Subject: News

Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #332 Date: Saturday, 31 March 2012 12:04:38 United Kingdom Time From: To: Greg Hands M.P. news@greghands.com

In this edition:
Greg Hands M.P.s Diary Website of the Week: H&F Conservative Councillors Blog Mass Accident and Emergency closure threat across west London Hands on TV: BBC Sunday Politics Investing in transport Local voluntary groups celebrate cash windfall from H&F Council Changing your travel plans during the Olympics Royal Borough tries to save its local pubs Hands in the media: Labour Fails To Vote Against 50p How to contact Greg Hands M.P.

Issue 332 Saturday 31st March 2012

Since the last edition, Greg:

Met officials from NHS North West London to hear the bombshell news of their proposals for A&E downgrades in West London, which will likely effect Chelsea & Westminster and Charing Cross Hospitals. For more, see below. Was interviewed on BBC TVs Sunday Politics Show, to talk about the Budget, mental health in London and the Mayor race. Attended and addressed the annual general meeting of the Kensington, Chelsea & Fulham Conservatives, held at the Old Town Hall, Chelsea. Was interviewed by Newsweek magazine about the latest news on Mayor Boris Johnsons campaign for re-election. Met officials from Chelsea Football Club to hear of their plans to grow their stadium capacity. Attended the opening of the new Russian cultural centre on Kensington High Street, with the Royal Boroughs Mayor, Cllr. Julie Mills. Had a full schedule of activity as a Government Whip in and around the chamber of the House of Commons, including ministerial meetings and organising votes and standing committees. Held a weekly surgery for Chelsea and Fulham residents at Fulham Town Hall. Gregs surgeries are held generally every Monday at either Fulham Town Hall or at Peter Jones, Sloane Square. To ask for an appointment, email mail@greghands.com or call 020 7219 5448.

Website of the Week:

www.hfconservatives.typepad.com
The website of the Conservative Councillors in the Hammersmith & Fulham Borough.

Mass Accident and Emergency closure threat across west London

Plans for the mass closure of A&E units across north-west London are being attacked by Greg Hands M.P. and Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The proposals, which have just surfaced and are due to be consulted at the end of the month, could see north-west London NHS bureaucrats close four of nine A&E units in a top-down reorganisation of hospital services. The consultation will look at a substantial downgrade of Central Middlesex which would lose its A&E unit. While straight choices will be made between Hammersmith or St Marys, Ealing or West Middlesex, and Chelsea and Westminster or Charing Cross. Under these plans west Hammersmith are likely Currently, Hammersmith units (Hammersmith and close. London residents in Ealing, Hounslow and not have any A&E services based locally. & Fulham has two hospitals with 24/7 A&E Charing Cross) both of which are likely to

Charing Cross has been one of the busiest A&Es in west London. Combined A&E attendances at Hammersmith Hospital and Charing Cross are up to 100,000 a year with 20,000 emergency admissions. Greg Hands M.P. said, "These crass proposals will pit Charing Cross against Chelsea & Westminster. With a growing population in this part of London, and heavily congested roads, we need Accident & Emergency at both hospitals. We need to stop these bureaucrats in the North West London health authority from wielding the knife, at a time when the Government is increasing spending on the NHS. I can see no real need for this change." Councillor Greenhalgh said, The piecemeal dismantling of hospital services is set to continue across west London without a long-term vision and site strategy for specialist services being in place. For years I have warned that Charing Cross Hospital was being downgraded and facing closure by stealth. Removing all A&E services in my borough makes no sense when Hammersmith & Fulham is set for dramatic growth in its three Opportunity Areas at Earls Court, White City and Park Royal. *Total A&E attendances in 2006/7 were 69,325 for Charing Cross and 30,795 for Hammersmith.

Hands on TV:

BBC Sunday Politics

You can watch the programme on the BBCs iPlayer by clicking here (NB this will only be available until lunchtime on Sunday 1st April 2012).

Greg Hands reacts when Labour's David Lammy describes Ken Livingstone's tax affairs as "sound".

