From: Greg Hands M.P. news@greghands.

com
Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #429
Date: 23 March 2015 11:31
To: news@greghands.com

Issue 429 -Monday 23rd March 2015

In this edition:
Greg Hands M.P.s Diary

Since the last edition, Greg:

Website of the Week:

Fulham Boys School

Welcomed the 2015 Budget and its positive impact on Chelsea

& Fulham. For more information, see below.
Met British Telecom (BT) in the House of Commons to
discuss their roll out of superfast fibre broadband across
Fulham and Chelsea, taking up issues for individual residents
and businesses. For more, see below.
Met representatives of Gatwick Airport, to learn more about
their proposals to build a second runway at Gatwick, and how
transport connections to the airport can be improved further for
residents of Chelsea and Fulham.
Attended and addressed a meeting of ward chairmen in
Chelsea & Fulham Conservatives to prepare for the
forthcoming General Election.
Led a Conservative Party Action Day in Thanet South, Kent, in
support of Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay. Craig is
attempting to hold the seat against UKIPs Nigel Farage.
Carried out his weekly surgery at Fulham Library. Gregs
surgeries are weekly, and held either at Fulham Library or at
Peter Jones, Sloane Square. To make an appointment, email
mail@greghands.com or telephone (020) 7219 5446.
Carried out his duties as the Governments and the
Conservative Partys Deputy Chief Whip.

Greg Hands MP welcomes

Budget as another step on
the road to recovery in
Chelsea and Fulham
Photo news:
Secretary of State for
Education visits Fulham
Boys School
Greg Hands MP:
Conservatives' long-term
economic plan bringing
more jobs to Chelsea and
Fulham
Photo news:
Campaigning in Ealing
London's infrastructure and
transport boosted by 2015
Budget
Photo news:
Campaigning in South
Thanet
Greg Hands welcomes BT's
moves to speed up Chelsea
and Fulham's Broadband
Space for up to 1,000 new
homes on redundant
government land in Chelsea
and Fulham
Eight basement
developments stopped in
K&C in just one day
Good Neighbours seek to
become heart of Fulham
community
Week in Westminster - 20th
March
!
How to contact
Greg Hands MP

Website of the Week:

www.fulhamboysschool.org
The website of the new Fulham Boys School, a new secondary
free school in Fulham. Greg is one of its patrons, and last week
took Education Secretary Nicky Morgan on a tour of the new
school. For photo, see below.

Greg Hands MP welcomes Budget as

another step on the road to recovery in
Chelsea and Fulham
Local MP Greg Hands has welcomed this weeks Budget as another
step on the road to recovery in Chelsea and Fulham. The
Conservatives have a plan that is working, and a Budget that works
for local people.
This Governments sixth Budget shows:
A growing economy - with Britain growing faster than any
other major advanced economy.
Record numbers of jobs with 1.9 million more people now
have the security of work.
Rising living standards with families on average 900
better off in 2015 than in 2010.
The deficit down by more than a half as a share of the
economy.
Our national debt starting to fall as a share of the economy.
The Budget sets out the choice between the chaos of Labour, or the
Conservatives long term economic plan that is working. It shows how
a future Conservative Government would secure a better future for
local people, their families, and Britain.
Britain now faces a critical choice. Does it return to the chaos of the
past? Or does it keep on working through the long-term economic
plan that is delivering for the British people? With this Budget, the
Conservatives have choose the future:
We choose stability - committing to run a budget surplus and
keep our debt share falling
We choose jobs - backing business and skills that will
create full employment, and supporting pubs and brewers by
cutting tax on beer and cider
We choose responsibility - helping savers with a new Personal
Savings Allowance and abolishing savings tax altogether
for 17 million people to create tax-free banking
We choose aspiration - with a new Help to Buy ISA for firsttime buyers - so if you save up to 12,000 towards a deposit,
the government will contribute up to 3,000
And we choose families - cutting income taxes for 27 million
hardworking people, and cancelling Labour's planned rise
in fuel duty
Greg Hands commented: "We have been working through our long
term economic plan, and the local economy has been steadily
improving, with new business setting up, growing, and employing
more staff.
This Budget is another step on the road from austerity to prosperity
it includes support for savers, lower taxes for people in work, and a
clear plan to build a secure future for Britain.
Five years ago, under the last Labour Government, Britain was
spending and borrowing too much, too many people were out of work,
and our economy was on its knees. Thats why there is a critical
choice facing us this year: return to the chaos of the past or stick with
a plan that is working and choose a more prosperous future. We must
choose the future.

Photo news:

Secretary of State for Education visits

Fulham Boys School

Greg Hands MP with Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, visiting

Fulham Boys School last week.

Greg Hands MP: Conservatives long-term

economic plan bringing more jobs to
Chelsea and Fulham
New figures show 959 fewer people in Chelsea and Fulham claiming
Jobseekers Allowance compared to 2010 - a 47 per cent drop. This
means that more people are in work, with the self-respect and security
of a good job and a regular pay packet.
Over half a million people are getting off benefits and into work across
London, with 533,000 more people in work since the last election.
Overall there are now a record 30.9 million people in work, with 1.9
million more people in work since the last election. This has been
driven by businesses creating jobs, with 2.3 million new jobs in the
private sector.
These new jobs are not insecure or poorly paid. Three quarters of new
jobs since the last election are full-time, and as the new figures also
confirm that pay is now rising above inflation - with total pay up 1.6 per
cent on the year, well ahead of inflation, which was 0.6 per cent over
the period.
Jobs are being created in Chelsea and Fulham by businesses like
Chelsea Apps Factory which started from scratch in 2010 and
currently employs 70 people across its Fulham and Edinburgh offices.
They have ambitions to double in size over the next 18 months.
Greg Hands MP said: Its excellent news that 959 fewer people are
relying on Jobseekers Allowance in Chelsea and Fulham. Coming
alongside the news that wages are rising faster than prices, its clear
that the Conservatives long term economic plan is working for families
in our area, helping them to be more financially secure.
This is happening because, working through our plan, weve been
backing businesses with better infrastructure and lower jobs taxes to
create more real jobs, and fixing welfare so that work always pays.
These arent insecure or poorly paid jobs. In fact three quarters have
been full-time and wages are rising. Locally weve seen this working
with new jobs at businesses like Chelsea Apps Factory, which I visited
recently.
Voters face a clear choice on 7 May. Either we stick with the
Conservatives plan which is delivering jobs, so more people have the
self-respect and peace of mind that comes with a regular pay packet;
or we put all that at risk with an Ed Miliband government propped up
by the SNP, bringing economic chaos with the same old policies for
more spending, more borrowing and higher taxes that got us into a
mess before.

Photo news:

Campaigning in Ealing

Greg Hands MP campaigning in Ealing last week with local MP,

Angie Bray.

Londons infrastructure and transport

boosted by 2015 Budget
MP for Chelsea and Fulham, Greg Hands, has welcomed specific
measures set out in this weeks Budget that will improve Londons
transport and infrastructure.
Alongside the Budget announcement, the Chancellor has unveiled
plans for improving Londons roads by launching the Highways
England Delivery Plan. The Delivery Plan sets out further detail on the
roads investment programme from 2015-2021, setting out milestones
for projects across London. It confirms that the significant
improvements to the M25 at junction 30 for the ports of Tilbury and
London Gateway will be open for traffic by June 2017. It also sets out
next steps on the new schemes announced in December 2014,
including upgrading the M25 to a five lane smart motorway between
the M40 and Chertsey, and improving access from the M25 to the A12
and A3, where construction will have started by 2020.
The Budget also set out plans for Government to provide an additional
25 million towards purchase grants for ultra-low emission taxis in
London, to help meet Londons commitment to make every new black
cab zero emission capable from 2018.
Investing in regeneration also formed part of the Chancellors Budget
announcement. The Government will provide 97 million funding and
ring-fence the 50% share of local business rate growth to support the
borough and GLA plans for Brent Cross regeneration and the Barking
Riverside Overground extension; and it will fund a London Land
Commission with 1 million, tasked with producing the most
comprehensive database of public sector land in the country, and
mapping of brownfield land in London.
There will be more funding for flood defences. As a result of decisions
made in the Autumn Statement, an additional 7.9 million will be
made available over the six years of the flood and coastal erosion
programme, enabling 15 schemes to be delivered at least a year
sooner than originally planned and a further six new schemes to be
included.
Greg Hands MP for Chelsea and Fulham said As well as the Budget
headline news that Britain is growing faster than any other major
advanced economy with record numbers of jobs and 1.9 million more
people now in work, there are also some really important
announcements on transport infrastructure.
As Britain is now on the road to economic recovery, it is important we
have the road and rail infrastructure to help people get around London
more efficiently. Investing in infrastructure is essential to attract
business and good jobs across the whole of London, and to help
people travel to those new jobs.
Although the infrastructure projects are outside Chelsea and Fulham,
my residents will benefit as they travel around London. I also
particularly welcome the move towards zero emissions taxis which will
improve the air quality in my constituency and the whole of London.

Photo news:

Campaigning in South Thanet

Greg Hands MP with Secretary of State, Eric Pickles and local

candidate Craig Mackinlay campaigning in the Thanet South
constituency this week.

