I rise on important business, to which you referred, Mr. Speaker, to present a petition on behalf of my constituents, the residents of the borough of Telford and The Wrekin and of east Shropshire, and others. The petition declares that my constituents have very serious concerns about the plans of the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust, and indeed of Health Ministers, to cut local health services from the Princess Royal hospital in my constituency. My constituents believe that the plans do not take local clinical and medical needs fully into account, and they are particularly concerned about the threat to paediatrics and accident and emergency services, irrespective of whether general surgery A and E may or may not remain in the short and medium term.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for Health to use his powers to reverse the proposed plans.

Mr. Speaker, you and I know that petitions are presented each and every week in this place, but there are very few of this size: 16,303 people at least in my constituency are protesting. I hope that under the rules of the House the petition will be taken very seriously by the Secretary of State.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The Petition of residents of the Borough of Telford and The Wrekin and of East Shropshire and others,

Declares that the Petitioners have serious concerns about plans for The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust to cut local health services from the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford; further declares that these cuts aim to generate financial savings alone, and do not fully take into account local clinical and medical needs.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for Health to use his powers to reverse the proposed plans.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.]

[P000405]