§ Mr. Simon Hughes (Southwark and Bermondsey)I seek leave to present a petition from patients, relatives, health care workers and friends of Guy's hospital in my constituency of Southwark and Bermondsey. The petition was brought here by nurses representing all the nurses' unions: the Royal College of Nursing — in a slightly different category—the Confederation of Health Service Employees and the National Union of Public Employees. The 1,250 signatures have been collected over the past week. The petition is aimed at influencing the Government to be more supportive of the Health Service at this time of crisis. It ends with this prayer, which those who signed it feel strongly should be taken into account by the Government in the coming days and weeks: Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will do everything in its power to urge the Government to show its support for the proper provision of health care in this country by taking action to maintain the standard of provision of service by and to improve the level of staffing in the National Health Service.
I hope that that will meet with a welcoming response from Ministers and that the concern expressed by my petitioners and many like them will be met by the Government sooner rather than later.
To lie upon the Table.