Written questions by Mishra.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set out how her Department’s animal welfare strategy will address the welfare of fast-growing broiler chickens used in the foodservice sector.

The Government is considering how we can support voluntary efforts to move away from the use of fast-growing meat chicken breeds. The Government welcomes the fact that those supermarkets who made Better Chicken Commitment pledges have fulfilled them, but it is disappointing to hear of the decision of various restaurant groups to withdraw their commitments to improve animal welfare in this way.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential public health impact of mandatory health warning labels on alcoholic beverages, including warnings on cancer risk.

The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.Department officials are continuing to review all available and emerging evidence of the potential public health impacts of this policy, which is informing our assessment of the different policy options. This includes examining information from countries that have explored, researched, or legislated for a range of health warnings, and engaging with national and international stakeholders.

Whether her department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility criteria for free childcare for working parents to include postgraduate research students.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Parents of students are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all three and four-year-olds regardless of family circumstances.Students who work in addition to studying may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if they meet the income requirements. PhD stipends are non-taxable income and therefore do not count towards the income requirements of the 30 hours childcare entitlement.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in higher education to assist them with childcare.Through the Student Loans Company, the department offers a specific Childcare Grant (CCG) to support students with the costs of childcare whilst they are in study. The CCG offers parents support of up to 85% of their childcare costs up to a maximum of £183.75 a week for one child and £315.03 for two children. CCG support is provided to individuals where both parents are students, the student is a lone parent, or the student parent’s partner is on a low income. The government has no plans to extend CCG to postgraduate research students.

Pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2026 to question 114146 titled Human Trafficking and Sexual Offences: Airports, what assessment her Department has made of trends in sex trafficking involving (a) arrivals into and (b) departures from UK airports in each of the last ten years.

Currently there is limited data covering this area, however a total of 23,411 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the Home Office (HO) in 2025, representing a 22% increase compared to the preceding year (19,117). The number of referrals made in this year is the highest in any year since the NRM began in 2009, overtaking the record from the previous year (2024). Females most often reported sexual exploitation (28%; 1,679). As a result, the Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational activity aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the fuel finder service in (a) Stockport constituency and (b) Greater Manchester; and whether he plans to take steps to improve the coverage of the scheme, including by ensuring that all eligible fuel retailers participate.

Fuel Finder has launched and this Government has made participation mandatory under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) regulations. An aggregator has been appointed with powers to monitor non-compliance and pass on cases to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as enforcer of the scheme. The CMA are currently focussing on supporting compliance rather than enforcement. Over 88% of retailers are participating and this number will increase as the enforcement period approaches in May. The CMA has information gathering powers to monitor the road fuels market and will use Fuel Finder data to assess regional pricing.

With reference to her Department's document entitled Pavement parking options for change: government response, updated on 8 January 2026, whether she plans to give local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices to vehicles parked on grass verges.

On 8 January, I announced in the response to the government consultation on 'Pavement Parking: options for change' that we will enable local transport authorities to prohibit pavement parking in their areas at the next legislative opportunity. This will include verge parking.

What steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of the availability of free advice from independent providers on claiming welfare benefits; and if he will make an assessment on the potential merits of a public engagement campaign on this topic.

Free help and support in applying for Universal Credit is available from Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. Free help and support for claiming other DWP benefits is widely available, including on GOV.UK, from the Department itself, and from organisations such as Age UK. There is no need for claimants to pay for advice and support with benefit applications.

What steps he is taking to resolve operational issues at Reddish Post Office, SK5 6AF and reopen the branch.

The Post Office is responsible for the day-to-day operation of its network, including decisions related to individual branches. As a result, the Government is unable to provide specific details on the reopening of Reddish post office.The Post Office has apologised for the inconvenience caused by the closure and will provide updates to customers and stakeholders as soon as further information becomes available. In the meantime, Post Office report that customers can access services at nearby branches, including Broomfield Post Office.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent and detect the trafficking of sexual exploitation victims through airports.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of modern slavery and human trafficking are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible for exploiting vulnerable people are brought to justice. Modern slavery is a top priority for Border Force. All frontline Border Force Officers are trained in how to identify and deal with potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as those who seek to exploit them. Border Force also has a network of specially trained Safeguarding and Modern Slavery (SAMS) teams based in all regions. The SAMS officers are operational and ensure children and vulnerable people, including potential victims of modern slavery, are dealt with effectively.

Innovation and Technology, what funding she has allocated to deliver the Digital Inclusion Action Plan through the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund after this financial year.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online.Through the Fund we will better understand what works and what could be scaled to support more people. We are taking learnings from this Fund and research projects to develop future interventions, including any potential funding after this financial year.This is just one of our First Steps, and the Government is clear that everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – with more needed to ensure this.

If she will set out a timeline for announcing changes to the BN(O) visa scheme.

