8/2/2019 News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #333
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Subject: NewsBulletinfromGregHandsM.P.#333
Date: Friday,20April201215:01:22UnitedKingdomTime
From: GregHandsM.P.
To: [email protected]
In this edition:
Greg Hands M.P.s DiaryWebsite of the
Week:www.backboris2012.com
Photo news:Campaigning for Boris inFulhamBoris Johnson
backsFulham over CarnwathRoad and Super SewerHands: a tax cut of
220for 40,000 people inChelsea and FulhamBoris Johnson: I will
cutMayor's share of council taxby 10%Hammersmith and Fulhamto get
huge slice of extraschool fundingBest Bar None 2012in K&CRight
to Buy roadshow
this weekendHands in the papers:How Labour stagedLivingstone's
tearsHands in the papers:MPs columnHow to contactGreg Hands
M.P.
Issue 333 Friday 20th
April 2012
Since the last edition, Greg:
Campaigned for the re-election of London Mayor, BorisJohnson,
door-to-door in Chelsea & Fulham.
Joined local Conservative councillors and activists in running
aBack Boris street stall outside Waitrose, North End Road.
Attended a parliamentary reception for the Friends ofGrammar
Schools in the House of Commons. Greg is astrong supporter of
grammar schools.
Had a full schedule of activity as a Government Whip in
andaround the chamber of the House of Commons, includingministerial
meetings and organising votes and standingcommittees.
Held a weekly surgery for Chelsea and Fulham residents atFulham
Town Hall. Gregs surgeries are held generally everyMonday at either
Fulham Town Hall or at Peter Jones, SloaneSquare. To ask for an
appointment, [email protected] or call 020 7219 5448.
Website of the Week:
www.backboris2012.comThe website for Boris Johnsons re-election
as London Mayor.It would be disastrous for Chelsea and Fulham if
voters were toturn back the clock and elect Ken Livingstone.
Chelsea and
Fulham backs Boris! Polling Day is 3rd May.
Photo news:
Campaigning for Boris in Fulham
Greg Hands MP with Conservative activists, includingCllr Matt
Thorley, campaigning for Boris Johnson, outside
the Chelsea Building Society, North End Road, Fulham.
Boris Johnson backs Fulham over
Carnwath Road and Super Sewer
- pledges to "totally defendCarnwath Road" and "we may need
to re-think the whole scheme"Boris Johnson has always been keen
to clean up the Thames andrecognises how large infrastructure
projects create jobs. But there isnow mounting concern about the
spiralling costs and the severedisruption for many people in some
parts of London which is clearlyworse than what was initially
anticipated. He has made clear that hewill not tolerate disruption
and will defend Carnwath Road and rejectany damage to the quality
of life of residents in Fulham. Boris hastherefore written to
Caroline Spelman asking for a swift stock take of
the Thames Tunnel, asking her to appoint a suitable
independentexpert to assess where we are and make sensible and
sensitiverecommendations on how to proceed.Boris said "I will
totally defend Carnwath Road and reject any damageto the quality of
life of residents in Fulham" and said about the widerThames Tunnel
project that "we may need to re-think the wholescheme".
Hands: a tax cut of 220 for 40,000
people in Chelsea and FulhamNew analysis reveals that 40,000
local residents will benefit from theincrease in the personal
allowance made in last months Budget. Theincrease of 1,100, which
is the largest ever announced, will makemost basic-rate taxpayers
220 better off.In April 2013, the personal allowance for income tax
will rise to9,205. Based on the data for current earners, a
projected 40,032people in Chelsea and Fulham will get a much needed
boost everymonth. Of these, some 1,294 will be taken out of tax
altogether.The Budget changes mean that income tax will have been
cut by up to546 for basic-rate taxpayers since the Government came
to power,and 2 million of the lowest earners will have been taken
out of the taxsystem.Commenting, Greg Hands M.P. said: Its
fantastic news that 40,000constituents will keep more of their
earnings next year. In fact, thanksto this decision, 1,294 of them
will no longer pay any tax at all.By next year, the Government will
have lifted 3,000 people inChelsea and Fulham out of income tax
altogether.It demonstrates how committed we are to helping
hard-workingfamilies.
