Dear John

I hope all is well with you and you've been able to enjoy the good weather this week. While Parliament is still in recess, I've still been busy working on your behalf. As ever I wanted to share what I and the government have been up to this week.

Strengthening Immigration Enforcement

This government is taking decisive action to ensure our immigration system works fairly for everyone - protecting those who follow the rules while cracking down on those who exploit it. Recent enforcement operations have resulted in hundreds of arrests of people working illegally, protecting legitimate workers from unfair competition whilst ensuring employers meet their legal obligations.
 

For foreign nationals who commit serious crimes, we're streamlining deportation processes to ensure consequences follow at the earliest opportunity. We're also expanding the 'Deport Now, Appeal Later' scheme, meaning more foreign criminals will have appeals heard from abroad, stopping them from exploiting the system to delay their deportation from the UK.

Better Housing for Our Forces

Our Armed Forces families deserve homes they can truly call their own, and this week brought excellent news with the introduction of new measures to transform military housing into proper family homes. From this week, forces families can keep up to two dogs, cats or smaller pets without needing lengthy bureaucratic approval - recognising the vital role pets play in family life and mental wellbeing, especially when a partner or parent may be away for months on deployment.

The reforms go much further than pets alone. Military families will now have streamlined processes for running businesses from home, greater freedoms to decorate and personalise their properties, and access to a named housing officer for support and advice. These changes are part of our new Consumer Charter, designed to "stop the rot" in military accommodation and ensure our service personnel and their loved ones have the basic consumer rights they deserve.
 

This builds on the government's record investment of over £7 billion this Parliament in military accommodation, including an extra £1.5 billion through the Strategic Defence Review for urgent repairs and long-term renewal. As I wrote earlier this year, our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe - the very least we can do is ensure they and their families have homes fit for heroes.
 

You can read more about these important changes here, and my earlier thoughts on military housing here.

New Technical Excellence College for the West Midlands

The government's new £100 million investment in Construction Technical Excellence Colleges will train over 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers by 2029, delivering the skilled workforce needed to build the 1.5 million new homes Britain desperately needs. With around 35,000 job vacancies currently needing to be filled across the construction sector, these specialist colleges represent a crucial step in backing British workers with well-paid, high-skilled opportunities.
 

This is excellent news for young people across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands - Dudley College of Technology has been selected as our region's new Construction Technical Excellence College. Operating on a 'hub and spoke' model, it will work with local training providers and employers across our region to boost training standards and share expertise. This represents a fantastic opportunity for young people in Birmingham to access cutting-edge skills training that leads directly to jobs in an industry crying out for workers.

This all builds on the government's wider £625 million construction skills investment, creating new foundation apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and industry placements for school leavers. Combined with our Youth Guarantee ensuring every 18-21-year-old has access to an apprenticeship or quality training, we're breaking down barriers to opportunity and backing British workers with the skills our economy needs for the future.
 

Find out about the funding and colleges here.

New Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Guarantee

Every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England will now be guaranteed support to find employment through the government's new Graduate Guarantee - ending the absurd situation where we train thousands of healthcare professionals only to leave them without jobs when their skills are urgently needed to rebuild our NHS.
 

The comprehensive package addresses a significant workforce challenge: record numbers chose to study nursing during the pandemic, and fewer nurses and midwives are leaving the profession, creating up to three times as many graduates as vacancies in some areas. NHS providers will now recruit newly qualified staff before vacancies formally arise, with trusts supported to employ based on projected need rather than headcount. Additionally, £8 million will temporarily convert vacant maternity support worker posts to Band 5 midwifery roles, creating new opportunities specifically for newly qualified midwives.

This initiative, developed through collaborative working with the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives, ensures graduates receive the backing they need to succeed, including an online hub with application advice and support. For patients, this means shorter waiting times and access to a well-supported, confident workforce as we work to build an NHS fit for the future through our Plan for Change.

Read more about the guarantee here.

Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee

Every community across the country now has a named, contactable police officer dedicated to addressing local issues, following the successful delivery of the first phase of Labour's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This plan, announced by the Prime Minister in April and delivered by July, ensures neighbourhood policing teams spend the majority of their time in communities, providing visible patrols, engaging with residents and businesses, and offering regular beat meetings for the public to raise concerns.

Crucially, every force now provides a meaningful response to neighbourhood queries within 72 hours and has a dedicated anti-social behaviour lead working directly with communities to develop action plans that tackle the concerns residents see on their streets every day. This represents a fundamental shift towards rebuilding the vital connection between the public and the police that has been eroded over recent years.

The next phase will see 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing officers, PCSOs and special constables deployed in dedicated neighbourhood roles over this Parliament - officers who will demonstrably spend time on visible patrol and not be taken off the beat to plug shortages elsewhere. Combined with new training pathways and professional standards, this investment in neighbourhood policing means investment in stronger communities and, ultimately, safer streets.
 

Find the NPCC announcement here.

Local News

Setting the Record Straight on Queen's Park Bowls Pavilion

Following recent concerns about Birmingham City Council's plans for Queen's Park in Harborne, I want to set the record straight and clarify exactly what's being considered. There has been some misinformation circulating suggesting the entire park might be sold off - I can confirm this is absolutely not the case. Queen's Park itself remains safe and will continue to serve our community as the valued green space it has always been.

