Your weekly news bulletin from Greg Hands MP

News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #531
Friday 31st January 2020

Website of the Week
Trade Out of Poverty
http://tradeoutofpoverty.org/

This week, Greg was delighted to be elected Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
for Trade Out of Poverty, which seeks to reduce poverty in Africa through trade.

Trade Out of Poverty (TOP) is a registered UK charity set to explore: "how trade can be a means to reduce poverty and researching ways of enabling poor countries to achieve inclusive growth and prosperity through trade and investment."

To read more about the work they do, please click here.

This week, the MP for Chelsea and Fulham secured assurances from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, regarding the future of the Parsons Green Walk-in Centre.

For weeks, the local Labour Party have run a campaign scaremongering local residents, and often vulnerable residents, stating that the Parsons Green Walk-in Centre was set to close in March 2020. Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) last week announced that:

“The CCG can confirm that there are no plans to close Parsons Green Walk-in Centre and that we are working with Central London Community Healthcare Trust to look at alternative ways of providing the current activity. We recognise that the Parsons Green Walk-in Centre provides a valuable local service and we wish to ensure that these services are maintained and provided in the most appropriate way. Any proposals that are put forward in the future would be subject to engagement/consultation in the usual way.” (Hammersmith and Fulham CCG, January 2020)

This week, the CCG announcement was reinforced by the Secretary of State for Health in the House of Commons following Greg Hands MP's question, with the Health Secretary rebutting claims that the Parsons Green Walk-in Centre is scheduled to close and condemning the local Labour Party’s scare tactics. To watch the full statement in the Commons, please click here.

After months of campaigning, the MP for Chelsea and Fulham was delighted to hear the CCG and Secretary of States assurances to keep the popular and well used facility open.

Speaking of the announcement, Mr Hands commented: “After a long campaign, I was delighted to hear the Health Secretary condemn the scare tactics employed by my local Labour Party alarming vulnerable residents who depend on the vital services provided by the Parsons Green Walk-in Centre. The walk-in centre is a key hub in the community, and of course it is not going to close.”

Crime Public Meeting with Greg Hands MP

Like many of constituents, Greg too is concerned about crime in London and that's why Greg has organised a joint public meeting on Tuesday 11th February with Felicity Buchan MP (Member of Parliament for Kensington), local Assembly Member Tony Devenish, and London Mayoral Candidate Shaun Bailey. For further information, please see invitation below.

Five miles of the River Thames is currently uncrossable by motor vehicles due to the continued closure of Hammersmith Bridge. This is an unprecedented situation for such a densely populated part of London. With the repair works estimated to take three years, a temporary solution is necessary to provide access to cross the river for buses and emergency blue light vehicles and to ease congestion across South West London.

To sign Greg's petition, please click here.

This week Greg has: