| Dr Ashok Kumar | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Sandra Gidley | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Albert Owen |
| That this House concurs with the National Union of Students that a graduate tax should be introduced for financing universities in place of top-up fees and that raising the £3,000 cap on fees will create further marketisation of higher education, pricing the poorest out of the system; and believes that a graduate tax would also provide a more reliable and consistent form of finance for universities and have the benefit of fostering a longer-term bond between alumni and the university. |
| Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Colin Challen | | Nick Herbert | | Mr James Paice | | Mr Richard Benyon | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House notes with concern the increase in trade in illegal ivory and ivory products and the severe consequences for the elephant population in parts of Africa; believes that there is a direct link between the growth in this illegal trade and the decision to permit the sale of stockpiled ivory; further believes that existing stockpiles of ivory should be destroyed, not sold; and urges the Government to state its unequivocal opposition to any further sales of stockpiled ivory and to exert its influence at the next Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species conference to ensure a total ban on the sale of ivory and ivory products for the next 20 years. |
| 696 | IVORY TRADE (No. 2) | 25:1:10 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jim Dobbin | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lee Scott |
| That this House strongly opposes demands from Tanzania and Zambia temporarily to lift the worldwide ban on ivory trading for a one-off sale; notes that at present the illegal ivory trade is already devastating elephant populations and in some central and west African countries is pushing them close to extinction; further notes that the resumption of any such trading creates a market into which illegally-poached ivory can be laundered, therefore boosting demand and increasing the risk to elephants; is dismayed that the issue is being debated despite agreements that when the last ivory auction was sanctioned in 2007 there would be no more such one-off sales for at least nine years; calls on the Government to take a clear lead in opposing all moves to weaken the ban; and urges UK representatives in Europe to make their voice heard at the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Qatar in March 2010. |
| 697 | PRE-BUDGET REPORT 2009 AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME | 25:1:10 |
| Colin Burgon | | Mike Wood | | Mr John Grogan | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House recognises that the reformed Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) introduced for all existing and new members in April 2008, and April 2009 in Scotland and Northern Ireland, is an affordable and sustainable scheme for the long-term provision of pension saving for those working in local government and allied employment; notes that discussions on the mechanism to meet future cost fluctuations of the new LGPS between Government, employers and unions are ongoing through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Policy Review Group; and therefore calls on HM Treasury to acknowledge that any proposal to cap increases in employer contributions to a funded pension scheme such as the LGPS outlined in the Pre-Budget Report is within the context of the existing policy framework, not a substitute for open and transparent agreement between the scheme's stakeholders. |
| 698 | CHILD TRAFFICKING IN HAITI | 25:1:10 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes with concern that children in Haiti are reported as being removed and trafficked following the seven magnitude earthquake that struck the country on 12 January 2010; congratulates UNICEF and its partners' efforts to set up safe spaces for all unaccompanied children and infants; states with concern that UNICEF reported that approximately 60,000 children have been affected by the earthquake; commends the move by the Haitian government to assist with broadcasting child protection messages on local radio stations; and urges the Government to work alongside the Haitian government and non-governmental organisations to be vigilant of exit points, to prevent bogus adoptions and to ensure child safety. |
| 699 | 60th ANNIVERSARY OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE | 25:1:10 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Mrs Janet Dean | | Dr Brian Iddon |
| That this House joins in celebrating the joyous occasion of the 60th Republic Day of India; notes the success of the Indian government both in India and internationally; recognises the positive impact the Indian community in Britain have made and joins them in their celebrations on 26 January 2010; and calls on the Government to continue to develop and maintain its excellent relations with India and to recognise its status as one of the world's leading powers. |
| 700 | PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADE AGREEMENT | 25:1:10 |
| Mr Don Foster | | Mr Tom Watson | | Mr John Whittingdale | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Mark Hunter |
| | Greg Mulholland | Mark Lazarowicz | Mr Paul Truswell |
