From: Greg Hands M.P. news@greghands.comSubject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #415

Date: 13 October 2014 10:01To: news@greghands.com

 

In this edition: 

Greg Hands M.P.’s Diary Website of the Week:Rays Playhouse Photo news:Fulham Junior Chess Club Labour’s figures turnagainst Ed Miliband and hisdamaging Homes Tax Greg Hands meets former Jamaican Prime Minister todiscuss UK Governmentsreductions in Air Passenger Duty West Brompton Tube set togo step free thanks to BorisJohnson and theConservatives Find Out More About HomeSwaps Photo news:Clacton by-election Book Tickets for Fireworksthis year in Hammersmith &Fulham parks Fungi Foray in Holland Park Cllr Andrew Brown:Labour’s NHS claims startto unravel Greg Hands MP's letter toconstituents on the Super Sewer  How to contactGreg Hands MP

 

Issue 415 - Monday 13th October 2014 

 Since the last edition, Greg: 

Was guest quiz master at the Rose pub, Fulham, for a

fundraising evening for Fulham’s excellent Ray’s Playhouse,

which raised more than £7,000. For more, see website of the

week below.

 Attended Conservative Party Conference  in Birmingham,

including David Cameron’s speech as Leader  of the Party.

Met former Jamaican Prime Minister   and Leader of the

Jamaican Labour Party, Hon. Andrew Holderness, to help

publicise the UK Government’s recent big cuts in Air 

Passenger Duty to destinations in the Caribbean. For more,

see below.

 Attended a meeting of the campaign team for Charlie

Dewhirst. Char lie is the Conservatives candidate to be the

next MP for Hammersmith.

Was guest speaker at the Stoke-on-Trent Conservatives.

Hosted a dinner for visiting MPs from the German CDU and

CSU at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.

Campaigned for Conservative candidate Giles Watling in the

Clacton by-election.

Gave the Conservative Party’s reaction to the Clacton and

Heywood by-elections on a BBC by election special.

Carried out his duties in a busy week as the Conservative

Party and Government’s Deputy Chief  Whip.

Held a regular, weekly, advice surgery  for local Chelsea and

Fulham residents, at Fulham Library, on Fulham Road, close to

Parsons Green tube. Greg’s surgeries are generally weekly, on

Monday mornings, at either Fulham Library, or Peter Jones,

Sloane Square, Chelsea. To make an appointment, email

mail@greghands.com or telephone 020 7219 5448.

 

Website of the Week:

www.raysplayhouse.org The website of Rays Playhouse, the Fulham based play facilityfor toddlers and small children, including new play equipment.Greg was quiz master this week for a fundraising evening for thePlayhouse, which raised more than £7,000. The event was alsosponsored by Aspire estate agents, Woodford solicitors andother local businesses. 

Photo news:

Fulham Junior Chess Club 

Chess Club last month, which is hosted by the Brunswick Club,where Greg is a trustee.

 

Labour’s figures turn against Ed Milibandand his damaging Homes Tax  Following the Labour Party Conference, several senior figures in theLabour Party have spoken out to voice their fears over Labour’sunworkable and damaging Homes Tax.

It was confirmed by both Ed Miliband and Ed Balls at this year’sLabour Conference, that if they were elected following the GeneralElection, either by themselves or as a part of a coalition with theLiberal Democrats, then they would introduce a new annual tax onproperties worth over £2million, and probably less. 

 Although dubbed by Labour as a ‘Mansion Tax’, in London wherehouse prices are well above the national average, the tax would affectordinary family homes and even flats. Greg Hands, MP for Chelseaand Fulham, has consistently warned that the new levy is in reality aHomes Tax, and would not just hit the super-rich, but many people,including pensioners, who had lived in their homes for decades. If implemented, it would unfairly impact on capital-rich but income-poor homes, particularly people who bought their homes years ago at lower values who would see themselves dragged into the £2m bracket. Thiscould especially include retired people. Now, in the weeks following the party conferences, several senior Labour figures have raised similar concerns about the policy’sfairness, workability, and popularity: 

Labour MP Karen Buck, Miliband's parliamentary private

secretary, said she was "very, very anxious" about it, telling the

Daily Telegraph that she would only support the levy if 

safeguards for vulnerable people are included in the plans.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Margaret Hodge MP, chairman of 

the Commons public accounts committee said the policy was

‘too crude to work properly’.

 And former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, MP for Dulwich

and West Norwood, said: ‘I am concerned about my typically

older families who are asset rich and income poor. They bought

houses 40 years ago, which have appreciated enormously in

value and they certainly can’t afford a mansion tax.’

Lord Bragg, the Labour peer and broadcaster, told the Sun that

Miliband's tax was "grotesquely unfair" and "may have wiped

out Hampstead as a Labour seat".

 Additionally, Labour's biggest individual donor John Mills, who

gave the party £1.65 million last year, said implementing the

plans would produce "all sorts of problems" and spoke up for 

an alternative measure. Mr Mills, chairman and founder of 

consumer goods giant JML, told the Telegraph correctly valuing

houses would be "really tricky" and warned home owners with

mortgages could be forced into "negative equity".

 Commenting on the policy and the criticisms, Greg said: “I have long warned about the unfairness this new tax would bring. But don’t takemy word for it, even Ed Miliband’s biggest supporters from inside hisown party are against it. The revelations from within Labour’s ownranks, highlight just how damaging and unpopular this tax would be. “There is a real danger that if Labour were to get in at the next general election, they would inflict this on homeowners in my constituency and across the country. In contrast, this Government is keeping council tax down for hardworking people, with bills cut by 11 per cent in real termssince 2010.”  

Greg Hands meets former Jamaican PrimeMinister to discuss UK Governmentsreductions in Air Passenger Duty 

Greg Hands MP meeting former Jamaican Prime Minister Hon.Andrew Holness to discuss the UK Government's reductions in

Chelsea and Fulham MP, Greg Hands, has met former JamaicanPrime Minister and current Leader of the Jamaican Labour Party,

 Andrew Holness, to discuss the Conservative led Government’s cutsto the Caribbean, Indian and Australasian bands of Air Passenger Duty (APD). 

 At the last Budget statement, in March this year, major reforms andreductions to APD were announced by the Chancellor. TheGovernment will reform APD by abolishing Bands C and D from 1

 April 2015. This will eliminate the two highest rates of APD charged onflights to countries over 4,000 miles from Britain. From next year, alllong haul flights will carry the same lower Band B tax rate thatpassengers currently pay to fly to the United States. The changes,which will benefit all destinations presently in Band C, which currentlyincludes Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean. The reforms are particularly welcome amongst Chelsea & Fulham’smany diaspora communities, particularly those of Caribbean, Indian,

 Australasian and South African origin. Since 2009, Greg Hands has campaigned for reform of the APDsystem, and particularly to amend the banding structure of the tax.The current system, introduced by the last Labour Government,caused unfair anomalies in the rate, for instance where flights to theCaribbean were taxed more than those to California - even thoughCalifornia is further away - as it was calculated on distance betweencapital cities and the UK. Greg even tabled an amendment to Labour’s2009 Budget which would have abolished APD, and spoke at length inthe House of Commons against the higher bands. 

 At the Conservative Party Conference, held last week in Birmingham,Greg met with the former Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness,to discuss the positive impact the new policy will have on theCaribbean and also on local residents in Chelsea & Fulham of Caribbean origin. Chelsea and Fulham is home to large numbers of residents with linksto countries across the world, who will benefit from the new reducedrate when travelling to visit family or for business. This includes over 3,400 constituents from the Caribbean, 1,500 of Indian origin, and1,500 of Chinese origin, as well as over 4,000 people whose originsare from other Asian countries. All these long-haul destinations willbenefit from the scrapping of the two highest APD bands. Commenting on the meeting and the new ADP policy, set to come innext year, Greg Hands said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet 

 Andrew Holness, who like me, has been campaigning for several years for a fairer tax system on flights. I am delighted that the new regime will be coming in next year, and it is something I have been

 pushing towards for five years. “I have many residents who regularly travel to the Caribbean to visit family, so this will make this journeys more affordable for them.

