Preet Kaur Gill - My Weekly Update - 16 January 2026
- Preet Kaur Gill MP
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 minutes ago
This Week the Government Announced...
First ever guidance on children’s screen time
This week the Government announced the development of the first-ever guidance on screen use for under-five and is asking residents to share their views on how to navigate the use of screens with their youngest children.
The guidance, due to be published in April, will be produced by the Children’s Commissioner and provide parents with practical, non-judgemental support on balancing screens with play, speaking and reading.
New government research has found that screen use is near-universal in early childhood, with 98% of two-year-olds watching screens daily. The research also found that children with the highest screen use could say significantly fewer words than those with the lowest screen use.
Read more here: Preet Kaur Gill MP calls for parents’ views to shape first-ever screen time guidance for under-fives
Challenging Grok AI on X
This week the Government announced it will enforce the creation of non-consensual intimate images as a criminal offence. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated that X's Grok AI tool generated deepfake intimate images are 'vile' and the law will punish people who create them, as well as platforms for hosting it.
Watch Liz Kendall's speech in Parliament earlier this week above.
Following the statement, Musk owner of X has backed down, In response, Liz Kendall's stated: I welcome this move from X, though I will expect the facts to be fully and robustly established by Ofcom’s ongoing investigation.
Our Online Safety Act is and always has been about keeping people safe on social media - especially children - and it has given us the tools to hold X to account in recent days.
I also want to thank those who have spoken out against this abuse, above all the victims. I shall not rest until all social media platforms meet their legal duties and provide a service that is safe and age appropriate to all users.
We will continue to stand up for British values and to uphold the laws of this land.
Universities welcome Government's AI for Science Strategy
Universities across the UK have issued a joint statement welcoming the Department of Science and Technology's AI for Science Strategy. In the statement the Universities stated that AI is already accelerating breakthroughs in areas such as new medical treatments and sustainable energy technologies.
They acknowledged that the UK’s strong scientific ecosystem is well placed to benefit from this shift. However, they also said that global competition is intensifying, making coordinated national action essential to ensure the UK strengthens its position as AI reshapes scientific discovery.
Read the full statement here: AI for Science Strategy: UK universities' joint statement - GOV.UK
Increased parental leave
Too many parents have had to make the heart-wrenching choice between spending time at home for the first weeks of their child’s life and going back to work so they don’t lose their job.
From April 2026, new parental leave reforms will take effect as part of the Employment Rights Act:
1.5 million parents get the right to unpaid parental leave from day one
32,000 more dads can access paternity leave immediately
This is the change people can look forward to this spring as Britain turns the corner.
Read more here: New parental leave changes putting ‘dignity back at heart of work’ | The Independent
Record-breaking offshore windfarm auction
The Government has delivered the biggest offshore wind farm auction in UK history, enough clean power to supply over 12 million homes.
This Government secured record levels of offshore wind across every part of the UK, unlocking £22bn of private investment and around 6,000 good, skilled jobs from the North Sea to the Welsh coast.
And because we're backing British clean energy properly, the power we’ve secured is far cheaper than new gas meaning lower costs for families as well as serious climate action.
This comes alongside budget measures cutting an average £150 off energy bills from April.
In a world that feels more unstable by the day, this is about taking back control of our energy, cutting our reliance on volatile gas markets, and bringing bills down for good.
Read more here: Record breaking auction for offshore wind secured to take back control of Britain's energy - GOV.UK
UK Town of Culture
The first-ever UK Town of Culture competition invites towns of all sizes to come together to showcase their cultural strengths and their contribution to our national life.
It aims to shine a spotlight on the unique contributions towns make to our national story. By engaging towns nationwide, we are supporting communities to take pride in their local identity and to celebrate it.
The competition is now open for applications: towns of all sizes, from Torquay to Thurso and Brecon to Ballycastle, can make the case for why they should be the UK’s first Town of Culture. Successful bids will deliver a cultural programme for local people, enabling communities to invest in their area, create lasting pride, and provide opportunities to engage with the arts.
For guidance on how to get involved visit here.
Biggest transformation to rail travel in the North of England in a generation
This week the Government announced the biggest transformation to rail travel in the North of England in a generation.
