News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #381 - Hands promoted in Government Reshuffle

7/27/2019 News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #381 - Hands promoted in Government Reshuffle

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In this edition:

Greg Hands M.P.s DiaryWebsite of the Week:Share the FactsPhoto news:Hands appointedGovernment Deputy ChiefWhipHands in the media:The chancellor's reshuffle:Osborne extends his controlResponse to Hammersmith& Fulham Councilsconsultation on theproposal to amalgamate

Sulivan and New KingsPrimary SchoolsPlans to transform FulhamTown Hall are progressing,says H&F CouncilK&C Libraries offer new

Homework Club from 5th

NovemberNominate your favouriteHammersmith & Fulhambusiness for an awardAdmissions now open for

the Earl's Court FreePrimary SchoolHow to contactGreg Hands M.P.

Issue 381 Tuesday 15th October 2013

Since the last edition, Greg:

Was appointed Deputy Chief Whip in Her Majestys

Government, and Treasurer of Her Majestys Household.

Greg was given the news personally by the Prime Minister in

10, Downing Street. For more on this news, see below, and

photo.

Made a submission to Hammersmith & Fulham Council for the

consultation on their proposed merger of Sulivan and New

Kings Primary Schools. For Gregs submission, see below.

Attended Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

Attended a fundraising concert at St Lukes Church, Chelsea,

in aid of Christ Church C of E Primary School, Chelsea,together with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon

John Bercow MP.

Visited the 21st Fulham Girl Guides at St Dionis Church,

Fulham, to see their work at first hand. Greg gave a talk about

his work as their MP, and answered questions.

Attended and lunch of the Hammersmith Conservative

Association at the Manchester Conference.

Met local Chelsea author and fathers matter campaigner

Celia Conrad.

Was guest speaker to the 6th Form of the Stephen Perse

School, Cambridge.

Conducted an advice surgery for local Chelsea and Fulham

residents at Fulham Methodist Church. Gregs surgeries are

generally weekly, on Monday mornings, at either Fulham

Methodist Church, Fulham Broadway, or Peter Jones, Sloane

Square. To make an appointment, email

[email protected] or telephone 020 7219 5448.

Website of the Week:www.sharethefacts.conservatives.com

The new website which shows you how much a LabourGovernment in 2015 would cost you and your family.Visit the site today, and circulate it amongst friends.

Photo news:

Hands appointed Government

Deputy Chief Whip

Greg Hands M.P. appointment announced on Sky News.

Greg Hands M.P. walking through Downing Street priorto being appointed Government Deputy Chief Whip by the Prime

Minister.

Hands in the media:

The chancellor's reshuffle: Osborne

extends his controlIan Dunt, politics.co.uk

Monday 7th October 2013

Allies of George Osborne were given noticeable promotions in today'sgovernment reshuffle, as the chancellor extended his control overministerial appointments.In a series of moves which will cement the impression of Osborne asa chancellor who takes care of his allies, Greg Hands, Sajid Javidand Matthew Hancock were handed rewards for their loyalty.Hands worked for Osborne in opposition but missed out on aministerial position after the formation of the coalition.

Osborne made him his parliamentary private secretary, beforesending him to the whips' office as Treasury whip.He has now been given the role of deputy chief whip, replacing John

Randall.Randall's departure could be a preparatory move in advance of thereturn of former chief whip Andrew Mitchell.Randall and Mitchell had a difficult working relationship, with Randallthen playing a lead role in the 'plebgate' debacle.With Sir George Young only expected to stay in the chief whip roleuntil next summer, Hands could replace him within a year.Hands' rise in the whips' office sees the chancellor significantly extendhis control over government business.Javid, another former parliamentary private secretary to thechancellor, was made financial secretary, where he will continueworking on his Lloyds and RBS briefs.The former investment banker, whose father was a Bangladeshi bus