Boris Johnson: I will cut Mayor's share
of council tax by 10%
Greg Hands M.P. campaigning on the Conservative record of
lowCouncil Tax with H&F Council Leader Cllr Stephen
Greenhalgh,
Boris Johnson and Communities and Local Government
Secretary the Rt Hon Eric Pickles M.P.
Boris Johnson writes...Youve heard me say it before, but itbears
repeating - this election comes ata critical time.We are going
through tough economictimes, and Londoners areunderstandably
concerned about their
jobs and the cost of living. This is whymy priorities over the
last four years
have been cutting waste andbureaucracy at City Hall and
ensuringLondon taxpayer money is put whereyou want to see it
spent.Every pound of Londoners money isprecious, and should be
spent in aclear, open and honest way on theirpriorities - creating
jobs and makingLondon safer.When I was elected the entire City Hall
budget was in chaos. Mydetermination to end the waste and
mismanagement of the previous
Mayor has freed up the money to pay for a strong plan for
Londonsfuture and we are putting that money where Londoners want to
see itspent - in spite of the very difficult financial
circumstances.I want to continue taking London forward, to deliver
even greatervalue and even more transparency for Londoners.Read the
latest chapter of my manifesto, Cutting waste and counciltax, now:
www.backboris2012.com/cuttingwaste.So I will:
Cut council tax for every Londoner by at least 10%. This willbe
phased over the next four years, with a guaranteed cutevery year
and follows on from me freezing council tax foreach of the past
three years and cutting it this year.
Save a further 1.5 billion across the GLA Group in thecoming
year, bringing total savings since I was elected to3.5 billion -
freeing money for services by cutting waste,including at Transport
for London to help me to keep fares lowin the long term, without
wrecking the urgently neededmodernisation of the network.
Publish an itemised breakdown to show Londoners wherethe Mayors
share of council tax is spent.
Publish all GLA Group spending over 250, and theexpenses and
register of interests of senior staff, not just
advisors, will be itemised online for the the first
time,continuing the culture of transparency and openness I
haveintroduced at City Hall.
And every pledge that I have made in this election is also
fullycosted and fully funded.
Ken Livingstone presided over a discredited regime that
squanderedtaxpayers money on self- publicity, his jaunts to Cuba
and Venezuela,and accusations of cronyism. This tarnished the
reputation of Londonand resulted in Londoners having little trust
in the Mayoralty.I have worked hard to change this culture,
stamping out waste andbringing transparency to spending. I have
already cut 2 billion of
waste across the GLA Group to free up investment for
Londonerspriorities, including putting 1,000 more police on Londons
streets, andcreating over 200,000 jobs over the next four years as
well asinvesting in the modernisation of the transport network, and
above all,holding down council tax.
And as your council tax bills show, we have made progress
despite
difficult times. At the Mayoral election on 3rd May this
progress is atrisk.The choice at this election is between taking
London backwards to theyears of waste and division or to go forward
with my plan to cutcouncil tax, cut waste, and make sure that every
penny of public
money is spent on Londoners' priorities to make London the best
bigcity to live in.So please pledge your support for my 10% council
tax cut today:www.backboris2012.com/ctpledge.
Hammersmith and Fulham to get hugeslice of extra school
funding
An announcement this week by the Government of an
extra600million budget for school buildings nationwide, shows
H&Fgetting the seventh highest allocation of cash in the
country, despitebeing one of the smallest boroughs.It comes on top
of an existing 14million of funding already allocatedfor next year,
bringing the total for the borough to 33million.Individual schools
are being asked to submit bids for improving orexpanding their
buildings and facilities.This money is a huge boost to our efforts
to ensure families can get
places in their top choice schools, says Cllr Stephen
Greenhalgh,Leader of the council. It will help us support the
developments of ourschools, to continue to deliver our Schools of
Choice programme.The councils Schools of Choice strategy
prioritises parentalpreference when considering expansion or
development of schools.H&F, in line with other London boroughs,
badly needs extra schoolplaces to cater for a steep rise in demand
as a result of a growingschool-age population.
According to current projections, 1,643 children of primary
school agewill be applying for reception places in 2013. There are
currently 1,508places available. Over the next few years a further
three additionalforms of entry will be required in the north of the
borough and twoadditional forms of entry will be required in the
centre.
