From: Greg Hands MP news@greghands.

com
Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #441
Date: 23 July 2015 11:10
To: news@greghands.com

Issue 441 - Thursday 23rd July 2015

In this edition:

Since the last edition, Greg:

Greg Hands MPs Diary

In his role as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, concluded the

Budget Debate in the House of Commons, with his speech at
the Despatch Box. For more, see below.
Attended Cabinet at No 10 Downing Street.
Had his article on the Labour Partys reaction to the Summer
Budget as well as its leadership crisis published in the
Daily Telegraph (see below).
Hosted three Conservative potential London mayoral
candidates at the latest hustings, held at Il Pagliaccio in
Fulham, including former Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Leader, Stephen Greenhalgh.
Visited Metro Banks Fulham Broadway branch to meet
employees and to find out more about the high street bank.
Attended the Queens Club Gardens annual garden party.
Was briefed by the Chief Executive of the National Army
Museum in Chelsea, on their ongoing complete refurbishment
and re-opening plans in 2016.
Welcomed to the House of Commons the chairmen of the two
NHS Mental Health trusts which cover the constituency for a
briefing on mental health in the NHS.
Held a post-Budget, pre-Spending Review meeting with the
Chief Executive of the TaxPayers Alliance.
Welcomed to the House of Commons the Chairman of
Kensington & Chelsea College, the local Further Education
College for the Royal Borough, which is a leader in skills
training. Greg visited the college earlier this year.
Addressed the Havant Business Club in Hampshire, with new
Conservative local MP Alan Mak.
Held a surgery at Fulham Library. Gregs surgeries are
generally held weekly, and generally at Fulham Library. To
make an appointment, please email mail@greghands.com or
telephone 020 7219 5448.

Website of the Week:

The National Army Museum
in Chelsea
Greg Hands visits Metro
Bank at Fulham Broadway
Greg Hands Concludes
Budget Debate
Greg Hands MP welcomes
new National Lottery
investment in First World
War Centenary
Photo news:
Queen's Club Gardens
Residents Association
Summer Garden Party
Greg Hands welcomes new
figures which show more
security for families in
Chelsea and Fulham higher wages, lower taxes
and lower welfare
Photo news:
Taxpayers' Alliance Chief
Executive visits Hands in
Parliament
Greg Hands welcomes fall
in crime figures under this
Government
Greg Hands Hosts Mayoral
Candidate Hustings in
Fulham
Hands in the papers:
Harriet Harman admits we
are right on welfare, why
can't Labour?
Hands in the papers:
Felicity Kendal and Trevor
Eve join fight to stop
Crossrail station on King's
Road
7 ways to contact
Greg Hands

Website of the Week:

www.nam.ac.uk
The website of the National Army Museum in Chelsea. Greg met
the Chief Executive this week for an update on the
comprehensive refurbishment programme. The website gives
more detail of the programme, and the museums re-opening in
2016.

Greg Hands visits Metro Bank at Fulham

Broadway

Greg Hands MP with local and regional management of

MetroBank at a visit to their Fulham Broadway branch last week.
Greg Hands MP visited the Fulham Broadway branch of Metro Bank to
meet employees and to find out more about the bank.
On Friday, 17 July, Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Chelsea
and Fulham and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, visited Metro Banks
Fulham Broadway branch or store as the bank prefers to call it to
meet employees and to find out more about the high street bank.
When it opened its first branch in 2010, Metro Bank, whose motto is
Love your bank at last!, claimed to be the newest high street bank in
more than 150 years. Five years later, Metro Bank has 36 branches,
with more planned, including another in Gregs constituency on the
Kings Road.
Greg was greeted at the bank by an employee called Shemar, who
has worked at Metro Bank for over a year now, and who is one of the
banks many success stories. Greg was interested to find out that
Shemar had started out as an apprentice cashier at the firm after
receiving a distinction in his studies at City Gateway in Tower Hamlets,
and was then promoted to Customer Service Representative at the
Fulham Broadway branch.
During his visit, Greg heard how Metro Bank prides itself on being
open all but three days a year with late opening hours, and he
remarked on the banks memorable visual branding. Greg was also
impressed to discover that Metro Bank offers its customers a free-tobook private business area known as the fish bowl. Also evident was
Metro Banks animal-friendly policy, with water bowls and treats on
display for the many pet dogs belonging to the constituents of Chelsea
and Fulham.
Less obvious, however, is Metro Banks university located beneath
the Fulham Broadway branch. During his tour of the facilities, Greg
was impressed to discover that there are twelve underground
classrooms that serve the whole company, and he was fortunate to be
invited in to observe a number of classes in progress. Greg was
surprised to be greeted with Metro Banks characteristic welcome of a
woop! when a guest enters the room, from the 9 customer service
trainees.
After his visit Greg Hands said, I have been impressed to hear about
the progress Metro Bank has made since it opened its Fulham
Broadway store on the former site of Books Etc in my constituency a
number of years ago.
As a Government minister I am very pleased indeed to learn that
Metro Bank is going from strength to strength, with a further 150 new
employees planned for this year including 25 in my own constituency
of Chelsea and Fulham.
Metro Banks creation of career opportunities by taking on over 50
apprentices on permanent contracts and by offering professional
qualifications to all its employees is a good reflection of what this
Conservative majority Government is doing with its recent Summer
Budget which seeks to provide security for Britain.
I thank Metro Banks CEO, Craig Donaldson, and his staff for the
warm welcome to their Fulham Broadway store on Friday, and I wish
them every success for the future.
Greg looks forward to visiting Metro Banks new branch on the Kings
Road, Chelsea, after it opens later in 2015.

