Preet Kaur Gill MP - My Weekly Update - 27th March 2026
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
This Week the Government Announced...
Prime Minister on Antisemitic attack
On Monday, a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack took place in Golders Green, London. My thoughts are with the Jewish community during this difficult time.
Antisemitism has no place in our society. The Prime Minister has rooted it out of our Government, and that work must continue across the country. This Government is investing in protecting Jewish communities with £28 million in funding for the CST and £7 million for combating this poison in schools and universities.
This Government is committed to clamping down on antisemitic extremism and its drivers as part of our social cohesion action plan.
Watch Keir Starmer speaking to community leaders above.
Government is supporting you with the cost of living
These are serious times abroad as well, and this Government’s leadership is steady, strong, and focused on protecting the British people. That is why the Prime Minister convened a COBRA meeting earlier this week to discuss the impact of this conflict on the cost of living.
Here are five things the Government is doing for you during this time:
Capping energy bills by £117
Cutting fuel duty until September
Providing an emergency £53 million fund for vulnerable heating oil customers
Investing in clean energy to make Britain power independent
Working to support international cooperation to end the war in the Middle East
Government to pilot social media bans, time limits and curfews at home
This week, the Government launched pilots, with hundreds of UK families on social media bans, curfews, and app time limits, as part of the digital wellbeing consultation.
These pilots will give the Government the evidence needed to take the next steps, informed by the experiences of families themselves.
As the government consults the public on children's social media use, it is crucial that we test options so we can make an evidence-based decision and implement measures effectively.
Crackdown on late payments for local small businesses
This Government is supporting small businesses. This week an announcement was made on late payments for local small businesses that will really help them with cashflow.
The crackdown will..
💷 provide a total reset on terms of payment
⏳implement a max 60 day payment terms
📈 introduce mandatory interest on late payments
🔎 introduce new powers for small businesses commissioner to make big fines on persistent late payers
📚limit exemptions for booksellers so they can hold onto stock.
👷♂️prohibit deduction of retention payments in construction.
This is strongest package of protection of any major economy and will ensure that our local businesses are better supported.
Read more here: Time to Pay Up: Government unveils toughest crackdown on late payments in over 25 years - GOV.UK
New homes in England to come with solar panels
This week, the Government announced that most new homes in England will have solar panels fitted as standard. It also set out plans for plug‑in solar to be made available in shops within months.
The current conflict is yet another reminder that the UK’s route to energy security and sovereignty is to end dependence on fossil fuel markets and accelerate the drive for clean, homegrown power, alongside new renewables and nuclear.
Retailers such as Lidl and Iceland, as well as manufacturers like EcoFlow, are working with the Government to bring plug‑in solar products to the UK market.
Plug‑in solar is already widely used by households across Europe, with Germany seeing around half a million new devices plugged in each year. The free solar power can be used directly through a standard mains socket like any other device, without installation costs—reducing the amount of electricity drawn from the grid and helping to cut energy bills.
Read more here: Government to make 'plug-in solar' available within months - GOV.UK
Victims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill delivers long overdue reforms to protect victims and rebuild their confidence in our justice system. The Bill, delivered as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, will help victims get the justice they deserve.
As the Bill reaches its final stage in Parliament and once implemented it will ensure offenders have to face up to the consequences of their actions by attending court and not disrupting hearings.
This Government will also provide greater protection for children by automatically restricting parental responsibility for child sex offenders sentenced for four years or more for an offence against a child for whom they hold parental responsibility.
The Bill also creates an automatic restriction on the exercise of parental responsibility for offenders who father a child through rape.
It will ensure that NDAs will not be able to prevent victims of crime to speaking out about criminal conduct.
Read more here: Victims and Courts Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament
Local News
Two new Best Start nurseries school-based to open in Quinton
Families in Quinton will benefit from new school based nurseries this September, after I successfully bid to expand childcare provision in my constituency.
