My name is Eddie Gilbertson and I was diagnosed with pleural plaques in 1999. I know what it's like to have an asbestos-related condition and how important it is to receive piece of mind when you are told you have a toxic material in your body. I co-ordinate and run the South Wales Asbestos Support Group (SWASG - http://www.swasg.wales/about), and with their backing and support I am bringing you the information and background surrounding this petition. The purpose of this petition is to bring attention to a House of Lords decision that residents of both England and Wales should not be entitled to compensation when diagnosed with pleural plaques, while their counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland are allowed to do so. Since the 1980s, the presence of pleural plaques was treated by the courts as giving rise to a potential provisional damages claim. An individual would be able to instruct solicitors to investigate liability in the knowledge they would achieve peace of mind - they could also be entitled to compensation should they develop a more serious asbestos-related condition in the future. In 2007, the House of Lords ruled that people with the condition would no longer qualify for compensation after insurance companies challenged workers’ rights to claim. Compensation for pleural plaques was reinstated in Scotland in 2009 and again in Northern Ireland in 2011 through legislation passed by their devolved parliaments with the knowledge that the combination of the physical change to the lung tissue when combined with the inevitable anxiety as to the individual’s future and the risk of development of more serious conditions, ought to be actionable. This leaves those who were exposed to asbestos dust and fibres throughout England and Wales unable to claim compensation if they are diagnosed with pleural plaques. Caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibres, pleural plaques are a condition affecting the membrane surrounding your lungs and lining the inside of your ribcage. After being exposed to asbestos, it is very common for areas of the membrane to become thickened and fibrous, and to accumulate a chalky material. Despite there being no symptoms associated with pleural plaques, the fact that they are there signals the presence of asbestos fibres in the lungs which may independently cause life-threatening or fatal diseases, such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. To put it shortly, pleural plaques are an indicator of potentially serious health problems in the future. Diagnosis means that people with previous asbestos exposure can feel great anxiety about what their future holds, and can even alter someones state of mind. I know several individuals who have since been diagnosed with pleural plaques, as well as the families and friends of others and it can be very harrowing to see such fine gentlemen and ladies know that one day they could develop a life threatening condition and get no support, all while their mental well-being deteriorates. When you are told you have asbestos fibres in your lungs - no matter how serious the related condition - it's frightening and isolating. What does is mean for your health and future, and the future of your family? It is for these reasons that I wanted to set up the SWASG, and I am now bringing forward this petition.

Launceston is situated on the border with Devon far from any other hospital and 25 miles from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. We need our Community Hospital and an Urgent Care Centre to serve our rural community's health care needs. With a rapidly expanding population in the new housing estates on the periphery of Launceston and an ageing population in the rural hinterland, we desperately need adequate health provision in the Launceston area. My husband has numerous chronic health problems and we spend a great deal of time in both Launceston Hospital and Derriford Hospital. I drive him to all his appointments and the trips to Derriford can be long and tiring for us both. We are not alone. There are many families like ours. Without emergency care in Launceston, our quality of life would be severely diminished. We need our Urgent Care Centre in Launceston. We need a fully functioning Community Hospital. We need our NHS.

As someone who has lived with chronic pain for over 15 years, I have considerable experience of the current pain management options and have tried over 30 medications and treatment regimes specifically aimed at reducing my chronic pain. I have used cannabis in the past in order to help control my pain but the current legal situation means it is illegal and is classed as having no medical benefit which deters those in considerable chronic pain who may gain some benefit from cannabis. Scottish Government figures estimate that over 223,000 adults in Scotland experience chronic pain. The Scottish Government have provided funding which set up the National Scottish Chronic Pain Management Service in Glasgow and which led to an overhaul of chronic pain services. While these investments are welcome, I believe that the Scottish Government needs to commit to exploring the medical benefits of cannabis based products in order to develop better treatments for those in chronic pain. I am aware of the reserved nature of drugs policy in the UK and confirm that this isn't a call for the legalisation of cannabis but for the First Minister to allocate money and resources for the exploration of the benefit of medicines based on cannabis. I've had a supporting quote from Crossbench peer Baroness Meacher: “It is shocking that cannabis remains illegal for medical use in this Country. The majority of US States and at least 11 Countries in Europe now recognise the medicinal value of cannabis to patients suffering chronic pain and other conditions. The World Health Organisation is now reviewing the legal status of cannabis under the United Nations Conventions. We are urging the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - the drugs advisory body to the UK Government - to review the evidence on cannabis. It has become urgent for the UK to legalise cannabis for medical use, and I am now hopeful that this will happen within two years. This is of course far too long a delay but we will get there if public pressure continues”. And a supporting quote from Liberal Democrat peer and Lib Dem Home Affairs Spokesperson Baroness Hamwee: “The UK's drugs policy is good for the criminal gangs who profit from it, but heartless towards people who would benefit from medical treatment using cannabis. A health-based approach, and regulation, is simple common sense.”

