Child poverty is leading cause of poor life chances and without the vital support of tax credits and universal credit child element many children will suffer hunger, social exclusion, deprivation. These policies unfairly attack women and children and cut the link between need and social security.

Foreign investors are buying up chunks of new housing developments across Britain, making it even harder for young people to purchase their first home, an investigation by The Times has found. Overseas buyers are spreading beyond London, purchasing flats in the midlands, the north and the capital’s satellite towns as the fall in the value of the pound makes property cheaper. The Times has established that more than 93 per cent of flats in one of Manchester’s biggest housing developments have been bought by foreign residents or companies registered overseas. Only 17 of the 282 flats were bought by British residents and only two are being lived in by UK owners. The rest are empty or being rented out. Foreign buyers are also snapping up properties in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Cambridge, Slough and Brighton as they look beyond London for better returns and lower taxes. Estate agents say that the surge of foreign money is pricing out young buyers. Daniel Valentine, author of a report on the housing crisis for the Bow Group, a Conservative think tank, described the scale of overseas investment as a scandal. He said: “British people face a grim future unless the government starts to limit the scale of foreign ownership. Overseas investors are inflating prices across the entire market, meaning most people on average wages will never be able to buy a home. There is effectively an infinite supply of international money that can pour into the country. There are 63 million potential buyers in China alone.” The development in Manchester, where prices started at £148,000 for a one-bedroom flat, has buyers from 18 countries, including Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. More than 65 came from Hong Kong and Singapore, both of which restrict Britons from buying property there. More than 130 of the properties were bought by two secretive companies based in the British Virgin Islands, a tax haven. The government announced plans this week to reveal the true owners of these companies. The situation in Manchester is mirroring what has been happening in the capital for years. In 2014 foreign investors bought three quarters of new-build properties in central London, according to the estate agent Knight Frank. That trend appears to have accelerated since. In one development in London’s Docklands examined by The Times, all but a dozen of the 56 owners had Chinese names with almost all the rest from the Middle East or Asia. Overseas investors are no longer from wealthy elites but come from the growing middle classes of expanding Asian economies. Lucien Kirk, of the estate agent Savills, said: “These middle-class buyers are more likely to need high-yield properties [that pay good rents relative to their value], which is why they are increasingly looking outside London.” Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, has commissioned a review into foreign ownership in the capital, which is expected to demand that new homes are marketed locally for at least six months before they go on sale to foreigners. One estate agent’s website in Hong Kong advertises more than 80 British new-builds, in areas including Basingstoke, Coventry and Slough. Most have not yet been built. The international estate agent Juwai.com estimates that Chinese investment in foreign property could quadruple within ten years. Steve Turner, of the Home Builders Federation, said: “A lot of developments rely on foreign investors to get started, particularly [in] high-rise developments. The upfront investment gives confidence to lenders. You can’t get that [money] from British buyers because UK mortgage rules limit offers to six months and some of these projects need finance up to three years in advance.” (Article from the Times Newspaper)

Time is of the essence if a stroke is suspected, only a consultant can Confirm the diagnosis. Tele networking is unreliable, it depends on the ability of the person using it. An hour can easily be wasted trying to get a visual with the remote consultant who might be sitting at home at the time of the call. If he can't see the patient via the TV he can't authorise treatment even if he is in possession of e mail of patient's brain scan and A & E staff talk to him on the phone. Better to spend extra minutes on route to a specialist than a hospital depending on contacting a consultant miles away via a tele network. Many hospitals such as Southport & Formby hospital may have a designated acute stroke unit but there is no consultant on site after 6pm or at weekends. Better then to send suspected strokes to a staffed unit. Tele networking allows consultants to get paid call or no call, for being at home.

It is very important for parents and carers as they are being charged more by companies at a particular time of year (school Holidays) when the prices are cheaper at other times through the year.

Often especially in local elections people vote for the party not the individual. However too often councillors switch parties or lose the whip. This can change the balance of power on a council and often is against the wishes of the people who voted for them. We need to ensure the integrity of local councils and force a by-election for all switches of alliance.

By removing Abbey Wood's Crown Post Office you are causing the loss of good jobs and services which will hurt the local economy, as well as the rapidly growing numbers of people living in the area especially vulnerable groups - such as pensioners and the disabled. Many services - banking, passport and identity services- can only be provided at Crown (not franchised) Post Offices, and since the nearest, by public transportation, is at Dartford the loss of Abbey Wood Post office would place an unacceptable barrier to many people accessing these services.

