Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the correlation between maternity unit infrastructure quality and infant mortality rates in areas of high deprivation.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made of the correlation between maternity unit infrastructure quality and infant mortality rates in areas of high deprivation.
In 2024, NHS England invited all trusts providing maternity and neonatal care to complete a maternity and neonatal infrastructure survey to establish a baseline of their estate, with findings published in September 2025. These findings resulted in ringfenced funding in 2025/26 to improve the maternity and neonatal critical safety infrastructure.
The Government is investing a further £41 million to tackle urgent safety risks in maternity and neonatal facilities, building on £145 million already committed since April 2025. This funding will address issues such as fire safety, ventilation issues, and outdated infrastructure, creating safer environments for mothers and newborns.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure communities in areas of high unemployment are impacted by regeneration opportunities created by HS2.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is taking steps to ensure that communities in areas of high unemployment benefit from the regeneration opportunities created by HS2. Areas around HS2 stations and depots include some of the most deprived communities in the country, and work is underway to identify and bring forward HS2 land in these locations for development as early as possible to support regeneration.
Investment in the area is already happening, for example the BBC has already opened their new West Midlands’ and Digbeth Loc studios, the base of the 2026 Peaky Blinders film, largely in part to HS2’s proximity to the area. At Washwood Heath, the depot for HS2 trains, surplus land will be released for development when no longer required by the HS2 scheme, creating jobs and regeneration for the local community. Furthermore, HS2 has a presence in the Washwood Heath job centre and has already provided employment opportunities to people from the area. And at Interchange MHCLG and DfT are working together with the local authorities and developers to support decisions on choices for housing at the new mixed-use development.
These effects will support urban regeneration and development around HS2 stations, revitalising cities and surrounding areas—such as Birmingham and the West Midlands—by attracting investment, businesses, and residents, and ensuring that local communities share in the benefits of this growth.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of inadequate public transport as a barrier to employment in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Assessments of local transport infrastructure are led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which is responsible for allocating its £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions funding settlement through to 2031/32.
DWP Jobcentres take a place based approach when supporting customers into work, considering local labour market conditions and barriers to employment, including transport.
Jobcentres work closely with local employers, offer Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), and can provide Flexible Support Fund (FSF) assistance towards travel, childcare and other work-related costs where appropriate.
Through this support, Jobcentres help customers overcome barriers to employment, including transport-related challenges.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is able to take in instances when local authorities do not deliver on promised regeneration schemes within reasonable timeframes.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government has placed the empowerment of local leaders at the heart of its agenda. Local authorities are responsible for delivering growth and regeneration in their areas, drawing on their understanding of local needs and priorities. Where schemes receive Government funding, the Department monitors delivery against agreed funding conditions. Any action taken in response to delays will depend on the specific circumstances and the terms of the relevant funding agreement.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish a list of the UK’s critical minerals memoranda of understanding, dialogues, and other bilateral agreements, including wider initiatives such as supply chain resilience partnerships that cover critical minerals.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I recently wrote to the Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls relating to a request for further information as part of the Committee’s inquiry on critical minerals. My response contains an annex outlining the UK’s agreements, dialogues and memoranda of understanding on critical minerals. The letter was published on 23 June 2026 and is available on the committee website.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of tram network extensions in (a) Manchester, (b) Nottingham and (c) Sheffield on levels of employment.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Responsibility for light rail is devolved in England, where each local authority owns and is responsible for the operations and financial sustainability of its own network. This includes any potential extensions to existing systems.
As such, local authorities are best placed to identify possible opportunities and the potential benefits of such schemes.
The Government recognises that mass transit systems, including trams, are among the most complex of local transport interventions, which is why an independent Mass Transit Taskforce has been established to help city regions deliver mass transit schemes faster, at lower cost, and with greater confidence.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many brownfield sites in Birmingham have been awaiting regeneration for more than (a) five years, (b) ten years, and (c) fifteen years.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are currently undertaking a review of brownfield sites as part of the wider Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) development.
The Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) will provide a long-term plan that set outs where new homes, jobs, transport and green spaces should go across the whole region, creating a blueprint for growth over the next 20 years.
In addition, the newly created Mayoral Development Corporation will speed up £11bn of regeneration plans for the east of the city by combining powers on land acquisition and planning, along with business tax incentives and infrastructure improvements.