Investing in transport
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson writes... Today I am launching my transport manifesto. It's a critical part of my 9 point plan for a Greater London. A world class city should have a world class transport system that is safe, efficient, economical and reliable. A transport system that uses modern technology to meet the changing needs of Londoners and to guarantee long term sustainable lower fares. There are now approaching 3.5 billion passenger journeys annually on our buses and Tube trains - equivalent to half the global population - which means we simply must keep investing in our network to keep up with demand. In 2008, I inherited a creaking public transport system that had for years been starved of investment. Under my predecessor, Londoners were subjected to record increases in fares (as high as 43%), despite two election promises that they would not increase. And he left the finances in chaos, with tens of millions of taxpayers pounds wasted designing unpopular projects that he had no money to deliver. That was the mess I had to turn around when I came into office. I ended the waste and secured a far better deal out of No. 10 than my predecessor ever could, including securing 22 billion to deliver Crossrail and the Tube upgrades, creating 32,000 jobs. The benefits of this hard work and investment are already being seen: Delays have been cut by 40% since I was elected; Stations are being transformed Kings Cross and Green Park are complete, while Victoria, Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street are in hand and I am working on plans for major improvements to Bank station; New trains have recently been introduced on the Victoria line and the first of 190 new air-conditioned trains have started to arrive on the Metropolitan line; The network is now much safer with crime down by 20% on the Tube and 30% on the bus network thanks to my policy of banning alcohol and introducing 697 more police; And, as I pledged I would, I scrapped the bendy buses and am delivering a New Bus for London, with world-class fuelefficiency, elegant looks and an open platform at the rear. But there is more to do and my manifesto sets out my vision for transport in London: I will cut delays on the Tube by a further 30% by harnessing new technology and introducing new working practices to ensure problems are fixed urgently; I have maintained free or discounted fares for the most vulnerable, including the Freedom Pass for older people, which I extended to 24 hours, and for disabled people. If elected I will go further and reverse the last Labour Governments decision to stop Londoners getting their Freedom Pass at 60; Londoners should no longer be held to ransom by union barons. I will pave the way to driverless (although not unmanned) trains within a decade by accelerating a programme to introduce automation on the Tube; I will seek a fresh mandate from Londoners at this election to argue our case for a minimum turnout rule which will prevent the RMT and Bob Crow calling strikes with a minority of supporters, disrupting hard-working Londoners and undermining the capitals economy; I also have plans to improve rail services for Londoners who live in the suburbs. I will support the extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Bromley, and I am calling on the Government to allow the Mayor to start taking over suburban rail services, so we can tackle overcrowding, make stations safer and hold down fares; And I recognise, unlike my predecessor, that Londons transport is not just about rail, tube and buses, but about our roads too. I will launch a Congestion Busting Plan, including funding for immediate improvements to Londons worst congestion hotspots. I will use the income from Lane Rental, which will tackle road works, to ease the congestion they cause. And I will enact the first comprehensive review of the road network for a generation, with detailed plans to end Londons worst congestion points - seeking improvements for drivers, cyclists and bus passengers. I will also expand our hugely successful Cycle Hire scheme to many new parts of Greater London. We have made progress despite difficult times. But at the Mayoral election on 3rd May this progress is at risk. The choice at this election is between investment in our transport system - or cuts in investment at the worst possible time. I hope I can count on your support on 3rd May.

PS: My campaign team have launched a Boris Backers map so that you can show your support for what we've already achieved and what we plan to do in the next four years. Please sign up today: www.backboris2012.com/#backing.

Local voluntary groups celebrate cash windfall from H&F Council

Voluntary groups from across the borough have reacted with joy to the news that they have won a share of a 300,000 cash windfall from Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council. This year, the council is awarding three times more than last year through its popular Fast Track small grants scheme which provides individual grants of up to 10,000. In total, 53 local community groups have been allocated a total of 143,000, with a further 157,000 to be allocated later in the year. The winning groups come from all walks of life and represent the rich diversity of the borough. H&F Council is one of the most generous boroughs in London in terms of voluntary sector budgets, with a total grants pot of almost 4 million. That equates to 21.60 per head. Since the Fast Track scheme started in 2007, 449 grants have been made to local voluntary organisations. Cllr Joe Carlebach, Cabinet Member for Community Care said: Despite the unprecedented economic downturn, the council has found a way to treble the amount of money that we are offering through our Fast Track scheme compared to last year. Fast Track recognises that there are so many fantastic voluntary organisations in the borough who sometimes struggle to pay for particular projects or activities. This council is very proud of the way we help charities and voluntary organisations and we will continue to support these unsung heroes to the best of our abilities. Nevertheless, we simply cannot afford to fund every single group and I recognise that there will be a number of disappointed organisations today. Taxpayers should rest assured that we have gone through a very careful process to ensure that we are only awarding groups whose bids represent excellent value for money in these troubled financial times. Amongst the recipients of cash, are H&F Mencap who provide support to people with learning disabilities of all ages and their carers living in the borough. The group has been awarded 4,950 to fund workers who shall lead sessions in various sports including judo, athletics and boccia. Becky Moore of H&F Mencap said, said: We are thrilled to have received this money. We have two people with learning disabilities who lead our sports classes and this funding means that we shall be able to keep them on for another year. We are very grateful to the council for their continued support. Also in the money is the Senior Citizens Creative Arts and Luncheon Club who have received a grant of 3,000. The group formed 23 years ago and provide lunch for 22 frail and older people twice a week at the Edward Woods Community Centre. Group representative, Pamela Mussenden said: This is fantastic news and we are delighted that the council has been so generous. This funding means that we shall be able to continue to provide lunch for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. In this round of funding, the council received 73 applications for a total of 341,918. The next round of Fast Track will be advertised in June 2012 with funding available from October 2012. A full list of organisations in receipt of Fast Track grants is available here.

