Many teaching staff could not carry out their jobs if it were not for these crucial staff in schools and many, many vulnerable pupils would not get a positive and meaningful experience of education if it were not for Pupil Support Assistants, Classroom Assistants, and Learning Assistants. It is imperative - especially in light of the current campaign for increased teacher pay - that non-teaching staff are also recognised for their enormous contribution to education and the importance of this contribution to both teachers and pupils.

David and Alison Telfer had always been led to believe they would remain on their farm at Cleuchfoot until retirement. But now they're being moved off their family farm so that the Duke can cash in on a grant to grow timber. A Forestry Grant Scheme has allowed landowners to benefit financially at the expense of tenants. And unfortunately, due to the practice of issuing short term leases, the current Duke can terminate the Telfers' tenancy whenever he wishes. So the Duke has split their farm into two lots for sale and is removing part of it imminently.This month they are being forced off a major part of their farm. They have had their case brought into the public domain and this has caused embarrassment for the Duke. A public meeting , held in Langholm, to discuss afforestation created overwhelming support for those such as the Telfers and acceptance by the Estate that there had been a lack of proper consultation. Their case has been raised at Holyrood and the chairman of the Scottish Land Commission has criticised the treatment of the couple. Please support the Telfers, who've leased the farm for over 20 years to remain on their farm until their planned retirement in a few years time.

Virgin Care is seriously failing people in mid-Essex, with at least two Virgin run GP practices in our area in serious crisis. Virgin Care took over the Sutherland Lodge Surgery in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, in November 2016. In less than eighteen months this previously well run surgery was rated 'inadequate' in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. https://www.essexlive.news/news/chelmsford-gp-surgery-special-measures-1565229 Now the Virgin Care Church Lane Surgery in Braintree has not only also been rated 'inadequate' in a CQC inspection, it has earned the reputation as the 'worst' GP surgery in the county. https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/what-its-like-patient-essexs-2084755 Virgin Care must be kept away from our NHS. Our NHS needs to be publicly run putting patients first, not run for the greed of big business.

Brockham, in Surrey’s Green Belt, is about to be subject to a new and controversial type of oil extraction and production. This involves the use of chemicals, acids, reinjected waste fluids and gas flaring which can release toxins into our air and water sources. These risk harm to our health and environment. Astonishingly, no statutory body is monitoring air or water quality, nor have they required disclosure of the type and quantities of chemicals to be used. This is because the site is being allowed to operate under an old-style environmental permit appropriate for a simple nodding donkey type pump – NOT the new technique about to be deployed. The Environment Agency has been in the process of putting in a modern-style permit for over 2 years, but it is still unclear when this will be completed. The Environment Agency wrote last year: “We are in the process of bringing their permits up to a modern standard, including a declaration of chemicals used. As a result that information will only become available in time.” The time has surely come. The new 'sidetrack' hole was drilled without authorisation or planning permission in January 2017 when Angus Energy misled Surrey Council into believing they were simply performing maintenance work. Despite being misled, Surrey County Council shockingly issued retrospective planning permission in August 2018. We have serious concerns over the operator's competence and integrity. Angus Energy now have carte blanche to commence extraction from unconventional geology using new methods that are neither properly regulated or monitored. Brockham is in an area with much groundwater and numerous water courses and we are highly concerned about the water pollution risks this new activity presents. During a recent test from the same rock formations at Balcombe in Sussex, the same company Angus Energy hit "unexpected high-pressure water" through "fractured communication" with other layers, highlighting the reality of the risks we face. We are also concerned about the impacts on public health from the gas flaring and gas engine combustion, which are projected to produce significant emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and undetermined quantities of Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S). Brockham will be amongst the first sites in the country to attempt commercial production from shale rock. The target Jurassic Kimmeridge layer has been compared by the authorities to the Bakken Formation in North Dakota, where the use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling brought about mass industrialisation and thousands of wells. In the interests of people's health and the environment this new activity should not be allowed, at the very least until a new Environmental Permit with stricter modern regulation and control is in place. We simply seek to properly respect and protect our health and environment and are asking the Environment Agency and Government to do the same. - - - [1] Brockham Oil Watch are raising funds to commission professional baseline air and water monitoring. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brockham-oil-watch?fbclid=IwAR1kPGcARen3kaNHqysTe7JfrbhVHlTMOjUGpmiaqeKM4HAJUvk7IlDNMdU [2] More detail here: https://drillordrop.com/2018/06/14/residents-uncover-regulatory-loophole-at-surrey-oil-site/ [3] and here: https://drillordrop.com/2018/10/23/leading-surrey-councillor-lists-challenges-of-working-with-weald-oil-companies/

In 2017, 5,500 un-weaned calves were exported from Scotland to Spain and Italy in journeys typically totalling 100 hours. Young calves can suffer from dehydration, starvation and exhaustion and are unable to regulate their body temperatures. This can result in weakened immune systems which may cause illness and even death. After Brexit, we have a real opportunity to end the live exports of UK animals destined for Europe for slaughter and fattening. A recent poll shows that the vast majority of Scottish voters in all parties want this to happen, yet progress on this is being held up by opposition from the Scottish Government. This cruel and unnecessary trade was exposed in the recent programme ‘Disclosure: The Dark Side of Dairy’ which highlighted how these young calves can suffer during these horrendously long journeys. Soon after the show aired, P&O Ferries made the bold and courageous move to cease co-operating with the Scottish Government to transport calves across the Irish Sea destined for the continent. P&O have been stalwart in their decision to end the suffering of innocent calves. Now it is time for the Scottish Government to show the same courage and drop their objections to a ban.