Greg Hands welcomes BTs moves to speed

up Chelsea and Fulhams Broadband
This week Greg Hands met with BT to see what can be done to speed
up the internet provision to Chelsea and Fulham, and improve the rollout of superfast fibre broadband, internet provision of at least 100
Megabits per second.
On Tuesday (17th March), Greg met with senior managers at BT, to
discuss BTs ongoing rollout of superfast fibre broadband in Chelsea
and Fulham.
BT discussed the number of domestic and commercial properties in
London which currently have access to superfast broadband from
them and their competitors. They explained that more than 90% of
households in Hammersmith & Fulham have access to fibre
broadband, and more than 80% of Kensington and Chelsea have
access.
During the meeting Greg invited his constituents to send their views to
him via Twitter, and he raised one constituents particular concerns
about BTs coverage in the vicinity of Munster Road.
Later in the week, the Chancellors Budget included announcements
on the Governments digital infrastructure strategy. The Budget set out
plans to use up to 600 million to clear new spectrum bands for
further auction to improve mobile networks, provide funding for free
Wi-Fi in our public libraries and the Conservatives are committing to
the ambition of bringing ultrafast broadband of at least 100 Megabits
per second to nearly all homes in the country.
The Budget also continues to support small businesses with the
Broadband Connection Voucher scheme. The scheme is open to all
SMEs, charities, social enterprises and sole traders and provides up
to 3,000 to support broadband connection. The scheme in London,
which has issued 4,769 vouchers, is being extended for 12 months to
March 2016.
More widely, under this Government, more than two million premises,
including many in rural areas, have gained access to superfast
broadband as a result of the 1.7 billion superfast rollout programme.
In 2010, superfast broadband was available to 45 per cent of
premises in the UK. Today, this figure stands at around 80 per cent.
Rollout has now reached more than two million homes and
businesses, and 95 per cent of the UK will be connected by 2017.
Following the meeting with BT and the Budget announcement Greg
said: Our investment in science and innovation is ensuring we can
become the most prosperous major economy in the coming
generation. Fast, reliable broadband is essential for homes to benefit
from online services, and for UK businesses to compete globally. I am
therefore pleased that the Government is investing 1.7 billion in
extending superfast broadband provision.
The meeting with BT was useful and reassured me that Chelsea and
Fulham will not be left out, as we work towards our target of extending
superfast broadband to cover 95 per cent of the UK by 2017.
While remaining hopeful about the provision of fibre broadband, Ms
Fyfe admitted that London provides a particular problem in terms of
other underground obstructions, narrow pavements, road congestion,
and associated costs, and expected that a limited number of
consumers would be frustrated by the lack of access to superfast
broadband.
Responding to the announcement in the Budget John Allan, National
Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses said The extension
of the superfast connection vouchers will help small businesses in
more urban areas.

Space for up to 1,000 new homes on

redundant government land in Chelsea and
Fulham
Greg Hands MP has welcomed new figures showing that
Conservative efforts to get surplus and redundant public sector land
brought back into use could help to deliver over 1,100 homes in
Chelsea and Fulham and surrounding areas.
Thanks to Government efforts, a total of 899 redundant and surplus
brownfield sites that were owned by the Government or a public
sector organisation have now been sold off across England, more
than the original target.
Across the country enough surplus public sector land that was lying
unused and idle has now been sold off to allow the building of over
100,000 new, good quality homes. These are brownfield sites that
were often derelict and run-down, meaning that redeveloping these
sites will improve the local area and create new jobs and opportunities
in the construction industry.
This is just the beginning: the Conservatives have plans, if re-elected,
to release enough surplus and redundant land over the next five years
to build a further 150,000 new homes. The Government now want
councils to follow its example and start releasing their surplus land to
get more homes built. This is part of the Conservatives long-term
economic plan that is getting Britain building again, with more homes
now being built than at any time since 2007.
Greg Hands commented on the figures, saying: The Conservatives
believe that everyone who works hard should be able to have a home
of their own. But when we came to office in 2010, for many people
that was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Thats why, as part of our long-term economic plan, we have worked
to get Britain building again. This has included selling off surplus and
redundant public sector land. As a result, across the two boroughs
that make up my constituency, there is now the opportunity to build
1,027 new homes on brownfield sites here in Hammersmith and
Fulham, and space for a further 76 new homes on redundant land in
the Kensington and Chelsea area.
Every new home that is delivered in Chelsea and Fulham means one
more family able to find a good quality, affordable place to live where
they can plan for their future with greater security and peace of mind.
I urge both local councils to work with local communities to develop
these brownfield sites in a way that is appropriate, with good quality
designs and development that is sensitive to the local area.

