News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #437
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From: Greg Hands MP [email protected] Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands #437 Date: 26 May 2015 13:00 To: [email protected] In this edition: Greg Hands MP’s Diary Website of the Week: Chelsea FC Greg Hands welcomes halving in unemployment in Chelsea & Fulham since 2010 Photo news: RHS Chelsea Flower Show First Queen's Speech of new Government will have Immigration controls, Schools, and NHS at its heart Ofsted confirms quality of local K&C schools Chelsea Primary School goes to top of the class Hands in the papers: Greg Hands named in Cabinet and given powerful positon in Treasury Photo news: Chelsea FC Victory Parade Hands in the papers: Golden Parachute Deals to be Axed Hands in the papers: Osborne urges Whitehall departments to embrace spending cuts Chelsea Young Writers May Half Term Workshops Constituency Look Ahead - 26th May How to contact Greg Hands MP Issue 437 - Tuesday 26th May 2015 Since the last edition, Greg: Attended a Cabinet meeting in his new role as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Celebrated being the first MP for Chelsea to sit at the Cabinet table since 1940, and the first MP for Fulham since 1970. Had an audience with HM The Queen on the occasion of passing on his wand of office as Treasurer of the Household and Government Deputy Chief Whip to Rt Hon Anne Milton MP. Attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, being in the receiving line for HM The Queen and other members of the royal family, as well as touring the exhibits. For photos, see below. Attended the victory parade of Chelsea FC, who won the Premiership title again this year. Chelsea seem to win the title in years that the Conservatives gain MPs in Parliament – 2005, 2010 and 2015, proving for some at least, that “Blue is the Colour”. For photo, see below. Attended the Patronal Festival and Annual PrizeGiving of the Fulham-based London Oratory School. The Mass was held at the Brompton Oratory. Ran his first post-Election surgery for Chelsea & Fulham residents at Fulham Library. Greg’s surgeries are now being held most Fridays, from 4:30 to 6pm, in Fulham Library. A new Chelsea venue is also being explored. Website of the Week: www.chelseafc.com The website of Chelsea FC, the winners of the football Premiership this year. Greg attended their victory parade this weekend. Greg Hands welcomes halving in unemployment in Chelsea & Fulham since 2010 Greg Hands has welcomed new figures showing 1,042 fewer people in Chelsea and Fulham claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit compared with 2010, a massive 50 per cent drop. This means more people in work, with the security of a good job and a regular salary, so they can provide for themselves and their families. Jobs are being created by businesses in Chelsea and Fulham. People are getting off benefits and into work across London with 516,350 more people in work since the last Labour Government. Across the UK there are 2.05 million more people at work than in 2010. Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham said: “It’s excellent news that over one thousand fewer people are relying on Jobseeker’s Allowance in Chelsea and Fulham. Unemployment numbers in our area have been falling steadily since the Conservatives came in to government in 2010, unemployment has now halved and this is the first time we have passed the important milestone of 1,000 fewer jobseekers. This represents 50% fewer people on out-of-work benefits since 2010, which is a very solid achievement “This is thanks to the hard work and the determination of local residents, and the Conservatives’ strong leadership and clear economic plan, which is committed to building a Britain that offers working people security at every stage of their lives. “We started this work under the Coalition, and with our new majority Government we now plan to go further, helping businesses to create more jobs so that even more families can enjoy the security of a good job and a regular salary.” Photo news: RHS Chelsea Flower Show Greg Hands MP with Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Mayor, Cllr Maighread Condon-Simmonds and her son Timothy Simmonds, at this week's RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Greg Greg Hands MP at this week's RHS Chelsea Flower Show. First Queen’s Speech of new Government will have Immigration controls, Schools, and NHS at its heart The Prime Minster has revealed the key themes that will form the heart of the Queen’s Speech. In a series of speeches given this week, David Cameron has identified immigration controls, schools, and the NHS as key priorities for his new Government, and all are expected to feature centrally in Wednesday’s Queen’s Speech. The Queen’s Speech, although given by the monarch, is drafted by the Prime Minister of the day, and lays out the legislative programme of the Government for the coming year. It is delivered by Her Majesty the Queen in the House of Lords to Peers and Members of Parliament. This year’s Queen’s Speech, the first of the new Conservative Government, will take place on Wednesday 27th May. Greg will be in the Palace of Westminster for this year’s Queen’s Speech. Last year, as Treasurer of the Household and Deputy Chief Whip, he travelled in a coach behind the Queen, from Buckingham Palace. In his first speech on immigration since the election, the Prime Minister has committed to helping millions of working people by putting new laws in place to control immigration in next week’s Queen’s Speech in the form of a far-reaching Immigration