Dear John

I hope you've had a good week so far! Here's what I've been up to over this past week.

Following today's news that Angela Rayner has resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, I would like to commend her dedicated work in government over the past year.

Angela has been a staunch advocate for working families, championing fair pay, stronger workers' rights, and affordable housing.

Her efforts have made a tangible different to the lives of many across the country.

This Week the Government Announced...

Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

The government have announced further plans to put money back in the pockets of working parents.

This week saw the roll out of 30 hours of free childcare, saving parents up to £7,500 a year per child. The government have also expanded free school meals, saving parents £450 a year and setting children up for the school day. Expensive branded uniform items have also been capped and £1.4 billion has been allocated to fix the inherited state of crumbling classrooms.

The government are making life easier for working parents by opening 300 new or expanded nurseries directly on primary school grounds, cutting down the school run and giving children a seamless start to their education.

Meeting the latest milestone in its Plan for Change, the government have confirmed over 4,000 extra school-based nursery places will be available across England this September.

As part of its drive to give every child the best start in life, the government has invited more primary schools to bid for up to £150,000 funding from a £45 million pot to create a further 300 new or expanded best start school-based nurseries - offering up to 7,000 more places - from September 2026.

This second phase will prioritise quality bids from schools serving areas with childcare cold spots in some of the most disadvantaged communities, delivering thousands of new places for families who need them most.

Parents can now access a one-stop shop for support at www.beststartinlife.gov.uk, offering expert advice on anything from pregnancy, to introducing solid foods, childcare and early years education and beyond.

Under 16s Ban on Highly Caffeinated Energy Drinks

The government's decision to ban the sale of highly caffeinated drinks to under-16s is a positive step to protect children's health and wellbeing.

Some of these energy drinks are the equivalent of drinking four cans of cola at once. They are linked with poorer sleep quality, obesity, and depression and have a negative impact on academic progress.

I worked to develop this policy and I'm proud to see it now being taken forward in government with the support of parents and teachers.

The government want to hear from you about how to effectively deliver this ban. Contribute to the consultation here.

Empowering YOU in Your Community's Future

The government's English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill passed its first stage in the House of Commons on Tuesday. This Bill puts power back into your hands, after the previous government centralised control and slashed local services.

Here's what it means for you:

Since 2010, council funding has been slashed, causing crucial community spaces to close. 9,000 pubs closed down, youth clubs shut, and leisure centres fell into disrepair.

These spaces aren’t nice-to-haves, they are vital to a thriving community. These are where children safely socialise and learn new skills, where the vulnerable are supported, where friends and neighbours meet.

The government recognise the importance of community which is why they are giving people a stake in their local area through Community Right to Buy.

As Chair of the Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group, I have been campaigning for this for years. This policy means that when an important community asset is put on sale, it is local people who will get a right of first refusal. Community ownership is common sense. Local people understand the needs of a community better than distant developers.

This Bill also expands what counts as a community asset.

Until now, football pitches, swimming pools and leisure centres have been sold off against the will of local people. How will we find the next Lionesses if kids have nowhere to kick a ball around after school?

Under the current government, local authorities will be required to automatically list sporting assets as Assets of Community Value, meaning residents get first say on the future of these spaces. This protects communities from losing key facilities that bring joy and wellbeing.

Spaces that drive the local economy will also be protected as community assets under these changes. This means local communities can take back control of their local economy and help it to grow.

The Bill also delivers more powers for regional Mayors as part of Labour’s devolution revolution.

Mayors will get new planning and licensing powers, enabling them to kickstart local economic growth. Richard Parker has delivered a local growth plan and £2.4 billion of investment in crucial transport links. Clearly, power should lie with those who know their community.

Finally, the government are banning Upward Only Rent Reviews clauses in commercial leases.