🚈 We’re reversing years of underinvestment by the Tories with plans for faster and more frequent train services across the North
🏙️ We’ll improve links between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York - as well as connections to Newcastle and Hull
💷 We’ll spend up to £45 billion as part of our growth plan for the North, unlocking massive opportunities
Read more about the plans here: Northern Powerhouse Rail to drive biggest travel upgrade in the North in a generation - GOV.UK
Military Armed Forces Bill
This week the Government announced its Armed Forces Bill - a clear message to Armed Forces community that this Labour Government is on your side. With 17,771 former military personnel in Birmingham, I'm pleased this legislation is working for our dedicated Armed Forces.
The new Defence Housing service means:
🏠Over 40,000 military homes fixed
🔨Getting Britain building on surplus Defence
land
📈 Backing our forces and driving economic
growth
This Government is delivering for Defence, delivering for
Britain.
Read more here: Major boost to pool of skilled former military personnel called upon in crises as UK strengthen preparedness - GOV.UK
SEND Teacher provisions
Children and young people with SEND to thrive at their local nursery, school or college as this Government unveils the most ambitious and comprehensive SEND training offer ever seen by the English schools system.
Acting on the feedback from parents shared through the national conversation on SEND, the Government is making sure that children in every classroom across UK will benefit from brilliant teachers trained in supporting a wide range of needs.
Backed by £200 million, new courses available to all teaching staff will deepen knowledge of how to adapt their teaching to meet a wide range of needs in classrooms across the country, including visual impairments and speech and language needs.
Read more here: DfE announces £200m SEND training offer for 'all teachers'
Local News
Visit to Practice Plus Hospital
It was wonderful this week to meet with hard-working staff and patients at Practice Plus Hospital. We are fortunate in Edgbaston to have a choice of excellent medical services, including Practice Plus. I spoke with a local veteran currently undergoing a knee replacement - it was valuable to listen to him to reflect on how these services have supported our military veterans get the treatment they deserve.
University Hospitals Birmingham waiting list fallen by 30,096 since election
This week the latest figures have shown that University Hospitals Birmingham's waiting lists have fallen by 30,096 since the general election in 2024.
For too long, patients were promised change in the NHS but saw little of it. This Government has started to turn that around. This data shows that not only did waiting lists fall by over 86,000 across England in the month of November. This is the second biggest drop in waits in 15 years.
Waiting lists are now down by more than 312,000 since the election, despite record numbers of people coming forward for treatment. Ambulances are arriving quicker. GP satisfaction is up. And A&E waits are down too. This has only been achieved with our record investment alongside real modernisation of the NHS, and the hard work of staff right across the country.
Letter to Head of Transport at Birmingham City Council
Many constituents have raised the issue of parking around the QE Hospital with me. I understand this is problem for many residents, so have contacted Paul Simkins, Head of Transport at Birmingham City Council, to request an urgent update on the parking scheme in the area.
Read my full letter here: 16 January 2026: Preet writes to Head of Transport Projects about QE Parking Scheme
Have your say on Pride in Place funding for Woodgate 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, pressure on community facilities, and a lack of support for growth. This investment aims to reverse years of underfunding by restoring services, creating opportunities, 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.
Cheaper Mortgages for Birmingham Edgbaston
Families are securing cheaper mortgages across Birmingham Edgbaston as costs fall by over £1,600 a year since the election
For families in Birmingham Edgbaston, falling mortgage rates are making a real difference.
A household buying a typical £258,000 home the average price in our area would now pay around £1,660 less each year on their mortgage than they would have if they had bought at the time of the General Election in June 2024.
That’s money back in family budgets, helping with everyday costs like food, energy bills and childcare.
Read more here: Families securing cheaper mortgages across Birmingham Edgbaston as costs fall by over £1000 annually since the election
Here’s seven things the Government for Change has delivered in England last week:
🍎 Introduced legislation to abolish the Two Child Limit to lift almost half a million children out of poverty and boost their life chances
🩺 Menopause and prostate problems will be among the priorities for the NHS’s revolutionary new online hospital when it launches next year
🚗 Shared bold new Road Safety Strategy will save thousands of lives
📱 Powers came into force to seize phones from illegal migrants and new criminal offences will enable police to arrest people smugglers earlier
🐑 New plans to support smaller farms and secure a thriving future for the sector
💻 The Government’s £210 million Cyber Action Plan will make online public services safer and more resilient, so people can do everything from pay taxes to access healthcare online with confidence
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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