Preet Kaur Gill MP - My Weekly Update - 10th April 2026

Apr 9
8 min read

Updated: Apr 10

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This Week the Government Announced...

Conflict in Iran

This week, the Prime Minister travelled to the Middle East to meet leaders in the region to discuss the two-week ceasefire. The Prime Minister arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of a visit to gulf allies to discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the agreement. He said fully reopening the vital shipping route to restore oil and gas supplies would help stabilise prices in the UK.

The Prime Minister also met with the brave service personnel defending British interests and those of our allies.

3,000 new neighbourhood police officers in post

3,000 new neighbourhood police officers come into post this week, two months ahead of the Government's schedule.

Figures released on Tuesday show that 3,123 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs have been hired or redeployed since April last year and are now focused on fighting local crimes in communities.

Last year the government pledged to have 3,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of March 2026, meeting the target in January.

The increase in neighbourhood officers is already delivering results. The Home Office’s Winter of Action scheme across December and January saw almost 18,000 arrests across more than 600 towns and cities as police presence and patrols were ramped up.

In Birmingham, thanks to my successful campaign working with Al Carns MP for Selly Oak, we have secured neighbourhood police officers for every ward in the city and two each in our area.

State pension going up

Over 12 million pensioners will see their State Pension rise by up to £575 from Monday (6 April), as both the basic and new State Pensions increase by 4.8% under the Triple Lock guarantee.

Over the course of the current parliament, pensioners’ annual incomes are expected to rise by up to £2,100 – boosting financial security for millions.

Supporting Students and Graduates

This week, the Government confirmed that interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans will be capped at 6% from September 2026.

This means borrowers are protected from sudden spikes in inflation pushing up interest rates to unsustainable levels. The cap will apply for the 2026–27 academic year, offering certainty at a time of global economic instability.

Importantly, monthly repayments will not change they remain linked to income, not interest rates.

Alongside this, we are taking further steps to support students with the cost of living:

• Maintenance loans will increase each year in line with inflation, helping support keep pace with rising costs

• From 2026/27, care leavers will automatically receive the maximum maintenance loan

• From 2028/29, targeted maintenance grants of up to £1,000 a year will be reintroduced putting more money in students’ pockets without increasing debt

These changes are about fairness, stability and making sure students and graduates are supported through uncertain times.

Millions get extended rights through Employment Rights Act

On 6 April, new worker rights came into force across the UK under the Employment Rights Act.

These changes include:

Day‑one rights to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.
Stronger redundancy protections, with the maximum collective redundancy protective award doubled.
Better protection for whistleblowers, especially those reporting sexual harassment at work.
Statutory Sick Pay improvements, by removing the lower earnings limit and the waiting period before pay starts.
Voluntary action plans to support gender equality and help employees through the menopause, including new guidance.

Knife Crime Plan

This week, Policing Minister Sarah Jones launched the Government's Knife Crime Plan, outlining the steps the Government is taking to tackle knife crime across the UK. These measures support the target of halving knife crime within a decade.

Up to 250 schools in knife crime hotspots will receive specialist training and support to divert children from serious violence, including targeted support for the 50 highest-risk schools.

She also announced the new Safety In & Around Schools Partnership, backed by £1.2 million, will help schools identify local risks and take practical action to keep pupils safe on their journeys to and from school.

The Government is continuing to crack down on the gangs who exploit children and fuel violence, with over £34 million invested in the County Lines Programme this year.

The Government is also taking a targeted approach, deploying new state-of-the-art mapping hyperlocal mapping technology to identify the streets and times where knife crime is most concentrated.

Police activity will increase in the areas that account for 90% of knife crime, supported by £26 million through the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund, including increased patrols and the deployment of knife arches and Live Facial Recognition.

Further action will identify and tackle those selling weapons online, alongside continued investment in violence reduction programmes and early intervention.

Crack down on costly subscription traps

The Government has announced new rules that could save residents on average around £14 every month per unwanted subscription - nearly £170 a year - by making it easier to cancel unwanted services. Cracking down on unwanted and misleading subscriptions, which will save consumers around £400 million every year.

These new measures will make it simpler and far less painful to escape unwanted subscriptions, stop people being silently rolled onto expensive contracts and ensure that companies are upfront and open when selling subscription services.

Once the rules come into force, expected to be in Spring 2027, consumers will benefit from:

Clear, simple information before signing up to any subscription
Reminders before free or discounted trials end, or 12month+ contracts automatically renew
Straightforward cancellations, including online exits for online sign ups
A 14-day cooling off period, after a free or discounted trial ends, or when a contract renews for 12 months or longer

Two-child benefit cap comes to an end

This week, thousands of children including 4,030 in Edgbaston will be lifted out of poverty following the end of the two child benefit cap.

