I would like to petition the UK Department for Education to support the launch of a recent global education platform known as PEER. As one who is working closely with refugees and their children, I would like to wholeheartedly support the launch of this platform called Platform for Education in Emergencies Response. Working together hand in hand with the IIE (Institute of International Education) in New York, PEER aims to connect refugee students with university scholarships, resources and other higher education opportunities that they deserve without having a need to buy a diploma just to further their studies. A brainchild of the Catalyst Trust for Universal Education, PEER is fast gaining support from various parties. Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been in discussion with the UN to better understand the emergency needs of 57 million refugee schoolchildren and youths who are on the verge of attending University without the intention to buy a diploma. The ongoing refugee crisis is something these children can do without, and if there is anything to alleviate their condition without exacerbating the situation, this global education platform would be it. In Syria alone, as many as 150,000 youths who are on the brink of university life have had their progress disrupted by war and persecution. That's 150,000 young impressionable lives stuck without higher education. Without the need to buy a diploma, refugee students can expect to benefit from the platform dispensing university scholarships and placement, translation services, higher learning resources and support or counselling. Therefore, I hope the UK Department for Education would consider backing this platform and to spread word about it helping refugee students. Thank you for lending me your ears. Brook Arnold

The government want to change the way disabled people can appeal rejections and claim their benefits. The main change is holding the appeals over the telephone, on a webcam or even by reading submitted paperwork. The other worrying change is replacing a judge with a clerk or solicitor with no experience in disability law. Moving the process out of the courts to a decision made by a clerk or retired lawyer is dangerous as they don't have experience making fair decisions in this area. The clerk would also be given performance indicators likely to contain targets for how many people should be rejected. This makes the process more biased against the disabled person. If the changes go through, disabled people would only have their case heard through a virtual court or by submitting evidence on paper. This makes it much harder for disabled people to give detailed and persuasive evidence and for the clerk, to see how their disability affects their ability to work. When assessments for benefits are wrong, disabled peoples’ lives are turned upside-down. It put my family through months of stress and uncertainty. I was assessed as being fit to work although my condition means I can’t stand without help. But thanks to the appeals process in court, I won back benefits that were vital for my family’s survival. If I had gone through the new process I might not have got the benefits I am entitled to and rely on. For many disabled people receiving benefits can be a matter of life or death. The appeals process currently works for lots of people - these changes will prevent disabled people like me from fairly challenging assessments about a person’s ability to work. I count myself as lucky - I won my appeal and now as a family, we’ve managed to keep our heads above water financially. I worry about everyone else that might be wrongly assessed though, and what the proposed changes will mean for them. Everyone deserves a fair, legal hearing. The government are currently consulting on the changes so it's important we make our voices heard.

People are having their lives wrecked simply because they've either had their mobile phone stolen or cloned or they've been tricked into calling a fraudulent number. The telecom companies are quite happy to pay the insane call charges to criminal gangs because they then charge their customers for the cost of the call.

Fracking causes misery worldwide, with death's, cancers and disease. It is unethical and should be banned. It is no different to importing blood diamonds. This is supposedly banned so why not shale gas? I say we ban its use. I say ban its usage and the imports and drilling for it will end.

To save a generation from the onslaught and horrors of , amongst others , Western intervention in Syria.They dont need to see war.All children deserve a childhood without fear. Imagine your child sat in the rubble of your own home..unable to sleep at night due to the sounds of war. Would you walk past these children in your own street?

Disability and especially persons in wheel chairs need access more convenient to local shops. A disabled person driving with a blue Badge has difficulty finding places to Park and Surrey County Council action in Removing High street disabled Parking Bays is immoral. Our friends had driven down from London to Cobham ---could not find a disabled bay for Parking in Cobham -high street.

In the UK 40,000 people die early each year as a result of dirty air. We need to do everything we can to tackle this. One of the things that adds to the pollution in London is that bus drivers do not switch off their engines when their buses are stationary or parked. Anti-idling devices would help reduce emissions. Diesel emissions are causing ill-health in children and vulnerable adults. The cost of retro-fitting anti-idling devices would be more than covered by the fuel saving.

Children walking to school are at such high risk of an accident a fatality is waiting to happen due to the SPEED Already we have had cars ( one car on its roof passenger trapped inside)

While people are struggling to pay bills and buy food in these day of austerity it is offensive to see companies like these wasting good food

My mother died on 6th October of cancer. Instead of spending her last weeks in a hospice where her pain and nausea could be controlled and she could spend her days in peace she was in a crowded, noisy, stressful hospital ward being served unsuitable food she couldn't eat without vomiting and suffering pain. Last year MPs rejected the Assisted Dying Bill saying end of life care provision was good. They were wrong. Despite great compassion from the ward staff, my mother's last week was not a peaceful one because the local hospices are overstretched and could not offer her a bed in time. For the last seven weeks of her life she could not sleep because of the nightly shouting of patients who should have been in psychiatric or dimensia specialist care. This is not acceptable in the fifth richest country in the world. I ask MPs and the Departmenr of Health: is this how you would want to spend your last days?

