Over the past three years, the West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated approximately £42 million through the Brownfield Housing Fund.

The Combined Authority separately contracted £54.5million in brownfield regeneration projects within West Midlands through the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund.

Homes England allocates funding for these brownfield programmes via continuous market engagement rather than applications during bidding windows.

The Combined Authority collects and holds information on the specific number of received, approved, and rejected schemes.

My Department does not hold the requested information.

The government previously published statistics on the percentage of new residential addresses created on previously developed (brownfield) land. The most recent figures, for 2021-22, can be found on gov.uk here.

My Department is updating the land use statistics, which includes the new residential addresses release, to take advantage of new, more granular data from Ordnance Survey. Publication is expected to resume this year.

The Government’s police reforms will protect and strengthen neighbourhood policing by freeing local forces, including West Midlands Police, from national responsibilities so they can focus on issues that matter most locally, like anti-social behaviour (ASB). Every police force in England and Wales now has an ASB lead in place who will work with communities, stakeholders and the general public to implement their individual ASB Action Plans, which were published at the start of April. Further information on the West Midlands Police ASB Action Plan can be found here: https://www.westmidlands.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour-action-plan/

Through the Crime and Policing Act, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders.

We are also strengthening the powers available to the police and other local agencies by increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of CPNs and PSPOs from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notices, amongst others.

Home Office officials have had no specific discussions with West Midlands Police about increased ASB during school holidays.

The Government recognises that artificial intelligence is one of the most significant opportunities of our time, and we are determined to ensure that its benefits are felt in every part of the country, including the West Midlands.

In January 2025, the Government set out an ambitious plan for the UK to lead in shaping the AI revolution, transforming outcomes for people, public services and the economy.

One year on, that plan is delivering. We have met 38 of the AI Action Plan’s 50 commitments, enabling faster AI adoption, tangible progress across public services and the foundations for economic growth.

We are also providing free AI training for all and will provide 10 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030, with the aim to make the UK the fastest adopting AI country in the G7. Through these initiatives and others, we will drive economic opportunity and support workers to adapt and thrive in workplaces across the UK, including communities in the West Midlands.

Ofcom is responsible for reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK through their Connected Nations Reports and Map Your Mobile tool. Utilising the Connected Nations data, trends in how coverage has evolved over time can be determined.

As of January 2026, by aggregating the coverage in the 30 local and unitary authorities in the West Midlands region, 93.6% of the West Midlands has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators (as defined by Ofcom), while standalone 5G is available outside of 93.2% of premises from at least one operator. This is means 4G coverage increased from 92.9% in July 2025, and standalone 5G coverage rose quite substantially from 80.5% over the same period.

I am obviously sorry to hear about the disruption to businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Let me take this issue away for her and talk to the Mayor of the West Midlands and all relevant parties to ascertain whether anything can be done to mitigate the impact on her constituents.

I am delighted that the midlands metro tram line will connect Dudley with the rest of the west midlands. However, the construction has caused disruption to local businesses such as the Dubliner’s, and repeated delays have exacerbated that. What support can the Minister provide to businesses that are being impacted by the repeated delays to the tram?

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people can access high-quality arts and culture.

Between 2023/24 and 2025/26, Arts Council England invested over £170 million in arts organisations and projects across the West Midlands, including almost £40 million supporting children and young people. This funding supports initiatives such as Powered by CAN in Sandwell, which develops creative opportunities and career pathways; Big Brum Theatre in Education, one of the most established Theatre in Education companies in the UK; and Wolverhampton’s City of Youth Culture programme, helping more young people engage with arts, culture and creative activities across the region.

Nationally, the government is committed to revitalising arts education through a reformed curriculum and support for teachers, including via the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, due to be established by September 2026. To increase access to enrichment opportunities across culture, sport, and wider youth sectors for disadvantaged young people, the Every Child Can programme, backed by £132.5 million in dormant assets through the National Lottery Community Fund, will fund activities within schools and in communities at weekends and in the holidays, ensuring enrichment is a common entitlement for all.

The Government takes road safety seriously and recognises the important role that roads policing and speed enforcement play in reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. Operational policing decisions, however, are taken locally by chief officers based on local needs and priorities.

The Home Office has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of average speed cameras in supporting the enforcement of speed limits in urban areas, nor has it had discussions with West Midlands Police regarding its approach to enforcement of speeding offences. Decisions on the deployment of speed cameras, including the type of camera used and where it is installed, the deployment of roads policing officers and the enforcement of speeding offences are operational matters for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners. Speed enforcement forms part of wider operational road safety activity undertaken by police forces in response to local risks and priorities.

The Government takes road safety seriously and recognises the important role that roads policing and speed enforcement play in reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. Operational policing decisions, however, are taken locally by chief officers based on local needs and priorities.

The Home Office has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of average speed cameras in supporting the enforcement of speed limits in urban areas, nor has it had discussions with West Midlands Police regarding its approach to enforcement of speeding offences. Decisions on the deployment of speed cameras, including the type of camera used and where it is installed, the deployment of roads policing officers and the enforcement of speeding offences are operational matters for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners. Speed enforcement forms part of wider operational road safety activity undertaken by police forces in response to local risks and priorities.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their local populations. This includes provision of specialist services for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. The Coventry and Warwickshire ICB, as with all ICBs, has a statutory obligation to ensure there is sufficient care provision for its population.

The HS2 station at Birmingham Curzon Street is being constructed with an integrated tram stop on the West Midlands Metro Birmingham Eastside Extension, which is expected to connect the station to Digbeth and the Sports Quarter, as well as the wider tram network.

WMCA has been allocated £2.4 billion of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding up to 2031/32. This devolved settlement enables WMCA and the Mayor to determine how funding is allocated across the region in line with local transport priorities, including improving public transport connectivity.

The HS2 station at Birmingham Curzon Street is being constructed with an integrated tram stop on the West Midlands Metro Birmingham Eastside Extension, which is expected to connect the station to Digbeth and the Sports Quarter, as well as the wider tram network.

WMCA has been allocated £2.4 billion of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding up to 2031/32. This devolved settlement enables WMCA and the Mayor to determine how funding is allocated across the region in line with local transport priorities, including improving public transport connectivity.