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School and Four Dwellings Primary School have secured Government funding to open new Best Start nurseries, creating more places for local children and making childcare easier to access close to home.
The announcement is part of a major national expansion, with 331 schools across England sharing £45 million to build or expand nurseries. This phase alone will deliver over 6,000 new childcare places, on top of the 7,000 already being rolled out.
Read more here: Preet Kaur Gill MP secures new nursery provision in Quinton
£17 million for SEND support in Birmingham
Birmingham has secured £17 million as record amount allocated to councils nationally to deliver more specialist places – enabling more pupils with SEND to attend their local school.
Around £860 million will be allocated to every council in England - the biggest ever single high needs capital allocation - to create more inclusive physical spaces and drive a transformative expansion of Inclusion Bases, so that early specialist support becomes part of the fabric of mainstream schools.
Birmingham City Council will prioritise places in mainstream settings, delivering on the Government’s plans for every secondary school to have an inclusion base.
The funding marks significant next step in once-in-a-generation SEND reforms to better support children and restore confidence of parents.
Read more here: Birmingham Edgbaston MP champions biggest single funding allocation to deliver more places for children with SEND
Eve Brooks Scholarship
Eve Brook Scholarship Fund was set up in 1998 established by Eve Brook, to improve opportunities for young people leaving care. The charity works closely with Birmingham Children's Trust which provides services to children and young people in Birmingham.
The Eve Brooks Scholarship provides support from children who have experienced care to get the opportunity to study. This year marked the first time the scholarship supported a student throughout their PhD course.
To learn more about the fund visit: Home - Eve Brook Scholarship Fund
University of Birmingham - working towards healthier future
The University of Birmingham is playing a major role in the Russell Group’s new commitment to build healthier communities by 2030. With more than 2,700 medical and dentistry students, and over 12,500 health‑related students trained across West Midlands Russell Group universities.
A standout part of this effort is the University’s Movewell Centre. This community‑focused hub offers low‑cost physiotherapy, clinical exercise classes and mental health support, giving local residents practical help to stay active, manage long‑term conditions and recover from illness or injury.
The Russell Group’s wider pledge includes training 181,000 graduates with the right health and life sciences skills, and boosting innovation by helping new spinouts secure around £5 billion in external investment by 2030.
Read more here: https://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/healthier-communities-2030
Birmingham SEND Co-production Training
Birmingham SEND are offering free in-person training sessions across the city throughout 2026. Anyone working within in education, health, social care and the voluntary sector is able to attend.
The sessions cover:
Understanding the SEND Co-production Framework and Charter
Perspectives from young people and parent carers
Benefits of co-production for services and communities
Introduction to the SEND Co-production Award Scheme
If you're interested you can find out the details of how to sign up here:
Free Bike Marking and Registration event in Bartley Green
Bike marking and registration is a proven deterrent against theft and in the unfortunate event of a theft it can drastically increase the chances of recovery.
There is a free bike marking and registration event taking place on Sunday in Bartley Green, if you're interested details are below.
Date: Sun 29 Mar 2026, 10:30 - 11:30
Location: Woodgate Valley Country Park, Clapgate Lane, Birmingham, B32 3DS
For more information, please visit: https://www.bikeregister.com/
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.
No surgery on Friday 3rd April
My next surgery for April will be held on Thursday 9th April, this is due to the bank holiday for Good Friday. Thank you for everyone who attended this month.
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
Birmingham City Council arranges Mobile Household Waste Centres across the city.
Bartley Green | ||
8 April 2026 | Woodgate Valley Park car park, Clapgate Lane, B32 3DS | 7:30am to 12:30pm |
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
Drop-in Session - Holloway Hall
10:00AM - 11:00AM, Mon 30 March 2026
Holloway Hall, Holloway, Birmingham
Drop-in Session - St Francis Community Church
10:30AM - 11:30AM, Wed 08 April 2026
St Francis Community Centre, Glenside, Bartley Green
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
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