Navendu Mishra

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982 held · 609 searchable for Navendu Mishra. The searchable lines are below in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 10.

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1. “I am also very grateful to Friends of Heaton Chapel Station, who make a valuable and wonderful contribution to the community of Stockport. I have gathered some feedback from members of staff at Stockport station, so I will quickly mention that. Many Members might be surprised to discover that we have an unusually named platform 0 at Stockport station. Sadly, due to staffing shortages platform 0 is often closed, because there are not enough Avanti staff. The Passenger Assist scheme, which is supposed to help those who are less mobile, those with health conditions or those with disabilities to access the railway, is a vital lifeline for many people. Unfortunately, I am told that the staffing for the Passenger Assist scheme is so poor at Stockport station that it is covered by one member of staff on a part-time basis.”

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2. “They are a brilliant community group in the Reddish part of Stockport who have worked tirelessly to improve their local railway station. They have been campaigning for years for proper rail services at Reddish South. Currently, Reddish South station has one train a week. Imagine having a local train station with one train a week—it is just ridiculous. I echo the calls for further investment by Network Rail in better signalling in and around Stockport. Some of the engineering parts and equipment used around Stockport are quite dated. We need to ensure that the signalling infrastructure and equipment is the latest, cutting-edge equipment for safety standards and ease of use. We also need to unlock the future capability and reliability of our railway network, so that would be welcome.”

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3. “I wrote to it but unfortunately got a disappointing response; I will be going back to it. I urge the Minister to visit it with me at some point. The absence of a direct service from Stockport to Manchester airport creates unnecessary inconvenience for many residents, particularly those who rely on public transport for work. Manchester Airports Group is a large employer in my constituency, and many people commute from my constituency to Manchester airport. The indirect route is difficult for those carrying heavy luggage and for those who are less mobile or need assistance. I want to see that service reinstated as soon as possible. I have mentioned this on a number of occasions in the Chamber, but may I pay tribute to the friends of Reddish South station?”

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4. “Many people rely on the station, whether for commuting across the north-west or visiting Birmingham or London, but it has been unfairly left behind. Stockport residents are calling for proper investment to bring the station in line with others across the region. They want safety, accessibility and basic decency. On a different point, I take the opportunity to urge the Minister to back the extension of the Metrolink tram system to Stockport town centre. That investment would be a huge boost for Stockport’s connectivity and local economy, helping people to get to work, school and healthcare appointments more easily and sustainably. We have great connections from Stockport station, but sadly during covid TransPennine Express stopped direct services between Stockport and Manchester airport.”

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5. “While I welcome Network Rail’s investment in the Greek Street bridge near the station—it is investing almost £20 million in that project—it needs to go further and faster in improving the station for all. I highlight that the viaduct, which I mentioned earlier, is an iconic part of Stockport’s skyline, but it is not part of Stockport station. The investment of £20 million in the Greek Street bridge is also welcome, but that is not part of the station. We need ringfenced investment in the station. I was recently out with the Network Rail team—I think it was in February—who have spent almost £1.1 million cleaning up and repairing the viaduct. That is great news for our town and for railway users, but the station needs a lot of love and investment.”

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6. “Another resident said that the station feels “poor, tired and dark” and that she “doesn’t feel safe travelling as a woman alone in the evening or early mornings”. Ticket vending machines are unreliable and the Edgely entrance to Stockport station is in a dire state. The station is well run but understaffed. Residents have reported to me a lack of gate staff, no permanent British Transport police presence, and serious concerns about road safety on the Edgeley entrance side. Tragically, there was recently a collision that left a member of the public injured on that side of the station, which was sad news. I have raised these issues with Avanti. The broken main entrance door was finally replaced, but it should not have taken public shaming to get essential fixes done.”

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7. “I welcome the recent announcement by Network Rail to repair the frequently faulty lifts—£46,000 is being invested at the station to make step-free access more reliable for passengers—but that should be the start, not the end of the investment at our station. Basic maintenance is falling behind at the station, with leaking roofs, worn out toilets, and poor drainage causing repeated flooding on platforms. One resident described the station as “incredibly uninviting”. They said that the “lights are dim because they are covered in years of cobwebs and grime” and that parts of the station are in “dire condition, often leaking”. The station’s pedestrian tunnel is dark, damp and neglected. One resident described it as being like an “old air raid shelter”.”