We need daily medication to keep well and when you are cash strapped cut corners by reducing it. I came unstuck and needed an ambulance three times and had an overnight hospital stay because of this. It cost the nhs well over £1000 for this. My prescription came to £16 and if I'd had my meds would have saved the government money. It's a no brainer

North Devon Hospital is vital, the time it would take to get to Exeter by car or Ambulance would be over an hour, Exeter Hospital already overloaded. Sign and share petition, write to MPs, write to newspapers, said save our Hospital point out how far Exeter is from Barnstaple, lack of public transport from surrounding villages to Barnstaple. Lives that could be saved lost.

We have our own Poultry industry here in the UK, Money would be better spent training people to adhere to our own health and hygiene practices. We cannot have Carcinogens in our Food. Chlorine and Peracetic acid are used at a processing plant where a federal poultry inspector DIED after coughing up blood and his lungs and kidneys failed. Both are toxic chemicals known to cause lung damage among other health hazards.

The Department for Work and Pensions has brought forward the proposed closure of Farnworth Jobcentre without any meaningful consultation with the local community. The Government claims that it is closing this Jobcentre as part of its "continued drive to deliver public services in more innovative and cost effective ways” without seeming to consider the impact on the local community. Farnworth is a deprived area, and residents rely on the support provided by their local Jobcentre, not only for help in finding employment, but also for benefit advice, access to computers and telephones. Farnworth Jobcentre is extremely busy and is valued by local residents, and to remove yet another service from Farnworth town centre means that unemployed and disabled residents will be further disadvantaged and could be pushed even further into poverty. Farnworth Councillors and I have been contacted by numerous constituents who are very concerned at the impact that this will have on them: Many unemployed or disabled residents of Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever simply cannot afford to travel into Bolton town centre. Even if some residents can afford the up-front cost of travel, the cost of reimbursement would be prohibitive as there is a high number of people who sign weekly, and some who sign daily. The closure of Farnworth Jobcentre would not result in savings to the public purse. In addition to the travel cost, it will also take residents considerably longer to travel into Bolton, increasing the likelihood of late attendance or missed appointments, which could lead to benefit sanctions. It would also cause greater inconvenience, including less time to spend searching for employment. People who have caring responsibilities are concerned that they will not be able to get to work on time, because of the extra travel time to get to Bolton Jobcentre. Residents with mobility problems will find it more difficult to attend Bolton Jobcentre, particularly those who are not able to use public transport and do not have access to private transport. The Government is currently consulting on health and disability issues, yet is at the same time making access to services more difficult. Bolton has two Jobcentres only a few hundred yards apart, yet Farnworth will be left with none. This simply makes no sense. Surely it would be better to close one of the Bolton Jobcentres and keep the one in Farnworth open? The Government requires claimants to attend more frequent face-to-face interviews than ever before, so it is vital that this service is retained in Farnworth We call upon the Department for Work and Pensions not to close Farnworth Jobcentre and ensure that its services are retained in Farnworth town centre.

Homes and Communities Agency 'dismantled' two wooden footbridges, thus preventing access to the most beautiful part of Ifield Brook Meadows along the riverbank. Two footbridges must be re-built so the local community can fully enjoy this special area - which has been granted 'Local Green Space' protection by Crawley Borough Council for the town's 70th Anniversary.

Because many people only find out about this once it's to late as I did my 30 year old son died June2015. Photo is my son Alan Davies 28/08/1984 -02/06/2015 .He is making aware this exists if we save one person it is one family not to suffer like we are. Spread acknowledgement of SUDEP not pain of loss.

The Samaritans have a long standing partnership with the railways, working together on suicide prevention techniques, and are entirely run on donations. Any suicide has a devastating effect on the families of the person involved, and also on the train crew and emergency services who deal with everything after the event. I feel that having the Samaritans as an extra option on the refund form would maybe make people think a little, and help the Samaritans prevent future incidents. I know of several people who donate their refunds to the Samaritans (bravo!) however at present they have to claim, wait till they receive it, then make a donation a week or three down the line.. Some people whilst good intentioned may forget to donate or just not think about why they got the refund at that point... I believe that donating directly from the refund form would hugely increase the donations to the Samaritans and could help reduce the number of suicides in the future. This would be of comfort to the families of those with troubles, and also benefit the railway, of which the Samaritans have a long standing partnership with.

I had to pay car park £11 for one afternoon to visit my Father in hospital. A nurse told me she came in for a half day training and had to pay £17 to park her car. A friend had his baby son in hospital for open heart surgery and besides the distress that caused, he was having to pay enormous amounts for car parking and getting fined if didn't make it back to car in time. The private car parking companies cannot be allowed to charge these unacceptable prices at hospitals.

Cigarettes are restricted from advertisement due to their health risks. Alcohol however also causes a lot of social issues such as binge drinking and anti social behaviour. Alcohol can be addictive just like cigarettes and therefore promotion of alcohol is as morally unjust as the promotion of tobacco