The Scottish Parliament passed the bill to introduce MUP in May 2012, with widespread support from political parties, health professionals and charities who deal with the consequences of alcohol misuse. Despite also gaining support from some alcohol drinks producers, the Scottish Whisky Association launched a legal challenge to the bill, delaying its implementation by years, and postponing the proven benefits of MUP on family and social life in Scottish communities. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/43354.aspx

"As many of you are aware, we have been told by the council that we are no longer allowed to have our trailer in Perceval Square. We are really upset about this as they only gave us permission in the beginning because "we were offering something unique and different". To change their minds now, we feel is really unfair. All we ever wanted to do was to bring something new to Stornoway - we are currently 2nd on Tripadvisor for restaurants in Stornoway (we must be doing something right) and we see you all as friends. We had a meeting recently with the council and we asked them if there was anything we could do to help resolve the situation. "Move" was the answer." Gourmet Street food is a small local business, using local produce which brings to the town something that is both unique and highly valued in it's offering. Perceval square as it stands is a under-utilised public realm which is brought to life by this focal point through the week offering not only great local food but also local hospitality and craic to both visitors and locals alike. We simply ask that the Comhairle support local businesses and be flexible in allowing trailers to operate in Perceval square.

The people of Dundee are deeply disturbed by the images of huge numbers of refugees fleeing conflicts and want to do everything we can to help these people. Scotland has a history of offering shelter to people displaced by war and persecution: in the past Dundee welcomed refugees after WWII as well as Basques, Ugandan Asians, Chileans and Syrian Kurds. These people and their families became part of our city and have made a great contribution to Dundee: socially, culturally and economically. We the people of Dundee want to keep this tradition of offering safety and shelter to those in desperate need. The scale of the humanitarian crisis at the moment is vast yet the response from many has been negative or even hostile. As Dundonians, we want to tell the people who have lost so much that they are welcome in our homes, in our streets and our communities – as we would undoubtedly be welcomed by them if we ever need their help. Dundee has been in the news recently for being the “coolest little city”. But we want Dundee to be known as the kindest little city.

The EALING JAZZ CLUB is the birthplace of RHYTHM and BLUES in the UK. It is where the Rolling Stones, The Who, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Paul Jones, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker of Cream, Eric Burden of The Animals, Long John Baldry and many more, all congregated in order to play Rhythm and Blues for the first time together. THE CLUB IS THREATENED by development. Plans have been submitted to Ealing Town Council. These plans require the demolition of the club in order to make way for a steel and glass retail and residential complex. The EALING JAZZ CLUB (now the "Red Room") is still much as it was in 1962 when Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner introduced The Rolling Stones to each other and where Rhythm and Blues started in this country. Keith Richards has written in his autobiography 'Life' that: "Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner got a club going, the weekly spot at the Ealing Jazz Club..... without them there might have been nothing ". Kansas University, USA, states that: "The EALING JAZZ CLUB deserves the same reverence in posterity as Sun Records in Memphis, the Grand Old Opry in Nashville (where Elvis Presley got his start) and the Cavern Club in Liverpool, perhaps even more so, as it's influence on the entire history of rock is so significant" The club is iconic and irreplaceable. Its credentials contribute immensely to London's reputation as the music capital of the world. It is of enormous importance to Ealing, London, the Nation and the World, and is part of the rich musical heritage of our country. Boris Johnson recently invited guests to a reception at City Hall, to promote music in London and to highlight the threat to small music venues by developers. He acknowledged that many have already been eradicated. If enough of us protest against the destruction of the EALING JAZZ CLUB, we could save this iconic venue for future generations of music fans and others who gain inspiration from seeing and feeling the actual place where music history was made. If we celebrate it's status, it could become the focus for heralding and highlighting the music, film, theatre and art of Ealing, and it could become a destination attraction, encouraging tourism and more live music events. WE MUST NOT LOSE THIS HISTORIC PLACE. Please make your voices heard by signing this petition and please send this message on to your contacts. If we demand it, we COULD save the EALING JAZZ CLUB from being lost to the world for ever. Thank you.

People have to face travelling on their own, after they have perhaps lost a loved one and why should they have to pay all this extra money for being on their own. I could see the point if they were given a twin or double room, but not for some of the so called single rooms available. The single supplements for abroad are even more horrendous.

There are millions of families fleeing terror and destruction across the globe and grass roots communities must reach out and offer them asylum even if the Government won't.

The increases in coaches fees has meant that some skater can no longer afford to have lessons. Some of the skaters that have/will have to give up skating are competing in British Championships and looking to compete for this Country. The winter sports club is a charity that is meant to support all winter sports and it is them that will caused the decline in Ice Skating. Some coaches have had to stop coaching altogether as no longer have enough skater to afford to continue.

The iconic copper beech in St. John's churchyard is scheduled to be felled ASAP. Recent survey work has found increasing levels of decay, and Mendip District Council health and safety have decided they would rather fell the tree to avoid liability, than manage it properly. There are several options which could be considered, including further crown reductions, excluding access to prevent soil compaction, and applying mulches to improve root growth. Hollow trees are very common. As trees become older, hollows or cavities can form due to a variety of factors - often through the work of fungi. This is a natural part of the life of a tree. Hollow trees can continue to live for a long time despite having large central cavities, and this does not usually cause them to become dangerous. This report from the Woodland Trust has lots of useful information about hollow trees. http://goo.gl/FTSF4E The report states: "Hollowing trees are also not necessarily structurally unsound, indeed the great storm of 1987 showed hollow trees may be as strong, if not stronger, than younger solid trees because they are more flexible." Hollow trees provide a fantastic and declining habitat for wildlife species including bats, birds and invertebrates. These important ecosystems are becoming more and more rare, partly because of the over-cautious felling of trees as they reach this life stage and begin to show evidence of decay. This iconic tree is a landmark feature of Frome. Though surveys have found the decay in the trunk is significant, the tree appears outwardly healthy and is in a sheltered location. Felling the tree now would be over-cautious, and would be a tragedy for Frome.

Please protect protect the UK public's long term investment in both great serving British institutions and sustain the collaborative, innovative partnership into the future. The Met Office is a trusted and respected world-wide leader in forecasting accuracy. The BBC is making a huge mistake in ending the current contract. It has provided the data used for BBC forecasts since the corporation's first radio weather bulletin on 14 November 1922. The BBC said it had to use licence payers/tax payers money efficiently, so had to use the 'market'. But do we want to continue with the experts in the field, albeit at a higher cost, or do we want to cut corners and give the contract to a foreign company just because they can come in with a cheaper tender? This decision is being made for short term gain rather than long term public infrastructure benefit.

In 2011 the management of National Museums Scotland broke an existing ACAS agreement and arbitrarily and unilaterally imposed a two-tier wage structure upon its lowest-paid workers (principally Cleaners, Visitor Services Assistants, Housemen, Security) without consultation or negotiation with the recognised Trade Unions. Staff employed since 1st January 2011 are on reduced terms and conditions without a weekend working allowance which is paid to compensate for having to work anti-social hours. Many of this lowest paid group only get one full weekend off once every seven weeks, which has a detrimental impact on family and social life. The consequence is that low-paid workers on the same shifts, doing the same work, are being paid up to £3,000 less than their colleagues. These workers make the National Museums Scotland the top rate attraction it is, and it is only fair that they get paid properly for their hard work. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation states that those earning under £17,100 a year are being paid a Poverty Wage, and many of our members earn well below that. Senior Scottish Politicians, in opposition against Westminster, have recently been calling for recognition of weekend working payments for those who give up valuable family and social time. These payments make up a large part of low-paid workers’ take home pay. PCS totally agree with safeguarding weekend working rights, and believe that if it is good enough for other workers, then National Museums Scotland staff deserve this too. Both Museum management and the Scottish Government need to embrace the principle of recompensing weekend work and accept PCS proposals to settle this long- running dispute. We do not believe that low-paid culture workers deserve to suffer at the hands of austerity, especially when heritage and culture contribute so much to the Scottish economy. The Museum’s own figures show that it contributes £65million to the economy. PCS Members at the National Museums of Scotland have been taking part in discontinuous strike action for over 2 years. Despite repeated requests to come to a negotiated settlement with management, this has not happened.

Our aim is to keep this building open for the community. We need to reach out the people of Wilnecote and beyond and show the council that there is a big need for the building to stay open for the community groups that already use it and all those that could use it in the future. The Tamworth Herald recently covered the story and published the following: A whole host of groups in Wilnecote have rallied together in a bid to keep a beloved building where it currently is – at "the heart of the community". Earlier this year Staffordshire County Council revealed that the Wilnecote Community Centre was being sold and the site had been earmarked for a 'flexicare development scheme'. It was agreed that community groups currently using the centre could continue to do so until the end of the year. But now, members of groups including the 1st Wilnecote Guides and Attitude Performing Arts, which regularly use the building, have united to "save" the centre from being redeveloped – and keep it open to the community. Protesters have launched a community organisation called The Wilnecote Arts Centre Ltd and are hoping to raise enough money to purchase the building and retain it for use by local social and community groups. It is not yet known how much money the organisation would have to raise to secure the red-brick building. Christine Harris, a guide leader with the 1st Wilnecote Guides, said: "This building is and always has been a community hub. It's the only hub left in the area. If it goes and is redeveloped we are going to have more isolation in the area and could have more anti-social behaviour because nobody will have anywhere to go." "The amount of people who have joined together over this shows that there's a desperate need for it to stay as it is," added Wilnecote resident Christine. The centre, in Tinkers Green Road, is also currently used by a social group for senior members in the community, by the Wilnecote Residents Association and by a social group for adult learners with disabilities. Michala Hitchcock, an Attitude Performing Arts principal who has been involved in the organisation being established, said the centre "brings people together". "What we're trying to do is get as many local people being able to do activities that enhance the community as possible," she said. "We should be increasing participation in activities and improving people's quality of life and they are the kind of opportunities this building offers people." A county council spokesman said the council will work with everyone interested in the future use of the building. "This building formerly housed Tamworth Day Centre and Wilnecote Youth Centre and it has been included in a flexicare development programme because of the need for this type of facility in the area," he said. "After the youth service moved out, it was agreed that local community groups would use that part of the building rather than it remain empty. This agreement will last until the end of 2015. "A community group has lodged an interest in the future use of the building and the county council will continue to work with all interested parties throughout this process. An announcement on the building's future use will be made in the autumn." Cllr Ian Parry, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, added: "In Staffordshire we want to ensure that we get the maximum benefits for communities and maximum value for taxpayers of every single county council owned building. As part of this, we have created a partnership to review sites, including those no longer in use, following a review of youth services in 2014."

The centre is situated in a densely populated, high-need area of the city, which would benefit immeasurably from the restoration of a hub for community life. We believe that given the opportunity, and the necessary backing and resources from the council, local residents will rise to the challenge so that the centre can be run by and for the local community, empowering people in difficult times.