Preet Kaur Gill MP - My Weekly Update - 20 February 2026
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
This Week the Government Announced...
Taking action on Tech Firms
This week the Government announced it is challenging Tech firms who are sharing non-consensual intimate images, as part of plans to improve online safety for young people. New plans will give the Government abilities to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.
Through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government will require tech firms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of them being flagged, with heavy penalties (including fines up to 10% of global revenue or having their service blocked in the UK) for non-compliance. Platforms will be required to proactively detect and remove abusive intimate images, treating this content with the same seriousness as child sexual abuse and terrorist material.
Victims will only need to report an image once, after which it will be removed across multiple platforms and automatically blocked from being re-uploaded in future. Ofcom is also considering measures to digitally mark such images so they are automatically detected and removed whenever they reappear online.
The Government has also launched the ''You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign, which offers practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts parents can use with their children, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.
Read more about the proposed plans here: PM: “No platform gets a free pass”: Government takes action to keep children safe online - GOV.UK
£400 cash boost for adults with disabilities
This week the Government announced it would be providing a £400 cash boost each year to 150,000 working-age disabled adults to help with cost of living.
The Government is increasing the amount working-age disabled adults are allowed to keep once they have paid for home care services. The amount will increase by 7% starting from April 2026. The increase will ensure people with disabilities have the support they need and ease financial pressures.
£700 million will also been given to support tens of thousands of home adaptations so disabled people can live safely and independently.
Read more here: £400 cash boost for disabled adults to tackle cost of living - GOV.UK
Inflation falls lowest in 10 months
Inflation has fallen to its lowest level in 10 months, with prices rising more slowly across the board.
The cost of living is becoming more affordable under this Government.
🔹 Petrol is now the cheapest it has been in around five years.
🔹 Food price inflation is slowing, meaning staples like meat, bread, and cereals are rising less quickly.
🔹 Air fares have also dropped, meaning cheaper travel.
Slower inflation means price rises aren’t eating as much of your income every week. It eases pressure on household budgets after years of higher costs and boosts the chance of lower interest rates, which can bring down mortgage and loan costs too.
Thanks to long-term economic stability and targeted measures, this government is putting more money back in people’s pockets and helping families with the cost of living.
Read more here: UK inflation falls to 3%, boosting hopes of early cut in interest rates | Inflation | The Guardian
Local News
Meeting on Potholes on Rotton Park Road
This week I joined Councillor Marcus Bernasconi to meet with Kier Highways who manage roads for Birmingham City Council about the delay in fixing potholes on Rotton park road.
We discussed road closures and plan to get a date to fix them as a matter of priority. We will update residents shortly on confirmed dates of when the work will be completed.
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.
Applications for Chair of Pride in Place Woodgate and Bartley Green Neighbourhood Board now open
Applications are now open for the Chair of the Community Board for Pride in Place Woodgate and Bartley Green. I am seeking an Independent Chair (voluntary) to establish and lead the new Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board for Woodgate and Bartley Green.
This place‑based initiative focuses on strengthening communities and creating a thriving neighbourhood, with funding decisions shaped by the community itself.
I encourage you to apply or share this opportunity with someone who may be interested, to help ensure we find the best person to lead our board.
Applications are open until Tuesday 24th February, you can apply here: Pride in Place Chair - Woodgate - BCC Careers Careers
Doorknocking in Quinton
On Monday, I joined the local candidates for Quinton in the upcoming May election to knock on doors in the community. It was great to speak with local residents and hear about the pressing issues, and how we can work to improve our area.
If you have any concerns in your area, please get in touch.
National Lottery Open Week 2026
The National Lottery is launching its annual campaign National Lottery Open Week from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 March 2026. Organisations which benefited from National Lottery funding will be holding a special offer for anyone who presents a National Lottery ticket, scratchcard, or proof of online play.
There are a variety of events and activities taking place across the Midlands, if you'd like to take part you can book here: National Lottery Open Week - National Lottery Good Causes
Early Years Screentime Roundtable – Friday 27th February
The Government is engaging with families and guardians of young children to understand what should be included in the new guidance that is set to release this year. I’m hosting a Roundtable at Edgbaston Family Hub on Friday 27th February from 9:30-10:30am, to meet with anyone who would like to contribute to the discussion.
If you'd like to join, please come along or contact preet.gill.mp@parliament.uk for more information.
Mobile Household Waste Centre dates and locations
Birmingham City Council arranges Mobile Household Waste Centres across the city.
Here are the next dates in the constituency:
Bartley Green | ||
28 February 2026 | Woodgate Valley Park car park, Clapgate Lane, B32 3DS | 8:00am to midday |
10 March 2026 | Woodgate Valley Park car park, Clapgate Lane, B32 3DS | 7:30am to 12:30pm |
Quinton | ||
11 March 2026 | Quinton Park car park, Highfield Lane, B32 1QX | 7:30am to 12:30pm |
My WhatsApp channel
I’m excited to share I’ve launched a new 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
Here’s eight things the Government delivered in England last week:
👷 This National Apprenticeship Week we announced ‘fast track’ apprenticeship reforms to get our young people into the industries of the future - cutting the time it takes to update apprenticeships and develop new courses to meet employers'
needs, and a new university-style clearance system for apprenticeship applications
🏫 Our 10-year plan will rebuild our crumbling school estates for the next generation with schools to be inclusive by design
🛑 As part of our mission to halve knife crime, any child caught carrying a knife will be given a mandatory, targeted intervention to stop them falling into a cycle of reoffending
🔆 The Local Power Plan is the biggest ever public investment in community energy which will cut bills and create revenue for community centres, social clubs and places of worship
💷 Communities will benefit from fairer funding to tackle deprivation and improve public services with an extra £440 million boost for councils most impacted by historic cuts
✅ Our Representation of the People Bill will strengthen democratic integrity through tougher rules on political interference
🌍 Britain is providing an extra half a billion pounds in urgent air defence to Ukraine and will play a central part in NATO’s Arctic security mission
🌊 Communities will benefit from 13 new bathing spots across England
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
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