We had this experience of not being informed of our London-bound train being reversed to Swansea. The captions on the screen in the carriage we were in still had the train bound for Paddington until the train started moving but in the opposite direction when it changed to Swansea - the next stop was Swindon. It was too late for us to get on another London-bound train for the football match at Wembley. This is not the first time. GWR, for example, installed new high-technology trains with captions in all carriages but have not implemented information of any last minute changes that may happen from time to time.

I've lived in four different counties in England and Wales over the past decade and it's struck me that despite wanting to recycle, every time I moved, I had to do hours of research to find out what was locally recyclable and what wasn't. Why can I recycle polypropylene (plastic no. 5) in Northamptonshire, but not in West Yorkshire? Why do I have to throw out into general waste what I could recycle, were I in a different county? Should I keep all that waste and recycle it at a friend's house 150 miles from my own? This is not an acceptable state of affairs. All we want to do is the right thing: divert unnecessary waste from landfill. Landfills use land, pollute waterways and the air we breathe. They affect humans, animals and plants alike. Landfill should be a last resort for our waste, and recycling should not be an uphill battle. Many manufacturers want to do their bit too. But when there are different rules in different councils, how can they ensure that their packaging can actually be recycled everywhere and not in just a few areas? How can they be expected to solve such a massive problem? Locally managed recycling schemes don't work for consumers or manufacturers. They add to confusion and frustration. A nation-wide recycling policy would reduce unnecessary waste going into landfill and make the most of existing facilities. It would lead to less confusion and higher recycling rates. It would also allow manufacturers to make economically safe, more environmentally-friendly decisions about their products and their packaging. The more we recycle, the less waste goes into landfill and the lower our impact on our environment is. Calls for a unified recycling policy and kerbside collection have been made over a decade ago.(*) This issue is only growing in importance. The time has come to show some real leadership and do the right thing. * Guy Singh-Watson, Riverford, in 'Guy's Rant: The Plastic Problem', https://youtu.be/Cylp_tTrSZg?t=208

This building serves as a form of entertainment to the local Asian community, showing a number of Bollywood films on a daily basis. To close the Safari cinema it would put to an end years of tradition that members of the local community have enjoyed for a great many generations. The cinema opened in 1936, featuring an art deco-style façade, and showcased a variety of films and other acts. I am keen to preserve historical structures within the Borough, which have both character and a cultural significance.

The UK breakfast cereal market is worth over £1.6 billion - that's a lot of boxes of cereal! Currently the vast majority of bags inside cereal boxes in the UK (and Worldwide) are not recyclable so they end up going in the bin and off to landfill. That's an awful lot of landfill and potentially a massive plastic pollution problem when those plastic bags end up in the wrong place, like in our rivers and seas. Plastic packaging has been found intact after 47 years. During that time discarded plastics have had negative impacts on the health of our wildlife and ecosystems. At today's consumption rates, billions of cereal bags will be sent to landfill. Those which don't make it (either whole or as microplastics) end up being ingested by animals, fish or birds leading to their ill health and early death.

New information has come to light that this Neo-Georgian building is the first newly-built Catholic school in Edinburgh (and possibly Scotland) after the Scottish Education Act 1918 integrated Catholic schools into the state system. Like the listed Leith Academy in Edinburgh, it was designed by the architects Reid and Forbes and like Leith Academy, we believe it should be saved and given a new lease of life, either as much-needed housing or as a community space serving the needs of all local people. We welcome the notion that there should be replacement parkland, intended to compensate for the loss of Portobello Park to the site of the new High School. However, demolition of the various prefabricated surrounding buildings, but retention of the main St John's building, would still allow for a significant new landscaped park to be created on this site. It seems counterintuitive to demolish a historic building in order to create a slightly larger parkland adjacent to the existing 14 hectare Figgate Park. We need to stop and consider what is the most efficient and beneficial use of this historic resource.

The University, as one of Birmingham’s largest employers, must use its political influence to prioritise the safety of its students and keep this at the top of the agendas of local councillors and MPs. Whilst the police have continually offered wonderful support in times of crisis, due to local and national funding cuts to the police it is clear they are overworked and not able to offer the support that is so badly needed in the area. Every year there is a call to action but nothing is ever resolved. It’s time for the University and local government to follow through on its promises and ensure that student safety is continually at the forefront of their priorities – and not just something discussed ‘after the event’. These stakeholders need to take individual and collective responsibility for ensuring the safety of students in Selly Oak.

🐝 There has been a Government commitment to create a network of wildlife habitats in the countryside since 2010. Our bees and other pollinators are in trouble, their wildflower habitats are widely fragmented and they are unable to move north to escape from climate change. 🐝 The Protection of Pollinators Bill, due for 2nd reading on 26th October, would create an English network of B-Lines – corridors where wildflower meadows would be restored, linking back together the homes of our endangered pollinators. 🐝 Without bees and other pollinating bugs we would not have apples, strawberries, tomatoes or many other crops – they are worth about £700 million to British agriculture. Our pollinators are also wonderful animals and our populations of wild flowers and birds depend on them as well.