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15 June 2013 16:27

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In this edition:
Greg Hands M.P.s Diary Website of the Week: The Royal Brompton Hospital Let Britain Decide Photo news: Arthur Henderson and William Banfield Houses Summer Fair Statement regarding the Independent Reconfiguration Panels review of Safe & Sustainable Labour would take 234 from 11,840 pensioners in Chelsea and Fulham Super Sewer leading to big increase in water bills Celebrating Fulham Week approaches Easy ways to report helicopter concerns in K&C Have your say on new developments in South Kensington News from Greg Hands M.P.s surgery Hands in the papers: Why do we fly 1,000 planes a day over London? How to contact Greg Hands M.P.

Issue 373 Saturday 15th June 2013

Since the last edition, Greg:

Welcomed news that the Government is suspending the Safe and Sustainable review of childrens heart surgery in England, which would have led to the closure of the unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital, Chelsea. Was interviewed by BBC Radio London about the Governments welcome decision on the Royal Brompton Hospital. Attended the William Banfield & Arthur Henderson Estates Community Fair in Fulham Attended the Friends of South Park summer fun day on South Park, Fulham. Attended and addressed the Patrons of the Kensington, Chelsea & Fulham Conservatives. Visited St Marys Hospital, Paddington, as a guest of Imperial College Academic Healthcare Trust, to see the facilities at the hospital, which would see increased admissions from H&F and K&C boroughs as a result of any downgrade of A&E services at Charing Cross and Hammersmith hospitals. Attended a reception at the German Embassy, London, to hear a speech by the Leader of the Labour party speaking out against the UK having an EU referendum. 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, including the 2013 Finance Bill. Conducted a surgery for local Chelsea and Fulham residents at Fulham Methodist Church. Gregs surgeries are generally weekly, and held weekly, at either Fulham Methodist Church, Fulham Broadway, or Peter Jones, Sloane Square. To make an appointment, email mail@greghands.com or telephone 020 7219 5448.

Website of the Week:

www.rbht.nhs.uk

The website of the Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, Chelsea, which this week welcomed a reprieve from Health Secretary Jeremy Hunts ending of the Safe and Sustainable review of childrens heart surgery in England.

Britain needs you: Click here to help us win historic EU vote

It has been nearly 40 years since the British people last had their say on Europe. In that time, so much has changed. People feel that the EU is heading in a direction they never signed up to. We need to negotiate a fresh settlement in the EU that is better for Britain - and then put the result to the British people in a clear, simple, no-nonsense referendum before the end of 2017. Either IN or OUT. But currently, only one of the main three political parties are supporting this: the Conservatives. Thats why the Conservative Party has launched a new campaign website, www.LetBritainDecide.com, which makes it simple for people to back the Bill, which will pave the way for a vote in 2017. www.LetBritainDecide.com will help us to build public pressure, to give people a voice, and to urge M.P.s from other parties to listen to their constituents. This is really important. M.P.s will soon vote on a referendum, but it will need the support of either Labour or Liberal Democrat M.P.s to pass. Thats why we need to build a lot of public pressure quickly to get the other parties to unite behind a referendum. Please visit www.LetBritainDecide.com and get involved. This isn't just a Conservative campaign - it's for everyone who believes we need a say.

Photo news:

Arthur Henderson and William Banfield Houses Summer Fair

Greg Hands M.P. at the Summer Fair of the William Banfield and Arthur Henderson Houses Tenants' Association, with the Chairman, Andy Robson.

