Gareth Thomas MP urges carers to “care for their incomes and pensions”

Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas has added his support to Carers UK’s national carers’ rights campaign today.

There are over six million unpaid carers in the UK who provide care and support to family, friends and neighbours, providing unpaid care worth an estimated £87 billion each year. The Carers Rights Day campaign, run by Carers UK, seeks to increase the take-up of benefits and raise awareness of carers’ rights and the support that they may be able to get in order to protect their pensions. It might be the Carer’s Allowance, council tax discount, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit that makes a difference.

Gareth Thomas MP said:

“It’s a real concern that carers in Harrow may not be getting all the help they are entitled to. Carers are fulfilling a vital role in society and without them the NHS and social care system would not be able to cope. It is essential that they are given information about their rights so that they get the support they need in order to plan for their futures.”

New investment in Harrow’s health service

In the past 12 months three new polyclinics have started work in Harrow.

The Urgent Care Centre at Northwick Park was the first and is open every day from 8am to 11pm at night. The Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic opened in June and is open to anyone to drop in from 8am to 8pm, while just last week the Pinn Medical Centre in Love Lane, Pinner, had its official launch. It too is open from 8am to 8pm for anyone concerned about their health to drop in without an appointment.

These fantastic new facilities, run by local GPs and nurses, are helping to make medical care more local and more accessible. Many services or appointments that you used to have to visit a major hospital to benefit from are now provided at these new polyclinics.

These three fantastic facilities have been championed by local doctors.

Two year campaign against Harrow CPZ finally pays off

Last night, at the Traffic and Road Safety Advisory Panel meeting of the Harrow Council, Councillor Susan Hall, announced that part of the CPZ (Controlled Parking Zone) in Spencer Road, Wealdstone is to be removed.

This follows a two year campaign by local residents to remove the parking restrictions since their introduction in April 2008. The announcement was made during the debate on another controversial scheme in West Harrow.

Local Labour Cllr. Phillip O’Dell said “This is a really good news for residents .The Council has at last listened to the people. I would like to thank those residents who have campaigned so hard in order to achieve this result.”

All Harrow High Schools now have sixth form centres

Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas was delighted to open Nower Hill High School’s impressive new sixth form centre last week.
Every Harrow High School now has a sixth form, and brand new sixth form centres are opening up to drive standards even higher.
Gareth campaigned for sixth forms in schools and helped to secure £25 million so that every high school could have a new sixth form centre.
Their impressive facilities and equipment will help Harrow’s young people to continue to achieve excellent A Level, AS Level and GCSE results.
Gareth Thomas MP told Labour Matters:
“I want Harrow students to have access to the best facilities. These new [...]

Harrow Labour welcomes new Saturday Muslim burials

The Muslim religion ordains that any Muslim burial should take place within twenty four hours if at all possible on any day of the week. The Chairman of the Harrow Muslim Council, Cllr Nizam Ismail, has continued to raise the concerns of the local Muslim community that such a service is not available to Harrow residents at weekends.

This issue has been raised many, many times and most recently by Cllr Ismail at the last meetings of both the Cabinet and the Council.

Cllr Ismail, Chair of Harrow Muslim Council and Cllr for Queensbury Ward, said: “I have been dismayed by the responses of Cllrs Susan Hall and David Ashton in which they claim that there is no demand for a seven day a week burial service despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

Tory controlled Harrow Council opposes London Mayor’s fare rises

At its meeting on October 29, Harrow Council adopted a strongly worded motion attacking proposals made by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, to cut London Transport services at the same time as imposing fare increases way above the rate on inflation.

Cllr Navin Shah, the Brent and Harrow Assembly Member, who proposed the motion, said:

“This proposal is simply a Tory stealth tax. Whilst Boris boasts about a zero increase in the London Authority Precept, worth about 12p a week, he is putting up fares on the buses and tubes which will cost some people 80p a week. These rises will hit everyone, but will hit the poorest off most. If we look at Boris Johnson’s London we can get an idea what a Tory Government might be like with cuts, cuts, cuts all hitting the least well off.”

South Harrow Post Office mysteriously closes overnight

Harrow Labour Group is astonished to learn that the Post Office in Northolt Road, South Harrow, has mysteriously been shut overnight, without any consultation or information – neither has there been any reason given.
Local residents are dismayed and need more information.
Jerry Miles, local Labour Councillor, (Roxeth), said:
“We are very surprised at this development. This is not fair and local residents and businesses are upset and dismayed about the manner this has befallen on us. We are trying to get more information about the closure. We are also talking to the Post Office about the emergency/replacement facilities for the people of South Harrow. I will be taking up [...]

Labour pressing for an end to untimely muslim funerals in Harrow

Muslim burials need to take place within twenty four hours of the person passing away. However it is not possible to get burials arranged on a Saturday or Sunday at the Muslim burial site at Carpenders Park cemetery for any one who has passed away on a Friday and Saturday.
Cllr Nizam Ismail, Chair of the Harrow Muslim Council, said:
“I have been pursuing this matter vigorously for many years but unfortunately I have been sent from pillar to post. Almost every week, community members approach me to enquire what progress has been made in resolving this matter. I wish that I could give them a better answer than just that [...]

Harrow Labour leader writes to the Home Secretary about planned ‘Anti Mosque’ demonstration

Councillor Bill Stephenson, the Leader Labour Group Harrow Council has writes:
All Harrow residents must be horrified to learn about the proposal to hold another ‘Anti Mosque’ demonstration in Harrow on Dec 13. Those of us, like myself, who were present at the last one will know of the potential for such a demonstration to lead to very serious violence and damage, let alone totally disrupting traffic and preventing local residents going about their lawful business. Once again a similar demonstration in Manchester led to serious violence, the use of police horses and nearly 50 arrests. In addition there is an enormous cost of policing both to the [...]

Labour welcomes plans for a polyclinic in Harrow East

Good news for residents of Queensbury and Edgware Wards in Harrow East. Proposals are being considered for a new polyclinic in Mollison Way to replace the former surgery in South Parade. This follows a campaign by local Labour councillors. In addition, there is a further proposal to make Belmont Health Centre in Kenton Lane into a polyclinic.

Labour Councillor Margaret Davine said:

“These are really exciting and beneficial developments for residents living in Harrow East and puts paid to all the ill-informed campaigning against polyclinics.

GP Services available from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week, will clearly be more convenient for lots of residents. The absolutely crucial thing is what it is going to provide for people – it will open up whole areas of treatment and provisions according the needs of the local communities.

It is however crucial that as promised in April this year that NHS London conducts a thorough and wide ranging consultation that engages people and help them understand how the new system will benefit patients and impact on their health and well-being.