by Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas

It is a long time since Harrow Council was at the cutting edge of Government policy or was able to attract a senior Government Minister to see the start of a new initiative.

Therefore, last week's visit by Hilary Armstrong MP, the Minister for Local Government, was particularly welcome.

Harrow has been chosen to be one of the local authorities to develop Best Value, one of the key components of the Government's plans to modernise local councils.

The launch of the Harrow Partnership last week, in two days of events at the leisure centre marks the beginning of an exciting new era in which the council will look at how it can improve and develop into a more responsive, more flexible, more listening authority.

It has been a particularly busy last few weeks here in Harrow. As well as speaking at the Harrow Partnership last week I have also been heavily involved in representing the concerns that many of us have in Harrow about the future of Mount Vernon and RAF Northolt.

I have been involved with Mount Vernon for a long time, leading the campaign in 1995 to stop the three health authorities closing the Accident & Emergency Department and transferring many of the inpatient services to Watford General.

Losing the Casualty department is often a killer blow to a district general hospital and I was particularly disappointed that the health authorities refused to listen to the concerns of the local people.

Mount Vernon has also suffered from its merger with Watford General.

Watford General had significant debts when it merged with Mount Vernon; debts which have continued to dog the merged trust and continued to provoke financial crises.

Mount Vernon is a much loved hospital, particularly for those living in Pinner and Hatch End, but also for those like myself who have been operated on or seen relatives successfully treated there. I will continue to work with the Pinner Association and the Hatch End Association who have done an excellent job in organising meetings on this issue. have also talked to a number of local GPs who refer patients to the hospital andI hope that those who are concerned about the Mount Vernon proposals will continue to write to me.

The other major local issue is the future of RAF Northolt. Despite proposals from various private organisations and from a House of Commons Select Committee, no conclusions have been advanced by Government Ministers as to the future of RAF Northolt.

Ministers have promised during debates in the House of Commons, which I have taken part in, that any proposals they do bring forward will be the subject of local consultation and that in the meantime there will be no changes to either the operating hours or indeed the number of flights allowed out of RAF Northolt.

Parliament is in recess but it promises to be a busy summer!

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