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8. “Sadly, it seems that Avanti is putting private profits before public safety and accessibility. I am told that Avanti paid out shareholder dividends of £8.1 million in 2024. Ticket office staffing in Stockport is inconsistent and simply not good enough. The Government should instruct Avanti to permanently fill all existing vacancies, transfer staff on fixed-term contracts to permanent contracts and ensure its ticket offices and stations are properly staffed. As I have noted, Stockport station is one of the busiest in Greater Manchester, yet its condition is far below what passengers deserve.”

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9. “That is why it is so important that we have good-quality, reliable infrastructure that supports disabled people, and lifts and doors that do not break down frequently, as they do at Stockport station. Ticket offices provide a fixed location for passengers to locate staff and, therefore, advice and assistance. That is particularly important for many disabled people, who are less able to search the station for a roaming member of staff. The RMT union has long-standing concerns about Avanti’s failure to fill station staff vacancies and its widespread reliance on fixed-term contracts. That understaffing is leading to delays at ticket offices and cases of ticket offices not being open during their advertised and regulated hours. That clearly impacts the passenger experience, safety and accessibility.”

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10. “I am not familiar with that station, but I agree wholeheartedly that people should not be excluded from our public transport network due to their physical ability. That is just not acceptable in modern Britain. I want to call out the previous Conservative Government’s plans to close hundreds of ticket offices, including at key stations such as Stockport. Those proposals were entirely unacceptable because they ignored the needs of disabled passengers, older travellers and anyone who is less able to use the internet. Disabled people already face numerous barriers in accessing the railway and are three times less likely to travel by rail than non-disabled people.”

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11. “I thank the Minister for making that point. I had a conversation with Avanti recently about the Passenger Assist scheme. The west coast main line network that Avanti services is a major network in this country, and Avanti should welcome the fact that more disabled people want to use its services. I am told by members of staff at the station, which has 3.8 million entries and exits per year, that one member of staff on a part-time basis supports Passenger Assist. I am sure the Minister will agree that that is simply not good enough and that Avanti needs to do a lot better.”

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12. “The Minister is being extremely generous. As I mentioned in my speech, I welcome the £20 million investment in the Greek Street bridge and the £1.1 million investment to clean the viaduct and repair the brickwork. But if we are being honest, the Greek Street bridge and the viaduct are not part of Stockport station. They are of course an essential part of our railway network, but I want to see real investment in Stockport station for passengers and staff members, so I hope Network Rail is watching and takes note of that.”

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13. “The flooding is not caused by the residents, but they are facing much higher costs for insurance and to protect themselves. I met the Environment Agency recently, and I thank all its staff, but I do not think that it has a plan for increasing flood defences, particularly in Stockport. I urge the Minister, who I know is hard-working and diligent, to make representations on that point.”

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14. “Another told me that they had to pay more than £1,000 in temporary accommodation costs, which really adds up. The Meadow Mill residents association has been doing a lot of work on those issues, and Martin Doherty MBE has been contacting utility companies to support residents over electricity charges that seem to be inconsistent. Stockport council is Liberal Democrat-run, but I have been working with it and it has been making representations to the Environment Agency and the Government that it needs more funding to support residents. My final point is on insurance costs. Many residents, whether they are tenants or own their property, face significantly higher insurance costs because of flooding. I think that experience will be replicated across the constituencies of MPs in this Chamber, and something needs to be done about it.”

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15. “It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate the hon. Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman) on securing this important debate. I am very limited by time, but I want to raise the recent flooding at Meadow Mill in my constituency on new year’s day. I thank the firefighters, police officers and council staff for supporting residents. Thankfully, none of the flats in the mill was flooded, but the electricity and water supply were lost. One of the key points that I want to raise in the limited time that I have is that the Environment Agency needs more funding for flood defences in Stockport. Several residents have contacted me or come to see me. One told me that the repair costs for her car due to the flooding were approximately £320.”