Bill. There will be a ‘whole of government’ approach to clamp down on illegal immigration. A new offence of illegal working will be created so that police may seize wages, making sure illegal working doesn’t pay. The new criminal offence of illegal working will apply to migrants who have entered the country illegally and also those who came to the country legally, but are in breach of their conditions or have overstayed. It will deprive illegal migrants of their wages which will make it harder for them to stay in the UK. The Prime Minister said: “Uncontrolled immigration can damage our labour market and push down wages. The British people want this sorted out. “That’s why we are setting out our approach for a firm but fair immigration system which tackles abuse and continues our reforms to reduce net migration. We will limit access to public services, take action against employers who don’t play by the rules and remove more people with no right to be here. At the same time, the Government will reduce demand for migrant labour by ensuring British people have the right skills and training to fill those jobs while continuing to welcome the brightest and best to the UK.” The Queen’s Speech will also include details of the Government’s plans to step up school improvements with a new bill to tackle failing schools. A good education is about giving every child the start they need to make something of their life. That’s why the Conservatives will continue our push to improve our schools and the forthcoming Queen’s Speech – will introduce new powers so new leadership can be brought in the moment a school is found to be failing, and new powers to intervene in coasting schools, and will make an immediate start on the Conservative commitment to deliver 500 new free schools. This week the Prime Minister also gave a speech outlining his commitment to the 7-Day NHS. The Prime Minister said: “There is nothing that embodies the spirit of One Nation coming together more than the NHS, and nothing that working people depend on more. We are committed to securing free healthcare for everyone, wherever you are and whenever you need it. “That means getting the best care and making that care available for everyone – free – wherever they are and whenever they need it. So together – by sticking to the plan – we can become the first country in the world to deliver a truly 7-day NHS. “And we must do so to protect and preserve the values of the NHS that are so central to our national identity. To keep our people healthy, to look after them when they fall ill, to care for the elderly with dignity and to ensure that free healthcare is always there whenever people need it most.” Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, commented on the Prime Minister’s announcements and the upcoming Queen’s Speech saying: “It is good news that David Cameron has identified immigration, schools, and the NHS as key priorities for our first parliament back in Government. These issues were central to the Conservatives’ election campaign, and our greatly increased vote shows a clear demand from the public to enact our policies. “During the election I told voters that we would continue to increase spending on the NHS, provide 7-day a week access to GPs and deliver a truly 7-day NHS, and that we would also maintain the amount of money that follows each child into school, ensure there is a good primary school place available for every child and to lift the cap on university places. “These policies will mean people in Britain will always have access to a free and high quality health service when we need it most, and that our children have the skills they need to succeed. “Labour let immigration get totally out of control – and opposed everything we have done to control the system. We are also building an immigration system that is fair to British citizens and legitimate migrants, but tough on those who abuse the system or flout the law. “I am looking forward to hearing more details of these plans and others in Queen’s Speech next week.” Ofsted confirms quality of local K&C schools Latest figures on the published outcomes of Ofsted inspections confirm the quality of schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An impressive 95 per cent of the borough's schools have been assessed as being 'good' or 'outstanding'. This is well above the national average of 81 per cent published by Ofsted in December 2014, and places the borough as one of the top local authorities in the country. Results for GCSEs, A levels and Key Stage 2 regularly place pupils and students attending borough schools close to the top of national league tables. Exam results for children who receive free school meals in the Royal Borough are amongst the very best in the country. Those eligible for free school meals receive funding known as the Pupil Premium. In 2014 the difference in Kensington and Chelsea between those who receive free school meals and those who do not was down to eight per cent, from 13 per cent in 2013, compared with 17 per cent nationally in 2014. With such high performing schools the demand for places at both primary and secondary remain high. In recent years the Council has embarked on an ambitious school building and expansion programme. This has seen Holland Park School completely rebuilt and two brand new academies built in the borough - the Chelsea Academy and the Kensington Aldridge Academy. There are advanced plans for a brand new primary school as well as extensive expansion and rebuilding projects for many of the borough's primaries. Councillor Emma Will, Cabinet Member for Education, said: "This is good news for parents. I