Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 35 of the minutes of the Office of Rail and Roads Board meeting of 25 June 2024, when National Highways plans to publish the Delivery Plan Update for 2024/25.

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

National Highways intend the publish the Delivery Plan Update for 2024/25 later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date her Department provided proposals to Highways England for the Road Investment Strategy 2.

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

The Department for Transport published the Draft second Road Investment Strategy on 29 October 2018, setting out the Governments objectives and funding available for RIS2, to allow National Highways (then Highways England) to prepare its Draft Strategic Business Plan. The final Road Investment Strategy 2 was published on 11 March 2020, on which the company based its detailed Delivery Plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's dataset titled Proportion of adults that cycle, by frequency, purpose and local authority: England, published on 28 August 2024, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the estimated decline in the percentage of people who cycle at least once per month between 2016 and 2023.

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

Data from 2021 and 2022 coincided with COVID-19 lockdown restrictions which severely reduced people’s movements and travel patterns, across all transport modes, including cycling across England. This can be seen to have a major impact on the statistics during this period and play a major role in the falls recorded. The Department will consider all active travel data as we continue to shape our long-term vision for cycling and walking across England. Cycling and walking are cheap, green and healthy ways to get around, and we will work alongside local authorities to ensure everyone can access the benefits of active travel routes and travel how they choose.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) central and (b) total public expenditure was on cycling per head by region in 2023-24.

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

The Department does not hold data detailing public expenditure on cycling per head by region. Details of Active Travel England expenditure on walking and cycling combined by region for 2023/24 is contained in the table below. This expenditure is in addition to a range of wider funds detailed in the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2) which collectively totals over £3 billion.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many temporary speed restrictions there were on the national rail network on15 March in each year since 2017.

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

Network Rail data in the attached table shows that the following temporary and emergency speed restrictions were in place in Rail Period 13 (March) since 2017.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department provided National Highways the proposals for Road Investment Strategy 3 required under clause 2 of Schedule 2 of the Infrastructure Act 2015 before 4 July 2024.

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

No.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) scale and (b) effectiveness of North Korea's contribution to Russia's war against Ukraine.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

We are seeing evidence that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has sent troops to Russia.

This is a deeply concerning development, which risks prolonging the war, and augments the DPRK's already significant support to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, which includes the provision of artillery munitions and short-range ballistic missiles.

This further illustrates Russia's growing reliance on third country support and a deepening relationship with the DPRK which has serious security implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

I can reassure the hon. Member that the Ministry of Defence keeps this area under close review.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local government commissioners appointed by her Department are classified as civil servants.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

No, they are not classified as Civil Servants.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to item 12 of the minutes of the Office of Rail and Road's Board meeting of 25 June 2024, if she will publish (a) the Office of Rail and Road's case to answer letter and (b) the National Highways reply that are referenced in that item.

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

The Office of Rail and Road published the conclusions to its investigation, including these two letters, on its website on 24 July 2024.

Link to (a) the Office of Rail and Road’s case to answer letter:

https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024-05-22-orr-case-to-answer-letter-to-nh.pdf.

Link to (b) National Highways reply:

https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024-06-05-nh-response-to-orr-investigation-letter.pdf.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 10062 on Animal Welfare: Fireworks, what the Government’s planned timetable is for reviewing the existing policy.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

To inform any future decisions on fireworks policy I intend to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities shortly after the fireworks season to gather evidence on the issues and impacts with fireworks. Officials regularly meet and correspond with charities to listen to and understand their views.

The Government has recently launched an awareness campaign on the Gov.uk and are working closely with some animal and veteran charities to help amplify their campaign messages.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 10062 on Animal Welfare: Fireworks, what form of engagement the Government plans to undertake with charities on its review of existing policy.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

To inform any future decisions on fireworks policy I intend to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities shortly after the fireworks season to gather evidence on the issues and impacts with fireworks. Officials regularly meet and correspond with charities to listen to and understand their views.

The Government has recently launched an awareness campaign on the Gov.uk and are working closely with some animal and veteran charities to help amplify their campaign messages.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report by the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills entitled Workplace Employment Relations Study, published on 23 January 2013, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning a new workplace employment relations study.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

There are currently no plans to undertake a new Workplace Employee Relations Study (WERS). The survey methodology is challenging to replicate as it relies on sampling via the employer which is harder to obtain due to increased privacy concerns in recent years.

WERS was co-sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Acas, the Economic and Social Research Council, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

The Department undertook the Management and Wellbeing Practices Survey in 2018/19 which provides evidence on employment relations and management practices in British workplaces.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2024 to Question 5620 on Schools: Buildings, what stage of the School Rebuilding Programme are (a) Green Meadow Primary School and (b) King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy in Birmingham Northfield constituency at; and what indicative start dates have been given to each of those schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Green Meadow Primary School is in group 2 of the School Rebuilding Programme. Projects in group 2 are expected to commence with planning and feasibility work from April 2025.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is in group 3 and is currently expected to commence with planning and feasibility work no earlier than April 2027.

Specific start dates will be communicated to the schools at least a month in advance of the projects starting.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science's report entitled Assessing the sustainability of fisheries catch limits negotiated by the UK for 2024, published 10 April 2024.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As an independent coastal State, the UK sets total allowable catches (TACs) each year for many fish stocks through negotiations with other coastal States. UK positions in those negotiations are informed by the best available scientific advice, including advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on achieving the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for many stocks. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) conducts annually a robust assessment of the sustainability outcomes of our negotiations, including the number of TACs which have been set in line with the scientific advice.

In those negotiations, the UK seeks to balance the fisheries objectives set out in the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement. We strive for outcomes that achieve greater environmental sustainability, including aiming to increase over the medium term the total number of stocks fished at MSY.

Defra will publish in early 2025 the Cefas assessment of the sustainability outcomes of the TACs negotiated by the UK this autumn.

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 address the issue of overfishing.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Sustainability is at the heart of the UK’s approach to fisheries management. Through negotiations with other coastal States, we ensure that catch limits are set sustainably, consistent with the best scientific advice. This Government is also pleased to restart the Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) programme and is grateful for the support of the fishing sector and wider stakeholders in helping to shape these plans to secure the long-term sustainability of UK fish stocks in line with obligations under the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement. We are now consulting on the next 5 FMPs, these cover cockles, sprat, queen scallop, skates, rays and various other demersal species in different waters around England.

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 16 September 2024 to Question 3680 on Mental Health Services: Lincolnshire, if he will provide this information for each constituency in Birmingham.

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

The following table shows the number of Mental Health Support Teams across the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB), broken down by the year in which they became operational, or are planned to become operational:

Source: NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board.

The ICB has advised that each team covers a cluster of schools in a broadly geographic area, but these are not defined on a parliamentary constituency or ward basis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the humanitarian situation in the north of Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable. The Foreign Secretary's statement to Parliament underlined our serious concern about northern Gaza. On 16th October I visited Al-Arish and saw the scale of humanitarian aid denied entry into Gaza, Israel can and must do more to ensure aid flows freely into Gaza. Very little aid is being allowed in, and civilians, medical personnel, hospitals and healthcare centres are coming under fire at an unacceptable rate. Israel must do much more to protect civilians, including the medics northern Gaza desperately needs, and let more aid in now. The Prime Minister met with President Biden, Chancellor Scholz, and President Macron in Berlin on 18 October to discuss the situation in northern Gaza and the Middle East more broadly. He made our position clear: "the world will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance. Civilians in northern Gaza need food, now." We continue, alongside our partners, to press Israel to take action - Israel must show the world it is protecting civilians in compliance with international humanitarian law.