| That this House is deeply concerned by the secrecy surrounding international negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA); notes that any agreement reached could affect the measures to protect copyright online currently being debated in the Digital Economy Bill; believes that if the companies affected by the agreement are party to the discussions and able to influence decisions, parliamentarians who represent the public and are responsible for legislation in these areas should also be kept up-to-date with developments and be able to contribute to the debate; seeks assurances from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills that the provisions of the Digital Economy Bill will not be superseded by ACTA; and urges the Government to work to achieve release of details of the negotiations to hon. Members as soon as possible. |
| Mr James Gray | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink |
| | Tony Baldry | Mr Paul Truswell |
| That this House congratulates the MS Society on its campaign to uphold the rights of people living with multiple sclerosis, namely the right to quality health care including fair access to appropriate drugs and treatments, the right to personalised care and support, the right to wheelchairs and equipment to enable independent living and the right to support in and out of work, including support for carers; and commends the MS Society for its success in highlighting the impact of this unpredictable and incurable condition. |
| 708 | ISLE OF MAN NHS RECIPROCAL HEALTH AGREEMENT | 26:1:10 |
| Andrew Mackinlay | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Bob Spink | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | David Simpson |
| That this House calls on the Secretary of State for Health to defer the cancellation of the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man planned for 1 April 2010 and to review the decision to abrogate the arrangement, a decision which will not only be unfair to residents of the Isle of Man but also substantially disadvantage United Kingdom residents and voters and in particular the elderly, the chronically disabled and motorbike enthusiasts; believes that Age Concern and all the major disability pressure groups and charities should be consulted as part of the review; asks that the review be at ministerial level with the Health Ministers of the Isle of Man, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as well as the Justice Secretary, who has responsibility for the bilateral and constitutional relationships between the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies; demands that the details and totality of the costs of the reciprocal agreement to both jurisdictions be published; seeks an explanation of the constitutional basis upon which the Secretary of State relies to abrogate the existing agreement on behalf of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales; and requests that the Secretary of State makes a statement on the modalities by which it is proposed to collect the costs of emergency admissions and hospitalisation in each jurisdiction if the existing agreement is terminated. |
| 710 | INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOTING PROCEDURES | 26:1:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mr Austin Mitchell | | Ms Katy Clark | | Mr David Crausby |
| That this House acknowledges that the anti-trade union laws currently in place have led to the deplorable situation of unions having fewer rights to take industrial action now than they did in 1906; expresses its disappointment that the complex rules regarding balloting procedures which are a great financial and bureaucratic burden to trade unions have not been repealed; further notes the unnecessary requirement that trade unions must give notice to an employer both of a ballot for action and of the date when an industrial action will commence; believes that simplifying the rules regarding balloting procedures and notice periods would alleviate the unfair restrictions placed on industrial action and therefore promote more effective representation of workers; and calls on the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that the anti-trade union laws of the past are not allowed to continue into the future. |
| 711 | IMPORTED NATURAL STONE | 26:1:10 |
| Jim Sheridan | | Sandra Osborne | | Mark Lazarowicz | | Mr David Anderson | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr Jim McGovern |
| That this House notes that imports of natural sandstone seem to be rising, with 120,000 tonnes being brought into the UK in 2005; further notes that much of the stone comes from India; is concerned that the quarrying and production process in that country often involves the use of child labour, including children as young as six; is further concerned that health and safety protection is frequently absent with resulting widespread injuries and deaths and that many of the child workers are bonded and are therefore unable to leave their jobs; is alarmed that Anti-Slavery International has estimated that up to a million children work in India's stone quarries; and calls on consumers to buy imported sandstone from independently-verified sources such as those approved by the Ethical Trading Initiative. |