What the Council is considering is the potential sale of the old Bowls Pavilion site - a small, derelict patch that has been unused for fifteen years and has unfortunately become a magnet for vandalism, anti-social behaviour, and even arson attempts. This is just the building and immediate surrounding area, not the park itself.

Importantly, no final decisions have been made yet. The Council is still in the early stages of considering options for this problematic site, which is why I'm keen to hear from local residents about what they'd like to see happen. Whether that's restoration for community use, redevelopment, or other creative solutions, your views will be crucial in shaping what comes next.

I've been to visit the site myself to see the current state first-hand, and I've written to the Council outlining residents' concerns. If you have suggestions for how this space could be better used for our community's benefit, please don't hesitate to get in touch with my office.

New Basketball Court at Queen's Park

Also at Queen's Park this week, I had the pleasure of visiting the brand new basketball court alongside Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport. It was fantastic to see this excellent new facility that will provide young people and families with another great reason to enjoy our local green spaces.

I couldn't resist testing out the court myself - missing the first shot but managing to nail the second! The new court represents a brilliant addition to Queen's Park's facilities and will give our community even more opportunities to stay active and enjoy sport locally.

My thanks go to everyone who helped make this happen, including Sport England for their support in bringing this project to fruition. It's wonderful to see continued investment in our parks and recreational facilities that benefit residents of all ages across Harborne and the wider area.

Visiting Nonacus with the Secretary of State

Yesterday it was my pleasure to host the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary at Nonacus in Quinton, an employee-owned life sciences company.
 

Nonacus’ have developed game-changing bladder cancer diagnostics that are powerd by AI, which will enable us to catch cancer sooner with at-home testing, avoiding the need for invasive hospital-based procedures.

From hospital to community; treatment to prevention; analogue to digital - this is the future of our NHS.
 

Read a write-up here.

500 Days of Failure by FirstPort

This week marked 500 days since property management company FirstPort began what should have been a routine 90-day handover process after losing their contract to manage 21 residential areas on Birmingham's historic Calthorpe Estate. Over 1,000 residents are still waiting for resolution, with hundreds of thousands of pounds in their funds tied up and only 5 of 21 accounts properly transferred.

This is a textbook case of corporate irresponsibility that perfectly illustrates why the government's current consultation on regulating property managing agents is so vital.

FirstPort has repeatedly made and broken promises to complete the handover, leaving residents in limbo whilst the company was suspended by its own trade body for three months before being quietly reinstated. The voluntary self-regulation system simply isn't working.

I've raised this case directly with The Property Institute's leadership and am preparing evidence to feed into the government's consultation on managing agent regulation, which closes on 26 September. The government's plans for mandatory professional qualifications and stronger oversight cannot come soon enough - cases like this show why we need enforceable standards with real teeth.

You can read more about this ongoing situation in my latest blog, and I encourage any residents affected by similar issues to contact my office and consider contributing to the consultation.

Results Day

This week brought A-level, T-level and BTEC results for thousands of young people across Birmingham, and I want to send my congratulations to everyone who received their grades. Whether results matched expectations or took you by surprise, remember that there are many different paths to success and plenty of support available to help you take your next steps.

For anyone whose results weren't what they hoped for, or who's simply looking for alternative routes into employment, the West Midlands Combined Authority has excellent resources to help. Their Post-Exam Survival Guide provides practical advice on next steps, local support contacts, and inspiring stories from young people who've taken different paths to build successful careers - including celebrities who failed their exams but went on to achieve great things.

Programmes like Path 2 Apprenticeships, which has received £7.5 million investment over three years, are helping young people discover whether apprenticeships are the right route for them. Mayor Richard Parker has already secured 13,000 pledges for training, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities, with £30 million investment in skills innovation including AI and priority sectors like net zero, advanced manufacturing and construction.

Remember, success doesn't always follow a straight line - with the right support and opportunities, there are many ways to build a fulfilling career and bright future.

Free Summer Activities for Young People

There's still time to join the summer club for young people at Wesley Court, Selwyn Road (behind City Road Methodist Church), B16 0NL. Running on Mondays and Wednesdays with activities for different age groups including arts & crafts, outdoor play, Xbox tournaments, and bracelet making - plus free food and drink. See the flyer for full details or call 0121 714 9803 to sign up.

Don't Miss Out on Free Childcare Support

A quick reminder that families might now be eligible for more childcare support than ever before. Recent changes to childcare schemes mean many parents could qualify for help that gives children a great start while providing work choices for families. If you want hours from September, the deadline to apply is 31st August. Check what support might be available to you at childcarechoices.gov.uk - it could make juggling family life that bit easier.

Surgeries

As a reminder, my regular constituency surgeries are taking a break during August, but my team and I remain available for urgent matters. Surgeries will resume in September with our usual schedule:

Friday 5th September

• 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 11th September

• 10:30-11:30am: Edgbaston Community Centre, 40 Woodview Drive, B15 2HU

• 12:00-1:00pm: Newman University, Genners Lane, B32 3NT

As always, if you have an issue you'd like to discuss, please contact my office at 0121 392 8426 or [email protected], or through my website.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the summer break. Parliament returns in September.

With warm regards,

 Preet Kaur Gill MP

Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton

Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS