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T he Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, visited Princess

Alexandra Hospital (PAH) this month after being invited by Harlow MP, Robert Halfon. The Minister began his visit at PAH by meeting some of the hospitals management team, before sitting down with local doctors, nurses and staff. For a portion of the visit, he was also able to serve as a hospital porter, helping to move patients between wards. Hardworking PAH staff have been working overtime recently, due to the significant pressure on the Emergency Department due to a surge in out of area visits over the winter months. PAH is one of the busiest in the country, with significantly more patients per bed than much bigger hospitals. Robert Halfon has been fighting for more support for PAH in Parliament. In response, Jeremy Hunt confirmed that an additional 4 million of funding would be provided to NHS Trusts in West Essex. This announcement came on top of other significant investments in Harlows NHS since 2010,

such as a 5.7 million grant last year. There was also a 1 million upgrade to the eye clinic, a new kidney dialysis unit, a brand new Short Stay Assessment centre at its Accident & Emergency and a 427,000 boost for St Clare Hospice. Robert said, Im really pleased the Secretary of State came to Harlow, and I will continue to fight for a strong Harlow NHS, such as campaigning against unfair hospital parking charges.

Robert Halfons campaign to cut or scrap hospital parking fees has successfully convinced the Government to issue new guidelines to NHS Trusts in England. The new rules make it clear that charges should be fair and that frequent visitors, the disabled and NHS staff should get discounted on-site parking. Robert said he would continue his efforts, for as long as he is an MP.

Harlow MP, Robert Halfon visiting Princess Alexandra

Hospital with Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt

Robert and Communities

Minister, Eric Pickles, at the

new Enterprise Zone

Page 4

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T he Government Minister for Communities, Eric Pickles, came to Harlow

last month to see the construction of the new Enterprise Zone (EZ). The Minister was joined by local MP Robert Halfon, who helped secure Government funding for the 50 million investment project, which is expected to create up to 2,500 new jobs in the town. The visit came as Harlow unemployment continued to fall, down 53% since Labours recession. Youth unemployment has also fallen by 56% and apprenticeships are up by an impressive 106%. This brought the local jobless rate below the national average, despite it being significantly higher in 2010.

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Page 3

ELECTION SPECIAL

Sun

Thank you Robert for continuing to stick up for

causes that affect ordinary people, like hospital parking charges - T. Swinfen, local resident

2 | Harlow Sun

Community News

O ld Harlow Councillor, Sue Livings, is working hard to protect local roadsides and green verges from dangerous parking. The verges in St Johns Avenue for example are in a poor state due to constant parking. It churns up the ground and gouges out deep ruts, Sue explained.

This is unsightly and dangerous. Residents should do their bit to maintain the appearance of their area but the council needs to set an example and encourage safe and proper parking.

Cllr Livings is currently working with both Harlow and Essex councils to find a solution that would prevent further damage. I have sought funding for something called a grass mesh which will cover each verge and help protect them from parking. It will also help enhance the street scene. Sue was also quick to act when equipment was removed from the playground behind Elmbridge, ensuring that it was replaced as quickly as possible, and made sure that new trees were planted along Priory Avenue following the loss of the previous ones.

C hurch Langley Councillors and Harlow MP, Robert Halfon, joined dozens of angry parents last month for a protest against the planting of trees in a popular play area for children. The trees were planted by Harlow Council next to the play park at Henry Moore school, in an open green space popular with local children. It is frequently used for playing football and other sports. After voicing their disbelief about the situation on social media, residents gathered by the park and asked everyone to sign a petition, asking the council to move them to another location - after an agreement with the residents. Not long afterwards, the Council agreed to move the trees to a more suitable and less obstructive location. Church Langley Councillor and

Leader of Harlow Conservatives, Andrew Johnson said, I am delighted the Council has listened to the residents. When we consulted local people on this matter over a year ago, there was a clear response that the trees were not wanted there. We told this to the Council and then all of a sudden, they appear. The Labour-run Council just doesnt listen.

A campaign by Clive Souter, the Conservative local election candidate in Sumners & Kingsmoor, to improve one of the areas most damaged roads has been successful. The surface of Hull Grove road was in urgent need of repair and Clive said that it was a major issue for local residents, one that was often raised with him on the doorstep. By working with my Conservative colleagues on Essex County Council, I was able to persuade them that individual

pothole repairs were just not good enough, said Clive. So, on behalf of the residents, I was delighted when they said they would resurface the whole road. Im very proud of this achievement and I hope residents in Sumners and Kingsmoor will elect me to represent them on Harlow Council in May. That way, I can continue campaigning on important local issues.

Conservative Councillor,

Andrew Johnson, signing a

petition calling for the trees

to be moved.

C ontinued pressure from Conservative Councillors has revealed that the taxpayers bill for illegal encampments in Harlow has risen again, and stood at 70,000 at the end of last year. Great Parndon Councillor,

David Carter said, That is the

same as a 1% increase in Council Tax.

Is it any wonder why the Labour-run Council keep

pushing up tax when they have

bills like that to pay?

Earlier in the year, the Harlow

Conservatives proposed an alternate 2015 budget, that

would have cut Council Tax by

0.5% and found extra money to tackle illegal encampments.

It was defeated by Labour

Councillors.

David continued, I welcome the interim town-wide High

Court injunction (read more

on Page 4) but we were pushing the Council for over a

year to use every legal action

at their disposal.

It will still be a challenge to

secure a permanent injunction, and this must be the Councils

top priority.

Old Harlow Cllrs Sue Livings & Joel Charles at the

Elmbridge playground (left) and in Priory Avenue (right).

Clive Souter in Hull Grove when the resurfacing

began (left), and how the road looks now (right).

David Carter with one of the

many High Court injunction

notices in Great Parndon.

Harlow Sun | 3 ..

S ince the last election, the Conservative-led Government has been working hard to control immigration into the UK and crack down on those living here illegally. Immigration routes have been tightened and arrivals from outside the EU are down to their lowest levels in a decade. Public services are also being protected with new rules governing social housing and welfare benefits. New proposals to curb EU migration, announced by David Cameron, include preventing migrants from claiming key benefits for the first four years and deporting those who do not have a job within six months of arriving in the UK. Already in Harlow, you can only

join the social housing list if youve been a resident for five years or more. This follows successful efforts since 2010 to reform the family visa route, crack down on bogus colleges and ensure that no-one can come to this country and expect to get benefits immediately. Harlow MP Robert Halfon has said, We are clamping down on abuses of the system and ensuring that we have an immigration system that is fair to taxpayers. The Government is also striving to make it easier to deport foreign criminals, with David Cameron promising to scrap Labours controversial Human Rights Act, if re-elected with a full majority this year. Robert Halfon has said it should be replaced with a British Bill of Rights.

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S ince he was elected in 2010, the MP for Harlow, Robert Halfon, has been fighting a tireless campaign to cut the cost of fuel and support hardworking motorists. With thousands of people around the country backing his efforts, Robert was able to secure a four-year freeze in fuel duty. This is the longest freeze in petrol tax for over 20 years and in 2011, he even convinced the Government to cut it. On his campaign, Robert said, The Conservative-led Coalition has done everything possible to make life easier for motorists, By scrapping all of the fuel duty hikes that were planned by the

last Labour Government, the average motorist is now saving 11 every time they visit the pumps. In recognition of his work on this issue, The Telegraph listed Robert as one of their 2012 Britons of the Year and The Sun newspaper have named him Hero of the Week more times than any other MP since 2010. Robert has also stood up against the oil giants, for keeping petrol and diesel prices high, even when the international cost of oil is falling. Robert has said this issue will continue to be a priority for him in Parliament, if he is re-elected as Harlows MP in May.

R obert Halfon, the MP for Harlow, is backing Government policies to help hardworking families, including the introduction of tax-free childcare from Autumn this year. The new Tax-Free Childcare scheme will provide 20% support on childcare costs up to 10,000 per year, for each child. This means support of up to 2,000 per child. In an effort to also help stay-at-home parents, the Government has increased the free childcare entitlement for 3-4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, from 12.5 to 15 hours per week.

