Weekly Update - 20 December

Dear John

Last week I wrote about my Bill to clamp down on blueprints to build 3D printed firearms. This issue had drawn international attention following the indictment of Luigi Mangione in the US over the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on the streets of New York. This week, I was delighted that the documentary I have been working on with Channel 4 was released, called “I Printed a Gun: Plastic and Deadly”. I was delighted to be asked on to Times Radio to speak to Jane Garvey about the film and my Bill. Ikea-like step-by-step guides to printing 3D guns circulate widely online. Last year, a man in Birmingham was convicted of building 3D printed assault rifles in their own home. The new law I have proposed would clamp down on those possessing, sharing and building these lethal weapons. You can watch the full Channel 4 investigation by clicking the button below.

Taking back our streets

This summer at the General Election, I was elected on a promise to take back our streets in Birmingham, Edgbaston. I am proud to say that is exactly what we are going to do. This week, the government has announced the Provisional Police Grant Report, which includes a huge £48 million boost for West Midlands Police next year. The billion-pound boost nationwide means more money to increase the number of officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood policing teams on our streets. It will help law enforcement deliver on the government’s pledges to halve violence against women and girls, reduce knife crime, crack down on antisocial behaviour, and restore public confidence in our police. 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. Labour is taking back control of our streets.

Funding for Birmingham hospice

Since July, I have been contacted by over 100 constituents who are concerned about the dire financial situation hospices were left under the Conservatives. Birmingham Hospice (formerly Birmingham St Mary's Hospice and John Taylor Hospice) has recently had to make a difficult decision to reduce some of its services and make redundancies. I know that the wonderful staff at Birmingham Hospice have touched many local families’ lives. After lobbying the government about this on my constituents’ behalf, I am therefore extremely pleased to share that the government has agreed to deliver the biggest investment in a generation for hospices, ensuring that hospices can continue to deliver the highest quality end of life care possible for their patients, families, and loved ones. The announcement includes a £100 million boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care, and £26 million revenue to support children and young people’s hospices. It will help support hospices and deliver much needed funding for improvements including refurbishments, overhauling IT systems and improving facilities for patients and visitors This is a great early Christmas present for hospices and I’m really pleased that bending the ear of government ministers has paid off. Staff at Birmingham Hospice do a wonderful job at providing support for people with life-limiting conditions. This funding from our Labour Government will make a real difference.

£1.6 billion for potholes

Since I was first elected, my inbox has been inundated with constituents who are frustrated about potholes on our roads. damaged roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. Today, Labour have announced £1.6 billion to fix potholes and do wider highways maintenance work. It’s a 50% increase on what the Conservative Government spent last year and delivers one of our key manifesto pledges, to get Britain moving again.

Funding boost for GPs

This week I have also welcomed an £889 million funding boost for GPs. GPs in Edgbaston will be able to spend more time treating patients under Labour's proposed reforms to general practice whichg will bring back the family doctor and slash red tape. Labour's plan to end the 8am scramble for appointments is a key manifesto commitment, with action being taken to deliver on those promises and get the NHS back on its feet. Under the proposals, patients in our constituency including those with complex needs, long-term conditions, or the elderly would experience greater continuity of care. The Government is consulting with the British Medical Association on measures including largest boost to GP funding in years and reducing outdated targets to free up time.

Children's Wellbeing Bill

Protecting children at risk of abuse and stopping vulnerable children falling through the cracks are at the heart of a landmark children’s bill introduced to Parliament this week. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is central to delivering on the government’s Plan for Change, which will put children’s futures at the centre of rebuilding public services, and break down barriers to opportunity. The measures will help ensure all children get the best start in life, to drive the sustainable, lasting change that children and families need – and deserve – to achieve and thrive. Over recent years, there have been a number of shocking cases of children being failed by a disjointed system.  The measures introduced in the Bill will write children’s best interests into law and make child-centred government a reality. In recent years, too many children have been failed by their last line of defence: the state. This bill will be a seminal moment for child protection. No more words, no more lessons learnt. This government will put children first at every turn. That means a child-centred government, with better protections for young people and real join up between children’s social care, schools and local services. Alongside further measures to drive high and rising standards in our schools, this bill will deliver on this government’s Plan for Change, so that all children, whatever their circumstances, can achieve and thrive.

