Weekly Update - 2 June

Dear John

Great British Railways

Last week, South Western Railway became the first railway to be brought back into public ownership. Great British Railways won’t just be the name of the new nationally owned railway, it symbolises a complete reset that will mark the high standard of service and delivery the public should expect to receive. Starting with South Western Railway, each rail operator will have to meet rigorous, bespoke performance standards on things like punctuality, cancellation and passenger experience, so we can rebuild a world class public service. Later this year, we’ll bring forward legislation to set up Great British Railways, integrating the management of track and train to ensure operations run more seamlessly, bring accountability and reliability back into the railways and, in turn, helping to reduce delays and cancellations. This will get more people using our trains to travel to work, education and for leisure – boosting both the national and regional economies as part of the government’s Plan for Change. Read more here.

Housebuilding

If you promise to build homes, you must deliver them – it's as simple as that. Right now, over 165,000 children are living in temporary accommodation, and a whole generation is locked out of owning a home. Large housing sites with over 2,000 homes can take at least 14 years to develop – we need to get Britain building. For the first time, housebuilders will have to commit to timeframes before granting planning permission and not leave half-finished sites gathering dust. While most developers want to get on and build, those who consistently fail to build out and those who secure planning permissions simply to trade land for profit could also face a ‘Delayed Homes Penalty’, paid directly to local planning authorities. Read more here.

SMEs

Local housebuilders must be the bedrock of our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and end the housing crisis we’ve inherited. Our government is taking urgent action to make the system simpler, fairer and more cost effective, so smaller housebuilders can play a crucial role in our plan to build 1.5 million homes. Our proposed planning reforms include: Minor developments of up to nine homes will benefit from streamlined planning rules A new ‘medium development’ category for sites between 10 and 49 homes with simpler rules and fewer costs Modernisation of planning committees Read more here.

Training and Skills

When we invest in skills for young people, we invest in a shared, stronger economic future. Our government has announced that young people will benefit from 120,000 new training opportunities, backed by a record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget. This investment will open opportunities for young people to succeed in careers the country vitally needs to prosper. More routes into skilled work means more people building affordable homes, more care for NHS patients and more digital experts to push our economy forward. I regularly visit schools and universities and hear directly from young people who tell me they want access to good quality jobs. These landmark reforms backed by investment will ensure we break down the barriers to opportunity and ensure every young person gets the best start in life. Read more here.

Crime

Police forces are to be given stronger powers to seize and destroy vehicles within 48 hours to crack down on anti-social behaviour. Currently, police must wait 14 days before being able to dispose of a vehicle, making it easier for offenders to reclaim their vehicles and with a limited deterrent to repeat offending. Communities in Quinton and Bartley Green have become all too familiar with street racers and off-road bikers blighting our roads and public parks. I’m glad that this government is taking action to stamp out antisocial behaviour. Read more here.

Pensions

Millions of workers will retire with bigger pension pots thanks to the Government’s plans to double the number of UK pension megafunds by 2030, unlocking billions to invest in Britain’s future. Reforms set to be introduced through the Pension Schemes Bill will mean all multi-employer Defined Contribution pension schemes and Local Government Pension Scheme pools operate at megafund level, managing at least £25 billion in assets by 2030. Evidence from Australia and Canada shows that this size allows pension funds to invest in big infrastructure projects and private businesses, boosting the economy while potentially driving higher returns for savers. Read more here.

Reservoirs

On Thursday, our Labour Government stepped in to build new reservoirs for the first time in 30 years to unlock economic growth. The Environment Secretary Steve Reed has seized control of the planning process to build two much-needed reservoirs, delivering on this government’s commitment to fast-track the delivery of nine new reservoirs and supporting its plans to get Britain building with 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament. Without these projects, national water supplies will remain under threat and new homes simply cannot be built. These new reservoirs will supply three waters of a million homes and unlock the building of tens of thousands more as part of the Plan for Change. Read more here.

Condition Improvement Fund

It's great news that pupils in North Edgbaston are set to benefit from essential maintenance fixes being rolled out in schools by our Labour government. Children in City Road Primary School will benefit from a share of a £470 million allocation (£35.4 million for the West Midlands) through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). The investment is for projects in education and healthcare settings, set to fix crumbling roofs and remove dangerous asbestos – restoring pride in England’s classrooms and undoing years of dangerous Conservative neglect. Students at City Road Primary School will benefit hugely from these vital upgrades, which will create a safe environment where they can achieve and thrive. I know just how important this investment from our Labour government is – I regularly visit the school, hold my monthly advice surgeries there, and I even attended the school as a child. Parents across my constituency of Birmingham, Edgbaston will remember the terror of the RAAC crisis, the fear that children were no longer safe in their own school because of years of Tory neglect. With free breakfast clubs, cheaper uniform costs and safer schools, Labour is setting children up for the best start. Read more here.