am very pleased that, when taken as a whole, the high standard of education that we all want to see our children receive is available from so many of our schools. This is testament to hard working and dedicated teaching staff, supportive families and strong and consistent investment over the years by the Council." Chelsea Primary School goes to top of the class Pupils and staff at Ashburnham Community School in Chelsea are celebrating after education watchdog Ofsted recognised it as an outstanding school. Last month Ofsted inspected the school and praised the progress that all pupils make, their outstanding behaviour and the ‘buzzing, hardworking atmosphere’. Located on the World’s End Estate in Chelsea, the school has over twice the national average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Over three quarters are from ethnic minority backgrounds, a large majority of whom speak English as a second language. Ofsted highlighted that ‘pupils from all backgrounds make outstanding progress,’ and were impressed at ‘the rich range of subjects in the school, and the additional activities and experiences … helping to ensure pupils have an excellent understanding of the world they live in.’ The outstanding measure comes after an Ofsted inspection two years ago said the school required improvement. Changes in the leadership, teaching staff and governing body, a federation with Fox Primary in Notting Hill (already an outstanding school), and support from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea all helped lay the foundations for the transformation. “Most credit goes to the staff and pupils, who have worked incredibly hard over the last two years,” said Associate Headteacher, Bella Street. “This is a school we are all incredibly proud of, and to have that recognised officially is wonderful. The cheer that the pupils gave when we told them was deafening. “Over the last two years we have been lucky enough to have visits from the Prime Minister, Princess Anne and David Walliams, but this beats them all!” Councillor Emma Will, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “This is wonderful news for the children and parents at Ashburnham Community School. This kind of report can only be achieved by the hard work of a talented and dedicated school staff. I would like to thank all the teachers and support staff for their efforts which clearly impressed the inspectors.” Hands in the papers: Greg Hands named in Cabinet and given powerful positon in Treasury Goolistan Cooper, getwestlondon Tuesday 19th May 2015 Re-elected Chelsea & Fulham MP Greg Hands has been named in Prime Minister David Cameron’s cabinet. He was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the Prime Minister’s first Cabinet reshuffle following the General Election. And in doing so, Mr Hands becomes the first MP for Fulham at the cabinet table since Labour’s Michael Stewart in 1970, and the first MP for Chelsea since the Conservatives’ Sir Samuel Hoare in 1940. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the second most senior position in the Treasury, after the Chancellor, George Osborne, and is responsible for public expenditure including spending reviews and strategic planning, welfare reform, and efficiency and value for money in public service. Taking to Twitter after the announcement, Mr Hands wrote: “It is a great honour that David Cameron has appointed me Chief Secretary to the Treasury. I am already hard at work delivering the Long Term Economic Plan.” He later added: “I am delighted to be part of the Treasury Team, charged with building a more secure future for Britain, which is now possible under this new Conservative majority Government.” He praised work made since Labour was defeated in the 2010 election but added: “The job isn’t done, there is more to do.” Mr Hands comfortably defended his seat during the election earlier this month. Photo news: Chelsea FC Victory Parade Greg Hands with Chelsea and Czech Republic international goalkeeper, Petr Cech, at the Chelsea FC Premiership victory parade this weekend. Hands in the papers: Golden Parachute Deals to be Axed Daily Mail Saturday 23rd May 2015 The Government is to move to end six-figure "golden parachutes" for high-earning public sector bosses who are made redundant. The Queen's Speech next week will include legislation to enact the Conservatives' general election manifesto pledge to cap the amount public sector employees can receive if they lose their jobs. Ministers say the measure - to be included in the Enterprise Bill - could save the taxpayer millions of pounds. According to officials, more than 1,800 public sector employees received pay-offs of more than £100,000 in 2013. The Government will consult on the detail - including whether it will cover the BBC - but ministers are said to be "minded" to set the cap at £95,000. At the same, the Government will go ahead with the implantation of new rules agreed in the last parliament to claw back pay-offs to public sector workers who return to work in the same part of the public sector after only a short time. Chancellor George Osborne said: "It is not right that working people should have to fork out for golden parachutes worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for public sector workers when they are made redundant. "That's why we are delivering on our pledge to end six figure pay-offs for the best paid public sector workers, ensuring fairness and value for money for the taxpayer." Treasury Chief Secretary Greg Hands said: "These reforms will ensure fairness and value for money across the public sector." Hands in the papers: Osborne urges Whitehall departments