Statement regarding the Independent Reconfiguration Panels review of Safe & Sustainable
Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, has suspended the Safe and Sustainable review of childrens heart surgery following publication of a report by the Independent Review Panel. A spokesperson for Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust commented: Patients and their families will be delighted with this news and it will go some way towards restoring their faith in the NHS. They have never been able to understand how one of the best performing and largest units in the country was destined for closure, especially when statistics showed that the population in London and the South East was growing much faster than had previously been thought, and demand for childrens heart surgery was increasing. We firmly believe that the best solution is for childrens cardiac services to be delivered through a three-centre network, giving access to the best expertise through close collaborative working. This would have the added benefit of avoiding significant spending to expand another London centre to deal with Royal Bromptons patients. The network would allow experts to work together in the best interests of patients, to deliver outstanding family-centred care from foetal life, through infancy, childhood and adolescence to adult services. The tragedy, of course, is that so many families have been caused a great deal of distress by the flawed review of childrens heart surgery. We owe them a great debt of gratitude for their strong support over the past three years and hope they will receive an apology from those responsible for the Safe and Sustainable process. While relieved that the IRP recognised the obvious inadequacies of the Safe and Sustainable review, it is highly regrettable that the situation progressed to such a stage. Had the review been undertaken in a genuinely open and transparent way, and had the decision on which centres to close not been taken many months before the sham of a public consultation took place, a very different decision would have been reached last July. A strong case was put to those leading the review which showed that closing a London centre was completely unnecessary due to the numbers of children needing heart surgery, and that closing Royal Bromptons cardiac and intensive care units would have severe knock-on effects on other services at the Trust, including on our childrens respiratory care and research programmes. But the decision had already been made way before the official consultation began in 2011, and our concerns were ignored. The IRP was, thankfully, genuinely independent and we are grateful to the Secretary of State for Health for asking the panel to undertake its review, and for accepting its recommendations. We were delighted to learn that the IRP had agreed to consider mortality rates as part of its deliberations as our results are among the very best in the country. We hope that taking account of such evidence helped the panel to reach its conclusions. We have many other people to thank for their unwavering support. They include Members of Parliament, especially our local MP Greg Hands, charities such as the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Asthma UK, and clinical colleagues around the world who wrote to the IRP describing the damage to patient care and international research programmes that would result from the closure of our childrens heart surgery unit. There is a great deal to be learnt from the Safe and Sustainable review of childrens heart services and we hope very much that this is the last of its type to be seen in England. Let us hope that changes to the management structure of the health service introduced by the current administration, mean that the days of a few select members of the NHS inner circle making decisions behind closed doors and then designing farcical public consultations to support their plans, are now over. Greg Hands M.P. added "I argued in the House of Commons in 2011 that this review, initiated by the last Labour Government, was fundamentally flawed. The review set out that clinical outcomes were key, not geography, but then imposed an arbitrary limit that London should only have two centres. I am glad that Jeremy Hunt has stopped the process, although I support the need to rationalise children's heart surgery in England, and we all now await further developments."

Labour would take 234 from 11,840 pensioners in Chelsea and Fulham
Research by Greg Hands M.P. has shown that Labours plan to cut pensions would hit 11,840 pensioners in Chelsea and Fulham, many of whom depend on their Basic State Pension to pay their bills and put food on the table. Labour have chosen to cap pensions rather than benefits, meaning the Basic State Pension would be 234 less a year by 2017/18. Greg Hands M.P. said: Now we know that when Labour say they would cut welfare, what they really mean is they would choose to cut the Basic State Pension over capping benefits. This would take 234 a year away from 11,840 pensioners in Chelsea and Fulham people who have worked hard all their lives. This is about a simple choice: the Conservatives want to reward pensioners. Labour want to punish them.

