As Patron of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Parkinson’s Society as well as their MP, I take a very special interest in this brilliant local organisation.

Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell opened the new British High Commission in Dodoma and announced life-saving support for women and girls in Tanzania.

I continue to support efforts to put Sutton Park on a more sustainable footing, involving a Trust arrangement between Birmingham City Council and Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council (RSCTC) with a third party being a national body - expert in open and historic spaces like ours - who could also contribute funding.

As schools across the Royal Town break up for the Easter holidays, it has been a real boost to read this week that Sutton Coldfield is the best location in the Midlands for state schooling.

This week brings promising developments for the welfare of our beloved four-legged companions. Parliament has thrown its support behind a proposed new law aimed at safeguarding the health and welfare of puppies in our community.

As I was able to announce last week our Royal Town is to receive £20 million from the government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns.

Andrew Mitchell attended a meeting of the Sutton Coldfield Amnesty Group at the Holy Trinity RC Church, where they were discussing the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as well as the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Before I begin my message, I would like to wish all of the inspirational women across the Royal Town a happy International Women’s Day. 

Today in a moment of pure joy I stepped inside our Town Cinema to see for myself the work and investment which has already started on this much-loved landmark - and which will transform it into a fabulous modern film entertainment centre.