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16. “We are currently facing a chronic staffing crisis in adult social care, which has led to increasing recruitment from overseas. Migrant workers now make up 16% of the workforce in England. While many arrive in good faith, they are too often met with extortionate recruitment fees, wage reductions, exploitative working conditions and the ever-present threat of deportation should they raise concerns or lose their jobs. I have been contacted by a number of constituents who have witnessed a shocking litany of failures, negligence and exploitation of migrant workers at the hands of a private company in my constituency of Stockport. Many workers have not been paid or have found themselves in overcrowded, substandard housing, and at times without any work at all.”

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17. “As a fellow north-western MP, I am sure that you, Mr Speaker, share my pride that the banks of the River Mersey were the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and my constituency of Stockport continues to be a hub for innovation. We have many fantastic businesses in Stockport, including KNDS in the Heatons, which manufactures military bridging systems and the Boxer armoured vehicle for the British Army. Can the Minister outline how the national wealth fund will fuel economic growth in Stockport and the investment we need in our local infrastructure?”

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18. “I also take this opportunity to wish the cleaners who clean our offices on the parliamentary estate, our police officers, our catering staff, everyone who works here and, of course, Members’ staff a very happy Easter.”

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19. “Friends and I have had a meeting with Sky, and we are looking forward to engaging with staff. The loss of these jobs in Leeds, Sheffield and Stockport is a hammer blow to our towns. Sadly, on new year’s day, we had some flooding in my constituency. The Meadow Mill was affected, and I recently had a very productive meeting with the Environment Agency. I pay tribute to the emergency service workers and council staff who helped residents on the day of the flood, but I want to see the Government invest more in flood defences, particularly in my constituency, to support residents and businesses. A number of residents have contacted me about the flooding, and it has had a negative impact on quite a new development. I finish by wishing you a happy Easter, Madam Deputy Speaker.”

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20. “I want to see a reallocation of funding for Stockport, and obviously I want to see more funding allocated to children in Stockport. Sky made a major announcement a few days ago, and I have been doing some work with my hon. Friends the Members for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) and for Leeds Central and Headingley (Alex Sobel). Sky announced that it was planning to close three contact centres in Sheffield, Leeds and Stockport, putting 2,000 jobs at risk, including 545 in Stockport. I have been contacted by a large number of Sky employees who are distressed by the news, and families are worried about their future. Several employees have told me that before they found out from their employer that the plan was in place, several media outlets, including Sky News, ran the story. That is simply not acceptable. My hon.”

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21. “I have recently visited several excellent secondary schools in my constituency, including Reddish Vale high school, Priestnall school in the Heatons, and Reddish Hall school. It was great to see that the staff, students and teachers are so ambitious about the future, but the funding that our local authority receives could go further. Stockport has one of the lowest-funded school systems in England, and it has a higher proportion of children with education, health and care plans than the national average. My local authority is part of the f40 group of local authorities, some of which are the lowest funded. On average, the lowest-funded authority for SEND receives approximately £950 per pupil, with the highest funded receiving £3,250 per pupil. In Stockport, the figure is approximately £1,100 per pupil.”

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22. “May I join other Members in paying tribute to Sir David Amess? He was a monumental figure in British politics and internationally. Banks continue to do well, despite the challenges that ordinary households continue to face. We have had the disappointing news that NatWest is planning to close 53 bank branches this year. Nine of those are in Greater Manchester, and one of them is in my constituency. These branch closures will undoubtedly cause uncertainty for staff, and they will have an adverse and disproportionate impact on people with low incomes, older people, disabled people and people with a lower level of literacy, who rely on bank branches. After NatWest Group was rescued in 2008 by a £45 billion Government bail-out, I believe that it has a duty of care to British taxpayers and should continue to provide vital community services.”

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23. “Serious questions have been raised with me by Sky employees about the mass redundancies, the process being leaked to media outlets before all staff were made aware of the redundancies, and the lack of clarity about the level of support on offer to members of staff. These redundancies will have a detrimental impact on the economies and communities of Stockport, Sheffield and Leeds. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on Sky and how it treats its hard-working, loyal staff?”

