It is a pleasure for me to be in the Chamber this evening with my colleague, my hon. Friend Mr. Gauke, to speak on an issue dear to the hearts of residents of Dacorum. All too often, young people are derided as having no interest in their local community, but two excellent young men, Alfie Rolfe and Charlie Baker, pupils of the Aycliffe Drive primary school in Hemel Hempstead in my Constituency, have put together a petition to try to save their hospital. I praise those young people for the work they have done.

The petition notes that to move acute services and maternity services to an already overcrowded Watford Hospital and demolish the hospital in Hemel Hempstead would be detrimental to the health of the people of Hemel Hempstead and South-West Hertfordshire, and that the large population of Hemel Hempstead should keep the hospital that was built for them. The petition urges the Government to use their powers to stop the hospital closure.

The petition states:

To the House of Commons.

The Petition of Pupils of Aycliffe Drive Primary School of the Dacorum district of Hertfordshire,

Declares that the current consultation of the West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust is flawed and seeks to damage our local health service. It overlooks the fact that Hemel Hempstead General Hospital is modernised.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to call in the current flawed consultation of the West Hertfordshire Hospitals trust.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

To lie upon the Table.