On 9 February, the Home Secretary announced the expansion of eligibility for the BN(O) route. BN(O) status holders’ adult children who were under 18 at the point of Hong Kong’s handover on 1 July 1997 will be able to apply independently of their parents. This expansion will close a gap in eligibility that has led to unfair outcomes within families and ensure we continue to honour our historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong.We intend to lay the necessary changes to the Immigration Rules in March with the route open to applications from this additional cohort later this Spring.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to publish a strategy further to the Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps, published on 26 February 2025.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online.Through the Fund we will better understand what works and what could be scaled to support more people. We are taking learnings from this Fund and research projects to develop future interventions, including any potential funding after this financial year.This is just one of our First Steps, and the Government is clear that everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – with more needed to ensure this.

If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the levels of funding provided to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council for highway surface preventative maintenance and carriageway structural work, including the prevention and fixing of potholes.

The Department provides substantial, formula‑based funding to all local highway authorities in England to help them maintain their local road networks. Highways maintenance funding for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is paid to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). GMCA has been allocated a £1.07 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for the 2022–27 period and will receive a £2.5 billion Transport for City Regions settlement for 2027–32. This funding supports investment in GMCA’s local transport priorities and includes funding for highways maintenance. It is for GMCA to determine how much of this funding is allocated to highways maintenance, but they must ensure that appropriate levels are allocated to its constituent local highway authorities so that they can meet their statutory duty under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. These long-term settlements provide longer term funding certainty for local transport improvements and enable authorities to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive and preventative maintenance. In 2026/27, GMCA will also be eligible to receive an additional £15.5 million in highways maintenance incentive funding.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory requirement for the Animals in Science Regulation Unit to publish an annual report that includes details of incidents of non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, or with licence conditions.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit has routinely published its Annual Report since 2011 and will continue to do so.The Report sets out all confirmed non‑compliance cases with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and any enforcement actions taken.The Reports are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce the number of unoccupied properties in privately owned retirement blocks and (b) to support those facing high fees, including council tax, who have inherited a retirement property.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 95245 on 5 December 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108291 on IVF: Greater Manchester, if he will have discussions with the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board on the potential impact of the decision to reduce NHS-funded IVF provision across Greater Manchester to one cycle on (i) patient outcomes and (ii) health inequalities; and if will hold discussions with that ICB on current NICE guidance on IVF provision.

There are no current plans to discuss with the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) any changes to its provision of National Health Service funded in vitro fertilisation treatment or the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on fertility services.Funding decisions for health services in England are made by ICBs and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. They are expected to commission fertility services in line with NICE guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.Updated NICE fertility guidelines are expected in spring. The Department will continue to support NHS England as they work closely with ICBs to ensure the guidance is fully considered in local commissioning decisions.

What the policy justification is for applying interest to instalment payments of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty; and whether her Department considered alternative models for collecting eVED.

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that electric vehicles (EVs) contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. The Government considered a number of options for collecting eVED and intends to make complying with the new requirements as simple as possible for motorists. Consistent with their current VED payment choice, motorists will be able to choose between multiple payment options including online and via telephone; and will be able to either pay upfront or split into smaller payments such as via monthly Direct Debit. The Government will carefully consider the eVED payment regime in the run-up to implementation to ensure it can function most effectively for motorists, and seeks views on eVED implementation as part of the consultation. The consultation is available at GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-introduction-of-electric-vehicle-excise-duty-eved.

If his Department will bring forward changes to allow independent celebrants to conduct legally binding weddings.

The Government recognises the contribution that independent celebrants make to the wedding industry and will be seeking their views amongst a range of others to inform the consultation paper.In the upcoming consultation, we will invite views on the possible introduction of independent officiants and the potential consequences of this. We will encourage everyone to engage with the consultation when published to help to inform our next steps on weddings reform.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect people in Stockport from regular flooding.

The Environment Agency (EA) carries out routine inspections of all main watercourses across Stockport. The primary purpose of these inspections is to ensure that flood‑risk infrastructure is properly maintained and that any emerging issues are identified at an early stage. Inspectors also monitor anything that could increase flood risk, including fallen trees or debris that may cause blockages. EA operational teams are on call 24/7, 365 days a year to operate flood defences and respond to incidents. This includes clearing debris from watercourses, supported by remote monitoring through telemetry systems. Across the Stockport constituency, the teams manage and clear a total of three debris screens. Recent community drop‑ins were held for Stockport residents. The purpose of these was to help residents register for flood warnings so they can better prepare for and respond proactively to potential flooding.

What the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at driving test centres in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last ten years.

The attached Excel document shows what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at driving test centres in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last ten years. Please note there is no data available for Chadderton test centre for 2015. Chadderton was commissioned for practical car driving tests on 19 January 2017. For 2016/17 only partial data is available based on just over two months of operation.