A massive school expansion programme is already underway,
withthree new schools opening over the last two years and
additionalplaces opening in a number of schools where demand is
greatest.Sixty one per cent of local families now send their
children to localstate schools, compared to only 45% in 2006,adds
Cllr Greenhalgh.Rapidly rising standards and more places in the
schools parents want
for their children has already seen a reduction in the numbers
offamilies going outside the borough or to private schools.
Thatsuccess, along with a rising population, intensifies the need
for extra
places in H&F.Greg Hands M.P. said: "The number of
school-age children is risingrapidly in Hammersmith & Fulham,
but the number of school placeshas been crippled by the then Labour
Council's programme of schoolclosures in the 1990s. many schools -
like St Mark's and Sherbrookeschools - were closed by Labour, and
instead housing estates built intheir place, in an
ideologically-driven wrecking programme. Thismoney from the
Coalition Government will help to reverse that trend."
Best Bar None 2012 in K&CBars, pubs and clubs in Kensington
and Chelsea are being urged to
join the Best Bar None (BBN) scheme which is entering its fifth
year inthe Royal Borough. The scheme recognises licensees
whodemonstrate excellent management standards.BBN encourages bar
owners and managers to ensure their pubs andclubs are crime-free
and that their customers do not disturb theirneighbours. In 2011
Embargo 59, a long standing nightclub situatedon the King's Road in
Chelsea, was the overall winner; it has been a
member of the Best Bar None scheme since it began. Embargo 59has
continued to raise its own standards, works in partnership with
theCouncil and others and also displays excellent
managementpractices.The scheme currently has 47 pubs, bars and
clubs across theborough; it continues to be one of the largest
schemes in the countryand is still supported by Diageo Great
Britain.Councillor Nick Paget-Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member forEnvironment and Leisure, said: "The Best Bar None scheme
is nowfirmly established in the Royal Borough and is recognised as
a markof a well-run, safe and welcoming place. I encourage everyone
who
runs a pub, club or bar to take part and give your business the
bestpossible chance to attract more customers."Landlords and
managers of all the borough's pubs, bars and clubs willbe able to
submit applications for this year's membership between 16
April and 18 June, with the awards presentation in November
2012.Greg Hands M.P. said "I welcome these efforts to help make
barsrecognise their important role in improving behaviour in
ourcommunities, and especially to mitigate the impact of Labour's
24-hour drinking changes a few years back."For more information and
to download an application form go to
www.rbkc.gov.uk/bestbarnone or [email protected].
Right to Buy roadshow this weekendCouncil tenants can find out
if they are eligible for a 75,000 discounton the cost of their home
at the H&F Right to Buy roadshow launchevent this weekend
(Saturday, April 21).Following pressure from Hammersmith &
Fulham (H&F) Council, theGovernment has recently increased the
maximum Right to Buy
discount from 16,000 to 75,000. This means that thousands
oftenants now have a once-in-a lifetime chance to get onto the
housingladder.Many tenants have already contacted the councils Home
Buy team tofind out if they are eligible for a bumper discount. And
to ensure thatall tenants have a chance to speak to a council
expert, a number ofroadshow events have been arranged.The first
roadshow is this Saturday April 21, from 10am to 3pm, atH&F
Advice, 145 King Street, W6 9XY.Here, our dedicated Home Buy team
will be able to calculate thediscount that you are eligible for and
tell you everything you need toknow about buying your own home and
all of the responsibilities thatentails.The roadshow will then
visit the following locations:
Hammersmith Town Hall, Saturday May 5, 10am - 2pm, SmallHall,
King Street, W6 9JU
White City Community Centre, Saturday May 19, 10am - 2pm,India
Way, W12 7QT
Cllr Andrew Johnson, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
Theextended Right to Buy discount is truly fantastic news for
anyone whohas ever dreamt of purchasing their own home but never
thought thatit would be financially possible.There is absolutely no
doubt that owning your own home gives you asense of pride and a
sense of empowerment. However, for too longhome ownership has been
nothing but a pipedream for most of ourtenants.Hammersmith &
Fulham is a borough of housing opportunity withhome ownership as
its core. I would like to urge council tenants to visitthe Right to
Buy roadshow so that they can find out all the details andmake an
educated decision about whether the Right to Buy is the bestthing
for them.
