That concludes our live coverage for this evening, thank you for joining us.

This page was edited by Trystan Jones. It was written by Josh Sandiford.

You can read more about the mayoral candidates on our guide here.

And if you missed any part of the debate, it will be available to watch again on BBC iPlayer very soon.

A final reminder that elections take place on Thursday 2 May. If you’re going along to vote in person you’ll need photo ID.

As well as the mayor elections, ballots are being cast in 107 local authorities across England.

To check what elections are in your area use our handy postcode checker.

The candidates in the studio are given 20 seconds to make their pitch to voters.

And they all pretty much kept to time, give or take the odd second.

It's been a busy evening of charged political debate with just one week to go until the election.

Our candidates have discussed council budgets, housing, small businesses, transport and culture.

Chair Elizabeth Glinka now asks them to give the audience a final 20-second pitch on why they are the best person for the job.

Ms Harper-Nunes says her party is about people, social justice and environmentalism.

Mr Parker says the election presents a clear choice between him and the Conservatives.

Mr Street says voters face a choice between demonstrable leadership and candidates who are "untried and unfunded".

Mr Virk says the Liberal Democrats are the best way forward, urging voters to "break the mould".

Finally Ms Williams says Reform is in fact the alternative to the Conservatives and Labour.

And that’s it!

Birmingham City Council's planned cuts to libraries are also raised by our audience.

Find out more here

Julian McDougall asks what the mayor can do to protect access to arts and culture for everyone in the region.

It comes after creatives warned Birmingham City Council cuts left the city facing "cultural deprivation".

All candidates agree arts, culture and history are important, with Ms Williams saying redevelopment also posed a risk.

Ms Harper-Nunes says culture and heritage means a lot to communities and should be better protected.

Mr Parker said the sector that had faced some of the severest cuts over recent years, nationally.

Mr Street said the WMCA had put "money on the table" to fund many projects and had been forced to step in to support arts groups with Birmingham City Council's cuts.

Mr Street says he has won investment from London to improve transport links.

He claims Mr Parker has not explained what it would cost to nationalise the buses and urges him to publish the numbers.

"Birmingham and Manchester have different systems,” he says. "It would be more expensive to nationalise buses in Birmingham.”

Mr Parker accuses Mr Street of "knowing the cost of everything but the value of nothing".

The Labour candidate says he has people advising him, adding the project would cost about £25m and be done in a year.

Ms Williams of the Reform Party says she believes transport in the region needs a "total rethink".

She points to certain routes serviced by double decker buses that are "half empty".

“We need to look at all forms of transport and that's what I've committed to do," she says.

Mr Parker says most people depend on buses to get around and he wants to bring them back into public control like the likes of Manchester and Leeds.

Youngsters in places like Solihull are being denied opportunities by poor transport links, he adds.

Audience members have plenty to say about transport - from potholes to disabled access.

Strong feelings on this issue.

Green Party candidate Ms Harper-Nunes now puts forward what is perhaps the most radical policy idea of the evening.

She says she wants take control of buses and trains with a view to having completely free public transport throughout the West Midlands.

She says most of the 100 cities that have introduced this have seen big benefits.

Asked how it would be funded, she explains the region would need to fight for funding from central government, but also highlights how much poorer the West Midlands is compared with funding in London.

Mr Street says he is working to open a railway line this year through Camp Hill serving Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road.

But Mr Parker says it's not happened yet, despite people talking about it for eight years.

There's now an argument over bus fares.

The Liberal Democrat candidate takes exception to Mr Street's suggestion that season ticket fares are cheaper in the West Midlands than anywhere else.

"A single bus fare in London is £1.75," says Mr Virk. "A single in the Midlands is £2. It's not the cheapest."

Mr Street said he meant the frequent-use travel cards and suggested "that's a little detail", before Mr Virk shoots back.

"It's these sort of little details I think are important," Mr Virk says.

"I want to deliver public transport. I'm not about these high-flying ideas and projects and stuff. I want to do the work that is necessary to get people moving."

It's transport on the agenda now. Gareth Hooper says he uses his bike to get around, even cycling to the debate today.

It often means he beats the bus, not least because, in his words, they"don't turn up".

He asks how the candidates plan to expand cycle lanes across the West Midlands.

It sparks another feisty exchange between Mr Street and Mr Parker.

Here's a bit more about Coventry cafe owner Jade Wilkes, who posed that question to the panel.

She started her business during the pandemic and now employs 13 members of staff, but has seen the cost of ingredients and food go up by 45% in a year.

Ms Harper-Nunes explains that she runs a small business herself and energy costs mean many are struggling.

She tells a story about being sent energy bills for a building she no longer occupies.

She also wants a drastic cut in business rates.

“We have seen 15 years of Conservative government, yet small businesses has been the hardest hit,” she said.

She also wants to create a fund for start-ups.

Mr Street once again defends his record. He points to the success of the Commonwealth Games and Coventry being named City of Culture.

These events have drawn people to the Midlands and helped small businesses, he claims.

He said protecting the public transport network was also important for businesses in town and city centre.

Mr Street added that he had lobbied for lower business rates that many businesses were currently seeing.

Mr Parker said he wanted the West Midlands Growth Company to support young entrepreneurs and small and medium sized businesses and would focus on skills and training as well as access to funds.

He calls small businesses the "bedrock" of the region's economy, adding there are 350,000 in the region.

He wants business rates reform so entrepreneurs don't bear the burden.

He also wants a markets fund to support smaller traders.

Now our candidates are discussing small businesses.

Jade Wilkes asks how they are going to help firms like hers in the hospitality and tourism sector.

Ms Williams says it's important people are attracted to the West Midlands. She adds businesses are bound up in red tape and tax rates set by the government.

Mr Virk says he believes there is a connection between thriving businesses and poverty.

People need money to spend, he explains, and he wants to focus on apprenticeships and training to get youngsters earning and spending.

“Most importantly I want to reduce the cost of energy to businesses,” he said.“ My dad was a small business owner, I own a business.

"I understand what the cost of energy does for businesses.”

The five candidates debating in person represent parties with a track record of support in previous elections.

But there is also an independent candidate, Akhmed Yakoob. His campaign has seen him raise awareness of the war in Gaza.

The conflict has killed more than 34,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there.

In a film, Mr Yakoob stands in front a poster urging residents to "lend Gaza your vote". He says he wants to make a number of changes.

These include bringing transportation back into public ownership and cleaning up brownfield sites to create affordable and greener social housing.

You can find out more about the "TikTok lawyer" here.

Here's a bit of background on our questioner, Eddie Morton.

Mr Street seizes the opportunity to hit back at Mr Parker’s earlier claims about the mayor only building 46 social homes in eight years.

He says that duty has not previously been part of the WMCA’s responsibilities, but rather fell to local councils.

“It is because local authorities have not delivered that we are now stepping in and we have secured the funding to do that,” he said.

Mr Virk quips: “Another reason why you should vote Liberal Democrats.”