As can be seen in this new report by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, The amount of fresh vegetables wasted because they do not meet the cosmetic standards of these supermarkets is monumental. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34647454?SThisFB Other reports show that conditions such as scurvy, malnutrition and rickets are on the increase. To dispose of food produce that is perfectly edible but is deemed not saleable simply because they do not conform to the right size and dimensions while people go hungry through not being able to afford or access such produce is criminal. I have previously petitioned you to stop disposing of foodstuffs that are still edible but out of date and some responded stating they had a policy to send food to charities that asked for it. I am now asking you to create a policy that provides an avenue for these fruit and vegetables to be made accessible. I am not asking you to give them away. Wastage of this produce is causing financial harm to the farmers that grow it. I find such an attitude that creates this waste abhorrent when so many are going hungry.

Why should hotels be exempt from laws that governs good business practices Example I booked a room 9 days before the date I needed it but cancelled within 24 hours giving the hotel 8 days to resell the room. I was charged 80% of the fee and offered nothing back if the hotel manages to resell the room. The incurred no costs and therefore this charge is grossly unfair.

We are a group of Hackney residents and parents of children at Colvestone Primary School. Without consulting the Education Department, and in the face of 70 objections from local people, Hackney Council’s Planning Committee has approved a development proposal that will significantly overshadow the nursery school next door. More than 30 children every year, and for generations to come, will be robbed of sunlight in the outdoor space of the nursery so that a developer can build “light-filled” private studio flats above the proposed ground floor and basement café. We are outraged by this decision. We expect the Mayor to put the education, health and well-being of the children first. • We have an independent expert review of the proposal which concludes that the building would cause “an increase of three to four times the existing levels of overshadowing” • A local resident, Judith Watt, has launched a legal challenge to the Council’s planning decision • We are urging the Council to act now to enforce historic property covenants that protect sunlight to the school's land. Please, Mayor, do the right thing.

My partner is a double below knee amputee and is currently having to live on the settee in our two storey property while we wait to be rehoused into a level access property eg a bungalow. However due to the current housing stock being so low we cannot be rehoused until at least 2017 and even that is a big maybe. He has no access to washing facilities and this is degrading as well as unhygienic and puts him at risk of infection and illness. Due to the size of the property and the struggle to navigate a wheelchair around tiny doorways and hallways he has had to resort to using his knees to crawl or transfer from his chair which massively increases the risk of needing to have his knees amputated also which would add years to rehabilitation. We also have three young children who are seeing their father suffer every day which in turn is affecting the families well being due to the continuous daily stresses we are experiencing. I'm sure we are not the only ones in this predicament which is part of a wider issue that there needs to be a major rethink in the property allocation process to ensure those in the greatest need are adequately housed.

After reading Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's article (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34647454) about the rejection of perfectly edible vegetables I knew that something really needs to be done. On average 30% of edible food is wasted in the UK. This is due to many factors such as passing the 'best before end' date and cooking too much. However a huge proportion of food is wasted even before it reaches the supermarket's shelves. According to the British Retail Consortium, 3 million tonnes of food is wasted before it leaves the farm. For example parsnips not having a perfectly straight shape are thrown away. 4 million portions of parsnips are wasted every year from a Norfolk farm because the Supermarket Client isn't happy enough with the shape. It is very frustrating for so much to be wasted when it could for the very least be donated to food banks. Strict standards apply for 10 of the most popular types of fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes and strawberries. Please sing this petition to show that you don't mind buying misshapen produce and feel that it is wrong to waste so much. Many families are struggling to provide food every day when thousands of tonnes are being thrown away.

It appears that the Government are attempting to make a two tier system that will benefit some more than others. They want existing pensioners to contribute a set amount to top up their pension if they wish to bring it in line with the new rate. This is a ridiculous scenario which has not been properly thought through and will create a situation where some will feel very let down.

Having a job and earning a decent wage is a necessity if we as a society are going to address some of the biggest concerns facing our generation. Poverty has a devastating effect on families across Scotland and in-work poverty has no place in the 21st century. There is no excuse for low-pay, when time and time again it has been shown to be not only an ineffective means of employment, but also a hindrance on long-term sustainable economic growth. Low wages result in poorer services, higher staff turnover, increased absences from work and a lower quality of life for staff stuck in low pay. We have not only an opportunity, but a responsibility, to tackle poverty and eradicate the blight it puts on people’s lives once and for all. Addressing low pay will not put an end to hardship overnight, as it is only part of a much wider and more complex picture of social justice, but it is a start, and it should be our goal to achieve it.

RWE Innogy have submitted a planning application to dam the river Conwy and build a hydro electric power plant. The Afon Conwy is a unique & nationally important river designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a famous salmon & sea trout fishery and classic white water kayaking and canoeing resource. The section of the river that will be affected by the dam includes the famous Conwy Falls waterfall a significant visitor attraction and the iconic Fairy Glen. Photo ©Andy Teasdale

Other countries are using this fund to support their steel industries. Here’s a giant pot of money into which Whitehall should dip its fingers. Please do. Jobs, communities and a vital industry should be supported.

The Housing and Planning Bill 2015-2016 includes measures to sell "high value" council homes in St Albans off to the highest bidder. The government have not defined what is meant by the term "high value" and won't do so until after the bill is passed. Housing charity Shelter have estimated that using a standard definition of "high value" would mean the loss of approximately 60% of the council homes in St Albans or 2993 homes. The money from the sale of these properties will be handed over to the government, with the local council keeping a tiny fraction. If the homes are sold for an average of £150,000 (a fraction of what they are likely to be sold for) then local tax payers will lose more than £500m. By signing this petition At a time of the worst housing crisis since the war, we need more housing not less. These plans will lead to a reduction of council stock and affordable housing to rent. UPDATE: New amendments to the bill tabled by the Secretary of State Greg Hands in January 2016 also make provision for Developers to nominate private companies to process their planning applications. We worry an individual or organisation that submits a planning application will be free to shop around for whichever alternative provider they think can give them the best chance of getting a planning application accepted. These idea has already been trialed in St Albans and experienced issues, we are also worried about the effect of any privatisation of the planning process on the engagement of local people in planning applications. Many companies may prioritise speed over quality in determining applications.

General GP surgeries and People GP surgeries will face heavy budget cuts. People are generally unaware of the funding cuts which will result in surgeries which offer local services having their funding reduced. The consequence of this may mean many services moved to local hospitals, blood tests only available at local hospital, no compression bandages for ulceration, prostate tests, chest breathing and capacity, some gynacological problems, no doppler testing, or heart monitors, no 24 hr blood pressure monitors. These are only a few examples of what will happen with the expectation of over stretched hospitals unable to cope. We need a national strategy to defend the poor, the sick and the frail who have no idea what is to happen to them from April 2016, Save our surgeries, It will affect your parents and grand parents, even if you are fortunate to enjoy good health, or it could be a child who has to be taken to hospital instead of your local Doctor. I am ashamed of these changes and hope that you will realise the significance of the destruction by stealth this Government is causing our health services

Butter is a product of milk. The more butter that is used will help the UK dairy farmers. Palm Oil is imported and using that oil does not help the UK balance of payments. It could also help reduce the loss of tropical rain forest.