Super Sewer leading to big increase in water bills

Water bills for millions of people in the south-east of England are set to surge by 25% due to a grandiose vanity project that is being driven by greed and a flawed interpretation of legislation from Brussels, a prominent council Leader warned today. Millions of Thames Water customers, from Essex to Gloucestershire, face major increases in their water bills from April 2014 to pay for Londons controversial Thames Tunnel. Natalie Beckerman, Thames Water Customer Service Director, wrote to Hammersmith & Fulham Council as the authority is one of the companys 14million wastewater customers. In the letter Ms Beckerman admits: I fully recognise that any increase in bills will be particularly unwelcome over the next few years, but then goes on to write... I wanted to let you know about a likely increase in wastewater charge from 2014/15... The Thames Tideway Tunnel will enable the UK to meet European environmental standards and all costs will be borne by wastewater customers in the Thames Water area... The latest estimates for the impact of the project on bills would see a rise of up to 25% (excluding inflation) by the early 2020s. It is understood that the annual hike, which will cost an average of 80-100 extra for most customers, will never fall back to current levels - even after building work for the 15 mile long 4.2billion tunnel is completed. The revelation comes after it emerged that Thames Water did not pay a penny of corporation tax last year. It also got a 5million Treasury rebate in the financial year when it made 549million and hit customers with a 6.7 per cent increase in bills. Cllr Nicholas Botterill, H&F Council Leader, At a time when household budgets are being squeezed like never before it beggars beliefs that families could be impoverished further with 25% increases in water bills. "It is a disgrace that millions of hard-working Britons face massive increases in their water bill due to a tick-box exercise from Brussels. It is also a disgrace that the very same company paid no corporation tax last year. In the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) alone, the councils water bill is expected to spiral by at least 50,000 annually while the bill for the 17,000 tenants and leaseholders living on housing estates in the area will jump from around 5million to more than 6.2million. H&F Council is warning that thousands of people on fixed incomes, including pensioners, will be driven into water poverty under the current proposals and is calling for cheaper solutions that will maintain the river's status as one of the cleanest in Europe. Finance experts argue that Thames Water stands to make at least 150million a year in additional revenue due to a perverse incentive in the way the water industry is financed. Current regulations encourage water companies to build their way out of problems rather than consider greener, more sustainable options, according to Professor Colin Green, who is a national expert on water economics. Professor Green says that the current price system creates a strong incentive to pour concrete rather than explore green alternatives that dont make money. Cllr Botterill says: The Thames Tunnel has far more to do with greed and flawed legislation from Brussels than making the Thames cleaner. "This grandiose vanity project could be ditched on cost grounds alone but given that we know there are cheaper, greener and far less disruptive ways to make our river cleaner the case for scrapping it now is truly overwhelming. In 2011 Lord Selbornes Thames Tunnel Commission recommended that green infrastructure solutions, also known as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), should be considered instead of the Thames Tunnel. But Thames Water ignored this advice, having spent 5.5million on studies to support the choice of a tunnel solution, and spent just 12,000 researching SuDS projects that would ease the pressure on the underground sewers by soaking up rainwater before it flows into the pipes and forces sewage into the Thames. Thames Water argues that the tunnel is the best solution to stop sewage being pumped into the Thames when it rains heavily. The Planning Inspectorate - a Government body that investigates large planning applications - has now started the process of examining Thames Waters planning application. A recommendation on whether to grant approval will be submitted to government ministers - who are expected to make the final decision in autumn 2014. If consent is granted, preparatory construction work is scheduled to start in 2015, with main tunnelling due to begin in 2016. For more visit www.lbhf.gov.uk/supersewer.

