Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of Sikhs who have liver disease according to the NHS.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes mortality data and National Health Service hospital admission rates related to liver disease in England, in public health profiles. There is no data available for the number of Sikhs who have liver disease specifically.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing a dedicated Road Safety Investigation Branch to (a) investigate road deaths and incidents and (b) recommend necessary improvements.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving road safety is a key priority. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government is working hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.
The Department is continuing to review potential future road safety interventions and available options to increase the overall safety of our roads.
We are committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade - and will set out next steps on this in due course.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) practical and (b) theory driving (i) lessons and (ii) tests are accessible for people who are d/Deaf.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) works with publishing partners, the Stationary Office, to publish The Highway Code and other materials to help people when learning to drive. The DVSA wants the content it produces to be as accessible as possible to everyone.
When booking a theory or practical test, candidates are advised to say if they have a reading difficulty, disability or health condition.
DVSA has recently worked with Cabinet Office to identify how the customer journey can be improved for d/Deaf candidates working towards their theory test. As a result, DVSA will be introducing improvements to British Sign Language (BSL) learning, theory test content, the theory test booking journey (including using BSL), and the experience at the theory test centre.
Candidates can already take their theory test in BSL if they are d/Deaf or have a hearing impairment; a BSL video appears on the screen next to the questions and answers.
Other options for theory test candidates include:
having a sign language interpreter or lip speaker with them during the test
using a listening aid (hearing loop)
It usually helps BSL users to learn their theory with a d/Deaf-aware driving instructor. The Disabled Driving Instructors association can help d/Deaf people with learning to drive and can be accessed at: www.disabilitydrivinginstructors.com/driving-advice/hearing-difficulties
When taking a car practical driving test, candidates can use a BSL interpreter, who can also be their driving instructor.
When taking the test, the driving examiner can use prompt cards to support a candidate that is d/Deaf or has hearing loss. These prompt cards give short written instructions and diagrams, so candidates know what they need to do.
These prompt cards are published on GOV.UK so learners can familiarise themselves with them before the test, and so that driving instructors can use them as part of their training or mock tests. Driving tests: prompt cards to support learner drivers who are deaf - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what resources and support are available to people who are d/Deaf (a) in preparation for and (b) during their driving (i) theory and (ii) practical tests.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) works with publishing partners, the Stationary Office, to publish The Highway Code and other materials to help people when learning to drive. The DVSA wants the content it produces to be as accessible as possible to everyone.
When booking a theory or practical test, candidates are advised to say if they have a reading difficulty, disability or health condition.
DVSA has recently worked with Cabinet Office to identify how the customer journey can be improved for d/Deaf candidates working towards their theory test. As a result, DVSA will be introducing improvements to British Sign Language (BSL) learning, theory test content, the theory test booking journey (including using BSL), and the experience at the theory test centre.
Candidates can already take their theory test in BSL if they are d/Deaf or have a hearing impairment; a BSL video appears on the screen next to the questions and answers.
Other options for theory test candidates include:
having a sign language interpreter or lip speaker with them during the test
using a listening aid (hearing loop)
It usually helps BSL users to learn their theory with a d/Deaf-aware driving instructor. The Disabled Driving Instructors association can help d/Deaf people with learning to drive and can be accessed at: www.disabilitydrivinginstructors.com/driving-advice/hearing-difficulties
When taking a car practical driving test, candidates can use a BSL interpreter, who can also be their driving instructor.
When taking the test, the driving examiner can use prompt cards to support a candidate that is d/Deaf or has hearing loss. These prompt cards give short written instructions and diagrams, so candidates know what they need to do.
These prompt cards are published on GOV.UK so learners can familiarise themselves with them before the test, and so that driving instructors can use them as part of their training or mock tests. Driving tests: prompt cards to support learner drivers who are deaf - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many firearms-related offences there were by the type of offence in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in each of the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.
These data, by offence group and type of weapon, are published in Open Data Tables, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6793b6b48a0829895f24bf55/prc-firearms-open-data-march2009-onwards-300125.ods
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many firearms-related offences there were by the type of firearm in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in each of the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.
These data, by offence group and type of weapon, are published in Open Data Tables, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6793b6b48a0829895f24bf55/prc-firearms-open-data-march2009-onwards-300125.ods
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-air firearms-related offences were recorded in (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in each of the last 15 years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.
These data, by offence group and type of weapon, are published in Open Data Tables, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6793b6b48a0829895f24bf55/prc-firearms-open-data-march2009-onwards-300125.ods
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish an updated version of the report entitled The economic and social costs of crime second edition, published on 23 July 2018.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Economic and Social Costs of Crime, Second Edition was published by the Home Office in July 2018. An update to the economic and social cost of fraud against individuals has since been published in the Fraud Strategy (May 2023). Together, these documents are currently the most comprehensive source for the estimated economic and social costs of these specified crimes against individuals and businesses.
The Home Office plans to publish a report containing updated estimates of the costs of the included crimes in due course.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made in efforts to decrease the number of instances of persecution on Bahai communities.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK champions, and remains strongly committed to, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Working with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, we are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral organisations, our bilateral work, and our programme funding,
The continued persecution of the Baha'i community including in Iran and Yemen, including unfair arrest and detention, land grabs, and denial of burial rights, is unacceptable. We are committed to working with international partners to hold countries to account for repression of the Bahai's, and other religious or belief minorities, including at the United Nations.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are receiving support through the Healthy Start scheme in Birmingham Edgbaston constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following two tables show the number of people on the digital scheme in March 2025 for all ward areas in Birmingham, and in the ward of Edgbaston specifically:
Month | Local authority | People on the digital scheme |
March 2025 | Birmingham | 12,820 |
Month | Ward | People on the digital scheme |
March 2025 | Edgbaston | 186 |