Increasingly consumers want to be able to make informed choices about whether to avoid products which are packaged in plastic. That is easy enough to do in a store when shoppers can see the product, but more difficult when buying online with just an image to look at. Introducing information about product packaging, or even a kitemark for products which are entirely plastic-free, would help consumers make more environmentally-friendly choices, and incentivise suppliers to reduce the amount of plastic used in their packaging.

Internet access, whether you like it or not, is vital especially in this day and age because having the luxury of brilliant internet provides you with various different benefits. Good broadband is a necessity for communication between friends and family and for other leisures, like improved education, daily activities, and potentially even gaming. Furthermore, from where I stand, I personally concur that good broadband speeds can make life easier in a multitude of different ways, whether it’s financially or if it’s simply just for the fun of it!

Too many children and young people are currently being failed within these two systems and it needs to change, now. Every child matters, and children with SEND and mental health problems are not receiving the quality of provision that they deserve. Thought should also be given to the families of these children who are exhausted with fighting a system that just continues to put up barrier after barrier of beurocracy and stagnant progression. My son began showing signs of ASD when he was in pre-school. Looking back, the signs were there including separation anxiety, aggression, excessive blinking and growling, but everyone was saying how intelligent he was and how great he was coming along with his learning, those signs got overlooked. My son is now 9 and is school avoidant due to high levels of anxiety. He is scared of school, going on public transport and tends to avoid most social situations. My son has said he would rather die than go to school. I know of hundreds, even thousands, of other children and families in England who are experiencing similar situations. It's time to bridge the gap between the traditional, outdated education system that we have currently and SEND education, including mental health provision; giving children with SEND and mental health issues and their families the provision they need. Pupils in England 'waiting up to five years for soecial needs plan- https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/may/13/pupils-in-england-waiting-up-to-five-years-for-special-needs-plan-says-ofsted

Too many incidents have happened on this section of Woodmill Lane; most recently a Nissan Micra crashed into the mill building causing serious damage and closing the road for an indefinite period (1). Previous major incidents have included the injury of a 64-year-old man, who was struck by a van as he was walking his dog (2) and a collision and altercation between motorists that involved the Police (3). Other incidents include an 11-year-old cyclist being driven at as they left the activities centre with the driver claiming that they had ‘skipped the lights’ as well as cars running into the bollards - costing the council in repairs to the pavement - and numerous near-misses as cars and vans mount the curb. This is a historic site (4) that, rather than being enjoyed, is blighted by air and noise pollution and the ever-present risks posed by unwary and dangerous drivers. Whilst many drivers have learned to take care passing through this bottleneck, there are always those who either don’t care or are unaware of the hazards on this stretch of road. For too long we have hoped that all drivers will take more care at this location and yet, despite efforts by Southampton Council to improve traffic flow, collisions and near-misses continue to occur. Additionally, during a time of pandemic, social distancing is impossible with the path narrowing to less than a metre at some points and with two blind corners making it risky to step out and create safe space for other pedestrians. Fears of congestion at other crossings of the Itchen are no reason to keep this route open; research shows that the only way to reduce congestion is to provide alternatives to driving - including making active travel both safe and attractive - and demand management such as reducing access to roads (5). If Southampton City Council wants to encourage healthier travel to benefit the city, what better way than to implement a safe crossing of the Itchen for active travel at Woodmill? In time, drivers will opt for other transport modes that mean they can enjoy this safer route. 1. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19296021.closed-woodmill-lane-remains-shut-car-smashes-southampton-building/ 2. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/18483049.hit-run-woodmill-bridge-southampton/ 3. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17918044.police-called-woodmill-bridge/ 4. http://sotonopedia.wikidot.com/page-browse:woodmill 5. http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/infrastructure/congestion/CongestionSummary.pdf

To enable us to get out and about

Combatting climate change is not just an issue for politicians and industry. It requires changes in behaviour by everybody in their everyday lives,. Although most people will have heard of climate change and enjoyed David Attenborough's documentaries, they need to be made aware of what they need to do to contribute. Why should they eat less meat, drive an electric vehicle, replace their gas-fired heating with a heat pump etc. The government's "Together for our planet" campaign is not reaching people. We need a TV and social media campaign as was done for Covid 19. Climate change is even more of a global crisis than Covid 19 and we have the means to mitigate its impact if governments, local authorities and the people all work together.

They are paying independent companies to do the assessment and 8 claims out of 10 are being declined. Fibromyalgia is a daily struggle for the majority of sufferers. It is a disabling condition physically, mentally and emotionally.

We, the undersigned, call on Liverpool City Council to take all actions available to it to press the ACC Liverpool to cancel the AOC Europe, an arms fair, to take place in a council-owned venue, effectively owned by the people of Liverpool. From 11-13th October 2021, international arms companies are due to meet up with delegations from a range of repressive states at the AOC Europe 2021, at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool. The event is an exact replica of the Electronic Warfare Europe, which was cancelled last year after pressure from a large coalition of Liverpool civil society groups. In response to their pressure, the then Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson committed to develop “an ethical charter for LCC and the ACC” in order to “set restrictions on what events we can and should have.” It is therefore deeply concerning to see an arms fair attempt to return to the city, in a venue owned by Liverpool City Council. Arms merchants, including Elbit Systems and Leonardo, whose weapons are used by repressive states are due to attend the fair. The City Council must take action to press ACC Liverpool to cancel the AOC Europe and ensure that no further arms fair is allowed in a City Council owned building in future. We are also outraged to know that the Merseyside Pension Fund, holding local government workers pensions, invests heavily in arms companies including firms mentioned on the AOC publicity for the Liverpool arms fair. We call for sustained efforts to divest MPF holdings from the arms industry.

We understand that there have been past petitions to KCC that have been responded to. But if Kent County Council is serious about tackling the climate crisis it must end its investments in an industry that encourages climate change denial at every point. KCC has told us that the reasoning behind their continued investment in fossil fuels is due to the belief that their investments give them a say at the table in how these companies are run. However, without evidence that KCC has a positive impact on these companies and their policies, we must once again ask them to reconsider their investments in companies that are completely unsustainable. KCC is one of the highest local government investors in the industry. If Kent County Council is truly committed to both people and the planet, they will take our concerns on board and show their interests are in boosting the local economy and not that of the industry that involves the destruction of our planet.

The fence has to go!

Face coverings and masks are a barrier for the deaf and lip readers so the mouth needs to be visible for those with dementia and autism the fabric can cause misunderstanding and melt downs

Recently, it was announced that every adult in Northern Ireland would be eligible for a £100 voucher to spend on the high street. The voucher is being introduced to help retail and hospitality outlets, which have been badly affected by lockdown measures. The voucher cannot be used online. The Northern Ireland Government believes this voucher scheme will have a “multiplier effect which will help bring many more customers back through the doors of local retail, hospitality and other sectors.” A huge petition could persuade Boris Johnson to introduce a £100 voucher scheme in England and give retailers a helping hand when they need it the most.