Greg Hands M.P. said "The Coalition Government's decision
toextend Right to Buy will bring new hope for home ownership
amongstthousands of local Council tenants. Together with H&F
Council, I willbe promoting the new scheme to local Council tenants
in H&F."Right to Buy has helped thousands of council tenants in
H&F to buytheir own home since it launched over 30 years ago,
but completionsunder the scheme all but collapsed when the maximum
discount in thecapital was reduced in 2004 from 38,000 to 16,000.
The move ledto a slump from 245 Right to Buy sales in 2004/05 to
only seven inH&F last year.If you are unable to make one of the
road-shows but are interested in
finding out about Right to Buy in Hammersmith and Fulham
emailh&[email protected] telephone 020 8753 6464.To
qualify, residents must meet certain criteria. For example
thetenant must have been living in the property for at least five
years.The property must also be the tenants only or principal home.
Otherconditions apply.
Hands in the papers:
How Labour staged Livingstone's tears
Londoners who prompted emotional reactionfrom mayoral candidate
were hand-picked
and reading from scriptThe Daily Telegraph
Friday 13th April 2012The "ordinary Londoners" who moved Ken
Livingstone to tears in hiselection video were hand-picked Labour
supporters chosen by anadvertising agency reading from a script,
the party has admitted.The individuals, who included an elderly
woman, a mechanic, a pub
landlady, and a young mother with her child, were paid expenses
andwere all reading from a script, Labour confirmed.Mr Livingstone,
who was pictured wiping away tears as he watchedthe video at his
official manifesto launch, had already seen thebroadcast once.The
veteran Labour candidate, who is standing against Boris Johnsonfor
Mayor of London, was criticised last night after the
detailsemerged.Greg Hands, the Conservative MP for Chelsea and
Fulham, mockedMr Livingstone over the broadcast. He said: "How much
further canone campaign implode?" Some of his political opponents
speculatedprivately that Mr Livingstone's display was "a stunt".The
disclosures could also rebound on Ed Miliband, who describedthe
video as "very powerful" and was seen to comfort 66-year-old
MrLivingstone by placing a hand on his back.The two-and-a-half
minute broadcast, aired on Wednesday, beganwith Mr Livingstone
introducing himself before cutting to clips of"ordinary Londoners",
who set out their priorities for a future mayor.It was at the end
of the broadcast, when small groups of voters wereshown calling
"Come on Ken, London needs you", that the formermayor broke down
with emotion. A photographer captured the
moment and the pictures were widely reproduced in newspapers
andonline.When asked later why he found the video so emotional,
MrLivingstone said: "The people you saw represent hundreds
ofthousands of Londoners who desperately want a mayor who is
goingto make their life easier in this city."
A spokesman for Mr Livingstone confirmed he had seen the
videobefore his emotional reaction at the launch. Mr Livingstone
has beendogged by allegations surrounding his tax affairs, which
blew up into aclash in a lift after a radio debate with his rival,
Mr Johnson. He isbehind Mr Johnson in opinion polls.
Hands in the papers:
MPs columnGreg Hands M.P., Hammersmith & Fulham
ChronicleApril 2012Last week, I was called in to see NHS
bureaucrats at the North WestLondon Health Authority to be told
that they would begin consulting onplans to cut the number of
hospitals with accident & emergency (A&E)
units in the local area. Their plans will mean that either
Charing Crossor Chelsea & Westminster will lost its A&E
unit. HammersmithHospital will probably also lose out, effectively
meaning that one of thetwo Boroughs I represent will be without an
A&E service.Chronicle readers will know that for many years
now, I andHammersmith & Fulham Council have been campaigning
againstongoing efforts by health bureaucrats to downgrade Charing
CrossHospital, so the latest news comes as shock, but is consistent
withtheir efforts since at least 2005.Bureaucrats claim that the
closures will save both lives and money. Iam not convinced on
either count. Both Hammersmith & Fulham andKensington &
Chelsea have rising and ageing populations, and this isan area of
London where healthcare needs are growing. Similarly,thanks to the
Coalition Government, NHS funding is going up. Whenthe consultation
formally begins later this month, I urge all local peopleto make
their opposition known, and hopefully we can make the
healthbureaucrats think again.
5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:
By Phone: 020 7219 5448
By email: [email protected]
By post: Greg Hands M.P.House of CommonsLondon SW1A 0AA
In person: Click here for details of howto book an appointment
atGreg Hands M.P.s weeklysurgery
www.greghands.com
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