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24. “Mr Speaker, I wish you and all the House staff, colleagues in the Chamber, and those outside an early happy Easter. Sky is a household name in Britain and has millions of customers. I am proud to represent Stockport, and Sky is a major employer in our town. Unfortunately, it was announced last week that almost 2,000 jobs are at risk in Sky’s UK operations, with 545 roles in Stockport and more in Leeds and Sheffield impacted. I have been working with my hon. Friends the Members for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) and for Leeds Central and Headingley (Alex Sobel), and my immediate constituency neighbour, the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), to support the staff impacted.”

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25. “There is obviously a lot more to do on public transport, but I am grateful to colleagues at Transport for Greater Manchester—particularly Ben, whom I am always asking for information—and colleagues at Network Rail.”

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26. “The increase in housing around Reddish South and the changes in Reddish over the years mean that we need proper services to that station, to improve connectivity into not only Stockport town centre, but Manchester and other parts of the north-west. My last point is that before covid, we used to have a direct service from Stockport station into Manchester airport. That service was withdrawn during the pandemic and sadly has not returned. Passengers often have to go into Manchester Piccadilly and then wait to change trains. Many who travel to Manchester airport have heavy luggage, so it is not an ideal situation. We need to see that service reinstated as soon as possible. I like to end on a positive point: I welcome bus franchising. Mayor Burnham has done a lot of good work.”

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27. “I want to see that addressed as soon as possible. I also want to use this valuable time to pay tribute to Nathanial Yates from my constituency. He has done a lot of work on step-free access. He is a champion for public transport, and I want to place on the record my thanks to him for his work, not just in Stockport but across Greater Manchester. Reddish South station in my constituency has a train service once a week. Every Saturday morning, a train arrives and goes into Stockport. A few minutes later, that same train comes from Stockport via Reddish South. In the last reporting period, Reddish South recorded 80 passengers in an entire year. Friends of Reddish South Station is quite active on that issue; I meet its members frequently. I pay tribute to all their work, but we need to address the situation.”

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28. “The roof leaks often, the toilets are outdated and the lifts are frequently faulty, which particularly disadvantages passengers with mobility issues or heavy luggage. I want to see real investment in Stockport station. I know that Network Rail and Avanti are doing some work, but we need to be bold about investing. Avanti employs about 48 staff at Stockport station. I know almost all of them, if not all, and many share my concerns about the state of the station. I am grateful to all of them. My hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Lizzi Collinge) made a point about step-free access at railway stations. The Access for All scheme is just far too slow and not ambitious enough. Sadly, three out of five rail stations in my constituency—Brinnington, Heaton Chapel and Reddish South—do not have step-free access.”

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29. “I want to see the work start as soon as possible, and I would welcome a meeting with the Minister as soon as possible, perhaps with the hon. Member for Hazel Grove, to discuss that. I have limited time, but I have a couple of points to make. The first is on Stockport railway station, which recorded almost 3.8 million entries and exits in the last reporting period. It is a major hub for Greater Manchester and the north-west region. I am aware that several of my colleagues from Greater Manchester travel to Stockport on a Monday to take the train to London, because it is easier, and several local services often have poor connectivity. However, unfortunately the station is in a dire state.”

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30. “It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) on securing this debate; it is clearly very popular. I refer to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests in relation to my trade union memberships, particularly donations from the RMT to my constituency Labour party. I will add to the points made by several colleagues on extending the Metrolink tram network. I would like to see it extended into Hazel Grove, as my neighbour the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart) said. I would also like to see it extended into Stockport town centre. I understand that the Greater Manchester combined authority and Stockport council are developing a strategic outline business case, which should be completed by autumn this year.”

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31. “As such, can we have a debate in Government time on supporting people living with Parkinson’s and other degenerative conditions, and about the social security support available to them?”

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32. “May I, too, wish a very happy Holi to all the Hindus celebrating in the UK and across the world tomorrow? An issue that is personal to me and to many of my constituents is Parkinson’s, and World Parkinson’s Day takes place on 11 April every year. I pay tribute to Parkinson’s UK for all it does to support people with Parkinson’s. Research suggests that personal independence payment assessors do not have sufficient understanding of the fluctuations in symptoms that people with Parkinson’s experience. Consequently, people with Parkinson’s are denied much-needed support. In fact, in almost every instance in which Parkinson’s UK’s expert social security advisers have assisted a member of the Parkinson’s community to challenge an initial PIP decision, it has been overturned in the claimant’s favour.”