OPEN LETTER TO LANDOWNERS In June/July 2016 a company known as Tesla Exploration International Limited carried out a 3D seismic survey on behalf of Aurora Energy Resources Limited, the holders of PEDLs (Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences) 164 and 261. The areas covered by these PEDLs are shown on the attached official maps issued by the Oil & Gas Authority, from which it will be noted that bordering on PEDL 164 is PEDL 262, also licensed to Aurora and PEDL 165 licensed to Cuadrilla. On their website, Aurora state: “The North West has a long history of oil & gas exploration and production stretching back over 70 years. Many local residents will remember the oil wells near Formby. The recent recognition by the British Geological Survey of the potential for significant gas resources in northern England provides an opportunity to open a new chapter in the hydrocarbon story of the region.” and on their old website they said: “The company’s largely contiguous, 100% licence holding, puts Aurora in a strong position to play a leading role in the further appraisal of what is widely expected to be Europe's first commercially developed shale gas province.” In response to our enquiries Aurora’s MD Ian Roche has now advised: “As previously indicated, Aurora expect to bring forward proposals for future exploration at some point in 2017. Prior to any planning application being submitted, we will hold a public information event about the proposed development, the feedback from which will inform our application.” Therefore, their intention is clear that they plan to submit planning application(s) soon for exploratory drilling for shale gas (“fracking”) within their PEDLs. Once land has been acquired, UK law allows drilling to take place without requiring the landowner’s consent. The Infrastructure Act 2015 removed the requirement for companies to obtain your permission to drill under your land/property at depths of 300 metres or more from the surface. In addition, mineral rights do not belong to landowners in UK, they belong to the State. You will have seen in the press the events that are unfolding on the Fylde where Cuadrilla, holders of PEDL 165 (a much larger area directly to the north of PEDL 164). Despite legal challenges by the community against the Secretary of State’s decision to allow their appeal, Cuadrilla is continuing to construct a well-pad. There is growing evidence and information available about the consequences for communities subjected to fracking in the USA and Australia and other countries. We have attached a list of internet links to news articles and peer-reviewed studies for your attention. You may also wish to read this article from the Guardian relating to a farmer in Shropshire: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/17/dont-allow-fracking-farmer-allowed-coal-methane-borehole You will note that Mr Hickson bitterly regrets signing an agreement to allow exploratory drilling on his land: “I very much regret signing anything. I would never ever go into this kind of agreement again. As a farmer or landowner, you have the most to lose. I would say to anyone approached, please don’t let anyone drill on your land [to extract coal bed methane and gas by fracking shale].” Before a planning application can be submitted, it will be necessary for Aurora (or any company that acquires Aurora’s interest in these PEDLs) to lease or buy land for their exploration. It is for this reason that we send this letter to you signed by groups of people who have done their own research and as a result of which they are totally opposed to fracking taking place anywhere, not just in Lancashire/Merseyside. We ask for your kind consideration of this letter should you be approached by Aurora, or any company on their behalf, to acquire or lease your land. Signed: Halsall Against Fracking Frack Free Formby Frack Free Burscough Frack Free Southport Frack Free Lancashire

The STPs will result in a reduction of £139.5 million by 2020, in the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Health and Social Care budget. We believe, that this reduction to our NHS funding will lead to, a loss of services, hospital closures and to an increase in early death rates in our area. It is beyond doubt that the STPs, being driven by the Government, will speed up the privatisation of more NHS services. Last January Doncaster Council said that no decision on the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw STP would be made until the 'conversation' (not consultation) by Healthwatch Doncaster and the Due Regard statement was completed. In two to four years an unelected and/or unaccountable Central STP board (based in Sheffield) will be able to ensure that your Doncaster Royal Infirmary will be privatised. The mechanism is most likely to be an Accountable Care Organisation (ACO). These ACOs will integrate services into one decision making body and have one structure with one budget, which could be and will be easily hijacked by a venture company or a private health care company such as Virgin Care et al. Please sign this petition and help to protect our NHS funding and services and stop further privatisation.

The community needs a family friendly and drug free social hub, to enable them to socialise and unwind.

Mr Harnden and his fellow directors of the GBGB have had months to account for these dogs, but so far, have not produced any evidence that the dogs are alive. They claim paperwork has been submitted according to regulation, but the GBGB retirement form also includes reasons for euthanasia, which means these dogs could be dead without any breach of regulation. How difficult can it be, to produce these dogs if they are alive?? It is vital that the GBGB are transparent in relation to this case. If we do not get answers, it will remain to discredit the whole of the racing industry.

Starbucks are: TAX DODGERS http://fortune.com/2016/03/11/apple-google-taxes-eu/ UNETHICAL http://www.justmeans.com/blogs/starbucks-most-unethical-coffee-chain-in-the-uk UNHEALTHY https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/starbucks-coffee-and-your-health-bucking-starbucks-experience On campus services should focus on value for Students, fair and ethical trading practices and support for the local community. Not to support a company with a history of ethical and environmental abuses, one which aims to drive out local business and which profits from horrible foreign working conditions.

Tetrosyl, the largest producer and supplier of car care products in Europe and the largest independent oil blender in Europe is potentially endangering the life of Castleton residents by applying for Hazardous Substance Consent to store its products on its site as close as 270 cm to the nearest houses in the village (population 11,000*). Tetrosyl intends to store thousands of tonnes of hazardous products containing toxic chemical/gases some of which are flammable and/or highly explosive on their Royle Barn Road site. Their list includes include aerosols containing household and car maintenance products (2,000 tonnes); peroxide hardeners (150 tonnes); household, car cleaning and maintenance products (6,000 tonnes) and oils, fragrances and maintenance sprays (1,500 tonnes ) . This equates to 1.14 tonnes per resident at any given time. Castleton residents have good reasons to be frightened . Tetrosyl is located on the former Woolworths NW Distribution site, which was decimated by fire in 1971. Prior to this, in 1960, the ‘fireproof’ Dunlop mill in Castleton was engulfed by fire, tragically claiming the life of employee Charles Watson and injuring others. Only four months ago there was a huge blaze at the former Castleton Carcraft site . The Tetrosyl site is surrounded by a primarily residential area with houses, schools, leisure facilities, local businesses, shops, railway station (next to the site) and the canal (Site of Specific Scientific Interest and Special Conservation Area). It is directly opposite an electrical substation, and adjacent to the Soccer Factory, well-attended by school children with over 100 attending the facility at weekends. Hazardous chemicals like these, and in these quantities, should not be stored near a densely-populated residential area. As one resident said ‘Whilst we want to see new businesses bringing jobs to Castleton, not at any price, and the danger these chemicals pose is a price too high‘. Please support Castleton residents opposed to the granting of consent for Tetrosyl to store Hazardous Substances in the heart of their village. (*source 2011 census)