Preet Kaur Gill - My Weekly Update - 16 May
- Preet Kaur Gill MP
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
Immigration White Paper
Keir Starmer launching the Immigration White Paper
On Monday, we published our Immigration White Paper to take back control of our borders.
We inherited an immigration system totally out of control. After promising to cut it, the Tories let net migration quadruple to almost a million – with lower-skilled migration and visa abuse replacing the high-skilled migration the public was promised post-Brexit.
In our manifesto, we promised to get net migration down and to introduce a proper points-based system that controls our borders, and stops migration being used as an alternative to skills and training at home. That is exactly what this White Paper delivers.
Our White Paper is the first step in taking back control:
It raises the skill level, so we ensure only the brightest and best can come to the UK.
It establishes new workforce strategies, so key sectors using the visa system have to train people at home.
It tackles student and graduate visa abuse, supporting genuine study whilst fixing loopholes that drive up numbers claiming asylum.
It raises English language requirements to support integration.
And it reforms settlement and citizenship, to reward contribution more than time served.
Immigration is important to Britain, but it needs to be controlled and managed so the system is fair. Whilst Reform and the Tories shout from the sidelines, this Labour government is delivering for working people. You can read more about our plans here.
Borders
White Cliffs of Dover
This week, Parliament debated Labour's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. This landmark legislation will see criminal gangs face counterterror-style tactics for the first time, transforming the ability of law enforcement to detect, prevent and prosecute people smugglers. You can read more about our Bill here.
Home Office
At a morning briefing with West Midlands Police
Here’s some other things that the Home Office has announced this week:
👮♂️ 3,000 more neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs will be on the streets over the next year – with increased patrols in town centres starting this July. Read more here.
🤦🏻♂ The Shadow Home Secretary was caught admitting that the Tories had no plan for how to handle asylum seekers post-Brexit. Read more here.
💷 £20 million has been announced for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, honour-based abuse and stalking – including £5.3 million to support children affected by domestic abuse. Read more here.
🌍 The Defending Democracy Taskforce completed its review into the growing threat of transnational repression. Training on hostile state threats is now being rolled out to all UK police forces. Read more here.
⚖ Six spies with links to Russia who targeted journalists, a Government official, and a military location have been sentenced to a combined total of 50 years in prison. Read more here.
Economy
With Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves
Under this Labour Government, we have the fastest growing economy in the G7.
In the first three months of the year, the UK economy has grown faster than the US, Canada, France, Italy and Germany, with GDP rising by 0.7%.
We still have more to do. I understand that the cost of living is still very real for many families, but the numbers do show that the economy is beginning to turn a corner. Read more here.
Childcare
Children growing up in Birmingham and across our country deserve the best start in life, nothing less.
From this week, all eligible working parents with infants who will be 9 months old before 1st September can apply to access up to 30 hours of government-funded childcare, boosting parents’ work choices and children’s life chances. Parents who access the 30 hours of childcare will save £7,500 a year per child.
With savings from Labour’s free breakfast club rollout and school uniform cap, this rises to up to £8,000 for working parents who also have school-aged children, every year. You can read more here.
Civil Service Reform
Out and about in Birmingham
Thousands of civil service jobs will be relocated to 13 towns and cities across the country, including to Birmingham.
This is part of the Government’s plan to move decision-making closer to communities all across the UK. By relocating thousands of civil service roles, we will not only save taxpayers money, we will make this government one that better reflects the country it serves. Read more here.
Appointments
Outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital
This Government is working to get our NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future.
As part of that, we are slashing waiting times, meaning patients are being seen faster for scans including endoscopies, ultrasounds and MRIs. The latest data shows 44,000 fewer people waited more than six weeks for diagnostic tests compared to last year. It means some patients being referred for suspected illnesses including heart conditions, spinal cord injuries and various cancers could be diagnosed faster, helping save lives. Read more here.
Nurses
This week, the government announced that we are legally protecting the job title ‘Nurse’ to keep patients safe and to show nurses the respect they deserve. This will see rogue beauticians calling themselves a nurse to sell non-surgical procedures like Botox, dermal fillers and laser work fined thousands of pounds. Read more here.
Childbirth
With Health Secretary Wes Streeting
Childbirth should be one of the most life-affirming moments. It should begin with trust, dignity and care – not fear of being let down by the very system meant to protect you.
That’s why this week, our Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced an NHS scheme to reduce brain injuries in childbirth will be rolled out nationally. The scheme will help maternity staff respond more effectively in labour emergencies, including when a baby’s head becomes lodged deep during a caesarean birth. The new Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth programme will provide staff with the tools and right training to identify, intervene and manage obstetric emergencies. Read more here.
Great British Energy Act
Solar panels
The Great British Energy Bill has been passed by Parliament. This is the first publicly-owned energy company in over 70 years - a domestic clean power champion, owned by the British people, for the British people.
