§ Mr. Bryan Gould (Dagenham)I have here a petition with about 22,000 signatures, principally of visitors and the staff of the royal parks who are concerned about the proposed privatisation of those parks because they fear a consequent fall from the high standards established in them.
The petition reads:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.The Humble Petition of the staff of, and visitors to, the Royal Parks Sheweth That the government, through Mr. Michael Heseltine MP, has signified its intentions to contract out the work carried out in London's Royal Parks.Wherefore your petitioners pray that your honourable House halt the contracting out of the maintenance of the Royal Parks.And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.
§ To lie upon the Table.