Plus, from 2015-16, when both parents are in work and neither are higher/additional rate taxpayers, married couples and civil partners will be able to transfer up to 1,050 of their income tax personal allowance between them. This will help parents on lower

salaries, or those who choose to work part-time in order to look

after their children.

Robert Halfon added that all parents would also benefit from increases in

the personal allowance, which is set to rise again from April this year, to 10,600.

A s hundreds of Harlow residents are given new opportunities to own their own home, the Government has said it is committed to restoring fairness to the housing system.

For decades, there havent been enough homes to meet the needs of Britains growing and ageing population. However, after five years of

Conservative-led Government, housing supply is now at its highest level since 2008. The availability of affordable homes has been made the priority, and 23.3 billion was set aside to fund affordable housing projects alone. This comes alongside the Governments Help to Buy scheme, which has already helped over 73,000 people purchase their own home, 83% of whom were first time buyers. Local MP Robert Halfon, who has spoken out strongly in support of affordable housing for Harlow residents, has also launched www.RightToBuyHarlow.com. The website provides information to people looking to purchase their council house/flat and achieve the dream of home ownership.

Robert Halfon campaigning with FairFuelUK

Congratulations and thanks again for all your hard work in getting the fuel duty increase scrapped - D.Gradley, local resident

Thanks again Rob for supporting the campaign for PACT for Autism families - S. Fancett, local resident

Robert Halfon supporting local

housing developments

4 | Harlow Sun

T he Prime Minister, David Cameron has said he will continue to protect the state pension and universal pension benefits if the Conservatives win the upcoming General Election.

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The state pension has increased by 800-a-year since 2010, after the Government ensured that it would rise each year in line with either wages, prices or 2.5%. Universal pension benefits, such as bus passes and the free TV licence, have also been safeguarded. From April this year, millions of people on Defined Contribution pension schemes will no longer have to buy an annuity if they don't want to. There will also be no punitive 55% tax rate if people want to draw down more than their tax-free lump sum. That way, retired residents who have saved all of their lives will now be able to pass their hard-earned pension

pot onto their families tax-free. Retired Harlow residents could also benefit from the extension of a government-backed pensioner savings bond. More than 1bn of the bonds, which offer competitive interest rates of up to 4%, were sold in the first two days of the scheme and so their availability has been extended for another three months.

L ocal MP Robert Halfon, has welcomed a decision by the High Court to grant an interim town-wide injunction against illegal encampments in Harlow.

JOIN THE MANY RESIDENTS SUPPORTING ROBERT HALFON, BY FOLDING OVER YOUR COPY OF THE HARLOW SUN AND DISPLAYING THIS POSTER IN YOUR WINDOW!

Since October 2013, caravans have been unlawfully parked on green verges, roundabouts, cycle tracks and school grounds across the town. Robert, who worked hard for over a year to try and resolve the matter, said the injunction was a major step forward. The illegal encampments were a serious local concern for people and I did everything I could to help resolve the situation. I asked multiple questions in Parliament, secured a debate on the matter and arranged meetings with Government Ministers and representatives from Essex Police. Although I think this is something that should have been done a long

time ago, I am grateful for all of the fantastic work of the Harlow Community Safety Team, who have worked hard alongside Essex County Council to secure this injunction. The situation seems to have improved greatly and I am hopeful that in the time before we get the full injunction, our town can move forward and get back to a sense of normality. We must ensure that Harlow never again is seen as a soft touch for unauthorised or illegal encampments. Over 450 pieces of land around Harlow are covered by the ruling, which bans the setting up of unlawful sites. This includes 320 vulnerable areas, previously occupied sites, highway verges and schools. Anyone found parking on the sites will face contempt of court charges.

Thank you Robert for all of your hard work to get the matter of illegal encampments taken care of properly, unlike some politicians out there who are just full of sound bites - P Simpson, local resident

Robert Halfon meeting

retired Harlow residents