 Additionally it will benefit the Caribbean economy by removing anunfair barrier to exports and particular tourism which is an essential industry. This measure also contributes to the UK's growthopportunities by lowering the cost of travelling to many emerging market destinations such as China, India and Brazil. Some of thebiggest beneficiaries however will be regular travellers to family outside of Europe of which includes many thousands of my constituents. “Both Mr Holness and me are looking forward to the introduction of this policy next year.”  

 Andrew Holness was Prime Minister of Jamaica from 2011 to 2012,and is currently the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition. 

West Brompton Tube set to go step free

 thanks to Boris Johnson and theConservatives Local stations West Brompton and White City are among stations setto go step-free under plans announced by Mayor Boris Johnson andLondon Underground. They have confirmed plans for a £75million fund to speed up the rateat which the network is made accessible for disabled Londoners andvisitors to the capital. The fund has been put aside to enable the installation of new lifts ataround a dozen more stations over the next ten years. The newstations are in addition to the 28 LU and London Rail stations whichTransport for London had previously committed to making step-free by2024, and the 30 Crossrail stations in London that will all be step-free. The funding, which was announced at a special TfL AccessibilityShow at Excel London, will be used to match contributions from localcouncils and property developers for improvements to step-freeaccess at a number of priority locations, which they say will unlocklarge numbers of new accessible journeys. The number of rail and underground platforms that are step-free fromstreet to platform has risen from 57 in 1998 to 195 in 2014. The new

contributions from developers and the LU fund include Mill Hill East,Newbury Park, Osterley, West Brompton and White City. Others siteswill be confirmed as soon as commercial negotiations allow. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "The Tube was built at atime when accessibility was not top of the priority list and that'ssomething we've long been battling to rectify. Great progress hasbeen made in making an ever-growing number of stations step free,and while the picture is far from perfect, this injection of cash isanother step in the right direction. "As we have also made clear in our pledge to make Crossrail step-free, this is all part of our wider efforts to ensure that London has atransport network that is open and accessible for all."  Mike Brown MVO, the Managing Director of London Undergroundsaid: "We have made great strides in making our network moreaccessible - installing new lifts, rebuilding stations, and introducing boarding ramps to make life easier for our customers. But werecognise that there is still a considerable way to go. Through thecreation of this £75 million fund we are using innovative ways to find the means of going further faster. "We are confident that the cooperation we're already seeing from third 

 parties will continue to grow, so that together we can build a transport network more accessible for London residents and visitors alike.

"Importantly, this is just the latest in a whole series of improvementswe're making, including improvements to frontline staff training that will mean all station staff receive accessibility training by a person witha disability."  

Find Out More About Home Swaps Residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and theLondon Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham who live in housingassociation or council homes and want to swap their property withanother tenant can find out more about how to make this happen at aspecial Housing Advice Day on Wednesday 29th October. For tenants who want a larger or smaller property or may wish tomove to another area the mutual exchange scheme can provide asolution. Tenants who have a social tenancy in their name and who donot have any rent arrears or a history of antisocial behaviour areeligible for mutual exchange. Tenants can come to the Housing Advice Day for help and guidanceand can register for mutual exchange for free. There will be apresentation about mutual exchange, the opportunity to meet other residents, discussions about Housing Benefit and employment, plusthe chance to ask questions and to speak to someone personallyabout your situation. The event runs from 1pm to 6pm and there is no need to book, justcome along to Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX Greg Hands MP said: "Home swaps are a good way for social housing tenants to change location, or to increase or decrease the size of their flat, according to their needs. I have helped tenants do things likemove to Bournemouth to be near, or to help those who have changed 

 job or need to be nearer their families. I recommend having a look."  For further information on the mutual exchange scheme go towww.rbkc.gov.uk/mutualexchange. 

Photo news:

Clacton by-election 

Greg Hands MP campaigning in the Clacton by election lastweek.

 

Book Tickets for Fireworks this year in

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend Hammersmith &Fulham Council’s Blast from Outer Space themed shows at BishopsPark and Ravenscourt Park, on Friday November 7 and SaturdayNovember 8 respectively. The gates open at 6pm at both events and the children's fireworks willtake place at 7.15pm. The celebrations will culminate with a fantasticfirework display choreographed to music at 8pm (approximately).There will also be a funfair and food stalls at the events. Greg Hands MP said "These are two excellent fireworks displays, and local residents can come along with their families and enjoy them in asafe environment."  You can buy your tickets from October 1, 2014. Book in advance andget 25% off, meaning tickets are £6 each. Advance booking closes at5.30pm on November 6 for Bishops Park and at 5.30pm on November 7 for Ravenscourt Park. Tickets are also available on the day at thegate for £8. Entry for children under five-years-old is free. Contact the Lyric Theatre box office at www.lyric.co.uk or call 0208741 6850. Please remember to arrive at the parks early, as gates will close at7.45pm. There will also be no admittance to any vendors, and you arenot allowed to bring your own fireworks, sparklers, alcohol or dogs tothe event. 

Fungi Foray in Holland Park  Join the Natural History Museum’s Mark Spencer on Saturday 25October to find the fungi on display at this time of year in HollandPark’s wildlife areas. You will learn how to identify common speciesand hopefully discover some great specimens. The free event is sponsored by the Friends of Holland Park butbooking is required, email ecology@rbkc.gov.uk  to reserve your place. Meet at the Holland Park Ecology Centre for 2pm. 

Cllr Andrew Brown: Labour’s NHS claimsstart to unravel This week’s Health Scrutiny meeting was as heated as expected,especially on changes to local A&Es and Imperial’s plans for thefuture of its sites, in particular Charing Cross. The Committee alsodiscussed food banks and the Council’s proposed £6.5 million cutsfrom the Adult Social Care budget. Three claims that Labour made before the local elections were refutedby local NHS experts and doctors. They confirmed that Charing Crosshospital will continue to have an A&E, the specification of which will befinalised once Sir Bruce Keogh’s report on future of emergencymedicine is published. They also confirmed that Charing Cross hospital will not be a GP ledclinic, but will be staffed by both primary and secondary care clinicianswith patients treated by the clinicians most suitable to their needs. Finally they confirmed that Charing Cross hospital will have a £150million new building that once built, and only then, will replace some of the existing buildings on the site. This £150 million is part of a wider £1.1 billion capital investment in healthcare across North WestLondon. With these important clarifications by the local NHS came increasinglyangry and aggressive questioning by Labour Councillors, especiallyCouncil Leader, Stephen Cowan. His questioning consisted of repetitively asking questions, manipulating peoples’ words and cuttingoff respondents when he didn’t like the answers. He appeared to haveno genuine interest in scrutinising local doctors about how thesechanges would be delivered to ensure the greatest benefit to localresidents and other NHS users. His behaviour was inappropriatetowards NHS public servants, a feeling shared by shocked local NHSdoctors. 

 Andrew Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith, missed the majorityof the meeting. His only contribution was to ask questions that hadalready been answered. Like Cllr. Cowan he seemed more interestedin asking the questions than actually listening to the answers. It washard to avoid the feeling that both were more interested in scoringcheap political points than actually partaking in a sincere scrutinyprocess. The new Labour administration is approaching 150 days in office andhad many more in opposition to develop alternative plans for localhealthcare services. It has had time to find clinicians and experts tosupport their views, but it has failed to do so. What is even more concerning, is that the new Labour 

If the new Council administration doesn’t find a way to work with thelocal NHS, instead of finding ways of closing the £6.5 million gap inadult social care funding, that gap will get much wider as people suffer from worst healthcare outcomes and require more NHS care andmore local authority social care. I understand why Andrew Slaughter wishes to keep kicking thepolitical football of local NHS reforms, but Stephen Cowan needs torealise that he’s not fighting the local elections any more. He’s inadministration now and needs to put local people first and find ways of working productively with the NHS. 

