Visit to the spires:

This afternoon in the Royal Town I had the pleasure of visiting The Spires retirement home in Boldmere to speak to residents about rising energy costs.

Rising energy costs, provoked by surging demand after the pandemic as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has increased inflation and in turn put pressure on living costs.

The Government has taken steps to help households through these extraordinary times: reducing the Universal Credit taper rate; increasing the National Living Wage; freezing fuel duty for the twelfth consecutive year; and launching a £500 million Household Support Fund.

I spoke with residents at the Spires about energy rates at retirement homes with communal areas such as theirs.

The Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) was introduced and will run until March 2024 to provide a discount on gas and electricity unit prices in such circumstances, similar to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

Boldmere Junior School final of the National Reading Champions Quiz

I am delighted to learn that Boldmere Junior School have reached the final of the National Reading Champion Quiz. Many congratulations!

The quiz is an initiative from the National Literacy Trust, supported by ALCS (the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society). The quiz aims to build a love of reading and celebrate reading for pleasure in schools across the country. 

Starting in March, over 400 UK teams competed across over 20 heats, from which Boldmere Junior School successfully managed to qualify.

I am keeping my fingers crossed and wish Boldmere JS the very best of luck! #NRCQuiz23

Although Parliament is in recess this week, I have been busy with my ministerial duties as well as looking after the residents of the Royal Town with the assistance of my team in Westminster.

Responding to Uganda’s Anti-homosexuality Act

The British government is profoundly upset and disturbed that the Government of Uganda has signed the deeply discriminatory Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 into law.

One of my duties at the foreign office is to promote LGBT rights.

Democracy depends on the guarantee of equal rights under law and freedom from discrimination for everyone in society. This legislation undermines the protections and freedoms of all Ugandans enshrined in the Ugandan Constitution. It will increase the risk of violence, discrimination and persecution, will set back the fight against HIV/AIDs, and will damage Uganda’s international reputation.

As outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone is entitled to human rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind. The recognition of these inherent rights has been hard-won by citizens across the globe. The strongest, safest and most prosperous societies are those in which everyone can live freely, without fear of violence or discrimination, and where all citizens are treated fairly and can play a full and active part in society. The UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances.

We will continue to stand up for these rights and freedoms in Uganda and around the world.

Action Review Panel on Child Wasting

One of the issues which I have always championed as the Royal Town’s MP and for which I get a lot of support from the churches and other organisations across Sutton Coldfield is the issue of children starving to death in Africa.

On Tuesday I chaired Action Review Panel on Child Wasting with the UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, and Samantha Power from USAID

Great progress has been made but more must be done on the prevention and treatment of wasting to end preventable deaths of women and children. There is #NoTimeToWaste

Further information

Local rugby team 

Our brilliant local rugby team - The Spartans, will be hosting taster sessions on the following days. Sign up now to get involved!

BUPA Foundation Green Community Grants

The BUPA Foundation have launched a Green Community Grants Fund nd are looking or grass-roots projects.

They are looking to support practical community projects which help both people AND planet health. 

·       Grants are available between £250 - £2,500

·       Applications are welcome from all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations across the UK and ROI

·       The application window is open from 1 - 30 June. 

 Example projects could be:

 ·       Improving green spaces for community activities to improve wellbeing

·       Tree planting to improve air quality and biodiversity

·       A school wanting to create an outdoor classroom or forest school

·       A community group who’d like to create an allotment

·       A voluntary organisation wanting to install sustainable equipment, such as a heat pump

 Apply here: https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/4imACoVxqfrJRQJBu1-L5m?domain=groundwork.org.uk/

MHRC Locations

Please see below the visits scheduled for the week commencing 1st May 2023 of the BCC Mobile Household Recycling Centre.

• Mon 05/06/2023, Wyvern Road B74 2PT, 07:00 - 12:45, Sutton Four Oaks

• Tue 06/06/2023, Badgers Bank Road B74 4ER, 07:00 - 12:45, Sutton Mere Green

• Wed 07/06/2023, Preston Avenue B76 1HS, 07:00 - 12:45, Sutton Reddicap

• Thu 08/06/2023, Loxley Road B75 5NY, 07:00 - 12:45, Sutton Roughley

• Fri 09/06/2023, Tudor Hill B73 6BD, 07:00 - 12:45, Sutton Trinity

Rail strikes

A series of strike dates have been announced by ASLEF and RMT unions in May and June that will impact rail services across the network and across operators. 

ASLEF, the drivers’ union, has announced strike action across 16 train companies, including Avanti West Coast, on 2 and 3 June.

For the latest travel information for any upcoming strikes, please see: https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/strike