Liam Byrne MP: written questions
125 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Brownfield Sites: RegenerationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of brownfield regeneration on community cohesion.
Answer: My Department has made no such assessment.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of new housing starts in the West Midlands in the last year were on brownfield sites.
Answer: 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 go...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Brownfield SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made towards meeting the Government's brownfield-first housing delivery targets in urban areas with high unemployment.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 91369 on 27 November 2025 and Question UIN 106779 on 27 January 2026. My Department is currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framewo...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRegeneration: Brownfield SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure brownfield regeneration funding reaches projects in the most deprived constituencies.
Answer: My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Brownfield SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of funding availability for brownfield housing schemes in areas of high deprivation.
Answer: My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: BirminghamMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13088More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Poolway Centre site in Garretts Green, Birmingham, is eligible for funding under current brownfield regeneration schemes.
Answer: The government has announced £5bn of capital grant funding for infrastructure and land through the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF).£175 million of the NHDF has been allocated to West Midlands Combined Authority through the Integrated Settlement to d...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRegeneration: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13087More
Question: 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.
Answer: 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 re...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: BirminghamMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13086More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding has been allocated to brownfield regeneration projects in Birmingham in each of the last five years, and what is planned for the next three years.
Answer: Over the last 5 years, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) was allocated approximately £140million through the Brownfield Housing Fund. The Combined Authority separately contracted £68.5million in brownfield regeneration projects within Birmingham thr...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull NorthMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of derelict (a) retail and (b) community sites on economic development in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North constitue
Answer: The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of derelict retail and community sites on economic development in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North. We recognise that bringing vacant and derelict sites back into use can support loca...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: BirminghamMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13084More
Question: 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.
Answer: 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-...
Answered 2 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms exist to provide financial support for housing developments that include community facilities and retail space in areas lacking basic amenities.
Answer: My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13082More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the average time taken from council approval to development commencement for mixed-use brownfield sites in (a) the West Midlands and (b) England as a whole.
Answer: My Department does not hold the information requested.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Brownfield SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13081More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is the Department taking to accelerate housing delivery on long-term derelict urban brownfield sites.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 91369 on 27 November 2025 and Question UIN 106779 on 27 January 2026. My Department is currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framewo...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applications for brownfield regeneration funding in the West Midlands have been (a) received, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each of the last three years.
Answer: 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 Mid...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Brownfield SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13079More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the availability of capital funding for brownfield housing developments led by housing associations.
Answer: My Department has made no such specific assessment.Registered Providers can bid for grant funding for eligible developments through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, including those on brownfield land.My Department launched the National Housing D...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRegeneration: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding is available for mixed-use regeneration projects that combine housing and retail development in areas of high deprivation.
Answer: My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic TransportDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of international best practice in connecting areas of high unemployment to major employment hubs via public transport.
Answer: In 2024, the Department co‑hosted an event at the International Transport Forum Summit on improving connectivity and accessibility to jobs, particularly in areas of high unemployment, and on aligning transport planning to support access to employment oppo...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTrams: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12634More
Question: 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.
Answer: 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 authorit...
Answered 2 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordTrams: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12633More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average cost per mile has been for tram extensions completed in England since 2015.
Answer: The costs per mile for new local transport infrastructure in England can vary significantly based on numerous factors, including specific project conditions and requirements, geography, urban density, and land values. Responsibility for light rail is devo...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed 2 Line: EmploymentDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12632More
Question: 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.
Answer: 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...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMinerals: Trade AgreementsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12631More
Question: 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 t
Answer: 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...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency DepartmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12630More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure emergency care infrastructure meets demand in constituencies with (a) above-average unemployment and (b) above-average infant mortality rates.
Answer: Neither the Department nor NHS England holds information centrally on emergency care infrastructure in constituencies with above-average unemployment or infant mortality rates. Decisions on emergency care infrastructure investment are made locally by Nati...
Answered 30 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Transport: West MidlandsDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the role of public transport connectivity in reducing regional inequality in the West Midlands.
Answer: The Government is supporting improvements to public transport connectivity across the West Midlands through the £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions settlement allocated to the West Midlands Combined Authority through to 2031/32. This devolved funding ...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull NorthDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12074More
Question: 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.
Answer: 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 ...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordTrams: BirminghamDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, will the next spending review include provision for completing the East Birmingham tram extension.
Answer: The Birmingham Eastside Extension, is being delivered by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Funding for local transport in the West Midlands is largely devolved, and WMCA has been allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions funding up to 2031/32,...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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