Rob's Blog: 10 Concrete Examples: How a Conservative-led Government is investing in Harlow

When I am out and about in Harlow, lots of people ask me the question: What has a Conservative-led Government done for us?

This is a very fair question.

Of course there are some national policies - such as keeping fuel prices down, and lower taxes for lower earners. But I wanted to look specifically at Harlow, to see how our town has benefited from Government initiatives. The truth is that despite the difficult economic climate, Harlow is becoming a magnet for Public investment.

Since 2010, the Conservative-led Government has now announced more than £49 million extra of spending on Harlow’s skills, infrastructure, scientific excellence, business support, and our town's local NHS. No wonder David Cameron has even cited Harlow in Parliament, saying that "the only way is Essex!”

My full report follows below.

Key Facts:

● £49 million of extra taxpayer investment into Harlow, since 2010.

● £500 million investment from the private sector for the MedTech campus.

● Minimum of 5,000 extra jobs expected from the Enterprise Zone.

● Minimum of 4,000 extra jobs from the MedTech campus.

● 78% rise in Harlow apprenticeships.

● 600 opportunities for Harlow young people to gain high-tech medical vocational skills.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said: “I congratulate Harlow on the fantastic achievement that they have. That’s why we are backing it. The Government wants to play its part, not least by the Enterprise Zone in West Essex, thats covering Harlow, and we hope it will create 5,000 new jobs.”

SKILLS

1) A new University Technical College.

Investment: upto £10 million pounds.

Timescale: opening September 2014.

A new academy for 14 to 19-year-olds in Harlow. 600 local children will have the opportunity to study high-tech vocational qualifications in medicine and biotech, as well as Maths and English A-levels. The scheme was first spearheaded by me. It is also backed by Harlow College and Anglia Ruskin University, as well as top industry sponsors including Pearson UK, Raytheon, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and global engineering giant, Johnson Controls.[1]

Principal of Harlow College, Colin Hindmarch, said: “I'm delighted that a University Technical College will now open in Harlow. It was thanks especially to two years of solid hard work from Robert Halfon MP, who has campaigned publicly and behind the scenes. From the beginning, Rob has worked tirelessly to make this happen. He is passionate about apprenticeships - and even employs a Harlow College apprentice in his office.”

2) 78% rise in Harlow Apprenticeships.

Investment: £Unknown.

Timescale: 2010 - 2012.

New figures show that Harlow saw a 78% increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship last year - up from 450 to 800. This is because funding for new apprenticeships is rocketing, with record-breaking numbers of new apprentices across the country. On top of this, the Government has announced that from 2012:

● Businesses and training providers from Harlow can bid for a share of £6 million from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund. This will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.

● Small and medium-sized businesses from Harlow without any young apprentices, who hire one, are eligible for a £1,500 bonus, with up to 40,000 payments available.

● Harlow businesses can bid for a share of a £250 million fund to boost skills in their workplace, giving employers rather than training providers direct access to funding for training.

● I also employ a Harlow College apprentice in his office.[2]

Apprentice Minister John Hayes MP said: “Robert Halfon is a great champion of apprenticeships. He has even taken on an apprentice himself - one of the first MPs ever to do so.”

3) Pupil Premium for Harlow schools.

Investment: £1 million.

Timescale: 2010 - 2012.

The Conservative Education Secretary - Michael Gove - has brought in a new kind of funding to help the poorest pupils, worth an extra £1 million to Harlow schools this year. Local schools such as Burnt Mill have used the cash to help invest in literacy and numeracy - boosting their GCSE results to some of the highest they have yet achieved.[3] These payments are excellent news with the money going to help the most vulnerable children in Harlow.

INFRASTRUCTURE

4) £3.5 million to upgrade Edinburgh Way.

Investment: £3.5 million.

Timescale: 2013.

Harlow’s congested road network has been awarded a £3.5 million grant from the Government, following the town’s bid to become one of the UK’s flagship Enterprise Zones. The Conservative-led Government has granted Harlow the money to upgrade the A414 along Edinburgh Way and provide new access routes to the two Enterprise Zone sites in London Road and Templefields. [4]

5) £500,000 study into new M11 junction.

Investment: £500,000.

Timescale: 2011 - 2012.

