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Mr. Tim Yeo (South Suffolk) (Con): I should like to present a petition that is signed by more than 800 of my constituents, expressing their support for the excellent community hospitals in Sudbury—Walnuttree and St. Leonards—and their dismay at the decision of the West Suffolk primary care trust to close those valuable local services in defiance of stated Government policy, in breach of a commitment given only weeks before the general election with the Department of Health's full support, and regardless of the considerable damage that that will inflict on my constituents. The wording of the petitions is the same as those of the other CHANT petitions that have been presented tonight.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, I also wish to present on your behalf a petition signed by a large number of your constituents, expressing their support for Hartismere hospital in your constituency.

To lie upon the Table.

11.8 pm

Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West) (Con): I wish to present three petitions on behalf of the Milford on Sea War Memorial hospital, the Fordingbridge hospital and the Lymington hospital. Earlier this year, my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis), the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) and I presented to New Forest primary care trust a petition on behalf of all our hospitals signed by some 45,000 residents.

To lie upon the Table.

11.8 pm

Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East) (Con): I wish to present two more petitions on behalf of the Fenwick hospital, Lyndhurst and the Hythe hospital on the waterside, in identical terms to the other CHANT petitions presented tonight. I am pleased to add that, as a result of the large petition that my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) described, it has been decreed that the five hospitals in New Forest, West, New Forest, East and Romsey are scheduled for reprieve. We wait to see whether that will occur.

To lie upon the Table.
 
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11.9 pm

Mr. Ian Taylor (Esher and Walton) (Con): I should like to present the petitions of the friends and supporters of four cottage hospitals in my constituency: Cobham and Oxshott community hospital; Molesey hospital; Thames Ditton hospital at Emberbrook; and Walton community hospital. At present, none of those hospitals is threatened with closure, although there continues to be great uncertainty about Emberbrook, but 3,600 of my constituents have signed the petitions. They have noted the Secretary of State's recent words in the House that community facilities that are needed for the long term must not be lost in response to short-term budgetary pressures.

I present these petitions, which have identical wording to the other CHANT petitions presented tonight, in the hope that the Secretary of State will listen to the urgent requests for security from those of my constituents who have signed them.

To lie upon the Table.

11.10 pm

Roger Berry (Kingswood) (Lab): In the light of your instruction, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and of the state of my voice, I shall very briefly express my pleasure at presenting the petition on behalf of the supporters of the Cossham Memorial hospital, Kingswood. It is expressed in terms identical to the other petitions on community hospitals presented here this evening.

To lie upon the Table.

11.10 pm

Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge and Malling) (Con): I wish to present two petitions. I present the first on behalf of the Edenbridge War Memorial hospital in my constituency, where more than one third of the beds have been closed as a result of the Government's financial policies towards the South West Kent primary care trust. I present the second petition on behalf of the Tonbridge cottage hospital, where half the beds have now been closed as a result of the Government's policies. In reflection of the dismay of my constituents, I wish to present these petitions to the House.

To lie upon the Table.

11.11 pm

Mr. Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con): I rise to present a petition on behalf of the supporters of Weybridge hospital. The hospital was completely rebuilt in the 1990s at public expense. Since then, it has been generously supported by the friends of Weybridge hospital, who have organised this petition, which is worded in identical terms to the other petitions presented tonight.

To lie upon the Table.

11.11 pm

David Maclean (Penrith and The Border) (Con): I rise to present four petitions worded in identical terms to those already enunciated tonight. The first is on behalf of the Penrith and Eden community hospital; the second is on behalf of Wigton community hospital; the third is on behalf of the League of Friends of the Ruth Lancaster James hospital in Alston, in the Pennines; and
 
28 Mar 2006 : Column 822
 
the fourth is on behalf of the Brampton and District War Memorial cottage hospital. These petitions have been signed by a small representative sample of the 69,381 signatures that we have collected on a petition that covers all the hospitals in Cumbria. We believe that that sets a record for people of Cumbria of all persuasions, from all areas, and of all political parties and of none, being united in asking that our community hospitals be not only saved but put at the heart of the Government's new strategy of care in the community and of a regenerated and enhanced local care network.

To lie upon the Table.

11.13 pm

Mr. Philip Dunne (Ludlow) (Con): I rise to present petitions, in identical form to the others that have been presented this evening, on behalf of Ludlow community hospital and Bishop's Castle community hospital. The petition on Bishop's Castle hospital contains 1,917 names, and I should like to remind the House that, in January, I presented petitions with more than 22,000 names on behalf of Ludlow community hospital and Bridgenorth community hospital, following a march of more than 8,000 people through the streets of Ludlow and Bridgenorth in support of the continuation of their community hospitals.

To lie upon the Table.

11.13 pm

Sandra Gidley (Romsey) (LD): I rise to present a petition on behalf of the supporters of Romsey hospital in Hampshire, who also raised more than £1 million in 2000 to improve and preserve the hospital. I should also like to pay tribute to the leagues of friends of Romsey hospital and the hospitals in the New Forest, which are working together to ensure that any further threat of closure is robustly challenged.

To lie upon the Table.

11.14 pm

Tom Levitt (High Peak) (Lab): I wish to present what could be the largest so far of the petitions physically presented tonight, with 4,133 supporters. It concerns the minor injuries unit at Buxton cottage hospital, which is currently unable to provide a 24-hour service as it would wish. The petition is of identical wording to the other CHANT petitions presented tonight. It is presented in the hope and expectation that a full 24-hour service will be resumed, and that the cottage hospital will carry on its role in the future.

To lie upon the Table.

11.14 pm

Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) (Con): I wish to present the petition of the friends and supporters of the Macclesfield district general hospital, the East Cheshire NHS trust and its satellite community hospitals. Those are popular, supported and viable hospitals, and it is important that the Government take heed of the views of people who use them. The wording of the petition is identical to that of the other CHANT petitions presented tonight.

To lie upon the Table.
 
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11.15 pm

Ann Winterton (Congleton) (Con): I wish to present a petition expressed in identical terms to those presented earlier this evening, on behalf of the "save our wards" campaign in Congleton, which was set up to support valuable services at the Macclesfield district general hospital, the East Cheshire NHS trust, and at the Congleton War Memorial hospital, which was built by private subscription following the great war. My constituents value the services at both those hospitals and wish to see no more cuts.

To lie upon the Table.

11.16 pm


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