Energy

Thousands of people are set to get payouts over being forced into fitting prepayment energy meters. Some customers could receive payouts of up to £1,000 each, and some could see debts written off. This follows a review by the energy regulator, Ofgem, of the way suppliers switched often vulnerable customers to paying upfront, without their agreement, after they fell behind with their bills. Read more here.

Liverpool Parade

I was heartbroken by the incident at the Liverpool victory parade on Monday. My brother was in attendance and narrowly missed being caught up in it. My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to everyone affected. I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response to this shocking incident.

Local News

NHS

The NHS has warned that supplies of O negative blood in the West Midlands are critically low. The health service is urging people with O negative blood to book an appointment and donate today. Read more here. Vaisakhi Celebrations

It was great to be at Tally Ho Centre for West Midlands Police’s Vaisakhi celebration in my constituency. I’d like to thank Craig Guildford, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, and the Sikh Police Association for organising the event. Bins Update

The Council has been granted an interim injunction to ensure that the picketing and protesting behaviour outside of the Council’s three depots by striking bin workers is in accordance with legal provisions. The Council has been negotiating with Unite since the start of this strike around the behaviours at its depots, and whilst everyone has a right to protest, the council has a public health duty to uphold and clearing waste is central to this. I'm calling for Unite to come back around the table to bring an end to this industrial dispute. The Council has been fair and transparent with it's job evaluation process. Fundamentally, the waste service in our city needs to be transformed into one that the citizens of Birmingham deserve. Wyndham Road

I'm glad that the application to turn 2 Wyndham Road into a giant 7-bedroom HMO have been refused by the council. I objected to this application twice on behalf of North Edgbaston residents. You can read my latest objection above. Investment Zones

Our Mayor Richard Parker is delivering three investment zones across the West Midlands, creating thousands of jobs in our region. The three zones include the Coventry-Warwick Gigapark, Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor. These zones blend a mix of capital investment, tax incentives, and business support programmes linked to innovation-led growth clusters. This will deliver countless jobs, growth and opportunities across our region. Read more here. Severn Trent Severn Trent are hosting hundreds of jobs, local employers and free training and support on Thursday 5th June from 10am to 2pm, at Birmingham City Football Club. Joining Severn Trent on the day are over 30 employers with live jobs and opportunities, including Barclays, EE, the Royal Navy, Warwickshire Police and the Department of Work and Pensions. Book your ticket here. Patchwork Party Conference Programme Applications for the 2025 Patchwork Party Conference Programme are now open! This is a great opportunity for aspiring young change makers to attend one of the three major party conferences for the first time. Applications close Monday 2nd June at 9am. Find out more and apply here. Community Pride

Last week, the Co-operative Party released a ground-breaking new report with Hope Not Hate on how pride in our communities can restore trust in our politics and hope in our country. I told the Co-operative Party what makes me proud about our community in Birmingham, Edgbaston. This is what I said: "Birmingham, Edgbaston is more than just my constituency - it's my home. I grew up here, among a diverse and vibrant community that has always stood together through challenges and change. This community has shaped my values, and it's why I'm so passionate about giving back and fighting for the people who make this place so special." You can read the report here. Government Achievements Here’s nine more things Labour’s Plan for Change has delivered: Negotiated a new deal with the EU that is good for bills, good for jobs, and good for borders. This follows the crucial international trade deals we’ve signed with the US and India in the past 2 weeks alone Net migration almost halved in the past year – Labour is taking back control of our borders Landmark sentencing review reforms will put public protection and cutting crime at the heart of the justice system and ensure the public is never put at risk again from prisons running out of space or police being unable to make arrests Energy price cap down by £129 from July. We are delivering secure, homegrown energy to bring bills down for good, putting more money back in your pocket Nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK returned since the election — 12% more than under the Tories 145% surge in criminal investigations into water companies to clean up the complete mess the Tories left Youth Trailblazer scheme launched in Liverpool as part of £45 million scheme to help young people get the skills, education, and jobs they require to achieve their ambitions £4 million of new humanitarian aid for Gaza, as well as new sanctions against settler movements in the West Bank New knife surrender scheme to get ninja swords and other dangerous weapons off our streets

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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