Greg Hands Concludes Budget Debate

Click on the image above to watch Greg Hands's speech.

Greg Hands MP addressed the House of Commons and concluded
the debate on the Summer Budget.
On 14 July, in his rle as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Greg Hands
had the honour of concluding the debate on this years landmark
Budget. Greg had already made a large contribution to the Budget in
the run up to the commanding opening speech delivered by his
colleague in Her Majestys Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer
George Osborne.
Greg Hands addressed the House of Commons at the despatch Box
as the first Conservative Chief Secretary to the Treasury for the first
Conservative-only Government since 1997. Among the profound
changes heralded by this years General Election, Greg reminded the
House that over the past five years the second day of the Budget had
witnessed exchanges between Labours Ed Balls and the Liberal
Democrats Vince Cable, but both of them lost their seats to the
Conservatives on 7 May this year. On a related note, Greg took the
opportunity to congratulate the five new Members who made their
maiden speeches that day.
Greg Hands says, It was my great honour to conclude this Budget
which gives Britain a pay rise, and cuts taxes for 29 million people; a
budget which protects our national security, and gives Britain the
security of living within its means.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Labour Partys response to this historic
Budget shows that it has learnt nothing from its defeat right across the
United Kingdom on 7 May. Labour is starting this Parliament just as it
started the last one: incoherent, in disarray, denying the deficit, and
failing to apologise for its past mistakes.
The voting public no longer believes in the Labour Partys economic
credibility, which is one reason why their shadow Chancellor and half
their shadow Treasury team were voted out at the General Election. If
the last Labour government did not spend too much, then how come
there was no money left for my predecessor as Chief Secretary to the
Treasury?
It falls to this Conservative majority Government to take the tough
decisions and safeguard our economy for the long term so that future
generations will not be left to clear up a mess similar to that left by the
last Labour government. In spite of these tough choices, this
Conservative Summer Budget is still able to announce a new national
living wage, 10 billion of extra investment in the NHS, and an
assurance that the UK will meet its NATO defence commitments.
This has been a landmark Budget, which seeks to deliver for the
entire country a bright and prosperous future.