Celebrating Fulham Week approaches

Click here to download the full programme of events The annual Celebrating Fulham festival starts at the end of this month, promising an action-packed week of excitement for residents, businesses and visitors. The event, running from Saturday June 29 to Sunday July 7, showcases the very best in the areas history, talent and entertainment and provides the chance to discover some of Fulhams hidden treasures. At the heart of the festival is also a campaign to highlight local businesses and promote local shopping as well as drawing attention to some of Fulhams hidden treasures. The Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Frances Stainton, said: Celebrating Fulham has become one of the highlights of the year and I am sure this years events will only add to its fine reputation. The festival offers a huge variety of attractions for people of all ages throughout the week. The aim of the week is not only to give residents, families and visitors a great experience, but to promote Fulham and boost business trade too. It really is wonderful to see so many businesses and local residents taking part in this years event. There is truly something for everyone of any age, so make sure you have fun in Fulham. Highlights of Celebrating Fulham include: Saturday June 29 Sports in Spanish for adults and children A new class for children where they learn Spanish without even realising it. There is also an adult boot camp in Spanish with experienced personal trainers. The Spanish Sports Academy, Eel Brook Common, 10am to 12noon 4 per child, 5 per adult Please book to guarantee your place on 020 7386 0376 or thespanishsportsacademy@gmail.com. Website: www.thespanishsportsacademy.wordpress.com The Rylston Family Fun and Sample Day Come and sample the delights of fine food from wood fire cooked pizzas to tasty cuts of meat direct from the BBQ. The sampling is FREE with any drink purchase. 197 Lillie Road, Fulham, SW6 7LW, 1 to 9pm Website: www.therylston.com 007 Casino Royale night Every couple of months at Karen Hardy Studios, the lights go down, the excitement builds and an exciting theme nights spark into life as the hottest ticket in town. Come and let loose on the dance floor to a background of casino tables and a real party atmosphere. Karen Hardy Studios, 10 The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, SW6 2UB For booking and ticket prices call 0845 5671155 or email Emma Gill emma@karenhardystudios.com. Website: www.karenhardystudios.com Sunday June 30 Bishops Park, river foreshore archaeology walk with the Thames Explorer Trust Ever wanted to investigate the archaeology of the River Thames foreshore? Led by the Thames Explorer Trust. Learn about the history of Fulham Palace and its relationship with the river. Bishops Park, Thames Foreshore 2-4pm 6 adult, 5 child To book, email foreshore-@thames-explorer.org.uk or call 020 8742 0057. The foreshore steps are steep and inaccessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs and children must be accompanied by an adult. Tuesday July 2 H&F Archives and Local History Centre Open Day Come and visit the local archives and learn about your local neighbourhood and how you can find out more about your ancestors and the house you live in. The archivist will be there to answer your questions and talk about the collection, which includes photographs of old Fulham, census returns, early maps and newspapers. Ground Floor, The Lilla Huset, 191 Talgarth Road, Hammersmith, W6 8BJ 2pm to 4pm Admittance free As space is limited, please ring 020 3080 0655 or email Nicki.Burgess@lbhf.gov.uk and leave a message with your telephone number, telling us you plan to come. Wednesday July 3 Foraging in All Saints Churchyard and Fulham Palace Grounds A stroll through All Saints Churchyard and the uncultivated areas of the Fulham Palace grounds looking at and talking about the wild food that grows there. The walk led by John Rensten of Forage London will give city dwellers a chance to enjoy and discuss some of the amazing edible foods that grow all around us. What to pick, where to pick and what to do with them. Meet outside the West End of All Saints Church, Putney Bridge, SW6 5.30pm to 7.30pm Free Numbers limited, so book a place on 020 3080 0655 or email Nicki.Burgess@lbhf.gov.uk leaving your telephone number for confirmation in the case of wet weather. This event is sponsored by Belvoir. Friday July 5 The Wandering Chefs Floral Feast Pop Up Dinner Four seasonal courses camped up with more flowers and botanical ingredients than you can shake a garden hose at plus live musical comedy. Held at the quirky and wonderful Jameson Pub on Blythe Road, they will be transforming the dining room with the best aspects of British Summer. Saturday June 29 - Sunday July 7 Grub Club Looking for an exciting new dining experience? Grub Club is an online platform for foodies to discover chefs hosting pop up supper clubs in unique, undiscovered spaces. For Celebrating Fulham, Grub Club is organising a series of mouth-watering events. Visit www.grubclub.com for more details. Thursday 4 Sunday July 7 American Beer Festival If you think American beer is all bland, mass-produced and fizzy then think again, as the White Horse on Parsons Green, unleashes the finest the American craft brewing movement has to offer in July. Take your taste buds on a trans-Atlantic trip as the White Horse showcases some of the very best America has to offer, including some never before seen on these shores with draught beers from respected brewers such as; Brooklyn, Flying Dog, Sierra Nevada, Anderson Valley, Ommegang and a few surprises! The White Horse, 1-3 Parsons Green, SW6 4UL 11am 12midnight Website: www.whitehorsesw6.com Celebrate Fulham at Vue Cinema Sunday June 30 Autism Friendly Screening New to Vue Cinemas - Special children's film screenings where subtle changes are made to the traditional cinema environment to suit customers with autism. Takes place on the last Sunday of every month at 10am. Film for Sunday June 30 - Sammy's Great Escape (Cert U) Ticket price: 1.75 per person Monday July 1 and Sunday July 7 Shakespeare's Globe on Screen: Twelfth Night Enjoy the 2002 award winning Globe production of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night starring Mark Rylance & Stephen Fry. Film times: Monday 1 July @ 7.30pm Sunday 7 July @ 3pm Ticket price: 10 for adults and 7.50 for concessions Tuesday July 2 Super Saver Tuesday Tickets are 7.20 all day for all tickets with a free membership card. To become a member you can register at www.myvue.com/supersavertuesday or ask staff in store for details. Offer runs every Tuesday. VUE FULHAM Unit 18, Fulham Broadway Fulham Road, SW6 1BW www.myvue.com/home/cinema/fulham-broadway Plus all the old favourites, Jazz at Fulham Palace, Parsons Green Fair, cultural walks and talks and the Paggs Cup. The Celebrating Fulham programme has been distributed to all Fulham Households within the recent Your Magazine. In addition the full programme of events is available here or pick up a copy from Fulham Library or Fulham Town Hall. For more information please contact Nicki Burgess, Fulham Town Centre Manager, on 020 8753 5695 or Nicki.Burgess@lbhf.gov.uk. Greg Hands M.P. added: "As a Fulham resident, I always look forward to Celebrating Fulham Week. Indeed, I opened the first Celebrating Fulham Week back in 2005, so this will be the ninth time I have enjoyed it!"