driver, is tipped for big things in the Conservative party, with some

even suggesting he could be a future leadership contender.Hancock, a former chief of staff for Osborne, was promoted from aparliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Business tominister of state for skills and enterprise.Chloe Smith, who never recovered from a wounding interview withJeremy Paxman on Newsnight, left her role as a Treasury minister."I have been privileged to serve my country and my party under yourleadership," she wrote to the prime minister."However, for the remainder of the parliament I want to be able tospend more time serving my constituents."For a few hours that left no women at the Treasury, but by middayNicky Morgan was appointed economic secretary.Greg Clark left from the Treasury but he kept his brief on cities intact,which he will follow as cities and constitution minister.The signs of Osborne's fingerprints on the reshuffle suggest that ameeting he held with whips in Dorneywood last March to identify risingstars led to concrete results.

Government sources briefed that this was to be the reshuffle for'women and northerners', in a bid to get more diverse voices intoministerial positions.The prime minister needs to keep hold of seats like Lancaster andFleetwood, Stockton South and Carlisle if the Conservatives have anyhope of keeping a majority at the next election.Labour has a 30-point lead in the north, compared to a ten point leadin the country in general.But the diversity message did not quite chime with the sacking ofemployment minister Mark Hoban, a northerner educated at acomprehensive school.

After 12 years on the front benches, he said it was "not his finest day".However, Liverpool-born former GMTV presenter Esther McVey wona promotion to employment minister at the Department of Work andPensions.McVey impressed with her sensitive handling of the position ofminister for disabled people, as she made the controversial case forreform of disability benefits.

Mike Penning will be joining McVey with a ministerial post at the DWP.Conservative Richard Benyon will be leaving his post as fisheriesminister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Response to Hammersmith & Fulham

Councils consultation on the proposal to

amalgamate Sulivan and New KingsPrimary SchoolsBy Greg Hands MP, October 2013Background and Remit

The Council wrote to me on 16th July 2013 seeking my views on thisproposal, attaching the public consultation document.

At the outset, I should state for clarity that local schoolsreorganisation is not directly the responsibility of the Member ofParliament however, it is only right that the Council has sought myview.

I have spoken with, or visited, many of the interested parties.

I met with a group of parents from Sulivan School on 12th August.

I visited Sulivan school on 6th September at the invitation of theChairwoman of Governors, and spent an hour and a half at theschool, discussing the issues with them and also touring the schooland meeting staff and children. I was very impressed with thecommitment and passion of the Head Teacher, the Chair ofGovernors and staff who I met on my visit.

I have also discussed the proposals with Council Leader Nick Botterilland with the Council Cabinet Member for Schools, Georgie Cooney.I have also over the last two years or more been discussing with aseparate group of parents their proposal to establish a Fulham BoysSchool (FBS), a Church of England voluntary-aided Free School forsecondary age boys. I have been a supporter in principle of the schoolsince it was first mooted in 2011, and rendered assistance withvarious matters, including with the Department for Education, althoughI was not approached by either FBS or the Council in advance of thisproposed consultation, and have not previously been asked, nor haveI given, a view on this particular choice of site for the Fulham BoysSchool.

Background on the shortage of school places in FulhamThis proposal should be seen in the context of a chronic need tocreate more school places in Hammersmith & Fulham generally, andin Fulham particularly. Whilst there is strong need for primary placesat this time, this need will change to secondary places in the future.Meanwhile, the demand for more primary places, according to LBHFfigures, is more acute in north Fulham than South Fulham.The cause of this shortage of places is clear. The then Labour Councilin the 1990s, led by Cllr Iain Coleman and Andrew Slaughter, now MPfor Hammersmith, embarked on a massive programme of schoolclosures, at both primary and secondary level, and sites weredisposed of cheaply to provide land, primarily for social housingestates. The Council at the time seemed blind to the possibility ofschool rolls going up again in the future. In Fulham, a number ofprimary schools like Sherbrooke, Beaufort House (Lillie Road),Harwood Road and Munster Schools were closed, and St Markssecondary school was dealt the same fate. Indeed, the St Marks sitecould today have been an ideal location for the Fulham Boys School.The Munster School site is now being used by St Johns WalhamGreen, and their site has now been disposed of, largely for housingdevelopment. None of these sites can now be brought back intoeducational use, and hence the short-sightedness of the then Council

leadership has made matters very difficult indeed today to increasethe number of school places in the south of the Borough.

Across London, more than 240,000 new primary school places willnow be needed. In Hammersmith & Fulham, there will already by2014 be a shortage of 2.9% of places compared with pupils, accordingto the National Audit Office.It is clear that more school places will be needed in the Borough in thecoming years at both primary and secondary levels. The Council willhave better access than I do to the precise numbers and optimallocations, but any proposal for a schools reconfiguration will need tobe assessed with this as the most important background factor.The Need for a Boys Church of England Secondary School inFulhamThere has long been an imbalance in secondary provision in Fulhamfor boys. The excellent London Oratory School serves Catholic boys.The improving Henry Compton School (now known as FulhamCollege) provides a county (i.e. non-religious) education for boys.Mixed sex provision is also available at Hurlingham & Chelsea, againan improving school. There is another excellent option for Church ofEngland girls at Lady Margaret School, Parsons Green. InHammersmith and Kensington, there is good secondary provision for

Catholic girls.There is, however, a glaring omission in secondary provision forChurch of England boys. This omission has a profound effect on localChurch of England primary schools, not only in Fulham (All Saints, StJohns), but also further afield in Hammersmith and even in theChelsea part of my constituency, where there is also no specific CEboys secondary provision. The number of boys at C.E. primaryschools tends to fall as the cohorts near the time to leave, as someparents feel forced into choosing a different route for their boys whenit comes to secondary education.Given the strong general need to create additional secondary school

places, as well as primary school ones, it seems common sense to tryto create places for Church of England boys, to balance the provisionat Lady Margaret School. It should be added that there is less needfor additional primary places in south Fulham, with Langford alsounder-subscribed, yet an even more acute need for secondary placesin the south of the Borough.The two existing Primary SchoolsI have not had the opportunity to discuss the proposals with seniormanagement, parents or governors of New Kings School, and norhave they sought my view. I have not been inside the school in recent

years, so I am not familiar with the interior or condition of the buildingitself.I have visited Sulivan school on various occasions in recent years,notably summer fairs, and, as stated above, I was shown around theschool by the Head Teacher and Chair of Governors in September.The school environment at Sulivan is superb, and they have facilitiesthat would be the envy of many other local primary schools,particularly the outdoor facilities like play areas and the gardens. Thisis a rare example of an inner city school with quite extensive greenareas. The Council states that the buildings, however, are nearing theend of their useful life, although I understand that the school disputesthis.

Demand for Places in the existing schoolsI note from the Councils documentation that both schools are under-subscribed overall. However, I also note that the figures used in theCouncils consultation are a year out of date (and necessarily so, asthe consultation began at the end of the previous school year), andthat Sulivan tell me that their situation has improved. This may well beas a result of the demographic pressures outlined above. Figures theschool gave me during my visit show them to be 89% full, and thatreception has a full complement of 45 children. Nevertheless, I believethat both schools still have significant spare capacity (indeed, I do not

believe that their reception classes are full), at a time when pressurewill build on the Council to provide more places.Conclusions

1. In my view, the Council is doing the right thing to seek to

urgently increase the number of school places in the Borough.

Three new secondary schools have opened since 2010, partly

as a result of the Coalition Governments agenda of creating

more school choice. New primaries have also opened in the

north of the Borough, and a further new primary school is

planned at Earls Court. Nevertheless, it is the primary

responsibility of the Council to ensure that, based on the known

demographic projections, that there are enough primary and

secondary school places in coming years and beyond, and to

show foresight beyond that shown by the Council in the 1990s.

I therefore applaud the Councils overall approach in seeking to

expand school places, particularly in my Fulham constituency.

2. The very high land values in Fulham especially will make it very

difficult indeed to find new sites for schools. Indeed, much of

my dealings with the group of parents involved with creating

the Fulham Boys School have centred around trying to find a

site from Government land which is not in current use in thesouth of the Borough. Land prices are prohibitively expensive,

and Government is obliged in its current financial constraints to

find the best price wherever reasonably possible.

3. I am not in a position to evaluate whether there might be

alternatives to the configuration envisaged by the Council with

relation to the two primary schools. For example, I heard an

alternative suggestion that New Kings School might merge into

Sulivan on the Sulivan site, thereby freeing up the New Kings

site for the Fulham Boys School. I would urge the Council to

ensure that this possibility be fully investigated, if it has notalready been so.

4. With reference to Sulivan Primary School it would, in normal

circumstances, be a pity to lose the green space around

Sulivan. However, given the overwhelming demographic

pressure to create new school places, a careful balance needs

to be drawn between an optimal school environment and the

pressing need for more places in the confined area of London

SW6.

5. I remain strongly supportive of the Fulham Boys School and

the need for boys C.E. secondary provision in the Borough.

6. Given the overwhelming need to create additional school

places 800 new ones for the Fulham Boys School alone will

be created by this proposal and if the Council can give

assurances that other options and possibilities have been

exhausted, I therefore support the detailed proposals outlined

in the Councils consultation document.

Plans to transform Fulham Town Hall are

progressing, says H&F CouncilPlans to transform Fulham Town Hall into a prestigious shoppingdestination to attract visitors from all over London and beyond areprogressing.Earlier this year, Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council exchangedcontracts for the sale of the building with preferred purchaser, DoryVentures.

American-based retail and leisure group Dory Ventures is the leadentity in a collection of brands including Maclaren, Laser Sail Boatsand Albert Thurston menswear.

Dory intend to convert the Grade II listed Town Hall into a shoppingarcade and a revitalized place in which to live, work, play and relax;along with a quintessentially British shopping experience within thearcade and also featuring the flagship store for Maclaren knownacross the world for their buggies and quality childrens products. Doryintend to carry out a careful and sensitive restoration of the property,assuring the retention of this magnificent building for futuregenerations.Hammersmith & Fulham is only four miles in length but up until lastyear had two, fully functioning Town Halls. In February 2011, thecouncil therefore chose to sell the building as part of its commitmentto prioritise frontline services ahead of underused buildings, in order toreduce its historic debt, which at the time stood at 124m. This policyhas now seen the Councils debt fall to 78m, the lowest that it hasbeen since 1986.The Council selected Dory Ventures as its preferred purchaser inFebruary 2012 following a comprehensive selection process.Speaking about what attracted Dory to the building in the first place,Jerry Spano, director of development for the project, said: We hadbeen looking for a place for the past few years and were concentratingmostly on Kings Road in Chelsea. When this opportunity in Fulham

arose, we instantly said that it completely meets the needs forMaclaren.During the bidding process, another building came up on Kings Roadand we did not go ahead with that. We stopped all bidding on otherprojects - that shows how determined we were to purchase FulhamTown Hall.We were attracted here because of the vibrancy of the area. Thereare a lot of young professionals and young couples with children andthis is a real draw for us.Speaking about Dorys plans for the building, Spano said: What wehave in our minds is to create a space so people will come to FulhamTown Hall rather than Knightsbridge, Chelsea or parts of Westminsterto shop. We want to make this an essentially British emporium sellingtraditionally British products.The Grand Hall will become the first ever Maclaren showroom inLondon and is perfectly fit for purpose. In fact, it will be much morethan just a showroom. It will be something akin to the Apple geniusbar where parents will come to talk and different events will be held.The Council Chamber will also be used by Maclaren but will beavailable for hire and in certain instances may be rented out at a

concessional rate so there is giving something back to the community.This is a beautiful Council Chamber and we are looking forward tomaking it accessible to people who otherwise would never have seenit.Albert Thurston is a small company with exciting growth plans as theoldest gentlemans braces manufacturer in Britain. It will also behoused in the building. I really do think this is going to be fantastic forFulham as it will mean that people from outside the area will comehere to spend their money.Spano said: We are going to do everything to keep the character ofthe building and have been working very closely with English Heritageand the Council.It is interesting to note that the Town Hall as we see it today hasundergone three very separate stages of development. It was built in1888, extended in 1905 and then extended again in 1934.What we will be doing is taking it to the next level but completelyrespecting the building and embracing the principles of heritage andconservation.We need to make this a viable retail proposition. We want to retainthe character of the building but working with the Council and English

Heritage to sensitively adapt it in a way that fully respects the listedstatus and heritage whilst creating an exciting shopping destination.Speaking about the future of the building, H&F Council Leader, CllrNicholas Botterill said: This exciting and innovative scheme will

provide Fulham Town Hall with a new lease of life and reinvigorateFulham as one of the capitals premier shopping destinations.Fulham Town Hall has been a landmark building in the borough formore than 100 years and Dory Ventures is steadfastly committed torespecting its rich historical character and public heritage.As well as boosting Fulham, the sale of the building will improve the

Council's finances by significantly reducing our debt levels, createnumerous jobs and launch a new era of prosperity for this famousbuilding.Dory also intend to create a restaurant and extend and convert theupper floors to provide 15- 20 new residential units.Dory must first obtain planning permission and Listed BuildingConsent for its development proposals. Once these consents aregranted, it is expected that the physical restoration of the building willtake an estimated 18 months to two years.

K&C Libraries offer new Homework Club

from 5th November

From Tuesday 5th November four of the Royal Borough's libraries willoffer a free homework club for children aged seven to 11.The club will run every Tuesday and Thursday during term time,between 3.30pm and 5pm, at Kensington Central Library, BromptonLibrary, Chelsea Library and North Kensington Library.

On Thursday 14 November between 3.30pm and 5.00pm at ChelseaLibrary there will be a fun event to encourage learning and homework.Storyteller John Kirk will be holding a learning quiz and an interactivestory session which involves the audience using available resourcesto progress the narrative. This is an opportunity for young people todevelop their research skills and learn about the library facilities whilsttaking part in a story.Councillor Emma Will, the Royal Borough's Cabinet Member forEducation and Libraries, said: "Our homework club is a usefulresource for children and in a library setting they have access to awealth of materials under one roof.

"I'd also like to encourage adults of all ages and backgrounds, whocan spare a few hours a week, to volunteer and help make a positiveimpact on children's lives."For more information, speak to a member of staff or visitwww.rbkc.gov.uk/homeworkclub .To find out more about volunteering, email [email protected] visit www.vinspired.com to complete an application form.

Nominate your favourite Hammersmith &

Fulham business for an awardMicrobusinesses and so calledone-man-bands are beingencouraged to seek nominationsfor the Hammersmith & FulhamBrilliant Business Awards.So if you are an excellentelectrician, a wonderful window

cleaner or a dazzling designer,make sure that your customers vote for you today!The Hammersmith & Fulham Brilliant Business Awards aim to shine alight on the boroughs finest and most outstanding businesses,entrepreneurs and community-minded enterprises.The event is organised by Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council andthe winners of the ten competition categories will be named at a

special ceremony on Thursday November 7th at Bush Hall inShepherds Bush.The council is particularly keen to receive nominations from smallbusinesses who are achieving success despite challenging economictimes, such as plumbers, book keepers, back bedroom businesses,beauticians, IT consultants, jewellery makers and landscapegardeners.

You can vote now by visiting www.lbhf.gov.uk/businessawards .In the meantime, residents are reminded that the final date to get your

nominations in is Monday, October 21st.So far, the council has been amazed by the level of response,receiving an astonishing 1,400 votes.

Businesses nominated so far include the Defectors Weld pub inShepherds Bush, described by one person as atmospheric anddownright classy.The Parparellu cafe in Fulham is also in the mix after being describedas offering great food, great hospitality, great atmosphere.Chellies sandwich and snack bar in Hammersmith has also beenvoted for as its staff always have a smile on their faces.The Award Categories are:

Your favourite business (sponsored by Hammersmith Kings

Mall)

Best customer service (sponsored by Westfield Shopping

Centre)

Best new business (sponsored by the Fulham and

Hammersmith Chronicle)

Best business supporter of the community (sponsored by

Fulham /Hammersmith Broadway)

Best business entrepreneur (sponsored by Royal Bank of

Scotland)

Best creative business (sponsored by Stanhope)Best food business (sponsored by Leiths School of Food and

Wine)

Best Shepherds Bush business (sponsored by W12

Shopping centre)

Best Hammersmith business (sponsored by Hammersmith

London)

Best Fulham business (sponsored by The Fulham Resident)

H&F Councils Business Champion, Cllr Robert Iggulden said: With17,000 businesses based in the borough, Hammersmith & Fulham is

West Londons business capital. We are home to businesses of allshapes and sizes and I hope that people who live, work and visit theborough will vote for their favourite ones in the forthcoming awards.The closing date for nominations is October 21, 2013. Votes will becounted and the top eight business nominations in each category willbe contacted and asked to submit a simple application form with a 250word section on why they feel they should win the category for whichthey have been nominated. These forms will be assessed by a panelof independent judges made up of industry specialists.

Businesses can also download a Brilliant Business Awards business

leaflet and Vote for Us poster atwww.lbhf.gov.uk/businessawards . We also have branded Vote forUs Business Awards Rosettes for staff to wear or for point of salepromotion. Please email [email protected] if you require ahard copy pack or some rosettes.You can vote and find out more on the categories by visitingwww.lbhf.gov.uk/businessawards . You can also email [email protected] or call 020 8753 5585 to place your vote.

Also visit on Facebook and Linkedin.

Admissions now open for the Earl's CourtFree Primary School

A new primary school to be built on the site of the new Earl's Courtdevelopment and sponsored by the charitable trust behind the WestLondon Free School (WLFS) is now taking applications for September2014.While the school's permanent home will be in Earl's Court it willinitially be based in a temporary site on Banim Street, located inHammersmith & Fulham.Because the school will open in Hammersmith but eventually relocateto Earl's Court, children will be admitted according to their proximity totwo separate geographical points rather than just one: the school'stemporary home on Banim Street and the Earl's Court UndergroundStation. The 30 places will be split equally between the two.The school will open with one Reception class of 30 pupils in 2014and continue to admit 30 children each year until July 2020. At thatpoint, it will relocate to its permanent home in Earl's Court andbecome a two-form entry school, admitting 60 children in Receptionand an additional 30 children in each year group. In this way, it will be

able to accommodate the demand for primary school places forchildren of various ages from families living in the new Earl's Courtdevelopment.Councillor Jonathon Read, the Royal Borough's Lead Member forFamily and Children's Services and ward Councillor for Earl's Court,said: "We welcome this new school, which highlights the positiveaspects of the redevelopment of Earl's Court. It will provide parentswith even more choice about where to send their children."Toby Young, Chairman of the WLFS Academy Trust, said: "Ourschools offer children a classical liberal education, regardless ofbackground or ability. That is, a traditional, knowledge-based

curriculum, complemented by plenty of music, art, drama andcompetitive sport. So far, this has proved extremely popular with

parents in Hammersmith and I'm delighted to be able to extend thisoffer to the residents of Earl's Court."The Earl's Court Free School is part of pan-London coordination. Ifyou are interested in applying you can do so by visitingwww.eadmissions.org.uk .For more information on the school visit www.wlfs.org.

5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:

By Phone: 020 7219 5448

By email: [email protected]

By post: Greg Hands M.P.House of CommonsLondon SW1A 0AA

In person: Click here for details of howto book an appointment atGreg Hands M.P.s weeklysurgery

www.greghands.com

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News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #381 - Hands promoted in Government Reshuffle

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