Greg Hands MP welcomes new National

Lottery investment in First World War
Centenary
One year away from the Battle of the Somme centenary, Greg Hands
MP urges communities within his constituency of Chelsea and Fulham
to apply for new 4m Heritage Lottery Fund money to explore the
impact of the First World War.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced new National Lottery
money to help communities across the United Kingdom mark the
centenary of the First World War, and Greg Hands, Member of
Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham, is urging local community groups
to apply.
In response to the news Greg Hands said, The projects and stories
that have been shared as part of the First World War Centenary so far
have been an inspiration. It is important that we remember the impact
of the War one hundred years on. There is still time to apply for
National Lottery money, and I urge anyone in Chelsea and Fulham,
with an idea for their own project, to get in touch with the Heritage
Lottery Fund.
Following the success of its community grants programme First World
War: then and now, HLF has made an additional 4million available in
2015-16 for communities looking to explore, conserve, and share local
heritage of the First World War. Grants are available for amounts
between 3,000 and 10,000.
Thanks to National Lottery funding, thousands of young people and
communities throughout the UK have already marked the Centenary
in activities such as:
researching and recording local heritage;
conserving and finding out more about war memorials;
and using digital technology to share the fascinating stories they
uncover.
This new money will help even more people get involved in exploring
a greater range of stories including those surrounding the Battle of the
Somme.
Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the HLF, said, The demand for National Lottery
funding for First World War projects has been phenomenal, so much
so weve decided to make extra money available. This will mean
everyone, in particular more young people, can explore the
momentous events of a war that shaped our nation, Europe and the
world. Next year marks the centenary of the Battle of Somme and if
groups want support for projects in 2016, they need to start thinking
about applying now.
The money was announced on 8th July 2015 at a House of Commons
reception which showcased just a handful of the 1,000+ First World
War projects taking place across the UK, thanks to more than
70million of investment from HLF.
Projects on display showed the breadth and scale of First World War
stories being explored and shared across the country:

people from Tottenham and Walthamstow showed how they

have been exploring their family history to see if any of their
relatives fought in the war;
young people from North Tyneside demonstrated how they
have been using social media to retell the stories of local
soldiers;
and young women from Birmingham shared what they have
been uncovering about the experiences of women who
worked in factories during the conflict, in particular the
Birmingham Small Arms factory in Small Heath.

Greg Hands looks forward to further projects marking the centenary of

the First World War in his constituency of Chelsea and Fulham.
More information on how to apply for HLF funding is available at
www.hlf.org.uk.

Photo news:

Queen's Club Gardens Residents

Association Summer Garden Party

Greg Hands MP with committee member and organiser, Erika

Lang, at the Queen's Club Gardens Residents Association
summer garden party.

Greg Hands welcomes new figures which

show more security for families in Chelsea
and Fulham higher wages, lower taxes
and lower welfare
Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham and
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has welcomed new figures, which
show that since 2010 the number of people in his constituency
claiming Jobseekers Allowance and Universal Credit while not in
employment have fallen by 887 a 46 per cent drop.
These figures mean more people in work, with the security of a good
job and a regular salary, allowing them to provide for themselves and
their families. Jobs are being created in Chelsea and Fulham by
businesses such as Metro Bank, which currently has one branch in
the constituency at Fulham Broadway and is due to open a new
branch on the Kings Road later in 2015, creating jobs for 25 new
employees.
The figures also showed that wages are rising not only at the fastest
rate in real terms since 2007, but also for the eighth month in a row.
This means more financial security for hardworking families in
Chelsea and Fulham.
People are getting off benefits and into work, with 480,435 more
people in work in London since the last Labour Government. Across
the UK as a whole, there are almost 2 million more people at work
than at the end of thirteen years of Labour Government.
In response to these figures, Greg Hands said: This is great news for
people who want to work hard and get on in Chelsea and Fulham, with
wages rising at the fastest pace since 2007, and 887 fewer people
relying on Jobseekers Allowance and Universal Credit while out of
work.
That means more financial security for people in work, and more
families with the security and stability of a regular pay packet. Good
jobs are being created by businesses such as Metro Bank, whose
Fulham Broadway branch I visited on Friday, 17 July.
This is down to the hard work and the determination of people in
Chelsea and Fulham, as well as to the Conservative Partys strong
leadership and clear economic plan. We need to keep working though
that plan by backing businesses to create more good jobs, and by
supporting those who want to work hard and get on as part of our
ambition to achieve full employment.

Photo news:

Taxpayers' Alliance Chief Executive visits

Hands in Parliament

Greg Hands MP with the Chief Executive of the Taxpayers'

Alliance in Parliament this week.

Greg Hands welcomes fall in crime figures

under this Government
Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham,
welcomes news that crime has fallen by more than a quarter (27 per
cent) since 2010, its lowest level on record, according to the latest
figures from the independent Office for National Statistics.
The Conservative Government has been following an action plan to
tackle crime by:
freeing the police to fight crime by cutting red tape and
scrapping unnecessary targets;
giving criminals tougher sentences so that communities may
be protected and justice done;
giving the police the powers they need to tackle criminals
using the latest tools and techniques;
stopping people from becoming criminals by tackling the
root causes of crime;
making the police answer to the community to help drive
down crime in your area.
Commenting, Greg Hands said, We have been following an action
plan to tackle crime and make Britain a safer place in which to live,
work, and raise a family.
This plan is working: the independent Crime Survey of England and
Wales shows that crime continues to fall under this Conservative
majority Government, reaching a record low. In Greater London, as of
March 2015, crime recorded by the police has fallen by 15 per cent
since June 2010.
We need to stick to the plan that is working so that people across the
country may enjoy a better, brighter future.