to embrace spending cuts Chris Giles, Economics Editor, The Financial Times Thursday 21st May 2015 When George Osborne told the CBI on Wednesday that Greg Hands, his ally and Treasury chief secretary, was writing to government departments to ask them “to identify further savings”, he set the tone for the weeks ahead. The chancellor said his main priority for his second term in office was to secure faster productivity growth, because this was “the route to raising standards of living for everyone in this country”. His first step will be to publish a “productivity plan” before the Budget on 8 July. But his more immediate task will be pursuing his ambition of improving Britain’s public finances and eliminating the 5 per cent of national income deficit by the end of the parliament - and this means more government spending cuts. “When it comes to saving money, we all know that the more you can do early, the smoother the ride,” Mr Osborne told the business lobby’s annual dinner. The days when government departments could spend less than their budgets on the expectation that they could access the savings in future are long gone. Nowadays, in the words of one government insider, Treasury officials “tour Whitehall with the begging bowl in one hand and a hatchet in the other”. In recent years, annual Whitehall underspending has totalled £2bn to £3bn and Treasury officials indicated that the chancellor would be looking to achieve at least as much again. Front-loading some cuts would increase the squeeze in 2015-16, but would alleviate the huge 5 per cent real cuts to departments implied by the March Budget plans for 2016-17 and 2017-18. Matthew Whittaker, chief economist of the Resolution Foundation, said finding a few billion pounds of extra savings in 2015-16 would help, but not much. “If he is looking for a way of reducing the amount of pain in 2016-17, you can do a lot more by delaying the target date for running a surplus to 2019-20”. Given the election pledges to spend more on the NHS and cut income tax, changing the overall profile for cuts over the next five years was an important option open to the chancellor, Mr Whittaker added. One possible way of easing some of the planned public spending cuts would be to raise more money from the management of government assets. On Wednesday, Mr Osborne announced he planned to merge UK Financial Investments, which holds the nationalised banks assets, and the Shareholder Executive, which manages other government holdings of companies, with the aim of raising £23bn from privatisations. This is not a new figure and experts in the management of government assets were not impressed by the merger, since they said it would change little. Dag Detter, a former head of the company which managed Swedish government assets and co-founder of investment advisors Whetstone Solutions, said: “The bulk of the corporate assets are the banks held in the UKFI, and while the other holdings managed by the Shareholder Executive are rather marginal, the real challenge is the property side which is much more significant.” In the run up to the election, David Cameron pledged that better management of government property would feature in government policy. “We still don’t have one company that owns all the government’s buildings and makes sure we use them efficiently, so let’s do something like that,” he said. The Treasury announced in March it was seeking to create a centralised and more commercially driven approach to land and property asset management, charging departments the market rent for assets they owned. Mr Detter urged the government to go further to create an equivalent of UKFI for the ownership of all government property. “Developing real estate — including selling and acquiring assets and contracting developers — benefits greatly from professional management and a private sector structure able to incentivise the appropriate management in order to maximise value for the government and society as a whole,” he said. Chelsea Young Writers May Half Term Workshops What better way to keep your child inspired over the holidays than through a creative writing workshop? Holiday creative writing workshops are held throughout the year, during all half-term breaks and in the Christmas, Easter, Summer holidays. Chelsea Young Writers are running creative writing holiday workshops are written and curated by a host children’s author. Each workshop runs for three hours a day, with a fifteen minute break. In the session, the group will do a series of small exercises leading up to writing a short story. Our holiday workshops are small in size and always about having fun and exploring new ideas, whilst developing creative skills. The session options are versatile, with something to suit every taste. The club is exclusively for the age group of 7-13 years olds (six-year- olds and near sever-year-olds cannot be admitted, regardless of ability). Children are expected to be independent writers. Click here for a full list of events >> Constituency Look Ahead – 25 th May Upcoming Events in the Fulham part of the Constituency (for a full list of local events, check out local website ‘Those Who Noes Fulham’ - www.thosewhonosefulham.com ) FULHAM PALACE FUN DAY Wednesday, May 27, 2015 10:00 15:00 Fulham Palace, Bishops Avenue, Fulham London SW6 6EA A day of family fun including crafts, storytelling and dressing up! In partnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Adult Learning and Skills Service. Free, no booking necessary. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Sessions run from: 10am-12noon & 1pm-3pm. Visit website >> HALF-TERM ARCHAEOLOGY WORKSHOP: WHO WAS HERE BEFORE? Friday, May 29, 2015 10:00 - 16:00 Fulham Palace Bishops Avenue, Fulham London SW6 6EA Ever wondered who was here before us? The join us for this full-day workshop and find out all about our prehistoric ancestors, and how they lived on the site of Fulham Palace. Examine archaeological finds, handle artefacts, try on costumes, and get messy with art and crafts. There might even be a chance to try edible archaeology! Suitable for 8 to 12 year olds. Children attend independently. £15 per child. Bursary places available, please contact [email protected] for more information. Booking essential, click here to book Suitable for 8 to 12 year olds, children attend independently. Visit website >> 7 ways to contact Greg Hands: By Phone: 020 7219 5448 By email: [email protected] By post: Greg Hands House of Commons London SW1A 0AA In person: Click here for details of how to book an appointment at Greg Hands’s weekly surgery www.greghands.com More news from Greg Hands MP, coming soon… Please forward this email on to anyone you think may be interested. If you have had this email forwarded to you and would like to be added to the mailing list, please send an email to: [email protected] with “JOIN” in the subject heading. To unsubscribe from this list, please return an e-mail to [email protected] with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject heading. www.greghands.com Published & Promoted by Jonathan Fraser-Howells on behalf of Greg Hands, both of 44 Southern Row, London, W10 5AN
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News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #437
Transcript of News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #437
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From: Greg Hands MP [email protected]: News Bulletin from Greg Hands #437
Date: 26 May 2015 13:00To: [email protected]
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In this edition:
Greg Hands MPs Diary Website of the Week:Chelsea FC Greg Hands welcomeshalving in unemployment inChelsea & Fulham since2010 Photo news:RHS Chelsea Flower Show First Queen's Speech ofnew Government will haveImmigration controls,Schools, and NHS at itsheart Ofsted confirms quality oflocal K&C schools Chelsea Primary Schoolgoes to top of the class Hands in the papers:Greg Hands named inCabinet and given powerfulpositon in Treasury Photo news:Chelsea FC Victory Parade Hands in the papers:Golden Parachute Deals tobe Axed Hands in the papers:Osborne urges Whitehalldepartments to embracespending cuts Chelsea Young Writers MayHalf Term Workshops Constituency Look Ahead -26th May How to contact Greg Hands MP
Issue 437 - Tuesday 26th May 2015
Since the last edition, Greg:
Attended a Cabinet meeting in his new role as Chief Secretaryto the Treasury.Celebrated being the first MP for Chelsea to sit at the Cabinettable since 1940, and the first MP for Fulham since 1970.Had an audience with HM The Queen on the occasion ofpassing on his wand of office as Treasurer of the Householdand Government Deputy Chief Whip to Rt Hon Anne Milton MP.Attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, being in thereceiving line for HM The Queen and other members of theroyal family, as well as touring the exhibits. For photos, seebelow.Attended the victory parade of Chelsea FC, who won thePremiership title again this year. Chelsea seem to win the titlein years that the Conservatives gain MPs in Parliament 2005,2010 and 2015, proving for some at least, that Blue is theColour. For photo, see below.Attended the Patronal Festival and Annual PrizeGiving of theFulham-based London Oratory School. The Mass was held atthe Brompton Oratory.Ran his first post-Election surgery for Chelsea & Fulhamresidents at Fulham Library. Gregs surgeries are now beingheld most Fridays, from 4:30 to 6pm, in Fulham Library. A newChelsea venue is also being explored.
Website of the Week:www.chelseafc.com The website of Chelsea FC, the winners of the footballPremiership this year. Greg attended their victory parade thisweekend.
!Greg Hands welcomes halving inunemployment in Chelsea & Fulham since2010 Greg Hands has welcomed new figures showing 1,042 fewer peoplein Chelsea and Fulham claiming Jobseekers Allowance and UniversalCredit compared with 2010, a massive 50 per cent drop. This means more people in work, with the security of a good job and aregular salary, so they can provide for themselves and their families.Jobs are being created by businesses in Chelsea and Fulham. People are getting off benefits and into work across London with516,350 more people in work since the last Labour Government.Across the UK there are 2.05 million more people at work than in 2010. Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham said: Its excellent newsthat over one thousand fewer people are relying on JobseekersAllowance in Chelsea and Fulham. Unemployment numbers in ourarea have been falling steadily since the Conservatives came in togovernment in 2010, unemployment has now halved and this is thefirst time we have passed the important milestone of 1,000 fewerjobseekers. This represents 50% fewer people on out-of-work benefitssince 2010, which is a very solid achievement This is thanks to the hard work and the determination of localresidents, and the Conservatives strong leadership and cleareconomic plan, which is committed to building a Britain that offersworking people security at every stage of their lives. We started this work under the Coalition, and with our new majorityGovernment we now plan to go further, helping businesses to createmore jobs so that even more families can enjoy the security of a goodjob and a regular salary.