Greg Hands MP's letter to constituents on

 the Super Sewer Thank you for contacting me about the Thames Tideway Tunnel or ‘Super Sewer’. Like you, I believe that the independent Planning Inspectorate hasmade the wrong decision, in determining that the project will go aheadat Carnwath Road in Fulham, and not Barn Elms or any other moresuitable site. Along with hundreds of local residents, I made the pointto the Planning Inspectorate in person that Carnwath Road lies in thevery heart of hundreds of homes, as well as businesses and schools,in a densely residential part of London. It is extremely rare for theGovernment to overturn recommendations of the PlanningInspectorate, and there was no surprise in this case. That, after all, iswhy the Planning Inspectorate is there, so that experts can study aproblem independent of any Government interference. On thisoccasion, I think their decision is the wrong one, but it is not going tobe overturned, unless it can be shown that they followed a flawedprocess. I believe I have made my position on the Super Sewer extremelyclear, both to local residents as well as to Thames Water and thePlanning Inspectorate. Together with the previous ConservativeCouncil in Hammersmith and Fulham, I have long opposed the projectcoming to Carnwath Road. I have fought alongside hundreds of residents to prevent the Tunnel from being dug from Fulham. Here is achronology of what I have done on the campaign: 

1.  I called Open Meetings, together with the ConservativeCouncillors, to rally opposition to the scheme in April 2011and October 2011, both held at Hurlingham & ChelseaSchool.

2.  I held meetings with three Government Ministers to pressour case, including the Water Minister in September 2011, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in September 2011 and the Secretary of State for the Environment inNovember 2012, together with Nick Botterill, then theLeader of the Council.

3.  I leafleted the whole of Fulham in early 2012 to alertpeople well beyond Carnwath Road to the threat posedby the Super Sewer.

4.  I made extensive submissions to the various consultationswhich were undertaken by Thames Water and others,including the Phase 2 Thames Tunnel Consultation(February 2012) and the Defra consultation “Consultationon the Secretary of State specifying the Thames TidewayTunnel Project as a Specified Infrastructure Project andIssuing a Preparatory Work Notice) in December 2013.

 All of these submissions are available to see on mywebsite.

5.  I gave lengthy oral evidence to the Planning Inquiry led bythe Planning Inspectorate in January 2014, at Hurlingham& Chelsea School.

 The Planning Inspectorate’s decision is a very serious reverse in our campaign to prevent the Super Sewer coming to Fulham. I think weare all going to have to come to terms with the fact that the Super Sewer is now very likely to come to Carnwath Road, and we shouldnow be doing whatever we can to reduce its impact on all of us, asresidents, businesses and schools. I believe I can best serve myconstituents by applying pressure on Thames Tideway Tunnel toensure residents are listened to, and the interests of South Fulhamare protected. I am therefore keen that residents receive themaximum changes, assurances and compensation from ThamesWater, and that the detrimental impacts of the construction of thissewer are minimised as far as possible.

 Since the decision, I have met with the Chief Executive of ThamesTideway Tunnel Ltd (TTT Ltd), Andy Mitchell, and Thames Water’sHead of Thames Tideway Tunnel, Phil Stride, to ask detailedquestions about the phases of construction, dates and timescales of operations, the likely environmental impact, and possible transportdisruption. They reported that many of these details are still under consideration, as the tendering for the subcontractors will not becompleted until next year. I impressed upon them the need to workwith residents and local organisations, to listen carefully to concerns

While this decision is certainly a blow for Fulham, the precise detailsof the plan are still being worked out, and I can promise that I will keepup the pressure on Thames Water and TTT Ltd. I shall continue toliaise with schools, businesses and local residents to make sure their voices are heard, and I will fight to make sure we get the best possibledeal for Fulham, given the circumstances. More details about my position and campaigning history on the Super Sewer can be found on my website, www.greghands.com, alongwith links to keep you updated on my future activity on the issue.

5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.: 

By Phone: 020 7219 5448

By email: mail@greghands.com

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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Greg Hands M.P. – a strong voice for Chelsea & Fulham 

Published & Promoted by Jonathan Fraser-Howells on behalf of Greg Hands  M.P.,both of 1a Chelsea Manor Street, London SW3 5RP