Greg Hands Hosts Mayoral Candidate

Hustings in Fulham

Greg Hands MP with London Mayor Candidate Stephen

Greenhalgh after the second Conservative Mayor hustings, held
at Il Pagliaccio, Fulham.
Greg Hands welcomed Conservative London mayoral hopefuls to a
second round of hustings.
On Friday, 17 July, Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Chelsea
and Fulham, welcomed three of the Conservative Partys potential
London mayoral candidates to attend a second round of hustings. This
time, the potential candidates in attendance were Stephen
Greenhalgh, Londons Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and
former Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council (2006-12), Syed
Kamall MEP, Chairman of the European Conservatives and
Reformists, and Andrew Boff, Leader of the London Assembly
Conservative Group.
More than a hundred people crowded in to attend the hustings
organised by Parsons Green and Sands End wards in association with
Conservative Way Forward and Conservative Future in Gregs own
constituency of Chelsea and Fulham, and kindly hosted by local Italian
restaurant Il Pagliaccio. All in attendance recognised that this was an
important hustings, being the final chance to hear such a debate
before the shortlisting of candidates. The debate covered issues
including housing, trade unions, the Conservative Partys image,
infrastructure, and devolution.
After the hustings Greg Hands said, It was a great honour to
introduce the three London mayoral hopefuls to this hustings in my
own constituency of Chelsea and Fulham. It was also fantastic to see
so many people crowd in to hear the potential candidates speak.
There really was a huge demand to hear a proper debate about the
future of London.
While it is important to remain unbiased at such a hustings, I must
say that it was great to hear the warm response and praise for
Stephen Greenhalgh after the event, since I am the patron of his
campaign. Nevertheless, I wish all of the potential candidates well,
and I look forward to choosing the right candidate for London.
A further review of the hustings can be found
http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2015/07/rebeccacoulson-report-from-the-mayoral-hustings.html

at:

Hands in the papers:

Harriet Harman admits we are right on

welfare, why can't Labour?
Greg Hands MP, The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday 14th July 2015
Things have come to a pretty pass when Labours acting leader
Harriet Harman is the closest her party comes to a voice of reason.
But thats the position in which the Opposition now finds itself. For
daring to suggest that Britains working age welfare bill is too high and
she might therefore support some of George Osbornes sensible
savings, Miss Harman has managed to plunge Labour into a
leadership crisis without a leader.
The partys resurgent hard Left is in uproar, and one by one its
lacklustre field of leadership candidates has come out to oppose some
or all of our proposed reforms to the welfare system. It would be
laughable were it not so serious. After Labours 13 years in power, we
inherited a society where low wage jobs were subsidised by the
taxpayer, with welfare payments intended for the low paid being made
to nine out of ten families with children. A tax credits system that
Gordon Brown said would cost just over 1 billion in its first year
ended up costing 30 times that.

And so at the heart of the Budget is the introduction of a new,

compulsory National Living Wage for everyone over 25. It will mean a
direct pay rise for over 2.5 million people, and for someone working
full time on the national minimum wage it will mean a cash boost of
5,000 a year by the end of the decade. In total, independent
forecasters say six million people can expect to see a pay rise as the
new living wage causes a ripple effect up the income distribution
Were also increasing the personal allowance again, to 11,000, and
implementing the first inflation-busting increase in the 40p income tax
threshold for years, to 43,000.
Our series of welfare changes will save 12 billion a year exactly
what we said wed save before the general election. Its about creating
a welfare system thats fair to the most vulnerable, who need its
support, but also fair to the taxpayers who have to pay for it.
We are protecting disabled people, pensioners and the most needy.
But we are going to bring the tax credits bill under some control.
Wherever possible, weve limited our reforms to future claimants
rather than taking money away from people who are already receiving
it. For instance, well limit the bonus worth up to nearly 3,000 a year
for every extra child in the tax credits system to the first two children,
only for those claiming in the future.
Families who earn their own money have to make difficult choices
about whether they can afford to have more than two children, and its
right those relying on welfare should do the same. Were also freezing
working age benefits for four years and bringing down the salary at
which people will start to have tax credits phased out.

