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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that older people can engage in community sports in the West Midlands.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including older people, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

Sport and physical activity play a vital role in driving positive public health outcomes by preventing, and helping to treat and manage, a wide range of health conditions as well as providing wider benefits, for example, in tackling loneliness.

Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for community sport, are investing up to £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer funding into more than 90 Place Partnerships across England, including Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. The programme works in a targeted way with local areas to understand and overcome the specific barriers in their communities to getting people active. Birmingham and Solihull were part of the first local delivery pilot areas the scheme is based on.

Sport England also provides support for grassroots sport through the Movement Fund, which offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most, including older people.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the punctuality of (a) Avanti West Coast, (b) CrossCountry and (c) West Midlands Railway.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Punctuality (percentage of station calls made within three minutes of schedule) for these three operators were as follows in the most recent rail period 3 (25 May to 21 June):

1. Avanti West Coast – 60.1 per cent period 3, 59.1 per cent moving annual average;

2. CrossCountry – 66.9 per cent period 3, 69.0 per cent moving annual average, and;

3. West Midlands Trains – 84.1 per cent period 3, 82.9 per cent moving annual average, which includes the West Midlands Railway 86.3 per cent period 3 result.

We recognise performance is not where it needs to be for passengers, particularly for Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry which are consistently among the least punctual operators. Officials and Ministers have regular engagement with operators and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards. We are also working with the rail industry on a Performance Restoration Framework, with five clear areas of focus to recover performance to acceptable levels, including timetable resilience, staffing and keeping trains safely moving during disruptive events.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle charging points have been installed in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Sutton Coldfield constituency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Data on public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport, are sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap. These statistics show when charging devices were added to the data source, which is not necessarily when they were installed.

Between 1^st April 2024 and 1^st April 2025:

• 2,122 public charging devices were added to the network in the West Midlands region
• 18 public charging devices were added to the network in the Sutton Coldfield parliamentary constituency

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage business investment in (a) Sutton Coldfield constituency and (b) the West Midlands.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This department is taking significant steps to encourage business investment across the West Midlands, including Sutton Coldfield constituency. For 2025/26, we have committed £490,700 in core funding to Business Growth West Midlands through the West Midlands Combined Authority, providing tailored business support services including access to finance, export opportunities, and innovation support.

In addition, UK businesses, including those in the West Midlands, can also access DBT's export support via Great.gov.uk, including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, International Markets network, and International Trade Advisers, to support their business growth.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to (a) autism and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessments in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has recognised that, nationally, the demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years, and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support, without the need for diagnosis.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for making appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to ADHD and autism assessments, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce to better understand the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June 2025, with the final report expected later in the year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

The NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB is working with regional and local partners, including Parent Carer Forums, to coproduce and redesign pathways of care to focus on addressing the health and social needs that arise in neurodiverse children, young people, and adults. The Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has also launched a 12-month pilot programme working with schools and community care providers to better support children, families, and professionals while they wait for autism assessments.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with Birmingham City Council on the potential impact of proposed changes to green belt protections on (a) access to green space and (b) biodiversity.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear about the importance of conserving and enhancing the natural and environment

Planning policies and decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.

The revised Framework published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that ‘Golden Rules’ should apply to major development including the provision of housing on land released from the Green Belt through plan preparation or review, or on sites in the Green Belt subject to a planning application. These ‘Golden Rules’ include necessary improvements to local or national infrastructure.

It is for local planning authorities to apply national policy when preparing local development plans or determining planning applications, including in relation to the Green Belt.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many vacancies for prison officers there were in the West Midlands in the latest period for which figures are available.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

In the latest published figures as of 31 March 2025, there were 89 FTE fewer staff in post compared to the target staffing level. This relates to the full-time equivalent, adjusted for different contracted hours, for Band 3 to 5 Prison Officers working in public sector prisons in the West Midlands. These figures are available in HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: March 2025, Prison and Probation Officer Recruitment annex: March 2025 via HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: March 2025.

Notes:

• This figure covers all Band 3 - 5 Officers includes Band 3 - 4 Prison Officers (including specialists), Band 4 Supervising Officers, and Band 5 Custodial Managers.

• The figure is a net value and balances out surpluses and deficits between the individual establishments.

• Prisons included in this analysis cover the West Midlands Prison Group (Birmingham, Brinsford, Featherstone, Hewell, Stafford, Stoke Heath, Sudbury, and Swinfen Hall), supplemented by a Long Term High Security Estate prison, a women’s prison and a Young Offenders Institution in the West Midlands region (Long Lartin, Drake Hall and Werrington).

• Data only includes Public Sector Prisons. Data does not include Private Sector Prison establishments.

• The Target Staffing level changes regularly in response to Governors' freedoms and other changes requested by the business.

• Target Staffing is the number of staff required to run an optimal regime in each prison. This level is greater than the minimum number of staff required for a prison to operate safely, and includes allowances for staff taking leave, being off sick or being on training.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce accident and emergency waiting times in hospitals in the West Midlands.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that urgent and emergency care performance has fallen short in recent years and is committed to restoring accident and emergency waiting times to the National Health Service constitutional standard across England, including in the West Midlands.

Our Urgent and emergency care plan 2025/26 sets out a fundamental shift in the approach to urgent and emergency care. It will drive collaboration across the system to deliver improvements for patients this year and is backed by nearly £450 million of capital investment.

