I am delighted to present a petition on the biggest issue I have had to deal with since becoming a Member of Parliament. More than 4,000 people have signed the petition, and the leading three signatories are Mr. Colin Wright and Mr. Richard Lewis, respectively the leader and deputy leader of Rushden town council, and Councillor Andy Mercer, the leader of East Northamptonshire council. The petition concerns the closure of an out-patients facility in my constituency and the moving of it to a town some distance away.

The petition states:

The Humble Petition of residents of Rushden, Northamptonshire and surrounding areas,

Sheweth that the plans to close the hospital outpatients facility at the Rushden Memorial Clinic and replace them with a facility outside of Rushden is unacceptable; further sheweth that the Rushden Memorial Clinic was paid for by the people of Rushden to serve the health needs of the people of Rushden; and believes that Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust should not be removing the only outpatient facility from the biggest town in East Northamptonshire to a small town with no adequate public transport.

Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges the Secretary of State for Health to require Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to review its decision and to build an enhanced outpatient facility in Rushden in line with the local NHS’s own weighted criteria.

And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. etc.

[P000326]

This petition is about people who are often out of sight and out of mind: those people who live in care homes. It concerns the 240,000 people in our country who receive an allowance called the personal expense allowance, which amounts to just £3 a day, and which is based on national means-testing rules, which mean that those with savings of more than £22,250 have to surrender their pensions to pay for their care home fees. This allowance is going up by 75p this April to £21.90. Last year, in answer to a parliamentary question, the Minister responsible at the time, the hon. Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis), promised a consultation on these matters, and this petition is intended to raise these issues in the House this evening.

The petition states:

The Petition of care home residents, their relatives, and others,

Declares that the over a quarter of a million of the poorest older people living in care homes are entitled to a dignified level of income; further declares that under national means-testing rules for local authorities, these people part with any income to pay towards their care home fees; notes that for older residents this means any pensions they get, and normally all they are left with is a Personal Expenses Allowances of £21.15 a week; further notes that the Personal Expenses Allowance is expected to cover the cost of all personal items not covered by the care package agreed by the local authority, including clothes and toiletries.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to recognise the representations of Age Concern and others and increase the Personal Expenses Allowance for people living in residential care who receive state support to at least £40 per week.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000327]

This petition relates to green land at the side of the Dutch Village on Canvey Island. Only six houses in the whole of the Dutch Village did not respond to the petition, which shows the determination and clarity of vision of Canvey residents. If the development goes ahead, as some borough councillors wish, it will make much worse the flooding risks for every island resident as well as further damaging our island’s environment and putting greater pressure on our infrastructure. I stand shoulder to shoulder with all the excellent petitioners and with Graham and Linda Bracci and Jan Eagle, who prepared the petition. Canvey people are astounded that some borough councillors are trying to lift the Environment Agency ban on flood risk development on Canvey Island so that the development can go ahead. The petition states:

The Petition of Graham Bracci, residents of the Dutch Village and others,

Declares that Castle Point Councillors are wrong to seek to develop the fields behind Limburg Road and Holland Avenue with an estate of 400 houses; believes that this would put Canvey’s roads and other infrastructure under intolerable pressure; notes that this area is subject to flooding and should be controlled under Environment Agency flood protection development policies; further believes that there is sufficient brown field land to meet the target for new build and that councillors should consult residents properly and listen to them more seriously, should improve Canvey’s infrastructure and change their plans to cram yet more housing estates on the Island.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to make it clear to Castle Point council that it will uphold the Environment Agency’s rules on development in flood risk areas, that the Council should provide better infrastructure and should protect Castle Point Green Belt.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000329]

I have a second petition about public opinion on the European Union. In a true democracy, hon. Members will always listen carefully to public opinion and they should avoid acting in this place as though they know better than the people who they are sent here to represent. It is with some sadness that I have to table this petition from Mr. Keith Johnson, members of the Campaign for an Independent Britain and other excellent people.

The petition states:

The Petition of the Democracy Movement Bakewell,

Declares that a new poll by ComRes, a member of the British Polling Council, commissioned by the Campaign for an Independent Britain, reveals that British people believe the European Union is out-of-touch, unfair, corrupt and extremely costly for UK taxpayers and that UK politicians are hopelessly out of touch; further notes that 83 per cent of those polled say British law should be paramount, 75 per cent think UK politicians do not do enough to stand up for British interests in Europe, and 71 per cent want a national referendum to decide whether the UK remains in the EU; further declares the petitioners’ deep concern that the EU spent 2.4 billion euros of taxpayers’ money in 2008 to promote itself and its overriding aim of ever closer union.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to declare that it will not take Britain into the euro zone and that it accepts the need for a referendum on the fundamental issue of Britain’s sovereignty.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000330]

This petition is on behalf of the supporters of the campaign to save Cherry Lane cemetery. I presented a similar petition on the subject several months ago in the hope that we as a community would gain assurances from BAA and the Government that this road would not go through our local cemetery. No assurances that give us that guarantee have been presented by either BAA or the Government, so tonight I and my colleagues the hon. Members for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall) and for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Hurd) present tens of thousands more signatures to the petition in the hope that the Government and BAA will not drive this road through our local cemetery.

The petition states:

The Petition of the Supporters of the Campaign to Save Cherry Lane Cemetery,

Declares that the proposal by the British Airports Authority to construct an access road to the proposed Third Runway and Sixth Terminal at Heathrow Airport through Cherry Lane Cemetery, which is the only functioning cemetery in this part of the London Borough of Hillingdon, is an act of outrageous, sacrilegious destruction, which is causing considerable distress to the families of loved ones buried at the cemetery and concern to the local community.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons calls upon the Government to reject this proposal and safeguard this site.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000331]

All three Hillingdon MPs are here to present the same petition, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Our presence reflects the complete unity in the borough in opposition to the plan to expand Heathrow airport.

The petition states:

The Petition of the Supporters of the Campaign to Save Cherry Lane Cemetery,

Declares that the proposal by the British Airports Authority to construct an access road to the proposed Third Runway and Sixth Terminal at Heathrow Airport through Cherry Lane Cemetery, which is the only functioning cemetery in this part of the London Borough of Hillingdon, is an act of outrageous, sacrilegious destruction, which is causing considerable distress to the families of loved ones buried at the cemetery and concern to the local community.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons calls upon the Government to reject this proposal and safeguard this site.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000333]

I wish to submit another petition on behalf of the thousands of people outraged by BAA’s proposal that would result in the desecration of the Cherry Lane cemetery in the London borough of Hillingdon. In case the message has not got through already to BAA, the petition states:

The Petition of the Supporters of the Campaign to Save Cherry Lane Cemetery,

Declares that the proposal by the British Airports Authority to construct an access road to the proposed Third Runway and Sixth Terminal at Heathrow Airport through Cherry Lane Cemetery, which is the only functioning cemetery in this part of the London Borough of Hillingdon, is an act of outrageous, sacrilegious destruction, which is causing considerable distress to the families of loved ones buried at the cemetery and concern to the local community.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons calls upon the Government to reject this proposal and safeguard this site.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000334]

You will be glad to hear, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that my petition deals with another subject. The A39 in my constituency is a major arterial route across west Somerset. It has been a dangerous road for many years and most people in west Somerset see that as due to a lack of funding, mainly by the county council but also by the Government.

The Petition of concerned motorists, and others,

Declares that the traffic lights at the junction of the A39 and off to the Dunster Steep change far too quickly; and further declares that there should be a camera operating at this junction, to help manage the lights.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Transport to take action to improve the management of the traffic lights at this junction.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000332]