According to a recent press release dated July 2016 by the British Association of Dermatologists, acne patients in the UK are being over-exposed to oral antibiotics. Studies have found that the reliance on oral antibiotics can be detrimental to patients’ health through the debut of a new type of antibiotic-resistant acne as well as a possible host of other bacterias. Obviously, there needs to be a more wholesome approach to treating acne rather than sending patients home with large doses of antibiotics. Moreover, existing acne treatments as Accutane (Isotretinoin) and all generic brands have been known to cause a plethora of unwanted side effects. Worse case scenarios saw patients suffering from Crohn’s Disease, depression, birth defects and in several cases, this drug was also known to have driven some patients to suicide. With all these reasons stacked up, I call for the British Skin Association and all relevant parties to look into this matter, and place higher priority towards providing a more wholesome form of acne treatment. The undersigned, Carry Stone

Community rail partnerships (CRP) have been instrumental in achieving spectacular increases in use of rail through innovative marketing, improved services and better station facilities. Their work includes improving bus links to stations, developing walking and cycling routes, bringing station buildings back to life, art and education projects and organising special events which promote the railway and its relevance to the community. Basically its getting more folks to use trains and encouraging them to use bikes, buses and walking and not use their cars. More passengers strengthen the case for more trains and better stations. In our area we have Gainsborough Central, the worst station in the land according to the Times served by three trains week ( in each direction), all on Saturday. GRaB (Gainsborough, Retford and Brigg rail and bus users group) has already achieved much that would normally be done by a CRP, the latest being the publication of the Gainsborough Travel Guide with all trains and buses in the area shown in one simple guide. However there is a limit to the work that can be done by a users group. A CRP recognised by ACoRP and the DfT has a stronger relationship with train companies who are obliged to work with them.

Health Education England (HEE) is currently consulting on proposals which will see massive job losses among staff responsible for the recruitment and training of new doctors and dentists for London and the South East, while at the same time introducing new data systems and ways of working without trialling them first. Currently 180 staff oversee the recruitment and training of thousands of junior doctors and dentists every year. Under the new plans, there will be just 111 staff to do the same work AND take on new business in two areas they have no experience of. This is a 41% head count cut coming at the same time as a massively increased workload, proposed to be implemented by March 2017. Furthermore, this is just the start – this cut is just in one region, but similar cuts are currently being planned in other HEE regions of the country. We believe this represents a denigration of the service for trainee doctors and dentists, and as a consequence a real threat to the NHS and to patient safety. At a time when recruitment of doctors is already suffering due to the government’s health policies, the last thing we need is to undermine it further. These cuts should be stopped completely until the new systems and working patterns have been tested so that informed proposals for safe staffing levels can be made. According to Professor Allyson Pollock: ‘The Health and Social Care Act abolished the NHS and it is now being dismantled through budget cuts and services closures. There is no longer a duty on the Sec of State to provide key services throughout England and many areas will soon find they have decreased and limited access to NHS services and care as hospitals and services close and are sold off. Budgetary cuts are also decimating the organisations such as HEE which is responsible for recruiting and training staff including junior doctors. The destruction of the NHS is continuing apace and only legislation can stop it’.

The use of glyphosates has already been banned or restricted in 8 countries. It is not acceptable that ourselves, our children and the animals we share our community with are being routinely exposed to these chemicals whether we like it or not. This is a matter of great importance for those of us who care about each other's health and the health of our children, our cats, our dogs and all the flora and fauna of this city, of course including our beloved bees. If you don't live in this area, click here to sign or start the campaign for your city: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/start-a-pesticide-campaign

The use of glyphosates has already been banned or restricted in 8 countries. It is not acceptable that ourselves, our children and the animals we share our community with are being routinely exposed to these chemicals whether we like it or not. This is a matter of great importance for those of us who care about each other's health and the health of our children, our cats, our dogs and all the flora and fauna of this city, of course including our beloved bees. If you don't live in this area, click here to sign or start the campaign for your city: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/start-a-pesticide-campaign

There are a huge number of working families in the UK who spend an exorbitant amount of their income, sometimes up to 50%, on nursery fees alone. This can often result in one parent, usually the mother, simply not returning to work because of the expense. The loss of child benefit and other financial assistance to most working families has not helped. There is little incentive to return to work for many women because of the cost. Childcare costs will only spiral further with the increase in the minimum wage (affecting salaries paid to nursery staff). The government must help these families by providing this tax break.