Easy ways to report helicopter concerns in K&C

Kensington and Chelsea residents with concerns about helicopter activity in the borough are being advised to report them online or over the phone. The reminder comes ahead of major events in the sporting calendar which can cause an increase in helicopter movements into and out of the Barclays London Heliport in Lombard Road, Battersea. These include the British F1 Grand Prix and Royal Ascot from 18 to 22 June. Helicopters landing at Battersea should approach from either the north-east or south-east and normally follow the middle of the river for as long as possible before turning to descend. Take-off direction depends upon the prevailing wind but should also be toward the middle of the river in the first instance. Where, for safety reasons, helicopters fly on the north or south side of the river they should keep a minimum height of 1,000ft for all but the initial take-off or final descent. Any resident who suspects an incident has occurred where procedures have not been followed, or who has other concerns related to the heliport, can report it at www.londonheliport.co.uk or by calling 020 7228 0181. Resident representatives, heliport users and councillors from Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea make up the London Heliport Consultative Group - which exists to receive reports on helicopter movements and review complaints associated with the site. The group has the backing of the owner of the heliport, which is responsible for about a third of helicopter activity in London. The consultative group has produced a useful guide for residents which explains the correct procedures for helicopter approaches and take-offs. Copies of the guide are available from the heliport or by calling Wandsworth Council on 020 8871 7524. Alternatively, you can download one from the council's website www.wandsworth.gov.uk. For more information on the work of the consultative group, visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/heliport. This includes contact details for complaints about police or military helicopters. Greg Hands M.P. added "Over recent years, I have taken a keen interest in the effect that helicopter noise has on local residents, particularly opposite Battersea Heliport. I am pleased that the Royal Borough is reminding residents of how to complain about helicopter noise."