These clauses meant rents could only ever go up or stay the same. This is ludicrous given that 1 in 7 high-street lots are empty, which should cause rents to fall. As a result, rents have become unaffordable and shops have shut. By outlawing these clauses, we will revive our high streets by supporting small businesses and community groups to compete for prime spots.

Securing Our Borders

On Monday, the Home Secretary announced new measures to secure our borders and bring asylum numbers down.

We know Smuggling gangs use the refugee family reunion route to convince people to board dangerous small boats to cross the Channel. Family members have been joining successful asylum seekers on average only a month later, with no accommodation plans in place, putting strain on councils to stop them falling into homelessness.

I welcome the government's temporary suspension of applications to this route and and look forward to a stricter framework being announced later this year.

The government's approach is clearly working. This August saw the smallest number of small boats crossings since 2019. Read more here.

Backing Hospitality

On Wednesday, the government outlined the measures it has taken to support our music and hospitality sectors.

The Government has...

✂️ Cut red tape with new hospitality and night-time economy zones

💷 Slashed business rates for high street venues from 2026

🍺 Cut alcohol duty on draught products - taking a penny off a pint

🎶 Allocated a £30 million music growth package to support emerging artists and creative venues

⏱️ Tackled late payments which hold back our SMEs

NHS Chickenpox Vaccine for Children

From January 2026, the chickenpox vaccination will be offered to children across England.

Eligible children will be offered the combined MMRV vaccine at their GP practice on the NHS which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (the clinical term for chickenpox).

This is part of the government’s wider ambition to give children the best start in life and help save the NHS millions every year by shifting healthcare from sickness to prevention.

Find out more here.

Local News

Saving the Kenrick Centre

I began my campaign the save the Kenrick Centre after a constituent contacted me about her 93-year-old aunt with vascular dementia. She is a resident in the centre and was worried about the impact of being moved to a new location.

I am delighted that on Tuesday next week Birmingham City Council's Cabinet are set to approve recommendations to keep the Kenrick Centre open.

I wrote to the council in January demanding they reconsider the closure and met with the Cabinet Member for Adults and the Director of Adult Social Care earlier this month.

The Kenrick Centre does vital work supporting adults with various needs. Alongside its important residential function, the facility performs essential services for our community.

I will follow the Cabinet's meeting new week closely and keep residents updated on the outcome.

Tackling Speeding in Birmingham

Countless hours of campaigning and lobbying about road safety on behalf of concerned residents have paid off.

I was pleased to have secured speed cameras for West Boulevard recently to deal with the reckless driving that has endangered lives.

Now, the council have listened to my concerns around the 40mph speed limit on key roads. I am delighted that Hagley Road West, Wolverhampton Road South, West Boulevard, Barnes Hill and Shenley Lane will all see the speed limit reduced to 30mph.

Having tragically suffered deaths in the constituency as the result of speeding, fighting for stronger road safety measures is incredibly important to me. I will continue to work with the council to further protect my constituents on the roads.

New Children's Home Refused on Rotton Park Road

In July, alongside Councillors Marcus Bernasconi and Sharon Thompson, I objected to an application to convert a family home on Rotton Park Road into a children's home. We are pleased to say that planning officers have now refused the planning application.

I fully support finding appropriate care for vulnerable children, but this location is not suitable.

I’m continuing to monitor these applications locally, which seem to be increasing, and will always stand up for residents.

Mobile Bulky Waste Truck

There will be two waste trucks on Thursday 18th September. You can dispose of your additional waste for free.

📅 Thursday 18th September

⏰ 7.03am - 12.30pm

📍 Osler Street Car Park, B16 9EU

Early Years Consultation

Parliament's Education Select Committee have launched an inquiry into early years provisions, looking at how best to improve support for children and families.
 

The Committee is keen to hear from families, early years providers and other stakeholders across the country. The call for evidence is open until 11.59pm on Friday 10 October 2025 and you can see the full terms of reference and details of how to submit evidence here.

Recess round-up

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.

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