On Saturday 12 July 2025 I was invited to open the new Khalsa Panth Academy  in Cramp Hill Darlaston. This provides young people with a space for music sports and recording in a relaxed friendly environment. This is vital as there are no facilities where young people can learn new skills safely.  I was with Deputy Lieutenant Ricky Bhatia,  Harmohinder Singh Bhatia and Cllr Bhambra from Sandwell.  The Director of the academy showed me around together with the board. The Academy was supported by donations from the community. I wish them well and I know it will be successful so i was delighted to open this new vibrant facility for young people in and around the Black Country.     

I chaired the debate held in Westminster Hall on a motion moved by Ms Julie Minns MP ( Carlisle) on a national monument for the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit in World War 2. 

The Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns MP responded to the debate. 

The APPG visited Provender Nurseries in Swanley on 9 July 2025. Baroness Fookes Co chair, Lord Taylor, Baroness Blower and myself supported by Jennifer Pheasey. It gave us a chance to see at first hand the challenges facing a company which was described as the "building merchants for plants". Provender won an award for the widest range of landscape trade and biodiversity- from horticulture to industry. The company has grown from a turnover of £2.5million to £7million from 20 to 75 staff.    https://www.provendernurseries.co.uk   


We were shown the warehouse that was built by Provender  to accommodate the lorries from the EU with cargo following border control checks. Following the new Sanitary and PhytoSanitary (SPS) Agreement it is not clear whether this is required. In addition we were told about the challenges to the water supply. 

A number of constituents have written to me about the use or "re-use" of Bloxwich Hospital. I wrote  to the Council and the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust who made this statement which I have set out in full and can be found following this link:  

https://www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/news-events-1/latest-news/statement-future-bloxwich-hospital-site

"We are aware of recent speculation regarding the future use of one of our NHS buildings, Bloxwich Hospital in Walsall. We would like to clarify the current position and reassure our community.

The building is still owned by the Trust and is currently being prepared for sale through a careful decommissioning process.

This sale is part of the agreement that allowed us to secure funding for the new Older Peoples’ Inpatient Unit at Dorothy Pattison Hospital. As part of the process, we followed national rules and listed the property on the government’s national system for eight weeks, giving other public sector organisations the chance to express interest. No bids were received during that time.

We are committed to ensuring that any future use of the site aligns with the needs of our community.

We will continue to keep you informed as the process progresses."

As Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gardening and Horticulture with Baroness Janet Fookes, we were delighted to welcome the Minister for Nature Mary Creagh MP on Monday 7 July 2025.

The meeting was attended by a cross section of the Environmental and Horticultural Industry, Peers and MPs. 

Environmental Horticulture's contribution to the UK's GDP were assessed as having the potential to grow by 45% over the 202s to £51.2 billion (2023 prices). 

The EHG and APPG G&H are calling for a cross government, industry supported and growth-oriented environmental horticulture strategy that boosts domestic production and recognizes that the development an mangement of our green spaces should be carried out in partnership with industry. 

Minister Creagh answered questions and we wanted to know how the new housing target of 1.5 million home is balanced with he delivery of minimum sized high quality gardens and balconies and community green spaces.

There was a discussion about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is now in the Lords.