Have your say on new developments in South Kensington

John Lewis Partnership has applied for planning permission to rebuild Marlborough Primary School on Draycott Avenue, South Kensington, and knock down the Clearings warehouses and build new flats on the other side of the road. The applications have been received by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's planning department which is seeking the views of residents as part of the public consultation. There are three applications, the conversion of Clearings 1 into an interim school for Malborough Primary School and the demolition of Clearings 2 to provide playground space for this. You can give your views on this application until Friday 28 June by going to www.rbkc.gov.uk/PP/13/02657. The second application is for the demolition of the current Marlborough Primary School and building of a new school, the creation of a pedestrian link between Draycott Avenue and Sloane Avenue and some mixed retail and offices. If you want to look at this application go to www.rbkc.gov.uk/PP/13/02652 comments can be given until Friday 28 June. The third application is for the demolition of Clearings 1 (after the new Marlborough school is open) and the redevelopment of the whole Clearings site into 69 homes, basement car parking for them, a walkway linking Mossop Street and Denyer Street and a replacement for the Council street cleaning facility. For more information on this application go to www.rbkc.gov.uk/PP/13/02659 comments can be given until Friday 28 June. It is expected that the planning applications will be considered at the Major Planning Committee in July.

News from Greg Hands M.P.s surgery

On Monday, Greg Hands held his surgery at Fulham Broadway Methodist Church. He met with eleven constituents to discuss their various issues from ideas to improve the NHS to difficulties a local business has had with its bank. Two refugees, who have fled from repressive regimes in the formerSoviet Union, visited Greg to discuss delays in receiving their final settlement documents. Greg has written to the Home Office requesting they look into the couples case and conclude the matter as soon as possible. In light of these cases, on Wednesday, Gregs office attended a meeting with Mark Harper M.P., the Immigration Minister. The Minister told assembled MPs and staff that the new UK Visas and Immigration Service, which has replaced the Border Agency, is committed to changing its culture and to deal with cases in a timely fashion. This will allow those with genuine claims to settle in Britain while those who do not will be removed as swiftly as possible. If constituents believe their Member of Parliament can assist with their problem Greg is keen to hear from them. Greg said: I hold my surgeries almost every week of the year and I aim to solve the problem, or at least get my constituents an answer. To make an appointment contact me on mail@greghands.com or call 0207 219 5448.

Hands in the papers: Why do we fly 1,000 planes a day over London?
Greg Hands M.P., Hammersmith & Fulham Chronicle Friday 14th June 2013 Greg Hands, M.P. for Fulham & Chelsea offers his thoughts on aircraft noise in this week's Constituency Matters. On a recent British Airways flight to Heathrow I was surprised to see in the airlines High Life magazine an interview with one of the pilots, who said that, I always enjoy flying over London, because there are so few approaches over cities. I wouldnt want to deprive anyone of their enjoyment, but there is something quite significant in this statement. A very frequent flyer is pointing out that planes normally land at airports (most of which are on the edge of cities, like ours is) by coming in over the countryside, not over the city itself. Heathrow is in a very unusual location. Due to the prevailing westerly winds, planes need to fly in from the east, over the city. Hence, London suffers far more from aircraft noise than almost any other major city. Indeed, nearly a third of the victims of aircraft noise in the whole of Europe live near Heathrow. But there is not only the issue of aircraft noise, we must also consider how safe it is for so many planes to fly over the centre of one of the worlds largest cities. Last month, a BA jet with one of its engines in flames was routed directly over Chelsea, Fulham and Hammersmith. Thankfully, it made it back to the airport and nobody was hurt, but it again begs the question: why do we fly more than 1,000 planes a day over London? All of these are factors which should be considered by the Davies Commission, which is looking at the whole issue of airport capacity in the south east, on behalf of the government. I remain opposed to the expansion of Heathrow Airport. I would welcome the views of Chronicle readers on the future of Heathrow Airport. Please email me at mail@greghands.com or write to me at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

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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