Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to prevent the importation of factory farmed octopus food products.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have no current plans to prevent the import of farmed octopus products to the UK.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the determination of the future of Birmingham's PFI roads contract.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has taken careful note of the High Court ruling relating to the previous Government’s decision not to support the PFI arrangements for Birmingham City Council’s highway maintenance services.
The Department has subsequently conducted a consultation with the Council about the PFI contract and we have been carefully reviewing the Council’s detailed representations, with the Council’s support on clarification questions.
We are continuing to engage with the Council on the PFI with a view to confirming the decision on whether or not to support the continuation of the PFI contract as soon as possible.
I am committed to working together with Birmingham City Council to find a way forward which is in the best interests of the people of Birmingham and the taxpayer.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to item 2.1 of the minutes of the 25 April 2025 meeting of the Advisory Panel on Consumer Prices (Stakeholder), what recent progress the Office for National Statistics has made on evaluating the potential impact of the use of groceries scanner data on the headline rates of (a) CPI, (b) CPIH and (c) RPI.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of the 1st December is attached.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church makes funding available for the installation of CCTV cameras at pastoral buildings that are not churches.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
Best practice would be to engage with the diocese in question, the insurance company and with local police, to discuss any specific equipment that might be needed and what local money may be available.
In some cases the insurance company working with the local parish and police can install equipment and devices if needed.
There is some advice on the Church of England website about responding to antisocial behaviour: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/deeper-god-mission-theology (link is under ‘Reconciliation’)
It is also worth looking at the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme, operated by the Home Office, to see whether this particular circumstance might be eligible. A crime reference number would be required
Depending on the cost of the equipment needed the parish may also wish to consider applying to the local authority, which has local discretionary small grant schemes. Under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 monies are available for local authorities to give financial assistance to parish churches for repairs and improvements.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of an annual standard class rail season ticket was between Rochdale and Manchester stations in (a) 2010 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The standard class annual rail season ticket between Rochdale and Manchester was (a) £900.00 in 2010 and (b) £1,396.00 in 2024.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the reopening of the Camp Hill line in Birmingham.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My officials are in regular contact with West Midlands Rail Executive and the West Midlands Combined Authority, who are reopening the Camp Hill line with three new stations at Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road.
Construction is close to completion; the stations are expected to be open for public use early next year.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the National Rail Fares Manual database is free to use by the general public through (a) download and (b) programmatic query.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The National Rail Data Portal provided by National Rail allows registered users to access railway data on fares. Where users are requesting high volumes of data, the Terms and Conditions outlines that charges apply for high volume usage in some instances.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in Birmingham are part of the partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools programme.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Listed below are the schools in Birmingham which are part of the partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools programme (PINS).
Birmingham Local Authority Schools participating in PINS:
Local authority area | Year 1 - 2024/25 | Year 2 - 2025/26 |
Birmingham | Broadmeadow Infant School | Albert Bradbeer Primary Academy |
Birmingham | Broadmeadow Junior School | Al-Furqan Primary School |
Birmingham | Gilbertstone Primary School | Elms Farm Community Primary School |
Birmingham | Grestone Academy | Greet Primary School |
Birmingham | Highfield Junior and Infant School | Kings Rise Academy |
Birmingham | Holly Hill Methodist CofE Infant School | Leigh Primary School |
Birmingham | James Watt Primary School | Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery |
Birmingham | Kitwell Primary School | Oasis Academy Woodview |
Birmingham | Mapledene Primary School | Robin Hood Academy |
Birmingham | Nansen Primary School | Rookery School |
Birmingham | Oasis Academy Blakenhale Infants | St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School |
Birmingham | Oasis Academy Blakenhale Junior | St Michael's Church of England Primary School |
Birmingham | Oasis Academy Short Heath | St Wilfrid's Catholic Junior and Infant School |
Birmingham | Princethorpe Infant School | Topcliffe Primary School |
Birmingham | Princethorpe Junior School | Ward End Primary School |
Birmingham | Reaside Academy | Wheelers Lane Primary School |
Birmingham | St John's CofE Primary School | Woodgate Primary School |
Birmingham | St Martin de Porres Catholic Primary School | Wychall Primary School |
Birmingham | The Rosary Catholic Primary School | Wyndcliffe Primary School |
Birmingham | Timberley Academy | Heathfield Primary School |
Birmingham | Yardley Wood Community Primary School |
|
Birmingham | St Vincent's Catholic Primary School |
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Birmingham | St Francis Catholic Primary School |
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School data accurate as at 8 October 2025.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83545 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, if he will publish a version of that table covering each year for which his Department holds equivalent data.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The spend by the Department for Work and Pensions on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is included for the available years in a table below.
Financial year | Cost (£000s) in nominal terms |
1993/94 | 26 |
1994/95 | 17 |
1995/96 | - |
1996/97 | 9 |
1997/98 | 12 |
1998/99 | - |
1999/00 | 60 |
2000/01 | 60,734 |
2001/02 | 6,525 |
2002/03 | 568 |
2003/04 | 478 |
2004/05 | 429 |
2005/06 | 500 |
2006/07 | 389 |
2007/08 | 200 |
2008/09 | - |
2009/10 | 292 |
2010/11 | 92 |
2011/12 | - |
2012/13 | - |
2013/14 | 0 |
2014/15 | 100 |
2015/16 | 240 |
2016/17 | 240 |
2017/18 | 360 |
2018/19 | 200 |
2019/20 | 300 |
2020/21 | 240 |
Source: outturn-and-forecast-tables-spring-statement-2025.xlsx
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds information on the number of railway strike days, broken down by year; and what is the first year for which such records are held.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Published Office of Rail and Road data reports that there were 52 national strike days between April 2022 and March 2024.