Eight basement developments stopped in

K&C in just one day
Planning enforcement officers ordered work on eight basement
developments to stop in one single day (Tuesday 17 March) as
developers were failing to stick to agreed Construction Traffic
Management Plans (CTMP).
The crackdown followed close work between planners and residents
who were concerned about the disruption caused by vehicles coming
and going from sites in Tor Gardens, Hornton Street and Sheffield
Terrace in W8 and Clareville Grove in SW7. It is the first time eight
notices have been served in one day for failure to follow a CTMP.
After enough evidence was gathered the notices to stop work were
served by the boroughs planning enforcement team. This means
work has to cease until the CTMP is properly observed.
Cllr Timothy Coleridge, Cabinet Member for Planning Policy, said:
There is no excuse for any developer not to follow the construction
traffic management plan they signed up to when applying for planning
permission. Their failure to stick to the agreement causes real
disruption to residents and will simply not be tolerated. It is important
to remember that without these traffic conditions planning permission
would not be granted in the first place.
I hope that most developers are getting the message that we will
listen to our residents and work with them to gather evidence when
agreements are not being followed. We will then not hesitate to order
work to stop.

Good Neighbours seek to become heart of

Fulham community
The new director of a charity which provides companionship and
practical help for the elderly and vulnerable is hoping they can help
more people than ever this year.
Six months into her role leading the Fulham Good Neighbours,
Steffani McDonagh (pictured right) is seeking ways to increase the
charitys client base from its current tally of 465.
Formed in 1966, the Rosaline Road charity aims to be at the heart of
the Fulham community, with its staff, largely dedicated and willing
volunteers, performing a variety of helpful tasks.
We deal predominantly with the elderly but do look after vulnerable
adults too, doing things like gardening, shopping, running errands,
escorting them to appointments, decorating. It just would be whatever
a good neighbour would do for you, said Steffani, who was born in
Zimbabwe and came to Fulham after living in Ireland for 12 years.
The charity covers most of Fulham, up to Fulham Broadway, and the
peripheral areas and although Steffani has ambition to expand beyond
that, the FGN are somewhat limited by the reach of their volunteers.
Steffani, who worked for a charity in Richmond before joining the
FGN, said: People can be quite isolated, even living in sheltered
accommodation and so we pride ourselves that the volunteers who do
the tasks do more than just those tasks. They will chat with them and
just pull them out of that isolation and give them a taste of what is
going on, theyre a friendly face and a friendly voice. They might
encourage them to come out into the garden and get involved in
whatever way they can, so they are getting active too.
As well as providing individual help, the FGN also host social events,
with a club event every Wednesday afternoon, with crosswords, cakes
and tea and on the first Tuesday of each month, a lunch club at the
Hollywood Arms pub in Chelsea.
The charity, which has just three paid staff and around 60 volunteers,
runs mainly off donations or fund-raising activities. Last December,
H&F Council agreed 45,000pa funding for the FGN, through a third
sector investment fund, which will help support their expanded client
base.
Anyone who has a neighbour, or relative, they think would benefit from
the help of the Fulham Good Neighbours should call 020 7385 8850,
or email info@fulhamgoodneighbours.org.
The group is also keen to recruit new volunteers. Anyone interested
should get in touch using the contact details above.

Week in Westminster 20th March

15 -20 March 2015: This week in Westminster
Employment
Though there is still more to do, it is great news that the latest set of
employment figures show there are now 1.9 million more people in
work than at the last election and that wages are rising significantly
above inflation. Overall, the number of people in jobs increased by
more than 600,000 over the last year to a record 30.9 million. This
means that the unemployment rate has now fallen to 5.7 per cent, the
lowest since May to July 2008. The full press release on this can be
found here.
National Minimum Wage
Supporting those on lower wages is vital and I am pleased the
Government has announced the adult rate minimum wage will
increase by 20 pence to 6.70 per hour in October 2015, helping 1.4
million of the lowest paid workers and meaning more economic
security for families across the country. This increase, will be the
largest increase in the minimum wage since 2008. In addition, I
welcome the Governments commitment to apprentices with the
excellent news that the minimum wage rate for apprentices will
increase by 57 pence to 3.30 an hour from October. Further details
on this can be found here.
Annuity freedoms
The Chancellor has announced plans to give pensioners more control
over their savings, meaning more freedom to the 5 million pensioners
who have annuity. This change will allow existing annuity holders to
sell the income they receive from their annuity without unwinding the
original annuity contract. Pensioners will then have the freedom to use
that capital as they want. They can either take it as a lump sum, or
place it into drawdown to use the proceeds more gradually. More
details on this announcement can be found here.
Business rates
I know that business rates are a considerable cost to many firms in my
constituency so welcome the wide-ranging review of national business
rates announced this week. The review will examine the structure of
the current system and look at how businesses use property, what the
UK can learn from other countries about local business taxes, and
how the system can be modernised so it better reflects changes in the
value of property. The Government wants to ensure the business
rates system is fair, efficient and effective and I believe this review will
help to achieve these aims. More details can be found here.

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
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