Great British Energy will now be set up and start delivering benefits for the whole of the UK. This includes driving clean energy deployment, boosting energy independence, creating jobs, and ensuring UK taxpayers, billpayers and communities reap the benefits of clean, secure, homegrown energy. Read more here.
Clean Power
Outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital
It’s brilliant news that Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University of Birmingham will benefit from cheaper energy through a clean power upgrade.
More than £14 million has been awarded to the Acute Building at Queen Elizabeth Hospital to pay for a heat pump. The Acute Building delivers a range of outpatient, diagnostic and day surgery services.
£1.96 million has also been granted to install a heat pump at the University of Birmingham’s Institute for Biomedical Research.
This forms part of an £84 million package for the region, for measures including heat pumps, solar panels, and energy efficiency, helping to make Britain energy secure as part of the Plan for Change.
This funding will deliver the benefits the benefits of clean power to communities across my constituency of Birmingham, Edgbaston and the wider West Midlands, through cheaper bills and more money for our public services.
Labour is delivering the clean power system that will ensure families, businesses and the services we rely on have energy security and lower bills for good. Read more here.
Prisons
Speaking to a West Midlands Police officer
Our Labour government inherited prisons on the brink of collapse. After 14 years of Conservative governments, only 500 prison places were created.
This government will end the cycle of crisis and bring order and control back to our prisons. We have already committed £2.3 billion to prison expansion and have delivered 2,400 new places.
We plan to add 14,000 new prison places by 2031 and deliver four new prisons. You can read more here.
Mental Health
With schoolchildren in my constituency
Labour is delivering on our pledge to get more mental health support for children in our schools.
Expanding mental health support for young people is one of the single biggest steps we can take to improve children’s life chances, make sure all pupils are getting the very most out of school and deliver excellence for every child. Breaking the vicious cycle of poor mental health, low attendance and bad behaviour among children and young people is one of the most urgent challenges of facing our schools.
Under government plans, all pupils will have access to mental health support in school by the end of the decade, with six in ten pupils having access to a mental health support team by March 2026. You can read more here.
Violence Against Women and Girls
UoB's report launch in Parliament
It was great to host the University of Birmingham in Parliament for their report launch on violence against women and girls. The research presented will help policymakers to better understand the nature of violence against women and girls and the efficacy of different methods to improve women’s safety. You can read their report here.
Business
Meeting with Sebastien Gubel
It was great to meet with Sebastien Gubel from the CGM, Morocco's leading business group, in Parliament. The CGEM represents 90,000 businesses who are keen to strengthen the growing trade partnership between Morocco and the UK.
Local News
Affordable Homes
Everyone deserves a warm, safe and affordable home but too many families are having to wait too long, forced to live in expensive and often poor quality rented or temporary accommodation.
I welcome news that hundreds more families are set to benefit over the next 12 months from new homes that are safe, decent and affordable as the region is handed more powers and funding from central government.
More than 1,700 new homes are expected to be funded from the region’s new £389m Integrated Settlement, which has been granted by the Government to our Mayor Richard Parker.
Hagley Road Fire
The death of a resident in a Hagley Road supported accommodation hostel last Friday is a horrific tragedy. I visited the site and am working with local services. We need to now understand what happened and why, and ensure other residents there and nearby are safe and protected. I spoke to Birmingham Live, read more here.
Street Surgery
This week, I visited Wellington Road in Edgbaston to speak to constituents about the issues that matter most to them.
I am out talking to residents all year, not just at election time.
Coffee Morning
If you are a constituent and would like to chat about the issues that matter to you, please do come along to my coffee morning tomorrow!
You can join me at St Michael and All Angels church on the corner of Romsley Road and Field Lane, next to Bartley Green Social Club, B32 3PS, on Saturday 17th May between 10 and 11am.
Flytipping
If you've spotted fly-tipping, report it here. With the new government crack down, fly-tippers' vehicles will be seized and crushed.
Government WhatsApp
You can keep up to what the Government is doing by following their channel on Whatsapp, here.
PMQs
If you are a constituent of mine and would like tickets to attend Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament, please do get in touch with my office at preet.gill.mp@parliament.uk.
Labour Achievements
Here’s seven things Labour’s Plan for Change delivered last week:
🚗 Secured an historic trade deal with the US to save thousands of British jobs in the steel and car industries
📈 Delivered a trade deal with India which will provide a £4.8 billion annual boost for the economy
🎖️ Announced VALOUR, a new UK-wide veteran support system to give veterans easier access to care and support
❤️🩹 1,000 GP surgeries will benefit from new funding to modernise their practices and deliver over 8 million more appointments this year
🌎 Largest package of sanctions yet announced against Putin
⚖️ New measures to force offenders to attend their sentencing hearing – or face tougher penalties
💷 Interest rates have been cut four times since Labour was elected, protecting your mortgages
Best wishes,
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Preet Kaur Gill MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton