Preet Kaur Gill - My Weekly Update - 7 November
- Preet Kaur Gill MP
- 6 hours ago
- 9 min read
This Week the Government Announced...
Over 2,500 military homes upgrades in West Midlands
The men and women who serve in our military represent the best of Britain. The very least they deserve is a safe and decent home.
Too often over the past 14 years, forces families in the West Midlands were let down as the previous government failed to invest in their housing. And this goes back further. In 1996, John Major's government sold off our military housing in one of the worst privatisation deals imaginable – selling off armed forces married quarters and renting them back at taxpayers’ expense.
By the time this Government came to power last year, these rental payments had hit £600,000 a day, with homes run down and left to rot. Private investors cashed in while families lost out.
So after six months in office, this government announced the landmark buy-back of 36,000 homes, bringing forces’ family housing into public ownership where they belong.
This week, our constituency neighbour Al Carns MP, Minister for the Armed Forces, launched the next chapter: a Defence Housing Strategy which means the biggest renewal of military housing in over half a century. It will also supercharge housebuilding on surplus Defence land – delivering new homes for veterans, military and civilian families.
40,000 military homes will be upgraded, including more than 2,500 homes across the West Midlands. A new Defence Housing Service will manage those homes with a ‘forces first’ approach. And we will unlock the building of over 100,000 homes on Defence land – helping deliver the homes Britain needs.
All of this is happening because our government is delivering for defence and for our Armed Forces. They are increasing defence spending and using that money to back the brave service men and women who keep our nation safe.
Protecting women and girls from abuse online
This week, the government laid amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to better protect women and girls from online abuse.
The time limit to prosecute intimate image offences will be extended from six months to three years. This vital reform will give victims more time to seek justice and ensure offenders who share intimate images without consent are held to account.
A further amendment will make it a criminal offence to possess or publish pornographic content depicting strangulation or suffocation, responding to growing concerns about the normalisation of violent sexual behaviour online.
Over a third of surveyed 16–34-year-olds in the UK have been strangled during sex, with over half of these respondents saying this was unwanted at least some of the time. There is a strong link between strangulation and violence against women and girls. Strangulation is the second most common method of femicide in the UK, and over a quarter of UK femicides involve strangulation or asphyxiation.
There is no such thing as safe strangulation. Evidence suggests that strangulation is now the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40.
Non-fatal strangulation is already a criminal offense under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The government are making sure that regulation of online content matches this legislation, keeping our women and girls safe. Platforms will be required to act swiftly to stop this material spreading, with the move welcomed by campaigners and industry experts alike.
These new measures send a clear message that online misogyny and abuse will not be tolerated – the internet should be a safe space for women and girls. This government was elected on a manifesto of halving violence against women and girls. They are taking action to meet that pledge by cracking down on degrading online content that is fuelling an epidemic of sexual violence.
Curriculum and Assessment Review
The Government has announced wide ranging changes to the national curriculum, due to start in September 2028, with final proposals expected Spring 2027.
Among the biggest updates is a new qualification in AI and Data Science for 16/18 year olds helping young people gain practical skills for the jobs of the future, like understanding how artificial intelligence works, using data safely, and thinking critically about technology in everyday life.
Other changes include:
Citizenship becoming compulsory in primary schools teaching children about democracy, rights, media literacy, climate change and financial education.
A stronger focus on writing and reading, with new national assessments in Year 6 and Year 8.
Arts GCSEs given equal status to humanities and languages.
A new Computing GCSE to replace Computer Science, and every school expected to offer triple science.
A core enrichment requirement, ensuring every child can take part in arts, sport, outdoor learning, civic activities, and life skills.
Removal of the EBacc and reform of Progress 8, to give schools more flexibility and a broader focus.
This is an opportunity to build a curriculum that prepares every child not just for exams but for life, work, and active citizenship in a fast-changing world.
Read more here.
Warm Homes Discount expanded
I know the cost of energy is a big issue right now. That’s why I’m pleased to say that this winter, 270,000 more families in the West Midlands will receive £150m off their energy bills.
This will provide much needed support to low income households and pensioners across our area.
Nationally, 2.7 million more families will benefit this winter, doubling the number of people able to access this vital support to over 6 million families.
It will provide much needed energy security through the winter, and put more money back in people’s pockets.
As a result of the terrible legacy left by the last government, our energy system is still largely dependent on unstable, insecure fossil fuels. I am glad this government are taking steps to secure our energy supply, by going all out for cheap, clean power that we can control here at home.
But by providing this immediate support to low income households and pensioners who will need it this winter, we are ensuring that as we move to a clean power system, families are protected.
Delivering energy security and tackling the cost of living. That’s the difference this government is making.
Read more here.
New national forests
Communities across the country will benefit from expanded access to nature, with the creation of two new national forests supporting nature recovery, green jobs, and net zero goals.
On Wednesday, a new national forest was confirmed for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, and a competition will launch in early 2026 to determine the location of a third forest in the Midlands or North of England.
These new forests will see millions of trees planted in the years ahead as part of a wider commitment to allocate over £1 billion to tree planting and support to the forestry sector before the next election. Meeting tree planting targets across Great Britain could result in over 14,000 jobs being created and supported.
The announcement delivers on the government's manifesto commitment to create three new national forests. The Western Forest announced in March was the first new national forest in 30 years and will stretch from the Cotswolds to the Mendips.
These new national forests will help deliver national renewal for communities, drive economic growth while enhancing nature and bringing trees closer to where people live.
Helping homeless people access banking
The Treasury have announced a pilot scheme to give homeless people the ability to open accounts with the UK's five biggest banks for the first time. This forms part of the government's financial inclusion strategy.
Lloyds, NatWest, Barclays, Nationwide, and Santander will all allow people with no fixed address to open a bank account. This will unlock opportunities for homeless people to apply for work and rental acommodation.
No one should be locked out of the chance to build a better future, this is a fantastic initiative.
Read more here.
Prime Minister at COP30
COP30 in Brazil is a big opportunity for the world to come together, to take action on climate change and make progress on the transition towards clean energy.
The Prime Minister and Energy Secretary attended the summit with a very clear message from the UK: that climate action is the route to lower bills and better lives for people today, while protecting future generations to come.
Since the government were elected in July last year, they have taken a number of actions at home to deliver cleaner energy for families, including by approving enough clean power projects for more than 7.5 households across the country. They have also put record investment into communities like ours, so we can create good, well-paying jobs for people.
Read more here.
Social and Affordable Homes Programme
The Government has launched the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026–2036, a landmark investment in housing that will deliver thousands of much-needed homes across England.
This long-term initiative aims to provide stability and certainty for housing providers, helping them plan and build homes that meet the needs of local communities.
The programme will focus on delivering social rent, affordable rent, and shared ownership homes, with a strong emphasis on quality, sustainability, and value for money. It will support Homes England and the Greater London Authority in working with housing associations, councils, and developers to ensure homes are built where they are most needed. Importantly, the programme will also prioritise regeneration, rural housing, and supported housing for vulnerable groups.
By committing to a ten-year programme, the government is enabling long-term partnerships and encouraging innovation in housing delivery. This approach will help tackle the housing crisis, reduce homelessness, and support economic growth.
Everyone deserves a safe, secure, and affordable home.
Read more here.
Local News
Remembering Edgbaston's fallen in Parliament
I planted memorials to those from our community who sacrificed their lives for our freedom in Parliament's constituency remembrance garden this week.
I also honoured soldiers from across the Commonwealth who fought alongside this country.
We will remember them.
Ministerial meeting to tackle anti-Sikh hate
This week, MPs met with the Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP, to discuss what more can be done to protect Sikh communities in light of the 5 recent attacks on Sikhs in the West Midlands.
71% of hate crimes are recorded as racially aggravated. However, we don't know the true picture of how many Sikhs are targeted because government doesn't collect the right data. I made it clear that a crucial step to tackling this issue is including Sikhs as an ethnic group in all public service data.
If Sikhs are invisible to policymakers, how can they be properly protected.
Meeting Police Inspector
This week, I had one of my regular meetings with local police Inspector Paul Hatton.
He told me about the success of the Op Skybridge team in Quinton last month. 9 arrests were made, 23 intelligence reports were created, 3 knives were recovered, and 15 vehicles were seized including 3 stolen cars.
Supporting the Poppy Appeal
I was honoured to take part in the annual Poppy Ride in Parliament supporting the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal.
MPs and Peers cycled for a total of 10 hours to raise money for Royal British Legion's work supporting serving and former members of the Armed Forces community.
Please support the appeal this remembrance and pay tribute to all those who have served and sacrificed for our freedom.
Celebrating Edgbaston's charities
I met with the Charity Commission this week to hear about the amazing work of charities in our constituency.
Charities offer crucial support in our communities. There are 288 registered charities in Birmingham Edgbaston, run by 4301 employees and 9308 volunteers.
Thank you to all those who support our local charities, keep up the good work.
Meeting local Unite members
Today, I met with local bin workers from Unite the Union to discuss the ongoing strike.
We had an honest and productive conversation about this challenging situation and I look forward to engaging with the unions local members further as we work towards ending this dispute.
St Germain's Church visit
I was delighted to check in with wonderful team of children and volunteers behind the ‘Stories of Hope and Home’ theatre performance at St Germain’s Church this morning.
This is a fantastic project aimed at helping asylum seekers and refugees in the community express their voices, narratives, and identities.
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7 things the Government delivered that you might have missed last week
🏡 Transformational Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent and is now law. The Act will improve the lives of millions of renters across the country.
✈️ £8 billion Typhoon export deal with Türkiye which will deliver 20,000 skilled jobs and drive economic growth.
🛑 Biggest-ever crackdown on illegal working: last year, raids were up 51% and arrests up 63%.
🏫Action to remove RAAC from classrooms, with 62 schools and colleges already fixed. And, we’ve set out the timeline for complete removal by the next election.
❌ A record 60,000 knives have been seized or surrendered under this Government and knife crime has dropped for the first time in years – as part of our manifesto pledge to halve knife crime within a decade.
💷 UK businesses will save over £400 million a year from April 2026 with new support to slash industrial electricity costs.
💊 The morning-after pill will now be available free of charge on the NHS from pharmacies - this is biggest change to sexual health services since the 1960s and a major advance for women’s reproductive health.
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.
In November, my surgeries will take place on the following dates:
Friday 7th November
10:30-11:30am: St. Germain's Church, City Road, B17 9LE
3:30-4:30pm: City Road Primary School (City Road Entrance), B16 0HL
5:15-6:30pm: Quinborne Centre, Ridgeacre Road, B32 2TW
7:00-8:00pm: Lordswood Girls School, Knightlow Road, B17 8QB
Thursday 13th November
10:30-11:30am: Edgbaston Community Centre, 40 Woodview Drive, B15 2HU
12:00-1:00pm: Newman University, Genners Lane, B32 3NT
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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