Update 03/01/17 Following our petition there were some community meetings held at Parson St School. At these it was heard “that petition really kicked up a stink!” [at the Council] and Metrobus acknowledged the need for additional safety measures, described many options and said they would consult the residents of Highbury road, though would give no timescale. Since then we have asked when we would have responses to the concerns that were submitted as objections to the traffic order and been told that no responses were formalised but the comments were taken into account as part of the decisions report. The decisions report does not get published – instead you have to write/email to get a response. Please take the time to do this, contact details below. It does not seem right that this is not automatically published given the high level of concern and numbers of us signing the petition – show them that the response is important by contacting them and asking for an update. If we all do this they will realise that it would be better to issue a public response and that we will not be fobbed off over our children’s safety. Also since the issues were raised we have had no indication of what action, if any, they will be taking and they have not communicated with the local school over this, despite there being ongoing campaigning for greater road safety prior to this new issue. There is another meeting but the council will not be writing to residents about this meeting (as it is not an official council event) – please attend if you can and show your support. Monday 16th January at 6.30pm at Parson St School, Bedminster Road entrance – share with everyone and encourage people to attend as all eyes will be on the turnout. If you would like any updates you need to contact Councillor Mark Bradshaw –do it as soon as possible so we start the New Year showing we are committed to keeping our children’s safety a priority. Correspondence address: c/o Labour Group Office City Hall PO Box 3176 Bristol BS3 9FS Bus. phone: 0117 353 3160 Email: [email protected] ************************************************************************************************ Original content The proposed changes will increase traffic on the already congested Bedminster Road. Hartcliffe Way and Highbury Road. These are roads directly by the school and where the school entrances are located and the community is already concerned about safety. Furthermore the proposed changes include removing a crossing which is opposite the school which children use to cross Hartcliffe Way (an exceptionally busy road) safely. With increased traffic and reduced crossings our children's safety is being compromised significantly. Please look at links and object through the council as well as signing this. (NOTE these 2 links no longer work as initial consultation has closed). https://www.bristol.gov.uk/documents/20182/1116390/E14017-TRO-450+Hartcliffe+Way+movement+Restrictions.pdf/0c61715e-202f-4b69-8c83-b6a9045d02f1 https://www.bristol.gov.uk/documents/20182/1116390/Statement+of+Reasons+v2.pdf/f7124074-9bf2-47ce-80de-ba3709f69d76 This is copy and pasted - it has the information to email/write and officially object - please take the time to do this - you are welcome to use points from this petition to do so. We have so many signatures and growing each day but we need the emails/letters too. Many thanks. ************************************ CITY OF BRISTOL (HARTCLIFFE WAY AND PARSON STREET, BISHOPSWORTH AND FILWOOD WARDS, CITY OF BRISTOL) (PRESCRIBED AND PROHIBITED MANOEUVRES) ORDER 20-- The City Council of Bristol hereby gives NOTICE it proposes to make a traffic order, the effect of which would be:- 1. to introduce a southbound in A4174 Parson Street prescribed straight ahead into southbound A4174 Hartcliffe Way at its junction with Parson Street eastbound carriageway; and 2. to introduce a prohibition of right turn from northbound on A1474 Hartcliffe Way into Parson Street eastbound carriageway. Further information available from 16th September 2016 Further details of all the proposals are contained in the draft order, which together with plans and a Statement of the Council’s Reasons for proposing to make the order may be inspected at the Citizen Service Point, 100 Temple Street, Bristol, BS1 6AG, between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Monday to Friday. The draft order, plans and Statement of Reasons are also available to view on the City Council website at www.bristol.gov.uk/trafficorders. In addition, the draft order, plans and Statement of Reasons are available to be inspected at Marksbury Road Public Library, Marksbury Road, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 5LG during normal opening hours. How to object Objections to the proposals, together with the grounds on which they are made must be sent in writing to TRO Comments at the undermentioned address or by e-mail to [email protected] quoting reference CAE/NMT/P-1011A by 10th October 2016. Please include your name and address and note that all representations received may be considered in public by the City Council and that the substance of any representation together with the name and address of the person making it could become available for public inspection. Highways Service (WH) P. MANN PO Box 3176 Service Director Transport Bristol BS3 9FS Date: 16th September 2016

Because so much information is (other than on food labels) is printed in size 6 and even size 5 point and is impossible for most people to read and understand. The elimination of ridiculously small print will allow he public to be properly informed.