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§ Jonathan Shaw (Chatham and Aylesford)It is my pleasure to present a petition on behalf of 3,500 of my constituents, who have signed in Pydens pharmacies in Chatham, Larkfield and Snodland. I express my thanks to all the staff for their hard work, in particular Mr. Barrie Smith.
The petition states:
That local pharmacies should be preserved and their continued services to local communities safeguarded.The Petitioners therefore request that the Government reject proposals in the Office of Fair Trading report that would allow unrestricted opening of pharmacies able to dispense NHS prescriptions and replace them with proposals which will retain pharmacies at the heart of the local community, playing a key role in primary care services.To lie upon the Table