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33. “The shadow Home Secretary is making an important point, but does he accept that, between 2010 and 2024, the population of the UK increased and so did the complexity of crime? I often meet police officers in my constituency and across Greater Manchester who are stressed out and working very long hours, often covering for other officers. Does he accept that the argument he is making is slightly flawed because the population has increased, the complexity of crime has increased and the amount of time officers spend on tackling crime has changed?”

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34. “Women’s centres provide vital support for women facing issues including isolation, domestic abuse, health problems and navigating the social security system, among a wide range of other support. I recently visited Stockport Women’s Centre and want to place on the record my thanks to all the staff and volunteers there who support women from across Stockport. Can we have a debate in Government time on the enormous contribution of organisations that support women in our society, in particular women’s centres across England, and on how to secure the essential funding they need to continue their important work?”

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35. “On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would like to apologise to the House for failing to declare an interest when tabling a written parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on 24 April 2024, and then when tabling a written parliamentary question to the Deputy Foreign Secretary on 13 May 2024. When I tabled these questions, I inadvertently failed to declare two interests: a reception at the Labour party conference that was sponsored by the high commission of India, and a visit to India that was funded by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. This was in breach of the rules, and I apologise to the House for this error.”

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36. “I highlight that, currently, the lowest-funded authority for SEND receives £950 per pupil, while the highest-funded receives £3,250 per pupil. Stockport receives around £1,100 per pupil for SEND—among the lowest funding nationally. The £1 billion of extra funding announced by the Chancellor in the Budget is very welcome, and we should reflect on the 14 harsh years of the previous Administration and the coalition Government. However, that extra funding must not be distributed according to existing criteria; the funding distribution is unfair, and we need to address that. I thank the Minister in advance for her contribution.”

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37. “It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I am limited by time, so I will congratulate the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Marie Goldman) on securing this debate, and thank all the teachers, parents and pupils who are struggling with this system, and in particular the Brinnington SEND group in my constituency, who I have met on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately, Stockport is one of the lowest-funded school systems in England. Stockport has a higher proportion of EHCPs than the national average, and that is causing a lot of issues in our constituency. I receive regular correspondence on that. The number of EHC plans in Stockport has increased by 60.4% since 2019, and Stockport is part of the f40 group, which represents the 40 local authorities with the lowest level of school funding.”

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38. “Sadly, many places across England have been impacted by flooding in recent days. The ground floor of Meadow Mill in my constituency was flooded on new year’s eve, which meant that residents in 213 apartments were not only stranded but left without water, electricity or heating. I thank all the emergency service workers and Stockport council staff for supporting the residents. Can we have a debate in Government time on the impact of flooding on insurance premiums and service charge costs for apartment block residents?”

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39. “Many people who have permanent and often worsening medical conditions are rejected when they apply for a blue badge with their local authority. The blue badge scheme helps people who have medical issues—physical or mental—with access to car parking that is closer to their destination. I am aware of a constituent who has dementia and other medical conditions whose application for a blue badge has been rejected by my local council. As such, may I request that we have a debate in Government time on the blue badge scheme in England and how local authorities implement the scheme for residents?”

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40. “I thank everyone not just in the Church of England, but in all churches across my Stockport constituency and Greater Manchester, for all they do to provide not just spiritual guidance but all sorts of other things, such as food banks and support with a number of other issues.”

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41. “The Right Reverend Libby Lane now serves as the Bishop of Derby, and I want to place on the record my gratitude to her for all her work in Stockport and the various other places she has served. She was introduced to the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual in July 2019, and she continues to do excellent and important work in the other place. I usually do not speak in debates of this nature, but I recently met the Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend David Walker, at All Saints’ parish church in my constituency. We discussed many issues, including the contribution of the Church, not just in Stockport but across Greater Manchester and the north-west. He made me aware of the importance of this legislation and of the impact it will have, and I want to place in Hansard my thanks to him for highlighting that to me.”

