair or scooter.

We do not hold data on how many PIP claimants over state pension age choose to use the Motability scheme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the England and Wales Cricket Board on (a) racism and (b) discrimination in cricket.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is clear that racism has no place in cricket, sport, or society at large. I regularly meet with the England and Wales Cricket Board to discuss a range of issues, including equality, diversity and inclusion.

It is ultimately for all individual sports’ national governing bodies, to decide on the specific aims, appropriate initiatives and funding to tackle discrimination in their organisations.

The ECB has provided a full response to the 2023 Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report, and has publicly committed to taking on board the majority of the recommendations to create lasting change across the sport. We welcome the ECB’s commitment to tackle these serious issues and secure a sustainable future for the sport. Government will be monitoring closely to ensure that progress is made.

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 help increase participation of (a) girls and (b) women in cricket.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity including pushing for greater participation.

We are pleased to see the significant progress in the number of women and girls taking up cricket in recent years, and wider developments in the women’s game, as noted by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report. The England and Wales Cricket Board’s five year plan, Inspiring Generations, launched in 2020 aims to inspire a new generation to believe that ‘cricket is a game for me’. The plan focuses on six priority areas including making cricket gender-neutral with women and girls being properly represented across the whole game.

Initiatives like Chance to Shine, which receives funding from Sport England, play an important role in encouraging girls to play cricket. The project gives all children the opportunity to play, learn and develop through cricket.

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report notes that while positive progress has been made in the women’s game, there are still areas of concern where more action is needed.

The ECB has provided a full response to the ICEC report and has committed to taking on board the majority of the recommendations to create lasting change across the sport. We welcome the ECB’s commitment to bring forward a plan to tackle these serious issues and secure a sustainable future for the sport, and look forward to receiving updates on this.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2024 to Question 16041 on Diplomatic Service, whether his Department has had a policy of instructing British diplomats not to engage with Official Opposition hon. Members since 2010.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

There is no policy preventing engagement between British diplomats and UK parliamentarians. While posts must prioritise resources for the delivery of HMG business, if a parliamentarian makes a request for support this will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The overseas network aims to provide appropriate support for parliamentarians, including a high-level of support for select committees travelling overseas. As per my previous answer (16041), all engagement with Parliamentarians must adhere to the principle of political impartiality and follow the correct clearance processes as outlined in the Civil Service code and Directory of civil service guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of maternity leave for serving police officers in England.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) consider and make recommendations to the Government on the pay, allowances, hours of duty and leave for police officers. The Government values their independent and expert advice.

Police officers may take up to 15 months’ maternity leave. Officers who meet the relevant qualifying criteria receive full pay for 26 weeks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the letter of 22 January 2024 from the hon. Member for Stockport on behalf of a constituent, reference NM0059.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

We have received the hon. Member’s correspondence of 22 January 2024, and responded on 14 March 2024.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle littering in Stockport constituency.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan set out how we will support councils across the county to take tougher action against those that litter. For example, last year we significantly raised the upper limit on fixed penalty notices from £150 to £500 and from 1 April 2024 councils will have to spend this income on enforcement and clean up activity.

On behalf of Defra and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Waste and Resources Action Programme has published guidance for local authorities on the provision of litter bins. The Right Bin in the Right Place guidance is available here.

The Chewing Gum Task Force, established by Defra and funded by producers, has provided almost £2.5 million in grants since 2022 to help nearly 100 councils remove gum stains from high streets and invest in long-term behaviour change to prevent gum being dropped in the first place. The Task Force has recently launched another grant scheme for councils this year. Further information can be found here.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of international students studying in the UK from India in the last 12 months.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Data on the number of international students by country of domicile can be found on Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) website here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-from. HESA data is not available for the last 12 months.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Taiwan on the use of e-gates for Taiwanese nationals at UK airports.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Whilst we regularly review eGate eligibility for different passport holders, we operate the UK border, including eGate eligibility, solely in the UK interest, recognising the need to balance both passenger flow and border security.

The Government has set out an ambitious vision to create an effective and secure border system. As part of this vision, we intend to investigate options to increase the use of automation and eGates by those passport holders currently ineligible to use them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will allocate capital funds to carry out urgent estates repairs at Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Stepping Hill Hospital is run by the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB), of which Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is a partner member, has been allocated £158 million in operational capital in 2023/24, totalling to over £500 million in operational capital funding over the spending review period of 2022/23 to 2024/25. This allocation is prioritised by the ICB, according to local needs. In addition to the above funding, the trust received over £42 million in capital funding from national programmes between 2020/21 and 2022/23. Future National Health Service capital funding will be determined at future spending reviews.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to provide an Answer to Question 17965 tabled by the hon. Member for Stockport on 11 March 2024.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 17965 on 21 March 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason he requested that Professor Brian Bell undertake a rapid review of the Graduate route.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), led by Professor Brian Bell, has been commissioned to provide further evidence to support the Government’s understanding of how the Graduate route is operating in practice and to what extent it is supporting the original objectives.

No decisions have been made on the future of the Graduate route. We will consider evidence put forward by the MAC closely and ensure any policy proposals are subject to rigorous assessment of their impacts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the economic impact of scrapping the Graduate Route.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), led by Professor Brian Bell, has been commissioned to provide further evidence to support the Government’s understanding of how the Graduate route is operating in practice and to what extent it is supporting the original objectives.

No decisions have been made on the future of the Graduate route. We will consider evidence put forward by the MAC closely and ensure any policy proposals are subject to rigorous assessment of their impacts.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of water in the River Mersey.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are committed to continue to improving water quality and are delivering the record investment, the stronger regulation and the tougher enforcement to improve our water for our own health, for nature and the economy. For example, on 20 February we announced plans to more than quadruple Environment Agency (EA) water company inspections, strengthening oversight, reducing the reliance on self-monitoring.

The EA has been working with United Utilities in Stockport and in the upstream catchments of the River Tame and River Goyt. Within the current investment programme (2020-2025) there are improvements due to be completed at 2 storm overflows and at 6 of the wastewater treatment works in the upstream catchments. EA has also been working with United Utilities on their investment programme for 2025-2030.

The EA also have national programmes investigating persistent chemical failures and historic sources of chemicals across the Mersey catchment.

Found: Questions 1 - 16 Representations made I: Debbie Abrahams II: Navendu Mishra and Alison Thewliss III: