This week, our Labour Government delivered the most packed legislative agenda for a change of government in decades.
We are full of energy, full of ideas, and keen to deliver our mandate for change. Labour in government is acting quickly and passing the laws we urgently need to fix the foundations of our country.
This week, in the Commons, we introduced:
· Budget Responsibility Bill
· Great British Energy Bill
· High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill
· Holocaust Memorial Bill
· Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill
These bills will help us deliver the change people voted for on 4th July, such as by bringing rail operators into public ownership, tackling the root cause of our energy crisis, and establishing a fiscal lock which will deliver economic stability and ensure the disastrous ‘mini-budget’ can never happen again.
Over the coming months, the Government will be honest with the British people about the state our country is in, and at the same time work to tackle our biggest and most urgent issues, deliver on our promises and restore politics to service.
Grenfell Inquiry
This week, the final phase of the Grenfell inquiry was published, highlighting serious failures among national and local politicians, builders, material manufacturers and salespeople, fire-testing experts and the London fire brigade.
The publication of these findings is a landmark moment. We must never forget the 72 people who lost their lives because of the systematic dishonesty of companies coupled with years of government failure.
In my constituency, residents living on the Hemisphere Estate are still stuck living in unsafe, flammable homes while they wait for remediation work. It’s shocking when you think of the risks my constituents have had to face while waiting for progress.
I welcome the Prime Minister setting out his government’s commitment to some immediate steps to ensure those trapped in dangerous accommodation see the justice they deserve. It’s vital that the remediation progress for people trapped in unsafe accommodation, like my constituents in Hemisphere, is sped up, and companies attempting to evade responsibility for creating this nightmare are forced into action.
Read my full press release here:
SEND Debate
This week, I applied for a debate on SEND provision.
The system that children with SEND have inherited from the last government is truly broken. My constituent, Chloe, has a 12-year-old son with SEND. When she contacted me in July, her son had been out of school since October 2023 after months and months spent attempting to get her child into a special school. As of this week, she has still not heard back from the council on her case.
To give her son an education, she has been homeschooling him, working 2-3 nights a week while looking after him in the days. Too many of my constituents are going through circumstances like Chloe’s due to the shortage of accessible SEND provision.
I hope that with the new government’s Children’s Wellbeing Bill we will see meaningful consultation with affected families and an announcement of funding to go with this in the forthcoming budget, so councils have the resources they need to deal with the huge increase in demand for Education, Health and Care Plans for SEND pupils.
50:50 Parliament
Politics Home has done a write up of the 50:50 Parliament “Welcome to Parliament” event that I spoke at, spotlighting women’s health.
Women’s health simply does not get the attention it deserves. More attention must be particularly paid to the disparities in access to healthcare that especially affect women from minority communities.
You can read the full article here:
Local News
St Germain's Community Hub
On Thursdays 9:30am to 10:30am, St Germain’s Community Hub are hosting fully funded courses for new mothers, covering topics such as when to start weaning, first foods, traditional and baby-led weaning, recipe ideas and much more.
There are 12 places available for parents/carers of babies under 12 months old. You can sign up by calling 07511935716 or emailing rose@germains.org.uk.
The community hub is also hosting a wellbeing drop-in session on Mondays 11:30am to 2:30pm. It’s totally free and offers mental health support, advice, and wellbeing activities and workshops.
Address: St Germain’s Church, City Road, Edgbaston, B17 8LE.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has started scanning all blood tests for HIV and hepatitis to assist with early detection.
This is a great initiative that will save lives and save money for the NHS.
MHWC
On Tuesday, 17th September, the MHWC will be visiting Shipbourne Close, Harborne, B32 2LH. The centre will be open between 7:30am and 1pm, so please do come along if you have bulky household waste to dispose of.
Childcare
From September, parents with a child from age 9-months-old will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare support. Applications are now open. Find out more by following the link below.
Advice surgeries
There have been some updates to my advice surgeries. Please consult the new list below.
Best wishes,
Preet Kaur Gill MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton
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