At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor confirmed the Government would scrap the cap introduced by the previous Government. That change has now come into force.

As a result, 450,000 children across the country are being lifted out of poverty a significant step towards ensuring every child has the best start in life.

This is about fairness, dignity, and making sure no child is held back because of the circumstances they are born into.

Timms Review Update

Last year the government launched the Timms Review to ensure Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is fair and fit for the future, and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment.

The Review is currently calling for evidence seeking feedback and insight from people with experience of the current PIP system.

This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 28 May 2026. If you'd like to contribute, visit: Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: Call for Evidence - GOV.UK

Local News

Register to vote for May elections

Birmingham City Council elections are taking place on Thursday 7th May. The deadline to register to vote, is Monday 20 April at 5pm, for those who wish to apply for a postal vote the deadline is until 5pm the following day on Tuesday 21 April.

To register visit: Register to vote - GOV.UK

To apply for a postal vote visit: Apply for a postal vote - GOV.UK

Job Fairs in Birmingham

Job Fairs are taking place throughout the year at St Andrews Stadium. The next job fair will be on Friday 17th April 2026 at 10am - 1pm, you can sign up here: Birmingham Jobs Fair - Friday 17th April 2026

For details on future job fairs visit: Event Schedule | The Bridge - Connecting People | Job Fairs across the UK

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month 2026

This April marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, raising the profile of the UK's second biggest cancer killer. It's important for to get screened and to ensure you are aware of the symptoms.

Research shows that only 58% of Edgbaston residents take up screening - its essential people have information and are diagnosed as early as possible.

For more information visit: About bowel cancer | Bowel Cancer UK

National School Competition - Ceramics on the Moon!

Ceramics UK have launched a competition to inspire the next generation and highlight the importance of the ceramics sector.

Aimed at Key Stage 3 students, the Defying Gravity challenge introduces the wide range of careers in the ceramics industry, including engineering, digital design, creative communication and more.

All Key Stage 3 students (Years 7–9) are eligible to apply all they need to do is create an A1 poster that explains their idea, using drawings, pictures or designs.

All entries must be emailed by 19 June 2026 to marketing@ceramics-uk.org.

For more information visit: Ceramics on the moon — Ceramics UK

Have your say on Pride in Place funding for Woodgate and Bartley Green

Calling on Woodgate and Bartley Green residents - I want to hear how you think the £20 million Pride in Place investment should be spent.

After years of campaigning I've secured £20 million for Woodgate and Bartley Green as part of the Pride in Place programme.

Woodgate and Bartley Green have long faced challenges with limited opportunities for young people, and closure of community facilities. This investment aims to reverse years of underfunding, and rebuilding pride in local neighbourhoods.

I'm asking residents to share their thoughts on how the money should be used. It could be for more youth services, a community hub, improved outdoor spaces or more support for skills and employment. All ideas are welcome and will inform the plans for how the funding will be spent with the goal to benefit as many residents as possible.

Please complete the survey here.

Advice surgeries

It was great to speak to residents at my advice surgeries on Thursday. Thank you to everyone who attended this month.

My next surgery will be on Friday 1st May, in the meantime, if you have any issues, please contact me on email preet.gill.mp@parliament.uk or call 0121 392 8426.

Mobile Household Waste Centre dates and locations

Information on what you can bring to the vehicle

Birmingham City Council arranges Mobile Household Waste Centres across the city. Please details of the next collection in the constituency below.

Quinton
30 April 2026	Quinton Park car park, Highfield Lane, B32 1QX	7:30am to 12:30pm

To find the next pick-ups near you, please visit: Mobile Household Waste Centre dates and locations | Mobile Household Waste Centres | Birmingham City Council

Police drop-in sessions across all wards

West Midlands Police hold regular drop-ins and PACT meetings providing residents with the opportunity to speak directly with officers about concerns relating to crime in the community. Please see below a list of the drop-in sessions coming up in my constituency.

Bartley Green

PACT meeting (police and communities together)

8:00PM - 9:00PM, Tue 21 April 2026

Milebrook Hall, 143-151 Field Lane

Drop-in Session - HOLLOWAY HALL

10:00AM - 11:00AM, Mon 27 April 2026

Holloway Hall, Holloway, Birmingham

Find more information here: Birmingham | West Midlands Police

My WhatsApp channel

I’m excited to share I’ve launched a WhatsApp channel to share updates on my work in Parliament and in the Constituency.

If you’d like to subscribe you can do so here: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7R7tsHbFV5Ja8iBF1z

As always, if you have an issue you'd like to discuss, please contact my office at 0121 392 8426 or preet.gill.mp@parliament.uk, or through my website.

With warm regards,

Preet Kaur Gill MP

Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton