Public libraries are currently under attack as never before. Quite apart from the imperatives of cutting council spending, some people question the point of public libraries. With the advent of the internet and the ebook, public libraries are described as out-dated and of being a luxury we cannot afford when other services are facing financial pressure. However, “The National Literacy Trust says that children who go to a library are twice as likely as those who don’t to read well. It is not just picking up a book. It is the social experience of reading, talking about the books, browsing, comparing what you have read with family and friends. Librarians open doors to new worlds, new possibilities. Children and adults do not just need information to thrive as thinking beings, but stories. Libraries are not in decline because of some natural, historic progression, but because of the monstrous cultural vandalism of savage cost-cutting." (Alan Gibbons) The community aspect of libraries, including storytimes/rhymetimes and free picture books is especially important for new mothers and their children. For many children the library is the only place they will ever be physically engaged with all the possibilities there are on the shelves. “That is why many small children’s activities are based in library buildings, a resource not to be found or replicated anywhere else. Having a space where the sole purpose is to engage with words and pictures, to create memories that last a lifetime, is a delight and not to be given away lightly.” (Ann Chambers) Even leaving aside books, the lack of access to the internet can reduce exam results by a grade. Public libraries can provide that access to children who do not have it at home. Borrowing of children’s books is increasing. Education is for adults and senior citizens too – senior citizens use libraries for education (notably, the U3A), students for quiet study, those new to computers for computer training. Libraries offer everyone a safe place to meet others, to use resources they could not otherwise afford and to strengthen the local community. The long-term effect of closing our libraries for a short-term monetary gain would be catastrophic for our towns and villages.

Many of our Crown Post Offices are currently facing franchising or closure. There are currently 43 such Post Offices on a list for consideration, (many towns, up and down the country have already gone through this process, leaving them without a Crown Post Office). This franchising or closure of Crown Post Offices will reduce the quality and range of services to the public, destroy a valuable community asset, adversely affect commerce within our High Streets and the surrounding areas, and potentially lead to meaningful job losses within our communities. The downgrading of facilities that Crown Post Offices offer, is a move by Post Office Ltd to privatise the Post Office without Parliamentary discussion. Therefore, we demand that the Minister of State sanction an independent enquiry, that could include a judicial review.

As a licence fee payer I am appalled that the BBC is trying to cut essential viewing such as the BBC Paper Review at 11.30pm. As not all front pages are in when the 10.30 pm slot goes out , there is a need for 11.30 pm review and also as competition to sky news. The BBC is a national institution and is paid for by you and me, the license fee payers. Thus we should stand up for what we want the news channel to be broadcasting.

The reason for the petition is the "well being of public safety" Wolverhampton Private Hire Drivers Group has joined a growing band of campaigners who have raised safety concerns over 'falling standards' in the trade since the city council changed the way drivers need to qualify for a taxi badge. They now have only to pass a one-day course.

The hospital offers both inpatient and outpatient care, as well as an Urgent Care Centre. With limited onsite parking, access to the health and care services offered at the hospital has become a major problem to elderly patients and those with mobility issues or without transport. Mental Health services has just been moved to the site, meaning even more patients use the hospital. Local bus companies need to be held to account for providing a service that meets the needs of customers and this includes maintaining adequate transport links to our local hospital for patients with accessibility needs.

If the Warriors want Scotstoun, then they should be made to build an equivalent athletic track in the local area. Alternatively Glasgow Council should insist the Warriors build themselves a full-time stadium in a more appropriate location for the crowds they are attracting to home games. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/14225370.Fears_for_future_of_athletics_at_Scotstoun_in_face_of_dominant_Warriors/

The GP Walk In Centre located at Asda Hereford was originally opened in December 2009 and is used by many people. This walk in centre is a vital service to the community. It has been threatened with closure previously. In 2010 it was looking at being moved to the A&E department at the County hospital Glenda Vaughan-Powell (then Councillor) successfully campaigned to keep it open with a 700 signature petition handed to the Hereford Mayor, calling for the new centre to stay south of the river. We are again faced with possible closure. Please sign this petition thus adding your support to keeping this centre open in south Hereford.

Lewes Crown Post Office is under threat. On January 19th Post Office Ltd announced plans to franchise 39 of its branches, and close three. Lewes Post Office is on the list of those to be franchised once a suitable retailer is found. This franchising is not for our benefit. Lewes is a busy Post Office. Customers will be all too clearly aware of the queues frequently experienced at peak times. Basically, the Post Office wants to sell the valuable Victorian building that our branch is housed in. Putting it into a local shop, will lead to longer queues, less services offered, and an all round inferior service, which will affect businesses and individual customers. Anyone who has visited Ringmer Post Office will be aware of this kind of service. Our Post Office has been on the same site for over 100 years. We have to stop this move. Thank you

It is important that all disabled veterans are supported by the government as it is the same government that placed them in areas of conflict that has resulted in them requiring financial supports as a result of the injuries they received while serving their country this including loss of mobility, loss of their ability to maintain their basic personal care, ie such as washing dressing, nutrition. Please support this petition to ensure that those U.K veterans who have been left permanently disabled do not also find themselves financially disadvantaged due to the these changes. Ian Duncan Smith needs to remove this process, provide a fair system and be forced to support disabled veterans and not just on Poppy Day. It will only take a few minutes of your time, but a life time of difference to improve the quality of life for disabled veterans.

Government have announced the closure of 86 courts and tribunals in England and Wales. If this closure programme goes ahead 38.5% of courts and tribunals will have closed since 2010. These closures will restrict access to courts and tribunals for many court users and will add unnecessary stress for victims and witnesses. The plans that were subject to consultation over the summer contained a series of errors including underestimates of journey times to alternative courts and a lack of detailed cost benefit analysis with many of the proposed closures making no financial sense. Many courts set for closure have better facilities for court users than the ones they are being proposed to be moved to. The Government case for the closures is driven solely by cost and is underpinned by digital processes in the early stages of implementation with the usual associated problems. This decision leaves a justice system in real danger of becoming so divorced from the people who need access to it that it can no longer be considered to be true justice and will undermine public confidence.

14 members of University Hospital of Wales Staff are being taken to court for parking at their own workplace. This comes more than 4 years since since the Assembly Government scrapped hospital car parking charges in Wales! 600 more staff will also be targeted to pay fines which start at £30 a ticket but then rise to hundreds of pounds per ticket. Staff are being asked to pay thousands of pounds of costs and charges to Indigo (Vinci) which has a contract with Cardiff and Vale Healthboard to manage parking at their University Hospital Site. However the available number of spaces for staff to park are wholly inadequate and management have been aware of this problem over a number of years. Despite some park and ride options many staff members such as new mums and parents of young children have no choice whether to drive to work or not. Other staff members come to work 90 minutes before they start work to queue for a precious parking space. This situation has been ignored by management for too long and now Indgio are aggressively pursuing staff members for thousands of pounds of historical fines. Some of these staff members are on low wages but make up the frontline staff at UHW.

We are about to face one of the biggest decisions that we will come across in the next 18 months and we have no idea as to the reason why we should support or not the exit from the EU. As far as immigration is concerned we are told that we cannot limit welfare payments in the country for immigrants, but if we work abroad what are we entitled to in the other country. I am old enough to have been able to vote to join the EEC, but we have not had a say when it comes to the EU. If the commission was elected then I may have more faith on Europe, currently appointments, "jobs for the boys".