Weekly Update - 6 December |
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This week, the Prime Minister has set out this government’s Plan for Change consisting of six clear milestones for change by the end of this parliament. The Prime Minister’s announcement represents the most ambitious yet honest blueprint for government in a generation and will allow the public to track our progress. Our Plan for Change consists of the following milestones: Higher Living Standards across the country, measured by Real Household Disposable Income per capita. So, working people have more money in their pocket as we deliver the fastest growth in the G7. Rebuilding Britain, with 1.5 million homes over the Parliament and planning decisions made on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects. Ending hospital backlogs by meeting the NHS standard of 92% of patients waiting fewer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment. Police back on the beat, with 13,000 more officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood roles and a named officer in every community through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee in England and Wales. A best start to life for children with a record proportion of five year-olds starting school ready to learn, allowing teachers to focus on the whole class. That means hitting the Early Years Foundation Standard at age 5/ Secure, home-grown energy, with billpayers protected as we deliver Clean Power 2030.
These milestones are underpinned by our foundations of sound public finances and secure borders. We will reduce small boat crossings and net migration while restoring order to asylum and immigration systems by ending asylum hotel use and increasing returns. We will also meet our fiscal rules and strengthen national security. While this Plan for Change sets our course for the next Parliament, we have already made great strides in rebuilding Britain after 14 years of chaos and managed decline under the last government. Since July, we have given the NHS the biggest uplift in funding outside of Covid years since 2010 and have started a huge national conversation about the NHS to inform our 10 Year Plan for change and modernisation. We’ve kickstarted the rollout of our specialist neighbourhood police training programme and announced new Respect Orders to give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on repeated anti-social behaviour. Tough decisions in the Budget stabilised the economy and prevented a return to austerity while protecting working people’s payslips, and we’ve already set out how we’re overhauling planning to get Britain building. The launch of Great British Energy will provide clean, secure and homegrown power. Families will soon be able to access free breakfast clubs at Primary School, and we’ve already set out funding for up to 300 new or expanded nurseries in state primary schools. 29,500 workers will benefit from an increase in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage in Birmingham alone. When Labour won power, we inherited crumbling public services and an economy in dire straits. We have taken immediate action to steady the course, and are now setting clear goals to galvanise work across government and make people better off. Labour’s Plan for Change sends a clear signal that this government chooses stability, investment and reform over chaos, austerity and decline. |
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This week, Parliament passed my Bill to improve data collection on Jewish and Sikh people. The Public Body Ethnicity Data Bill would provide that, where a public body collects data about ethnicity for the purpose of delivering public services, it must include specific “Sikh” and “Jewish” categories as options for a person’s ethnic group.
Despite being legally recognised as ethnic groups for over 40 years, public bodies never or rarely collect data on Jewish and Sikh people to monitor inequalities and deliver public services. It makes our communities invisible to policymakers. For example, it means that the full numbers of our community aren’t collected in the Census, Councils don’t include us in the data they use to monitor and deliver services, and bodies like the NHS don’t collect data to tackle health inequalities in our communities, like high rates of Covid deaths during the pandemic or the predisposition to certain genetic conditions like breast cancer in Ashkenazi women. In presenting my Bill, I was delighted to have the support of a wide range of community organisations, including the Sikh Council UK, 112 Gurdwaras and UK Sikh organisations, The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Antisemitism Policy Trust and the Community Security Trust (CST).
If you are Jewish or Sikh, I would love to hear from you if you have thoughts on my Bill. If you’d like to learn more, you can read coverage in the news at the links below. |
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Earlier this week, I was proud to join Women’s Aid in Parliament to join their 16 Days of Activism event. Domestic abuse is a national emergency. 3,000 crimes of violence against women and girls (VAWG) are recorded each day, with at least 1 in 12 women becoming victims each year. Given most victims do not report to the police, the true number is likely much higher. I am proud to support this Labour government's ambition to halve violence against women.
From overhauling police vetting, to education, to legal advocates for rape survivors, we will work across the whole of society to make change. |
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NHS Birmingham and Solihull has launched a campaign across the region, encouraging people to ‘breathe easy’ by getting their vital immunisations. Over 65s, those with a long term health condition and pregnant women are among the most at risk of getting flu, COVID and RSV if they don’t get vaccinated.
Over 10,000 local people will be admitted to hospital this winter suffering with an avoidable respiratory illness, and over 750 people in Birmingham and Solihull could die this winter from avoidable respiratory illnesses including flu, COVID and RSV. Protect you and your loved ones by making sure to get immunised this winter. |
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It was a pleasure to join Kidney Care UK this week, where I met my nephew who is supporting a young boy who is currently on dialysis. I am very proud of him for working with Kidney Care UK on their campaign. Currently, there are over 7,500 people on the waiting list for organ donation across the UK at present. While there has been tremendous progress in organ donation in recent decades, there is still a shortage of donors. Sadly, every day across the UK, someone dies waiting for a transplant. I am therefore pleased to see the Government continuing to work with NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England to improve utilisation of all solid organs following recommendations from the Organ Donation Group 2023 report. This includes considering how Assessment and Recovery Centres could be established and where deceased donor kidneys are perfused and assessed, with the potential to increase kidneys for transplantation by up to 400 per year. |
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It was fascinating as well to visit an event organised by ACT, the App Association, where I was able to meet with some of the UK's top tech start-ups. It was great to see some of the latest AI and Internet of Things developments being created right here in the UK.
One of the developers I met was working on wearable sensors that could use AI to support carers in predicting when someone is at risk of having a fall. It was exciting to consider the potential for this new technology to improve our public services and people's quality of life. |
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Today it was great to visit businesses on Dudley Road. I've always been proud of the entrepreneurialism of my constituents, and I am proud that Birmingham created an average of 61 new businesses every day this year.
However, I know our high streets need more support, so I met with businesses today to discuss what we can do to revitalise our high streets, with a three-year strategy to bring in more investment, clean up the area, and tackle issues like fly-tipping and parking.
Ahead of Small Business Saturday, I am encouraging my constituents to get out and support their local traders with their Christmas shop this year.
Quinton Police Station |
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This week it was great to visit Quinton Police Station, to see it back in action after years of hard-fought campaigning with residents to save it from being shut down. It was lovely to meet with our local inspector Paul Hatton, and it's great to have our local police back in the heart of our community in Quinton again. Across the constituency, we now have five officers in every ward, and I will be pushing for more. Under the Tories, West Midlands Police lost 2,200 officers. Labour has pledged to put more police back on the beat, with 13,000 more officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood roles and a named officer in every community through our national Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. |
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Preet Kaur Gill MP Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS |
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