Under the proposed Immigration Bill migrants will lose most of their appeal rights. We ask where this removal of vital legal rights will end – it could soon affect all of us. Also, everyone from doctors to landlords will have to check the immigration status of their patients, tenants and other service users. But these people are not professional border guards, nor are they familiar with the ins-and-outs of immigration law. We call on the Government to leave border control where it belongs - at the border, with the professionals. Why is this important? The aim of the Coalition Government’s Immigration Bill is to create ‘a really hostile environment for illegal migrants’ (Theresa May). In reality, this hostile environment will affect all of us. No wonder this bill has been described by a Bishop as ‘pernicious’. This bill will create a nasty regime of snooping and surveillance that will affect us all; • Forcing landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants is such a complex task that landlords may well discriminate against anyone who might possibly be an immigrant – a threat to many UK citizens. The UN fears it will create ‘a climate of ethnic profiling’. • It will force the banks and DVLA to make similar checks, with the same result. • NHS staff will spend their time checking your immigration status instead of helping you. Also, If you are a migrant, you will have to pay a special health surcharge as well as VAT and other taxes. The Bill will undermine traditional British tolerance. It will sow suspicion and mistrust between people. For more information visit the Movement Against Xenophobia http://movagxen.wordpress.com/max-statement/ So far the Bill has had an easy run through the House of Commons, so we must look to the House of Lords to stop this nonsense.

It's not important it is essential - families have to work together; from teaching right and wrong, to learning life skills - so that you raise a child, not an android in society. There are enough pressures on children from an early age and yet the Government is trying to impose more. I feel as a working Mum of three, that one very important point has been missed from all conversations - that of Child Welfare. This is at the heart of my campaign, and is supported by unicef's Convention of the Rights of the Child: "Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities." Article 31 (Leisure, Play & Culture) "Governments should respect the rights and responsibilities of families to direct and guide their children so that, as they grow, they learn to use their rights properly. Helping children to understand their rights does not mean pushing them to make choices with consequences that they are too young to handle." Article 5 (Parental Guidance) Also, longer hours will not ensure better standards. OECD data shows that English pupils already spend more time in compulsory education between the ages of 7 and 14 than in Finland, Korea and Japan - countries that have very high education standards. In fact "when it comes to learning, it’s the quality of teaching at school and students’ attitude towards learning that count most, not the number of hours students spend studying.” ~ Pisa In Focus. By signing this petition it shows Government that parents do not support the idea of longer school hours. References: http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/04/gove-misleads-spectator-conference-about-longer-school-days-and-shorter-holidays-in-the-far-east/ http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

This plan will decimate early years provision in the town. The council plans to reduce the number of centres from 22 to 9- leaving many areas without provision, staff facing redudancy, and families losing essential services in their community. We are holding a family event on Saturday 29 March which will start with a march from the Town Hall at 12 heading to All Saints Square for live music, face painting, speakers and more! Public consultation meetings are being held in the coming months- http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/consultations/Childrens_Centre_consultation/index.php

I have polycystic kidney disease and it is vital I take blood pressure tablets. I cannot always afford them. My blood pressure gets dangerously high - twice I have ended up in hospital.

We depend on the quality of young people's education being sustained to give them and us a secure future. I taught for many years in a much-praised Sixth Form College, where I saw thousands of students being given opportunities to improve their lives. The college, like many others, offers a much broader range of subjects than most schools can, but some of these subjects are now being lost. Staff are highly experienced in teaching their subjects at 'A' Level, as they only teach 16-18 year olds, so students usually perform to the best of their abilities. You say that you want all institutions to be excellent, so why spoil successful State-funded ones?

Michael Gove believes "...that from time to time you need to refresh the person who is in charge of an organisation." Time to refresh the Education Secretary. Michael Gove has repeatedly shown that his ideas are out of step with those of experienced education professionals. It is high time he is replaced by someone with competence in the field.

Millions of tonnes of food, particularly fresh food, that is perfectly good for human consumption are destroyed every year by supermarkets because it is in some way "blemished". Meanwhile those living in poverty, housed or on the streets, are going hungry or even malnourished here in the UK. This is utterly immoral and must cease NOW.

The closure of respite care and transfers for after care from hospital to Winifred Kettle home in Westhoughton is very important to our community Many people have used the facilities of this wonderful care home over many years. The services of dedicated staff from cleaners, domestics, carers and managers is exemplary. We all may need the services in the future. The elderly population is increasing, but more homes are closing. Many carers are elderly themselves and circumstances do not allow them to look after loved ones. We must rally round together to put pressure on Bolton councillors to change their minds.

The cuts mean that in the cases of divorce and separation the spouse denied legal aid will be the one who cannot afford to go out to work because they are looking after young children. The spouse who can afford legal representation is the more likely to win the custody battle. In very many cases he or she is really not the best parent to look after the child/ren and the heartache for both the children and the better placed parent will be grossly unfair. This matter should most definitely NOT be a case whereby the parent who has the money to spend on the case is the victor. Lives will be severely blighted. Many in particular only see their children as a key to the door of the family home and do not have the children's interests at heart. The withdrawing of legal aid in these cases is grossly inhumane and really must not go ahead.

Its a no brainer. People are hungry and poor and food is being wasted. Three men were recently arrested for taking food from a supermarket skip, this food would be wasted and yet the needy get arrested for taking it.

The UK throws away over 5.3 million tonnes (£12 billion worth) of edible food each year. In a time of economic hardship its grotesque that such a huge quantity of food is wasted whilst more and more people are becoming reliant on food banks. Supermarkets are one of the worst contributors to food waste but rather than donate their excess food to charity, many supermarkets send it to landfill or to be incinerated. This is partly due to fear of prosecution should someone become ill and partly out of a desire to maintain their profit margins - if people are getting food for free then they don't need to buy it from you. At the most basic level people take food from bins out of desperation, because they need to eat to survive. However, many others rescue food because they wish to reduce their environmental impact or because of an anti-consumerist ideology. Many of these freegans donate rescued food to charity or share it with their friends, family and neighbours. Technically something which has been thrown away still belongs to the person who threw it out and taking it can be seen as theft. People who rescue food from bins are charged with "theft by finding" or similar offences. But how can someone "steal" food which has been thrown away and is destined to rot on a landfill site? Below are some links containing more information and details of some of the arrests and prosecutions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13037808 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6933744.stm http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-bin-raiders-revelations-on-waste-food-put-21st-century-scavengers-in-the-spotlight-8904765.html http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/28/three-charged-vagrancy-act-food-skip-iceland

This is important to me, because there's a lack of awareness that men can get raped or sexually assaulted despite the recent male rape attack in Bristol. According to UK charity Mankind 1 in 29 have reported being sexually assaulted and 1 in 20 have been affected by sexual violence. There's a huge denial that male rape exists, rooted in mistaken ideas that 'real' men can fight off an attacker, women cannot rape men, and male rape only happens in prison. These mistaken beliefs make it hard for male survivors to come forward, because they are left with feelings of shame, confusion and self blame for what happened. That's why we need the council and police to publicly recognise male rape to make it easier for male rape survivors to get the help they need and to report the crime.