I beg leave to present a petition to the House from Mrs. B. Hardman, clerk to the Leysdown parish council, supported by about 1,000 other signatories. I am in total agreement with the petitioners, whose case has already been put on a number of occasions to the House of Commons. The petition states:

The Humble Petition of the Residents of Sheppey herewith. That the decision to close the Medical Care Beds at Sheppey General Hospital will cause great distress and possible loss of life to cardiac and stroke victims and persons with other life threatening conditions by forcing them to travel to hospitals on the Mainland of Kent.

Your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will take issue with the Medway Health Authority to reverse the decision to close the said beds. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound will ever pray.

I also present a petition from Mrs. Weller, of 145 Wards Hill road, Minster on Sea, Sheerness. This is also supported by about 350 other signatories and is in broadly similar terms. It reinforces the distress felt on the Isle of Sheppey at this time. It says:

The Humble Petition of the Residents of Sheppey showeth

That the decision to close the Medical Care Beds at Sheppey General Hospital will cause great distress and possibly loss of life—

by forcing residents—

to travel to hospitals on the mainland of Kent. Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will take issue with the Medway Health Authority to reverse the decision to close the said beds. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound will ever pray.