Photo news:RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Greg Hands MP with Royal Borough of Kensington & ChelseaMayor, Cllr Maighread Condon-Simmonds and her son Timothy
Simmonds, at this week's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Greg Greg Hands MP at this week's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
First Queens Speech of new Governmentwill have Immigration controls, Schools,and NHS at its heart The Prime Minster has revealed the key themes that will form theheart of the Queens Speech. In a series of speeches given this week,David Cameron has identified immigration controls, schools, and theNHS as key priorities for his new Government, and all are expected tofeature centrally in Wednesdays Queens Speech. The Queens Speech, although given by the monarch, is drafted bythe Prime Minister of the day, and lays out the legislative programmeof the Government for the coming year. It is delivered by Her Majestythe Queen in the House of Lords to Peers and Members ofParliament. This years Queens Speech, the first of the newConservative Government, will take place on Wednesday 27th May. Greg will be in the Palace of Westminster for this years QueensSpeech. Last year, as Treasurer of the Household and Deputy ChiefWhip, he travelled in a coach behind the Queen, from BuckinghamPalace. In his first speech on immigration since the election, the PrimeMinister has committed to helping millions of working people byputting new laws in place to control immigration in next weeksQueens Speech in the form of a far-reaching Immigration Bill. Therewill be a whole of government approach to clamp down on illegalimmigration. A new offence of illegal working will be created so that police mayseize wages, making sure illegal working doesnt pay. The newcriminal offence of illegal working will apply to migrants who haveentered the country illegally and also those who came to the countrylegally, but are in breach of their conditions or have overstayed. It willdeprive illegal migrants of their wages which will make it harder forthem to stay in the UK. The Prime Minister said: Uncontrolled immigration can damage ourlabour market and push down wages. The British people want thissorted out. Thats why we are setting out our approach for a firm but fairimmigration system which tackles abuse and continues our reforms toreduce net migration. We will limit access to public services, takeaction against employers who dont play by the rules and removemore people with no right to be here. At the same time, theGovernment will reduce demand for migrant labour by ensuring Britishpeople have the right skills and training to fill those jobs whilecontinuing to welcome the brightest and best to the UK. The Queens Speech will also include details of the Governmentsplans to step up school improvements with a new bill to tackle failingschools. A good education is about giving every child the start they need tomake something of their life. Thats why the Conservatives willcontinue our push to improve our schools and the forthcomingQueens Speech will introduce new powers so new leadership canbe brought in the moment a school is found to be failing, and newpowers to intervene in coasting schools, and will make an immediatestart on the Conservative commitment to deliver 500 new free schools. This week the Prime Minister also gave a speech outlining hiscommitment to the 7-Day NHS. The Prime Minister said: There is nothing that embodies the spirit ofOne Nation coming together more than the NHS, and nothing thatworking people depend on more. We are committed to securing freehealthcare for everyone, wherever you are and whenever you need it. That means getting the best care and making that care available foreveryone free wherever they are and whenever they need it. Sotogether by sticking to the plan we can become the first country inthe world to deliver a truly 7-day NHS. And we must do so to protect and preserve the values of the NHSthat are so central to our national identity. To keep our people healthy,to look after them when they fall ill, to care for the elderly with dignityand to ensure that free healthcare is always there whenever peopleneed it most. Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, commented on the PrimeMinisters announcements and the upcoming Queens Speech saying:It is good news that David Cameron has identified immigration,schools, and the NHS as key priorities for our first parliament back inGovernment. These issues were central to the Conservatives electioncampaign, and our greatly increased vote shows a clear demand fromthe public to enact our policies. During the election I told voters that we would continue to increasespending on the NHS, provide 7-day a week access to GPs anddeliver a truly 7-day NHS, and that we would also maintain the amountof money that follows each child into school, ensure there is a goodprimary school place available for every child and to lift the cap onuniversity places. These policies will mean people in Britain will always have access toa free and high quality health service when we need it most, and thatour children have the skills they need to succeed. Labour let immigration get totally out of control and opposedeverything we have done to control the system. We are also buildingan immigration system that is fair to British citizens and legitimatemigrants, but tough on those who abuse the system or flout the law. I am looking forward to hearing more details of these plans andothers in Queens Speech next week.
Ofsted confirms quality of local K&Cschools Latest figures on the published outcomes of Ofsted inspectionsconfirm the quality of schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington andChelsea. An impressive 95 per cent of the borough's schools havebeen assessed as being 'good' or 'outstanding'. This is well above thenational average of 81 per cent published by Ofsted in December2014, and places the borough as one of the top local authorities in thecountry. Results for GCSEs, A levels and Key Stage 2 regularly place pupilsand students attending borough schools close to the top of nationalleague tables. Exam results for children who receive free schoolmeals in the Royal Borough are amongst the very best in the country.Those eligible for free school meals receive funding known as thePupil Premium. In 2014 the difference in Kensington and Chelseabetween those who receive free school meals and those who do notwas down to eight per cent, from 13 per cent in 2013, compared with17 per cent nationally in 2014. With such high performing schools the demand for places at bothprimary and secondary remain high. In recent years the Council hasembarked on an ambitious school building and expansion programme.This has seen Holland Park School completely rebuilt and two brandnew academies built in the borough - the Chelsea Academy and theKensington Aldridge Academy. There are advanced plans for a brandnew primary school as well as extensive expansion and rebuildingprojects for many of the borough's primaries. Councillor Emma Will, Cabinet Member for Education, said: "This isgood news for parents. I am very pleased that, when taken as awhole, the high standard of education that we all want to see ourchildren receive is available from so many of our schools. This istestament to hard working and dedicated teaching staff, supportivefamilies and strong and consistent investment over the years by theCouncil."
Chelsea Primary School goes to top of theclass Pupils and staff at Ashburnham Community School in Chelsea arecelebrating after education watchdog Ofsted recognised it as anoutstanding school. Last month Ofsted inspected the school and praised the progress thatall pupils make, their outstanding behaviour and the buzzing,hardworking atmosphere. Located on the Worlds End Estate in Chelsea, the school has overtwice the national average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Overthree quarters are from ethnic minority backgrounds, a large majorityof whom speak English as a second language. Ofsted highlighted that pupils from all backgrounds make outstandingprogress, and were impressed at the rich range of subjects in theschool, and the additional activities and experiences helping toensure pupils have an excellent understanding of the world they livein. The outstanding measure comes after an Ofsted inspection two yearsago said the school required improvement. Changes in the leadership, teaching staff and governing body, afederation with Fox Primary in Notting Hill (already an outstandingschool), and support from the Royal Borough of Kensington andChelsea all helped lay the foundations for the transformation. Most credit goes to the staff and pupils, who have worked incrediblyhard over the last two years, said Associate Headteacher, BellaStreet. This is a school we are all incredibly proud of, and to have thatrecognised officially is wonderful. The cheer that the pupils gave whenwe told them was deafening. Over the last two years we have been lucky enough to have visitsfrom the Prime Minister, Princess Anne and David Walliams, but thisbeats them all! Councillor Emma Will, the Royal Borough of Kensington andChelseas Cabinet Member for Education, said: This is wonderfulnews for the children and parents at Ashburnham Community School.This kind of report can only be achieved by the hard work of a talentedand dedicated school staff. I would like to thank all the teachers andsupport staff for their efforts which clearly impressed the inspectors.
Hands in the papers:Greg Hands named in Cabinet and givenpowerful positon in Treasury Goolistan Cooper, getwestlondonTuesday 19th May 2015 Re-elected Chelsea & Fulham MP Greg Hands has been named inPrime Minister David Camerons cabinet. He was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the PrimeMinisters first Cabinet reshuffle following the General Election. And in doing so, Mr Hands becomes the first MP for Fulham at thecabinet table since Labours Michael Stewart in 1970, and the first MPfor Chelsea since the Conservatives Sir Samuel Hoare in 1940. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the second most senior positionin the Treasury, after the Chancellor, George Osborne, and isresponsible for public expenditure including spending reviews andstrategic planning, welfare reform, and efficiency and value for moneyin public service. Taking to Twitter after the announcement, Mr Hands wrote: It is agreat honour that David Cameron has appointed me Chief Secretaryto the Treasury. I am already hard at work delivering the Long TermEconomic Plan. He later added: I am delighted to be part of the Treasury Team,charged with building a more secure future for Britain, which is nowpossible under this new Conservative majority Government. He praised work made since Labour was defeated in the 2010 electionbut added: The job isnt done, there is more to do. Mr Hands comfortably defended his seat during the election earlierthis month.
Photo news:Chelsea FC Victory Parade
Greg Hands with Chelsea and Czech Republic internationalgoalkeeper, Petr Cech, at the Chelsea FC Premiership victory
parade this weekend.
Hands in the papers:Golden Parachute Deals to be Axed Daily MailSaturday 23rd May 2015 The Government is to move to end six-figure "golden parachutes" forhigh-earning public sector bosses who are made redundant. The Queen's Speech next week will include legislation to enact theConservatives' general election manifesto pledge to cap the amountpublic sector employees can receive if they lose their jobs. Ministers say the measure - to be included in the Enterprise Bill -could save the taxpayer millions of pounds. According to officials, more than 1,800 public sector employeesreceived pay-offs of more than 100,000 in 2013. The Government will consult on the detail - including whether it willcover the BBC - but ministers are said to be "minded" to set the cap at95,000. At the same, the Government will go ahead with the implantation ofnew rules agreed in the last parliament to claw back pay-offs to publicsector workers who return to work in the same part of the public sectorafter only a short time. Chancellor George Osborne said: "It is not right that working peopleshould have to fork out for golden parachutes worth hundreds ofthousands of pounds for public sector workers when they are maderedundant. "That's why we are delivering on our pledge to end six figure pay-offsfor the best paid public sector workers, ensuring fairness and value formoney for the taxpayer." Treasury Chief Secretary Greg Hands said: "These reforms will ensurefairness and value for money across the public sector."