The benefit cap we introduced in the last Parliament, ensuring no

workless household could receive more than 26,000 a year, is being
brought down to 23,000 a year in London and 20,000 a year outside.
Its a policy thats working and has encouraged tens of thousands of
households affected so far to choose work over welfare. In all, these
are moderate, sensible reforms to a welfare system that Labour
allowed to spiral out of control. You might think that after opposing
each and every difficult decision we made on welfare in the last
Parliament, Labour would have learned its lesson after seeing its
position so comprehensively rejected by the working people of Britain.
At the weekend, Miss Harman suggested Labour would not oppose
our key welfare savings, including the lower benefit cap and the limits
on child tax credits. We cannot simply say to the public you were
wrong at the election, she said. But just 24 hours later, she appears
to have been forced into a humiliating U-turn. Labour leadership
candidates Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham both predecessors of
mine as Chief Secretary when Labour was making its ruinous
decisions on public spending have defied her, as, more predictably,
has the unreconstructed socialist Jeremy Corbyn. Even Liz Kendall,
leader of the sad and dwindling New Labour band, appears to have
opposed billions of pounds worth of savings.
None of the Labour candidates says where the money is coming from
to pay for this extra benefit spending. Or their plans to reverse public
sector pay restraint. Or to reverse changes to student loans. Will they
put up working peoples taxes? Borrow yet more money we dont
have? Or slash the 10 billion a year increase weve promised for our
NHS?
What weve seen so far proves Labour has learned absolutely nothing
from their election defeat. They put themselves on the wrong side of
the argument in 2010, and they paid the price at the election in May.
Its now clear theyre determined to make the same mistake again. Far
be it for me to give the Labour Party advice on its leadership contest.
But as things are going, perhaps its time for them to call the whole
thing off and keep Miss Harman in the job.

Hands in the papers:

Felicity Kendal and Trevor Eve join fight to

stop Crossrail station on Kings Road
Jonathan Prynn, The Evening Standard
Monday 20th July 2015
TV stars Felicity Kendal and Trevor Eve are backing a campaign to
stop a 1 billion Crossrail 2 station being built in Chelsea.
The Good Life and Waking The Dead actors have joined about 2,500
residents and business owners in opposing plans for a major stop on
the Kings Road. The campaign group No Crossrail in Chelsea warns
that it will lead to years of disruption and ruin the character of one of
Londons best loved villages.
Kendal said: If a Crossrail station is built here it will destroy Chelsea
as we know it. We are not opposed to Crossrail 2, we just dont want a
station in Chelsea. We are well served by two Underground stations
and five bus routes. We dont need a huge Crossrail station that will
cost a fortune and just create yet another cloned high street. We love
Chelsea the way it is.
Eve said: These Crossrail stations arent like Tube stations. They are
huge structures, with shops, bars, restaurants and offices. A station on
the fire station site will destroy the streetscape of the Kings Road, will
cost London over 1!billion and will destroy the charm of Chelsea. No
decisions have been taken on the location of the stations on the 25!
billion north/south route originally known as the Chelsea-Hackney line
but Transport for London is launching a major consultation in the
autumn.
The former fire station site about halfway along Kings Road has been
earmarked for Crossrail 2 development, but an alternative location
nearer the river has been ruled out. If no station is built in Chelsea
trains will pass from Victoria to Clapham Junction without stopping.
One transport source said: The campaigners might be opposed but I
suspect most people will be pretty puzzled if the Chelsea-Hackney
route no longer stops in Chelsea.
Greg Hands, the Tory MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said he had asked
Mayor Boris Johnson to look at the possibility of alternative station
sites at Imperial Wharf or Fulham Broadway. Chris Lenon, chairman of
the No Crossrail in Chelsea campaign, said: Our campaign is the
voice of Chelsea. In just four weeks the response has been
overwhelming. When people hear about these plans, they are
appalled. And rightly so.

7 ways to contact Greg Hands:

By Phone:
By email:
By post:
In person:

020 7219 5448

mail@greghands.com
Greg Hands
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
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