Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 04 July 2025 to Question 64211, on High Speed 2 Line: Compulsory Purchase, if she will extend those compulsory purchase powers until February 2031.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government's priority is the safe delivery of HS2 Phase 1 between the West Midlands and London Euston at the lowest reasonable cost. Whilst we will not reverse the previous government’s decision to cancel Phase 2, we recognise concerns about rail capacity and connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester. We are reviewing our plans for future connectivity in the Midlands and the North, and we hope to say more in the coming months, including our plans for land and property between Birmingham and Crewe.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
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 improve the regulation of supported exempt accommodation; and what information her Department holds on levels of supported exempt accommodation in (a) Birmingham and (b) Birmingham Northfield constituency.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the written statement on Supported Housing Regulation (HCWS800) published on 10 July 2025, following the recent consultation on supported housing regulation the government is considering the responses received and will publish a full government response as soon as possible, in advance of consulting on draft regulations in early 2026.
The department does not hold data on supported exempt accommodation. The most recent estimates of national levels of supported housing were published in the gov.uk Supported Housing Review 2023 on 4 November 2024.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which children's centres closed in England between May 2010 and July 2024 by (a) name, (b) postcode and (c) date of closure.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Data on children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on the information supplied by local authorities, the attached document provides details of the name and postcode and date of closure of Sure Start children’s centres that closed in England between May 2010 and July 2024.
The list of children’s centres closed since May 2010 and July 2024 is based on information supplied by local authorities as of 8 July 2025. These figures may be different to previous answers, and could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation her Department has undertaken with UK-based bus manufacturers on the potential impact of Section 37 of the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords] on future sales of (a) hydrogen-fuel cell and (b) hydrogen combustion engine buses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Clause 37 of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill will ultimately end the use of new non-zero emission buses on English bus services. The final date will be set out in later secondary regulations, however, will be no earlier than 1 January 2030.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell electric (HFC) buses, which are used in various parts of the country, are what is commonly meant by 'hydrogen buses'. These are available from UK manufacturers and do not emit any nitrogen oxides. They are zero emission at the tailpipe, so would continue to be usable under these regulations, along with battery electric buses. Hydrogen combustion engine buses are not present in the UK. They would emit nitrogen oxides, which are harmful to human health. They would therefore not be considered to be zero emission buses and would not be usable under these regulations.
My Department has engaged extensively with bus manufacturers as we have developed and then progressed this measure through Parliament.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the dates on which the leases for West Midlands Trains' rolling stock expire; and which entity owns those trains.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
West Midlands Trains’ rolling stock leases for the Class 172/0, 172/1, 350/1, 350/3 and 350/4, which are owned by Angel Trains, are set to run until 31 March 2026. The Class 196/0, 196/1, 730/0, 730/1, and 730/2 leases also run until 31st March 2026 and are owned by Corelink. Finally, Porterbrook own the Class 139, 172/2 and 172/3, which expire on 31 March 2026, as well as the Class 350/2 fleet which expire on 30 September 2025.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase 2a purposes expire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Compulsory Purchase powers under the Phase 2a Act will expire on 11th February 2026.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time is for (a) self-employed and (b) freelancer applications to Access to Work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We do not hold separate average processing time data for (a) self-employed and (b) freelancer applications to Access to Work. These types of applications are included within the overall Access to Work processing time.
The current average processing time for access to work is 92.0 days from April 2025 to June 2025
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of facilitating repatriation flights for UK nationals in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The safety and security of British nationals (BNs) is our top priority. We have long advised against all travel to Iran. We have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw our UK staff from Iran. The embassy will continue to operate remotely. The UK Government will not be able to evacuate or provide face-to-face assistance to BNs. If BNs intend to depart Iran across a land border and consider it safe, they should check the travel advice of the country they intend to enter before travelling to the border, including visa requirements. BNs requiring assistance can contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 24/7.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase One purposes expire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase One expired on 23 February 2022.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints have been made in the last five years to (a) Birmingham and Solihull ICB, (b) all ICBs and (c) NHS England that allege (i) failure to make reasonable adjustments and (ii) disability discrimination.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information is not available in the format requested. The annual publication of data on written complaints in the National Health Service, last published in October 2024, does not specify the number of complaints made to either integrated care boards or NHS England that were about either failure to make reasonable adjustments or disability discrimination.