Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what meetings (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have had to discuss the potential spread of leptospirosis, in the context of the bin strikes in Birmingham.

The Government has been supporting Birmingham City Council (BCC) in its efforts to address the backlog of waste that had been building up on the city’s streets. MHCLG has worked with a number of key Government Departments to provide support to BCC including engagement with both DHSC and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). UKHSA has been monitoring any potential health impacts and BCC have undertaken regular public health assessments lead by BCC’s Director of Public Health.

UKHSA undertakes routine surveillance for leptospirosis infections in humans and publishes a quarterly report on the common animal-associated infections - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-animal-associated-infections-2024/common-animal-associated-infections-england-second-quarter-2024#leptospirosis

The Council have reported that all on street waste and fly tipping waste has been cleared, waste estimated to be held at properties is now back to near normal levels. Around 100 to 120 Council waste collection vehicles are out daily collecting around 1,300 tonnes of waste. This is near normal levels of waste collection and normal household collection for all Birmingham residents has resumed.

BCC will continue to assess levels of rubbish and their potential impact on the local area, and the government continues to monitor the situation on a daily basis.