🚧 Petitions

Commons Chamber

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Helen Hayes presented a petition supporting Umana Yana, a popular Guyanese restaurant in Herne Hill, which has been harmed by large telecom cabinets blocking its visibility. Over 1,700 residents have signed petitions demanding legislation to prevent telecom equipment from obstructing small businesses and to compensate affected owners. Helena Dollimore brought forward a petition from Maria Dennis, who lost her son to an unsecured scaffolding accident, calling for a review of safety laws and mandatory training for scaffolding workers to prevent future tragedies. Both petitions highlight urgent community issues and seek governmental action to protect public safety and local businesses.

Summary

  • Helen Hayes presented a petition about Umana Yana restaurant in Herne Hill:
    • Umana Yana, a Guyanese restaurant run by Deborah Monfries and her family, has been negatively affected by large telecommunications cabinets installed outside, blocking the view from potential customers.
    • Over 1,700 local residents have signed petitions to support the restaurant.
    • The petition requests that the government pass legislation to prevent small businesses from being obscured by telecom equipment, to remove such equipment, and to provide compensation to affected businesses.
  • Helena Dollimore presented a petition on safety standards in the scaffolding industry:
    • The petition was initiated by Maria Dennis, who lost her 11-year-old son, Harry, in 2022 due to an unsecured scaffolding board falling from a truck.
    • Maria is advocating for better safety standards to prevent similar tragedies, noting that unsafe loads cause numerous deaths and incidents yearly.
    • The petition, signed by about 2,000 people, calls for the government to review and strengthen laws and guidance related to scaffolding safety, including mandatory membership in a governing body to regulate safety and training standards.

Divisiveness

The transcript presented reflects a parliamentary session where two Members of Parliament, Helen Hayes and Helena Dollimore, presented petitions on behalf of their constituents. There is no evidence of disagreement or conflict within the session. Both MPs are advocating for causes important to their constituents without any opposition or debate from other members. The focus remains on raising awareness and urging governmental action on the issues of telecommunications infrastructure affecting small businesses and safety standards in the scaffolding industry, respectively.

Examples of the lack of disagreement include: - Helen Hayes presents her petition without interruption or counterarguments from other members. She emphasizes the community support and the detrimental effect of the telecom cabinets on Umana Yana restaurant, advocating for legislative action to address similar issues. - Helena Dollimore introduces her petition in a similar manner, narrating the tragic incident involving Harry Dennis and the need for improved safety standards in the scaffolding industry. She calls for a review of current laws and increased training without any opposition from other members.

The session is characterized by a cooperative environment, where members are focused on presenting and supporting petitions on behalf of their constituents, rather than engaging in debates or disagreements. Therefore, the session warrants a rating of 1 for disagreement, indicating a very low level of conflict.