Changing your travel plans during the Olympics

Research findings out on Friday 30th March from Transport for London (TfL) show that despite 84 per cent of Londoners being aware that travel will be affected during the London 2012 Games, less than one in eight have actually decided how they may need to change their travel plans during this time. The findings from the research have prompted TfL to recreate a live version of one of its popular advertisements, showing weightlifters squeezing out of a busy tube carriage, in order to encourage the public to use the www.getaheadofthegames.com website and, if necessary, make alternative travel plans ahead of the Games this summer. The recreation of the weightlifter-themed `Get Ahead of the Games' video will be available soon at www.youtube.com/user/GAOTG. Ben Plowden, Director of Planning, TfL Surface Transport, said: "During this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games there will be certain times and places when London's transport systems will be very busy. "The `Get Ahead of the Games' campaign is playing a critical role in encouraging the travelling public to plan ahead and ensuring London and the UK keep moving as the nation prepares to celebrate the biggest summer of sporting and cultural events in its history. By recreating this ad with real-life weightlifters and Londoners, we hope to encourage more people to start making alternative plans for their travel this summer." Councillor Warrick Lightfoot, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Lead Member for London 2012, said: "It is clear that as well as being an exciting spectacle the Olympic Games will mean more traffic on certain roads and busier stations on parts of the network. The way to minimise the impact of this is to plan ahead. TfL will be providing information on its Get Ahead of the Games website in the run up to and during the Games and I would encourage residents and businesses to look carefully at this information." With information on how journeys could be affected, alternative routes and updates on what stations to avoid and when, www.getaheadofthegames.com is the one stop shop for people travelling in London this summer. As well as the wide-range of information available through that website and www.tfl.gov.uk, London's travelling public will also be able to get live travel updates on Twitter, via the @GAOTG handle. The `Get Ahead of the Games' website will also be offering a selection of `after work' offers from The Sanctuary Spa, Madame Tussauds, Apollo Cinema and London theatres. During the 2012 Games these companies will offer special deals to encourage people working in Games transport hotspot areas to make the most of what London has to offer and delay their journeys home to outside peak hours. For more information on how to `Get ahead of the Games', please visit www.getaheadofthegames.com, and follow live travel updates here www.twitter.com/GAOTG.

Royal Borough tries to save its local pubs

A new planning document which looks at ways of protecting the Royal Borough's pubs is currently out for public consultation. Since 1980 there has been a 35 per cent decline in the number of public houses in Kensington and Chelsea from 168 to 110 today equating to an average of two pubs closing each year. Many pubs in the Royal Borough are architecturally important and one option the Council is exploring is getting local people to draw up a list of those they would like to see protected. Another alternative is to stop the loss of drinking establishments including public houses (Class A4 uses) where a public house makes an important contribution to community life. The Royal Borough recognises that restaurants, cafes, shops and banks also have a vital role to play and other options look at the implications of protecting these too. Despite the economic downturn, residential land values in Kensington and Chelsea can command huge sums of money and as such they out compete any other use. This policy seeks to protect uses that have lower land values, but remain of high value to the community. Councillor Tim Ahern, Cabinet Member for Planning Policy, said, "We have put together this document because we believe that it's important to look at ways we can protect those places which perform a vital community function. We've lost a lot of pubs over the years and want to do what we can to make sure that the tradition of a pint and a chat in the local pub doesn't vanish because of our high residential land values. "We fear than without any intervention the risk is that the Royal Borough could become a homogenised high quality residential area." The consultation is open until Tuesday 24 April. For more information please visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/pubs.

Hands in the media:

Labour Fails To Vote Against 50p

Sophy Ridge , Sky News blog Tuesday 27th March 2012 Given the strident opposition of Ed Miliband to scrapping the 50p rate of income tax, you would expect Labour MPs to jump at the chance of voting against the cut. But last night, just TWO Labour MPs opposed the government in a vote on the Budget's tax changes. Cue widespread mocking from Conservative MPs. Tory MP and assistant whip Greg Hands posed the question on Twitter: "When Labour said that 50p tax rate was temporary, were they referring to the rate itself or their 4-day opposition to its abolition." While the Conservative MP Gavin Barwell teasingly tweeted Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves: "There was a vote on 50p at 10.41 last night & you along with vast majority of Labour MPs didn't vote #payattentionattheback" Lib Dem MPs also got stuck in, with deputy leader Simon Hughes saying: "After five days of huff and puff from Ed Balls, and sustained protest about the proposal to lower the highest level of tax rate next year, Labour MPs were not in the Chamber to vote against the change. This says all the public needs to know about Labour's position." So what happened? The late-night vote was called by SNP and Plaid Cymru MPs, sparking theories Labour was caught on the hop and couldn't bring itself to vote with the nationalist MPs. But the official line from the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls was given when he tweeted: "Lab voted against whole Budget tonight. But no chance to vote solely on 50p tax. Will ensure there is in Finance Bill and vote against."

5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:

By Phone: By email: By post: In person: 020 7219 5448 mail@greghands.com Greg Hands M.P. House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Click here for details of how to book an appointment at Greg Hands M.P.s weekly surgery

www.greghands.com

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