Following public opposition in May, the government has revised its regulations for the privatisation of children's social services. Now, companies (such as Serco, G4S, KPMG) only need to set up a "not-for-profit" subsidiary. This will not show any profit as the parent company will charge the subsidiary at a cost which it determines. The government says this is about innovation, but local authorities do not require outsourcing and private companies to be given contracts to generate innovation. There are experienced experts with all local authorities who do the work for the good of the children and not to make profit. Outsourced services often cut costs and make profits by employing fewer staff or less-qualified workers. Some councils might see this as a solution to the government's drastic funding cuts and in fact the government can direct local authorities to cease providing the services. This privatisation has to be stopped for the sake of all the children and families who need support and protection.

This is a community asset in a deprived section of the city that is used by the public and organisations which, will be displaced from Derby Arena for concerts, pantomimes, exhibitions and more. It forms part of a well used hub where parents/family members can all partake of differing sports at the same time in one location. This will not be possible if you close it or reduce its size and will lead to parents being forced to choose one child's activity over the other. It is easily accessible from all areas and has ample parking.

Not only will TTIP effect our NHS and democracy nationally, TTIP will have significant implications for local public services. It will open up access to central and local government services to be bought up by big corporations. Measures by Lewisham Council which are designed to promote local employment, foster environmental protection or protect public health could be challenged in the extra-judicial trade tribunals, whose decisions are unchallengeable and made by trade lawyers, not judges. Lewisham is opposed to the TTIP, defending basic public services for solidarity and social redistribution.

On Friday 9th January 2015, the disastrous Circle franchising experiment finally came to an end after they walked away from Hinchingbrooke Hospital just before a CQC report announced that their running of the hospital was inadequate and highlighted serious concerns over patient safety, staffing and financial difficulties. Campaigners have called for Circle to be sacked however take no pleasure in being vindicated in every criticism and concern that was raised. This was a disaster waiting to happen and Circle lurched from disaster to disaster from day one. Losing key figures such as Circle Chief Exec Ali Parsa who quit merely 6 months into the 10 year deal with a £400,000 payout followed swiftly by the Chief Exec of the hospital who took 'early retirement' at the age of 50 hinted at serious underlying problems. Staff cuts including nearly 50 nursing posts and axing cleaning staff have contributed to the issues highlighted in the CQC report, along with the closure of an elderly trauma ward in 2013. Circle were held up as a flagship for NHS privatisation however the knight in shining armour never materialised, Now it is up to us to fight to save Hinchingbrooke. Sign the petition and join us in calling for Hinchingbrooke to remain within the NHS and say no to private sector experiments or further franchising deals

My 22-year old son James – who has autism and severe learning disabilities – is one of many vulnerable disabled adults who rely on these services. Cuts in support services will have a devastating effect on the lives of all these people - like my son - who are unable to speak up for themselves. Haringey Council plans to cut millions from their budget, with services for disabled and the most vulnerable people bearing the brunt. Just before Christmas I found out that the Council has started a very short consultation about autism and day centre service closures. Haringey Council sent a document to the disabled people who use the services. However, it was only sent out a few days before Christmas and failed to mention some key points. The document did NOT mention the plans to shut three of only four remaining day centres. How can seriously disabled people have their say if they haven’t been clearly told what the plans are? This shows that Haringey are not conducting this consultation in a fair or clear way. My son James needs specialist support 24/7 to keep him safe and to help him to take part in everyday activities, like going to the shops or swimming, that give him some enjoyment in life. If he does not get this support he gets anxious, starts hitting himself or banging his head on the floor. And I am sorry to say, he will attack others too. There are so many people like James in Haringey, who rely on day centres and support services to give them safety and stability in their lives. If these cuts go through I fear for the future of my son and many people like him. Without these essential support services, their future looks bleak. Please help us to stop this from happening. Haringey Council wants to shift the burden of care for people like James back on to families and carers. But only the most severely disabled are currently getting services, and many families will not be able to cope without this support. I want your help to say to Haringey Council: • Don’t close the three day centres for people with disabilities (including the only dedicated autism day service) • Don’t cut care and support packages for adults with the most complex needs • Don’t cut social work staff

" In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass"...and time is running out. Not only are the UK government cutting funds to the essential Fire and Rescue Services in communities all across the country, the first to go in Liverpool will be one of the most famous and important. The fireman who appears on horseback in the Penny Lane promotional film worked Allerton Fire Station, and the station is directly referenced in the song: "The fire station was a bit of poetic licence; there's a fire station about half a mile down the road, not actually in Penny Lane, but we needed a third verse so we took that and I was very pleased with the line 'It's a clean machine'. I still like that phrase, you occasionally hit a lucky little phrase and it becomes more than a phrase. So the banker and the barber shop and the fire station were all real locations." Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now, B Miles) The Beatles tours that run in the city all take in the fire station as they entertain tourists from every corner of the world. If the station is closed it is very likely that the land will be sold off to private interests and it will be demolished. If and when this happens the city and Beatles fans everywhere will lose an important heritage site. Perhaps worse than this is the wanton disregard for the safety of the people who live here displayed by central government. In a recent consultation about the proposed closure a campaigning fire-fighter who had met with Eric Pickles and Sir Bob Kerslake to try and plead the case for Liverpool's Fire and Rescue Service and this station in particular stated: "..it's quite clear that the people who make these decisions couldn't care less if the people of South Liverpool die in their beds because of delayed response times." This is supposed to be a civilised country waging a war on dangerous extremists in order to keep people safe in their beds. If there is a terror attack, there won't be sufficient emergency services to cope with it. When this issue was raised at the same consultation the chief officer nodded in agreement, and then shrugged his shoulders in a hopeless gesture. It was also stated at the consultation that this will be the first of a number of station closures on Merseyside. Ten stations were closed in the Greater London area last year and this has already cost lives. Let's draw the line here, these are essential services which we've already paid for through our taxes. Please help keep the 'clean machine' running and save lives in the heart of the Beatles home town. Please sign.

Why are they needed? Gender is more complex than a simple male/female binary. For trans or androgynous people the simple everyday activity of using the toilet may be stressful. If their physical appearance doesn’t fit gender norms they may be challenged when using gendered toilet facilities, which can be very distressing. Obliging someone to use a designated accessible toilet isn’t acceptable, since it is sends the message that they are not a ‘Genuine’ male or female. It is also best to leave accessible toilets available for use by people with disabilities, some of whom may have an unpredictable and urgent need to use the toilet. .

We have critical levels of pollution, congestion and obesity in London. Our children have the highest levels of obesity in the EU. In Holland and Denmark where more than 50% of children cycle to school they have less than half the obesity levels. Children and adults are also suffering from health issues caused by dangerous chemicals from car exhausts. At present cars dominate our roads in Central London even though the large majority of households do not own a car (69% in the city, 63% in Westminster). Many more people would like to cycle and walk but find the number of deaths and injuries from motorised traffic off putting (tragically 1,216 fatal and serious injuries in London the year ending June 2014) Please help us make this radical change in London's transport system and reclaim the streets for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy without fear.

The UK public purse loses tax that can be used to fund much needed public services 25% is too low for the new tax rules. Organisations that have little or no investment in the UK and earn large sums for example: Google made £3.3 billion they paid tax of £20.4 million small compared to if they were taxed 50 % through the new scheme: The public purse would have gained £1.65 billion that could have went to the NHS, Schools, Fire Services, Legal Aid. The consultation closes on the 4th February 2015. Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d5FZU64Bnw&x-yt-ts=1422503916&x-yt-cl=85027636

Cobbett Road Library has been the heart of Bitterne Park and surrounding areas community for 75 years. It is a thriving library with 20+ community groups from Tai Chi to Toddler groups, Business Forum to Art Groups, Book groups to Coffee mornings. There are also regular evening talks and annual events such as the Christmas Fayre and Autumn Fayre. It is a haven for people of all ages, and we have many vulnerable people coming in to a friendly, safe space, with fantastic staff who know many people by name. Libraries such as Cobbett are moving with the times and offering more than just books, but also offering old fashioned face-to-face contact and community spirit which is so important for so many. We need to safeguard such treasures for future generations, as generations before us have.

Currently autistic people fall between services in Wakefield, many people with serious need for help cannot access it due to not fitting the current criteria for existing services such as the Community Team for Learning Disabilities (because many of us do not have learning disabilities) or the Community Mental Health Teams (most of us do not have mental health difficulties). Even those of us who are 'lucky' enough to fit in some kind of service, often have our primary needs ignored or misunderstood, often leading to frustration, anxiety and even misdiagnosis. Autism is a serious and lifelong condition that affects a persons communication skills, understanding and often affects ability to live independently in the community. This can be despite having no additional learning or mental health disabilities. It is wrong that currently people who have a serious need cannot access appropriate or any help at all, and is not acceptable.

Cardiff Council is currently consulting on their proposed budget plans for 2015/16. These plans include a major attack on the city’s library service. Under the current proposals some libraries will stop receiving any council funding at all, which means that if “community groups” cannot be found to take over the running of Cathays, Radyr, Rhydypennau, Roath and Whitchurch libraries they will have to close completely. Others, such as the Central Library, Llandaff North & Fairwater will be forced to become “hubs” and share premises with officers administering and giving advice on housing benefit, council tax and loan services. Many of the Libraries already provide these services so the addition of these “hubs” would mean a non-efficient public library service. If Cardiff Council proceeds with its plan to continue running down the city’s library service, it will not only mean that less people in the city will be reading – it will be depriving residents of a place to meet and study, imposing further job losses on council staff, and making it harder for unemployed people to search for work. Rather than closing libraries or running them down by forcing them to share premises with other inappropriate services, the council should find a way of living up to its legal obligation to provide a comprehensive and efficient service throughout the city.