Furthermore, our 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will reduce waiting times in accident and emergency by shifting care into the community through new Neighbourhood Health Services, forming a key part of our mission to reform the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for endometriosis treatment in the West Midlands.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As of the end of May 2025, the latest available data, the Gynaecology Service waiting list, which includes those waiting for endometriosis treatment, for the West Midlands stood at 64,594, with 52.1% of patient pathways within 18 weeks.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for endometriosis treatment, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, including in the West Midlands. We have supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget, which has allowed us to exceed our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered 4.6 million additional appointments up to the end of April 2025.

There are a range of efforts underway, nationally and in the West Midlands, to reduce the time patients are waiting for gynaecological care. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and to ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures, including for certain endometriosis pathways with the largest waiting lists, and reviewing support options from the independent sector.

In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guidelines on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis, which will help women receive more timely care. This includes updated recommendations that for women with symptoms of endometriosis, initial pharmacological treatment should take place in primary care, and that this can take place in parallel with additional investigations and referral to secondary care if needed.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help support economic growth in Sutton Coldfield town centre.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Sutton Coldfield is receiving up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade through the Plan for Neighbourhoods. This initiative aims to transform the area by unleashing its full potential, investing in improved community services such as education, health, and employment, and tackling local issues like crime. The transformation will be holistic, long-term, and sustainable, delivering meaningful change in the day-to-day lives of local people, led by a Neighbourhood Board made up of local people and independently chaired.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of community service hours offenders have completed in the West Midlands in each of the last five years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Between July 2021 and December 2024, a total of 1,272,250 hours of unpaid work were worked in the West Midlands.

Data from April 2022 to December 2024 sourced from the latest published statistics on unpaid work. A link can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biannual-unpaid-work-management-information.

Data from July 2021 to March 2022 sourced from nDelius on 22/07/2025. While these data have been assured as much as practical, as with any large administrative dataset, the data should not be assumed to be accurate to the last value presented.

Data from the biannual Unpaid Work publication are rounded to the nearest five hours worked for data suppression purposes. To be consistent with the publication, the hours worked between July 2021 and March 2022 have also been rounded to the nearest five.

The next publication is due in Autumn 2025.

Data prior to July 2021 is unable to be reported on, due to difficulty in aligning regions pre and post-unification. The unification of Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service in England and Wales took place on 26 June 2021, marking a significant restructuring of the probation system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve the capacity of sexual health services in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities in England, including Birmingham, which is the upper tier local authority for Sutton Coldfield, are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access to most sexual health services (SHSs) funded through the Public Health Grant. In 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the Public Health Grant to £3.858 billion, providing local authorities with an average 5.4% cash increase and a 3% real terms increase, the biggest real-terms increase after nearly a decade of reduced spending. Individual local authorities are well placed to make funding and commissioning decisions about the SHSs that best meet the needs of their local populations.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) supports local areas to improve SHS delivery through data monitoring and reporting.

The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and is developing a new HIV Action Plan in collaboration with the UKHSA, NHS England, and a broad range of system partners, which we aim to publish this year. The plan will have the key objective of stabilising and supporting system enablers to further support joined up working across the system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding from tree planting schemes has been granted to the West Midlands in each of the last five years.

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

The Government is working towards the statutory target to reach 16.5% tree canopy and woodland cover in England by 2050. Defra and the Forestry Commission are funding a significant package of grants and supporting activity across England to increase tree coverage. Tree-planting is demand-led from applicants from across England and we do not collate this information by area.

As part of the tree planting programme Defra provides funding to the National Forest Company and the Community Forests.

A breakdown covering the last five years for the amount paid by Defra to the Forest of Mercia (the Community Forest falling within the West Midlands) and the funding provided by Defra to the National Forest Company that has been directed to tree planting schemes in Staffordshire (the only West Midlands county falling within the National Forest) can be found below.

NB. Total may not match sum of individual years due to rounding to nearest whole number.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the police on tackling illegal motorbike driving in public spaces in the West Midlands.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including motorbikes, involved in anti-social behaviour with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles such as motorbikes, which have been used anti-socially.

Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially in West Midlands by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times stop and search powers have been used under Serious Violence Reduction Orders in the West Midlands.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.

The pilot is being independently evaluated, and the evaluation is considering the use of stop and search powers under SVROs across the four pilot forces

The final independent evaluation of the pilot, due this summer, will look to understand the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands on tackling knife crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and I have regular engagement with policing colleagues, including Police and Crime Commissioners, on how we can collectively achieve this ambition.

During Knife Crime Awareness Week in May this year, I visited Coventry to observe the proactive measures being implemented by West Midlands Police to tackle knife crime.

West Midlands Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Midlands have also been significant contributors to the Knife-Enabled Robbery (KER) Taskforce, which I established in October 2024 to take urgent action against this rising crime type. As a member of the Taskforce they have helped build the evidence base of ‘what works’ to tackle KER and shared innovative practice with other partners.

The West Midlands has recently seen a decline in knife crime, including a sizeable reduction in KER (14% reduction in the YE December 2024 compared with the previous year), with initiatives such as weapon surrender bins, dedicated investigative resource, and preventative work contributing to this progress.

These developments underscore the importance of continued collaboration and evidence-based strategies in our mission to make communities safer.

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