This has created an additional stealth tax for the motorist whereby the DVLA will collect an additional months road tax for every secondhand vehicle sold. In today's advanced society surely an organisation such as one so large and well funded could work out refunds and charges on a daily rate. This is costing the motorist an additional 20 million pounds a year.

BT won't provide any service unless at enormous Profit and will not entertain competition in any form

We have a great tradition in this country of granting honours to Commonwealth sporting greats, Sir Garfield Sobers and Viv Richards in West Indian cricket and Sir Graham Henry and Gordon Tietjens in New Zealand rugby for example. At a time when the sport of athletics has been blighted by doping and other scandals, Usain Bolt has been a shining light of clean athletics in a blue riband event. His achievement on Monday morning 15 August 2016 in achieving an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 100metres final in Rio was outstanding, and he is still likely to achieve medals in the 200 metres and 4x100 metres relay. He has announced that this will be his last Olympic Games. It is time for the UK Government to honour the achievement and outstanding contribution to world sport of this great Olympian and grant him a knighthood in the next Honours List.

Haringey has the expertise and resource available to provide a good home for many more than four families. It only remains for the Council leadership to submit a request to the Home Office. Why have they refused to do so? The VPR scheme was established by central Government in 2014, and in September 2015 David Cameron promised to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees during the lifetime of the current parliament. The refugees are currently in UNHCR camps in countries neighbouring Syria, and have particular vulnerabilities such as disabilities, or having survived torture, which mean they cannot safely stay in the camp environment. Each refugee is funded to a total of £20,000 over five years, which is channelled through the local authority to pay for the costs of resettlement. So, a family of five would be funded to a total of £100,000. Four such families would be funded to a total of £400,000. These funds are already available to provide important wrap around care and support to refugees arriving through the VPR scheme. Resettling refugees through the VPR scheme would give them the opportunity for a new start. But Cllr Kober and Haringey Council are still refusing to resettle even a small token number of refugees. They claim that central Government funding is inadequate and that they must wait until negotiations via the GLA are concluded. We agree that central Government’s role in dealing with the refugee crisis has been wholly inadequate, but there are funds available now. Eleven other London authorities – including Camden, Islington, Barnet, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, and Kingston – have started resettlements. We do not agree with using vulnerable refugees as political bargaining chips in negotiations. We must provide support for all those we can, right now. We call on Cllr Kober to take action immediately to bring this about. Four families by Christmas! Please sign the petition if you agree. Further information: https://refugeeswelcomeharingey.wordpress.com By signing this petition your details may be placed in the public domain (e.g. they may be published on the Council’s website).

There is a huge difference in each LEA's procedure for children being deferred. Currently, in my local authority, you have to provide evidence that it is in the child's best interest. The only evidence they will accept is proof of medical need. I feel, that as a parent, I am capable of and should be responsible for making that decision for my child. It should be about what is right for the individual child and not about making the council's life easy. Promises have been released in the press but nothing has happened since. Councils are not going to change policy without legislation.

A large betting company is in the process of arranging a lease on a unit on Church Lane adjacent to the Iceland store. Research has shown that betting companies are targeting some of the poorest in our communities, particularly through the use of fixed odds betting terminals, which this shop would be allowed to include if licensed. Fixed odds terminals have been called the 'crack cocaine' of gambling. The shop will be in one of the most deprived areas of Bedford, that is also in the bottom 20% of the country. It has above average unemployment and high levels of child poverty. The shop would be located next to a medical centre, a community centre, a primary school and housing for the recently homeless. Church Lane has historically suffered from problems with anti-social behaviour, police and councils have seen increased problems where betting shops, in particular where fixed odd terminals are installed. Local businesses are already concerned and any increase in problems could threaten existing shops as well as causing distress to residents. We the undersigned call on the licensing committee of Bedford Borough Council to reject any application for a betting shop in Church Lane.