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42. “My speech will be very brief. I welcome the progress made by the House earlier this week in voting to pass the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill in Committee and on Third Reading. I also welcome the Government’s recognition of the importance of consecrating more female bishops and reflecting that composition in the other Chamber. On a more local point, Stockport is famous for many things, one of which is the fact that the Church of England’s first woman bishop was the Right Reverend Libby Lane, who served as the Bishop of Stockport between 2015 and 2019. She was mentioned by the Minister and my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova). Stockport is known for many groundbreaking things, and that is just one of them.”

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43. “The Minister is making an excellent speech. Can I echo the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova)? She welcomed the fact that there were more women bishops in the Church of England, but also made a point about having women bishops of colour. I understand that there are several women bishops of colour in the Church of England now, but it is very important that more is done to make sure that people from under-represented segments and demographics are represented in the highest structures of the Church of England. Will the Minister join me in thanking our hon. Friend the Member for Battersea for making that point?”

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44. “I am very grateful to the Minister for allowing me a second intervention. She has made comments about the first woman bishop, the Bishop of Stockport. In her role as a Minister of the Crown, will she officially congratulate the Right Rev. Libby Lane, who serves in the other Chamber, and mark the point I am making about the wonderful constituency of Stockport?”

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45. “That means that small breweries can pay 40 times as much per pint in business rates as a global brewer does, so that needs to be looked at to support the sector. I thank the Campaign for Real Ale, the Society of Independent Brewers and the British Beer and Pub Association for all that they do for the sector, and of course Robinsons, particularly William Robinson, who continue to lobby me.”

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46. “So far in 2024 there has been a net loss of 94 small independent breweries. I want to highlight the record of the previous Government—the last 14 years of Conservative Government, including the coalition years—and its impact on our hospitality sector. I am hopeful that the new Government and our capable Minister will deliver for the sector. Maintaining the 75% business rates relief for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector is very important. On business rates, pubs are taxed in a different way from most businesses. Large breweries, often run by multinational firms, are classified as specialist brewery sites for business rates. Small breweries have normal commercial premises for business rates purposes.”

    House of Commons22 October 2024Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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47. “It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Leicestershire (Mr Bedford) for securing this important debate. Pubs and the hospitality sector play an important part in Stockport and across Britain. In Stockport we have 65 pubs and five breweries supporting 1,590 jobs, creating £29 million in tax and contributing £57 million to the economy. We have several iconic businesses related to the sector, including Robinsons Brewery, which is still family-owned, the award-winning Stockport Gin—it continues to be stocked in the Strangers bar, and I invite Members to check it out—and also iconic pubs including the Magnet and the Sir Robert Peel. The sector has been struggling. The hon. Gentleman made the point that several pubs have closed. I believe in the first half of 2024, 50 pubs closed each month.”

    House of Commons22 October 2024Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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48. “Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on the impact of Avanti’s operational performance not just on the regional economy in the north, but on the national economy and public infrastructure?”

    House of Commons10 October 2024Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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49. “I congratulate the Leader of the House—my constituency neighbour—on her birthday, and wish her and her family the best. Mr Speaker has left the Chair, but I know that he is, like me, a long-standing user of Avanti West Coast trains for his constituency travel, so I am sure that he will be familiar with their poor reliability. Last week, I was made aware of a serious crisis at my local station, Stockport. It seems that Avanti is simply not employing enough staff for the station to function when it comes to passenger and worker safety, and passenger experience. The Financial Times recently reported that Avanti was the worst-performing train operator in the UK between April and June.”

    House of Commons10 October 2024Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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50. “Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Stockport, can I congratulate you on your re-election? I also congratulate my fellow Greater Manchester Labour MP on her appointment as Leader of the House. I am certain that she will do a fantastic job. Public libraries are a vital hub for communities across the nation, providing important spaces for drop-in sessions, internet connectivity, reading books and so much more, yet in my local authority of Stockport borough the local Liberal Democrat council is reducing staffed hours in our libraries—a move that threatens to leave many adults and children isolated and without access to critical services. As such, will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on our treasured public libraries?”

    House of Commons18 July 2024Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗

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