Homes for Heroes

A major deal to bring the Armed Forces housing estate back into public ownership has been agreed by the government. The deal will secure 36,347 military homes to improve housing for forces' families and save taxpayers billions. The major deal unlocks new-build housing projects for military families plus essential refurbishments, and will put an end to a huge annual rental bill to save around £230 million per year.

Local News £17.7 million to tackle homelessness in Birmingham

Labour has inherited a housing crisis at boiling point, and we can’t keep sticking plasters on it. It is a national disgrace that homelessness and rough sleeping levels are at an all-time high with more than 123,000 households living in temporary accommodation after 14 years of failure. I have been campaigning on homelessness since I was elected in 2017. The homelessness crisis in Birmingham has spiralled over the last 14 years. In Birmingham, 10.9 households per 1,000 are living in temporary accommodation, significantly above the English average excluding London of 2.4. Across the West Midlands, more than 12,000 children face spending Christmas without a regular home. Under the Tories, the use of temporary accommodation has reached record levels. In the 50 authorities with the highest levels of temporary accommodation in England, nearly 14,000 households have been in temporary accommodation for more than five years, according to an FOI request. In Birmingham, one household has been in stop-gap housing since at least 2011. That is why this week I have welcomed the announcement of £17.7 million to help tackle homelessness in Birmingham, as part of a government announcement of a record nearly £1 billion for councils to help break the cycle next year. The package includes £5 million for pilots to reduce emergency accommodation in areas with the highest use of B&Bs, including Birmingham. I have campaigned on housing and homelessness since I was elected in 2017. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of homeless constituents with their housing situation, as well as supporting local food banks, baby banks, mobile kitchens and food collections to support homeless families and rough sleepers in our constituency. Constituents I have been supporting include a mum and three children confined to a single hotel room. This announcement of more than £17m of funding for Birmingham, including a pilot to end B&B use, will be gamechanging for our city, alongside the Government's plan to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, ban no fault evictions, and deliver the biggest increase in social housing in a generation. The funding announced this week will change the lives of many families in my constituency who are currently stuck in cramped, emergency accommodation with no access to kitchens or utilities of their own. This will be a huge step forwards for Birmingham. That is the difference with Labour.

UHB This week I was asked to speak to BBC Midlands about news that 300 consultants have expressed no confidence in the leadership at University Hospitals Birmingham. Over the years, I have worked with over 100 doctors, surgeons and staff at UHB who have expressed concerns about practices at the Trust. It led to the Bewick Review last year, which I am proud to have played my part in scrutinising and holding leaders at UHB to account. Sunlight is always the best disinfectant. That’s why I’ve called for the Trust to release the reports commissioned as part of the Bewick recommendations last year.

Hagley Road Metro Scheme This week I was pleased to Chair the first meeting of a strategic steering group for the Hagley Road Metro Scheme, a project designed to improve connectivity on our busy commuter corridor. I’m privileged to chair the steering group. A reliable transport network is critical to people’s lives. By delivering better transport, we’ll ensure people have proper access to jobs and opportunities – powering economic growth in the West Midlands. The Hagley Road is a vital commuter corridor, and this scheme aims to take advantage of that by improving travel along it. It will also aim to reduce congestion by introducing alternative travel methods and help make our city greener by incentivising public transport, cycling and walking. After years of campaigning for better connectivity in our region, I’m excited to be working with local representatives to ensure that this scheme is implemented in a way that delivers better transport solutions for all. The Hagley Road Metro Scheme is integral to Labour’s mission to improve infrastructure and connectivity across the country. Last month, the government committed an additional £50m funding for the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver better buses across the West Midlands. Various options are currently being explored by Transport for West Midlands to improve connectivity along Hagley Road, and the report into a rapid transit scheme will be presented to the group early in January 2025.

Christmas and New Year waste collection During the festive period, many households have more rubbish than usual, and much of this can be reused or recycled. Over Christmas and New Year, there will be some changes to waste and recycling collections, with information available on the Council’s website at the link below. Birmingham City Council is asking local residents to continue to separate their waste, only use rubbish bins for things that cannot be reused or recycled, and collapse cardboard boxes before putting them in the recycling.

Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful and merry Christmas and New Year.

Best wishes,

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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