I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of residents of the village of Wetheral calling for traffic-calming measures, including a 20 mph zone, to improve the safety of pedestrians and other road users.

The issue of traffic calming was raised with me by local residents at a coffee morning I held in Wetheral a few months ago. The introduction of a 20 mph zone and other measures would build on the excellent work of Wetheral parish council, which has recently funded the installation of a speed camera in the village. However, Wetheral residents remain concerned by the speed of traffic through the village, and the lack of pavements on stretches of road. A total of 298 residents signed the petition that local people, members of the parish council and I took door to door around the village.

The petitioners

“therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to work with the relevant local authorities to introduce traffic calming measures”,

including the establishment of a 20 mph zone in Wetheral.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of Wetheral and the wider Carlisle constituency,

Declares that traffic calming measures, including the establishment of a 20mph zone, should be introduced to the village of Wetheral.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to work with the relevant local authorities to introduce traffic calming measures in Wetheral, specifically the implementation of a 20mph speed limit through the village to improve road safety.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P003207]

I rise to present this petition on a national strategy for motor neurone disease. I do so on behalf of my constituent Mark Sommerville, who was diagnosed with MND in 2023 and who, along with his foundation, has been doing tremendous work to identify new treatments and a cure.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of the constituency of Coatbridge and Bellshill,

Declares that motor neurone disease is a devastating, fast acting, terminal illness that currently has no cure; and further declares that the UK Government must act to create a national strategy for MND that:

is led by clinical and research experts, in partnership with patients and their families, and patient organisations;

introduces a national taskforce to drives forward delivery of key objectives;

supports MND research with enhanced access to participation in clinical trials;

accelerates novel drug discovery, drug repurposing, and access to innovative treatments;

improves diagnostic waiting times and specialist multidisciplinary care;

ensures equitable support, equipment, and palliative services across the UK;

co-ordinates health, social care, and research through a single national plan.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to work in partnership with the devolved administrations to deliver a national strategy for motor neurone disease with emphasis on finding effective treatments and a cure, supporting research, enhancing access to clinical trials, and improving co-ordination of social care.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P003208]

The people of Tring have spoken. This petition, signed by over 500 residents, rejects the top-down, developer-led approach to planning from this Government, which threatens to impose significant large-scale development on their community with little regard for its character, infrastructure or precious environment. That has been made even worse by the latest power grab from Whitehall, which will now take over large planning applications.

Residents are not opposed to housing, but they are righty alarmed by the burden being placed on their town and deeply frustrated by the lack of a meaningful voice in shaping proposals that will define Tring for generations to come.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,

Declares that Tring faces significant large-scale development proposals driven by top-down national planning policy, which is being imposed on local communities with insufficient regard for the views of residents or the detrimental impact on Tring’s character, infrastructure, and environment.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to schedule a debate in the House of Commons on the Government’s review of the National Planning Policy Framework and how communities like Tring can be better protected from inappropriate over-development, and how local residents can be given a genuine and effective voice in the planning decisions and infrastructure provision that shape their towns and affect their daily lives.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P003209]