Essex County Council have awarded Harlow £500,000 to plan a new M11 junction (7a). Having campaigned for an extra M11 junction for over six years, since the election I have worked with Essex Council to secure a major investment into planning this. A detailed schematic of the junction will soon be worked up, so that we can bid to the Department for Transport for the cash to build it. Essex Council have also said that a new junction on the M11 is now their "number one priority in Essex", following my campaign.

Finally, I have successfully pushed for a Commons debate on the M11 junction in order to get this higher up the Government’s agenda. While Harlow won't get a new junction for many years, the project will soon be “shovel-ready” and we can start bidding to the Government for money.[5]

Transport Minister Norman Baker MP said: “I congratulate Robert Halfon on securing the debate on traffic and the road network in Harlow, and on the strong presentation of his case. Although only recently elected to the House, he has already asked questions about traffic and road issues in Harlow, and I was pleased to respond to his first debate on a subject that is clearly of great importance to him and his constituents.”

BUSINESS AND JOBS

6) Enterprise Zone in medical technology.

Investment: will create a minimum of 5,000 jobs. Super-fast broadband. Tax-breaks.

Timescale: opening April 2013.

West Essex has been named as a new “Enterprise Zone” by the Government, after a two-year campaign from me to make this happen. In two large industrial estate in Harlow, employers could benefit from a 100% business rate discount, worth up to £275,000 over a five year period, as well as superfast broadband and simpler planning rules. All business rates growth within the zone, for at least 25 years, will be retained by the local authorities to support their economic priorities.[6]

SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION

7) New science park at the Olympic Laboratory.

Investment: £10 million.

Timescale: opening September 2012.

In the last week, the Conservative-led Government have just announced a £10 million investment in Harlow: a brand new scientific centre focusing on phenome/biotech. This is fantastic news. The site will be at the GSK plant and will replace the laboratories there currently working on drugs testing for the 2012 Olympics. This is a huge boost for scientific research in our town, and will cement our place as a scientific corridor in the East of England.[7]

8) Med-Tech Campus for Harlow.

Investment: £500 million, plus Government planning support.

Timescale: 2012 onwards.

A new medical technology campus with a centre in Harlow is expected to create 12,500 jobs in Essex, and generate £1.2 billion for Britain. Backed strongly by the Government, the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus will provide one of the world's largest health innovation spaces for companies of all sizes. 120 acres of land has already been identified to accommodate the 1.7 million square feet of floor space, across the county.

This fits perfectly with the Enterprise Zone, the new University Technical College, the extra investment in Harlow’s local NHS, and with the new science park on the site of the Olympic Laboratories.[8]

NHS AND HEALTH

9) £24 million extra for Harlow’s local NHS.

Investment: £24 million.

Timescale: 2010 - 2012.

The Government's NHS reforms and extra investment have brought in an extra £24 million so far into our local health service. This cash has helped Princess Alexandra Hospital to protect their A&E department. In fact, PAH have spent an extra £850,000 hiring new staff this year, including in A&E and emergency care. They have hired three extra consultants, and two more are on the way. PAH have also hired more nurses this year; and vacancies are being filled all the time.

Ultimately, this has helped Princess Alexandra to reduce waiting times. More than 93 per cent of Harlow patients are now seen faster than four hours, this year. Nationally, there are now 100,000 more patients treated every month. Britain now has 4,000 extra doctors and 4,000 fewer managers; more clinical staff; and the number of people in mixed-sex wards is down by 94 per cent. The number of people on long-term waiting lists has also hit record lows.

In addition, there is also a new Cancer Drugs Fund of £200 million a year to help Harlow cancer patients get greater access to cancer drugs that their doctors recommend for them.[9]

10) New NHS renal unit for Harlow.

Investment: Confidential. Procurement still ongoing.

Timescale: opening January 2013.

Rob with PAH Volunteer

On top of the extra £24 million already allocated for protecting our local NHS, Harlow patients who use dialysis will benefit from a new renal unit. This has been announced by the Midlands and East Specialised Commissioning Group (SCG) following a formal tendering process. The two new units should be available for use by Harlow patients from January 2013. This is excellent news for people who have to travel three times a week for their dialysis and who can spend many hours travelling and waiting for hospital transport. To have services on their doorstep will be of great benefit to the patients and their families.[10]