Unconventional gas exploitation - "fracking" - is a ridiculous idea. The Government's arguments used to justify fracking are as follows: That it will create jobs, that it’ll bring down energy bills, that it’s good for our energy security and it's a transition fuel to a green energy economy. 1. That it will create jobs. A Department for the Environment and Climate Change’s (DECC) report estimated a maximum of 24,300 of them. Yet 400,000 jobs could be created by 2020 by investment in the clean energy sector. 2. That it’ll bring down energy bills like it has in the US. But the UK’s geology is more complex than in the US, which means that the process here will be uneconomic. Even if that wasn’t the case, unlike the US, the UK exports gas as part of a European gas market, and as fracking companies will sell to the highest bidder of these European countries, there could never be a guarantee that UK energy users would be the beneficiaries. 3. That it’s good for our energy security A House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee recommendation was that shale gas should not be relied on to contribute to energy security. An energy security expert has said the best way to reduce energy security risks is to promote renewable power generation, improve energy efficiency and reduce overall energy demand. 4. A transition fuel to a green energy economy. Department for Energy and Climate Change-commissioned report on fracking’s greenhouse gas emissions has been shown to be based on poor data and exaggeration. When the actual figures are factored-in, the report shows that burning shale gas to produce electricity is about as bad as, or very possibly even worse than burning coal! The arguments against fracking are so numerous: The UK’s geology is too complex for fracking to be safe or economic. The UK’s geography means we don’t have America’s wide open spaces away from the population or agriculture. Water contamination. The UN has listed seven different ways this can occur. The huge quantities of water required. The carcinogenic properties of the chemicals used. Air pollution. Earthquakes. Industrialisation of countryside and loss of agricultural land to roads, well-pads, pipelines, compressor stations and so on. Traffic/chemical spills/noise and light pollution. Impact on tourism. Even if none of the above applied this doesn’t discount the big one – climate change. A growing number of climate change scientists are recognising that to have any chance of us staying below the two degree increase in global temperature that is required to avoid catastrophic climate change, we have to leave 80% of all already discovered fossil fuels in the ground. So why does this government want to find more of the stuff if we can’t burn it? Not all governments are hell bent on fracking - far from it. There are bans or moratoriums on fracking in France, Germany, many American states, and at least twelve other countries worldwide. And there are attractive alternatives, particularly for the UK as we have the best renewable energy resources in Europe. That’s where our energy security is - and the 400,000 jobs to get our economy back on track. A policy of support for fracking is a vote-loser. As elected representatives of Hyndburn we the community call on you to say no to fracking and yes to keeping Hyndburn frack free?

The House of Commons is meant to be made up of representatives, representing people in a given area and therefore a local form of voting seems most appropriate, however the job of the lords is to scrutinise bills as agents of the whole country. It doesn't take a genius to realise that the current makeup of the House of Lords is a poor representation of the British public and currently completely undemocratic. For a group representing the populous as a whole then a PR voting system would make the most sense, creating a house of the political median of the UKs populous. I believe this system could help us solve the problem of the current bloated House of Lords, maintain our local democracy and improve our national democracy. Finally there is an opportunity for the smaller parties to have a national voice without losing the local representation.

I pay all my income tax in Britain, but I am now disenfranchised. I have lived in France for seventeen years, but intend to return to Britain eventually. Why do I no longer have a vote? It should surely be possible for those of us who wish to continue voting to register. The argument is that too few ex-pats wanted to vote, but what if we do? I understand that French ex-pats are represented. I pay my taxes; I want to vote.

The appointment of Douglas Hogg to the House of Lords is a disgrace. Let's not forget this is the man who claimed for having his moat cleaned and his piano tuned when the expenses scandal kicked off. This is your chance to do the right thing and get the establishment to realise that enough is enough!

The protection of UK citizens visiting the USA.

FGM is a means of maintaining the inequality of the sexes/genders. It is an horrific practice and injurious to a woman in the process of giving birth.

To protect sordid and unnecessary harm, suffering and the ultimate extinction of wild animals. In the 21st century there is no excuse or valid sensible or justifiable reason to hunt wild animals to obtain their skins, heads or horns.

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.

The undermining of access to justice is gaining pace under the Conservative government and that denies UK citizens their rights to seek a legally binding outcome to their issues. It is also a serious attack on the democratic process. The discussions thus far have highlighted travel times to other courts as not being unduly difficult. However, this focusses on car users. For those that need to attend court by use of public transport this can become a major impediment to their access to justice. It indeed appears to be a deliberate action to deny justice to vast swathes of the population

The rising death toll due to the unscrupulous methods used by traffickers and the daily scenes of unacceptable border treatment of vulnerable migrants.

Because there is shortage of affordable housing

Labour has been in no mans land for years, we need a change. Out of the four contenders I believe Jeremy Corbyn has the right values and compassion, thats needed to take the party and all it's members with it, to government. He is a man with understanding of all classes, and recognises, the lower class, as people not commodities ...to be thrown away, with the rubbish.