Hands in the papers:Osborne urges Whitehall departments toembrace spending cuts Chris Giles, Economics Editor, The Financial TimesThursday 21st May 2015 When George Osborne told the CBI on Wednesday that Greg Hands,his ally and Treasury chief secretary, was writing to governmentdepartments to ask them to identify further savings, he set the tonefor the weeks ahead. The chancellor said his main priority for his second term in office wasto secure faster productivity growth, because this was the route toraising standards of living for everyone in this country. His first stepwill be to publish a productivity plan before the Budget on 8 July. But his more immediate task will be pursuing his ambition of improvingBritains public finances and eliminating the 5 per cent of nationalincome deficit by the end of the parliament - and this means moregovernment spending cuts. When it comes to saving money, we all know that the more you cando early, the smoother the ride, Mr Osborne told the business lobbysannual dinner. The days when government departments could spend less than theirbudgets on the expectation that they could access the savings infuture are long gone. Nowadays, in the words of one governmentinsider, Treasury officials tour Whitehall with the begging bowl in onehand and a hatchet in the other. In recent years, annual Whitehall underspending has totalled 2bn to3bn and Treasury officials indicated that the chancellor would belooking to achieve at least as much again. Front-loading some cutswould increase the squeeze in 2015-16, but would alleviate the huge 5per cent real cuts to departments implied by the March Budget plansfor 2016-17 and 2017-18. Matthew Whittaker, chief economist of the Resolution Foundation, saidfinding a few billion pounds of extra savings in 2015-16 would help,but not much. If he is looking for a way of reducing the amount of painin 2016-17, you can do a lot more by delaying the target date forrunning a surplus to 2019-20. Given the election pledges to spend more on the NHS and cut incometax, changing the overall profile for cuts over the next five years wasan important option open to the chancellor, Mr Whittaker added. One possible way of easing some of the planned public spending cutswould be to raise more money from the management of governmentassets. On Wednesday, Mr Osborne announced he planned to merge UKFinancial Investments, which holds the nationalised banks assets, andthe Shareholder Executive, which manages other governmentholdings of companies, with the aim of raising 23bn fromprivatisations. This is not a new figure and experts in the management ofgovernment assets were not impressed by the merger, since they saidit would change little. Dag Detter, a former head of the company which managed Swedishgovernment assets and co-founder of investment advisors WhetstoneSolutions, said: The bulk of the corporate assets are the banks heldin the UKFI, and while the other holdings managed by the ShareholderExecutive are rather marginal, the real challenge is the property sidewhich is much more significant. In the run up to the election, David Cameron pledged that bettermanagement of government property would feature in governmentpolicy. We still dont have one company that owns all the governmentsbuildings and makes sure we use them efficiently, so lets dosomething like that, he said. The Treasury announced in March it wasseeking to create a centralised and more commercially drivenapproach to land and property asset management, chargingdepartments the market rent for assets they owned. Mr Detter urged the government to go further to create an equivalentof UKFI for the ownership of all government property. Developing realestate including selling and acquiring assets and contractingdevelopers benefits greatly from professional management and aprivate sector structure able to incentivise the appropriatemanagement in order to maximise value for the government andsociety as a whole, he said.
Chelsea Young Writers May Half TermWorkshops What better way to keep your child inspired over the holidays thanthrough a creative writing workshop? Holiday creative writingworkshops are held throughout the year, during all half-term breaksand in the Christmas, Easter, Summer holidays. Chelsea Young Writers are running creative writing holiday workshopsare written and curated by a host childrens author. Each workshopruns for three hours a day, with a fifteen minute break. In the session,the group will do a series of small exercises leading up to writing ashort story. Our holiday workshops are small in size and always abouthaving fun and exploring new ideas, whilst developing creative skills. The session options are versatile, with something to suit every taste. The club is exclusively for the age group of 7-13 years olds (six-year-olds and near sever-year-olds cannot be admitted, regardless ofability). Children are expected to be independent writers. Click here for a full list of events >>
Constituency Look Ahead 25th May Upcoming Events in the Fulham part of the Constituency (for afull list of local events, check out local website Those Who NoesFulham - www.thosewhonosefulham.com) FULHAM PALACE FUN DAYWednesday, May 27, 201510:00 15:00Fulham Palace, Bishops Avenue, Fulham London SW6 6EA
A day of family fun including crafts, storytelling and dressing up! Inpartnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Adult Learning and SkillsService. Free, no booking necessary. Children must be accompaniedby an adult. Sessions run from: 10am-12noon & 1pm-3pm.Visit website >> HALF-TERM ARCHAEOLOGY WORKSHOP: WHO WAS HEREBEFORE?Friday, May 29, 201510:00 - 16:00Fulham Palace Bishops Avenue, Fulham London SW6 6EA
Ever wondered who was here before us? The join us for this full-dayworkshop and find out all about our prehistoric ancestors, and howthey lived on the site of Fulham Palace. Examine archaeologicalfinds, handle artefacts, try on costumes, and get messy with art andcrafts. There might even be a chance to try edible archaeology! Suitable for 8 to 12 year olds. Children attend independently. 15 perchild. Bursary places available, please [email protected] for more information. Booking essential,click here to book Suitable for 8 to 12 year olds, children attendindependently.Visit website >>
7 ways to contact Greg Hands:
By Phone: 020 7219 5448By email: [email protected] post: Greg Hands
House of CommonsLondon SW1A 0AA
In person: Click here for details of howto book an appointment atGreg Handss weeklysurgery
www.greghands.com
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