Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Northern on ticket office staffing levels at Brinnington station.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail North Partnership, through which the Department and Transport for the North jointly manage Northern’s contract, has regular conversations about Northern services, including ticket office staffing and opening hours. Operators must comply with their obligations under the ticketing and settlement agreement between the Secretary of State and the operator.
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, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025, to question 93987 on Phenylketonuria: Health Foods, (a) If he will confirm the latest number of individuals with Phenylketonuria receiving low-protein foods on prescription and (b) if his Department will make an assessment of the potential positive business implications on manufacturers and suppliers of low-protein foods in the event of a shift from prescriptions to financial support.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Regarding the number of individuals with Phenylketonuria receiving low-protein foods on prescription, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) does not hold this information centrally.
NHBSA prescription data does not contain information about the indication, medical condition, or reason that a prescription was issued.
We are not considering shifting to a different model to support those with Phenylketonuria thus do not intend to assess the potential impact on manufacturers and suppliers.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (a) what discussions her Department has had with Avanti West Coast on the use of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices to address anti-social behaviour on the rail network and (b) whether the Department plans to introduce a consistent, network-wide approach to WIPs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No such discussions have taken place. Usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices is an operational matter for operators, Network Rail and the British Transport Police. The Department keeps security under constant review, however no change of policy for Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) is planned at this stage.
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 assessment he has made of the adequacy of Royal Mail’s efforts to meet its Quality of Service targets in SK Stockport postcode areas.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, is responsible for monitoring Royal Mail’s performance and ensuring that Royal Mail complies with its legal obligations. Ofcom takes compliance with its regulatory targets seriously and this involves conducting thorough investigations where failures have been identified.
In October, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality-of-service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2025 to Question 67482 on IVF: Greater Manchester, If his Department will have discussions with NHS Greater Manchester following the publication of the Standardising IVF Cycles Consultation Summary Report on implementing an increase in the number of funded cycles.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards, and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. There are no current plans to discuss implementing an increase in the number of funded in-vitro fertilisation cycles with NHS Greater Manchester.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will issue guidelines to airlines on the treatment of passengers with neurological disabilities, including standardised procedures for fitness-to-fly assessments.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Aviation must be accessible to all, and everyone has the right to travel with dignity and ease. UK law prohibits refusal of carriage by air based on any disability, impairment, or condition, except where restrictions are required due to safety reasons.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published guidance on airline accessibility including on assisting people with hidden disabilities. In addition, it issued its Airline Accessibility Guidance in 2024, which will be used to assess airline performance against accessibility requirements. This states that decisions on requiring medical clearance must be made on a case-by-case basis, and only where there is a valid reason for doing so.
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of replacing prescriptions for low protein foods with targeted financial support for patients with Phenylketonuria to buy products directly.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is not planning to assess the feasibility of replacing prescriptions for low protein foods with targeted financial support for individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU).
In England, low protein products are available to all eligible patients on prescription and are listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. The provision of these products on prescription ensures that patients with PKU have direct and reliable access to the foods needed for managing their condition.
Targeted financial support schemes have been shown to introduce additional complexity for patients and the National Health Service.
Patients with PKU may also be eligible for prescription charge exemptions, depending on their circumstances. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
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 meet with (a) Meta, (b) TikTok and (c) other social media platforms on regulating the (i) promotion and (ii) marketing of (A) unlicensed and (B) counterfeit (1) weight-loss drugs and (2) medicines.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) provides regulatory guidelines through the Blue Guide which apply to the advertising of medicines on social media, and must be observed by any organisation or individual promoting medicines to the public. There are no current plans to meet with individual social media platforms, but the MHRA welcomes any engagement on how to deliver effective messaging to ensure public and patient safety.
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 may 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. This includes regular engagement with social media companies, 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. Additionally, it disrupted thousands of links to websites and social media pages selling medical products to the public illegally.
A recent example of the MHRA’s enforcement activity is available at the following link:
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 sources. Further information is available at the following link:
https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will have discussions with EP Group on their compliance with agreements made with the Communication Workers Union on reform of the Universal Service Obligation; and whether he has assessed the adequacy of the performance of Royal Mail’s Optimised Delivery Model trials in delivering service improvements.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government engaged with EP Group and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) throughout the process of Royal Mail’s ownership transition. The Deed of Undertaking we agreed with the new owner includes a commitment from EP Group that they will continue to recognise the unions and abide by the future terms of legally binding agreements they make with them.
We will continue to monitor compliance with these undertakings and maintain dialogue with all parties to ensure that agreed protections and principles are upheld.
Royal Mail and the CWU agreed to run pilots in selected offices to design, test and review the operation of the proposed delivery model in response to Ofcom’s USO changes. The government does not have a role in the operational decisions of the business.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 87855, whether her Department has had discussions with Ofcom on price transparency in contracts provided by O2.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Further to my answer of 13 November 2025, and following my letter to Ofcom’s CEO of 31st October, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is continuing to engage with Ofcom on pricing transparency.
Ofcom publicly shared disappointment with O2’s decision, which went against the spirit of the January 2025 changes. Ofcom also reminded telecom companies of their regulatory responsibilities to maintain fair pricing and transparency. The Secretary of State has asked Ofcom what more can be done to go further, faster to ensure that people are getting a fair deal.