| 712 | BA CABIN CREW DISPUTE | 26:1:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Ms Katy Clark | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House considers that the recent emails sent to British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association members of Unite by BA's management threatening to withdraw travel and other benefits from staff taking strike action and containing the company's proposals to train alternative crews to break the strike are examples of the bullying and threatening management style that has undermined the industrial relations climate in the company; and calls on BA's management to engage in meaningful negotiations to resolve this dispute. |
| 714 | ADULT AUTISM STRATEGY | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Don Touhig | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Gregory Campbell |
| | Mr Martyn Jones | Mr Oliver Heald | Patrick Hall | | | Mr Mark Todd | Mr Mark Oaten |
| That this House notes the imminent publication of the Adult Autism Strategy; further notes the importance of this Strategy for improving the lives of people with autism who routinely struggle to access the specialist services they need; commends the Government for agreeing to implement in full the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report Supporting people with autism through adulthood and by the Public Accounts Committee in its recent report on this subject; further notes that the Government has accepted the recommendations of both reports; and calls on the Government to fulfil its commitment and to ensure the delivery of an effective strategy and robust guidance that will result in significant change for people on the ground. |
| 715 | MOBILE TERMINATION RATES | 26:1:10 |
| Ms Katy Clark | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Andrew Pelling |
| That this House notes the hidden charges which arise when calling a mobile on a different network or when calling a mobile from a landline; further notes that this helps stifle competition, prevents the development of flat-rate unlimited tariffs, and holds back innovation in the telecommunications sector; welcomes the 114,259 signatures gathered by the Terminate the Rate campaign and the 60 organisations supporting the lowering of the rate; and calls on Ofcom to take action immediately to reduce the Mobile Termination Rate charge and deliver better value for money. |
| 716 | TRADE UNION RIGHTS IN COSTA RICA | 26:1:10 |
| Ms Katy Clark | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mike Wood | Mr Paul Truswell |
| That this House expresses deep concern over the treatment of the SITRAP trade union activist Allan Hernandez Venegas and his family; notes that, after recruiting members to the Union in the Del Monte pineapple plantation of Saint Peter located in the Limon province of Costa Rica, his house was burnt down, leaving both Mr Venegas and his family with nothing but the clothes they were wearing; further notes that this is believed by SITRAP officials to have been caused by arson in retaliation for his activity; supports the GMB appeal to raise money for Mr Venegas; and calls on the Government to condemn any attacks on trade union activities in Costa Rica. |
| 720 | KURDS IN TURKEY | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Bob Russell | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Dr Desmond Turner | | Bob Spink |
| That this House deplores the decision taken on 11 December 2009 by Turkey's Constitutional Court to close down the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the only pro-Kurdish legal political party in Turkey which, in recent elections, demonstrated that it has the support of millions of Kurdish voters and with 21 elected Members of Parliament has been playing a vital constructive role in the resolution of the protracted conflict that has claimed so many lives over the last three decades; notes that this is a deeply dismaying decision the repercussions of which will be far reaching and is a considerable setback for the achievement of a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds and equally for Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union; further notes that by outlawing the DTP and preventing its leaders such as Ahmet Turk, who was recently a guest in the Palace of Westminster and of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and other prominent figures such as Layla Zana from participating in politics for five years, the Turkish authorities are behaving totally irresponsibly; believes that in taking this course of action Turkey is reverting to an extremely regressive approach to the Kurdish question which appears to contradict the much-promoted reform process of Prime Minister Erdogan and will not bring about the peace that constructive forces in Turkey desire; and calls on the UK Government to exert pressure on Turkey to fully abide by the international conventions and democratic norms to which it is a signatory. |
| 727 | LEGALITY OF HUNT MONITORING | 26:1:10 |
| Nick Ainger | | Mr Eric Martlew | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes with dismay attempts by the Countryside Alliance to subvert the rule of law by claiming that evidence of illegal hunting collated by monitors working on behalf of organisations such as the League Against Cruel Sports is illegal under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; welcomes the clear guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service that all such evidence is valid; and further notes and acknowledges the hard work undertaken by hunt monitors in upholding the Hunting Act 2004 as democratically passed by this House. |
| 728 | BLOCKADES ON CONTINENTAL PORTS | 27:1:10 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Peter Luff | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Andrew George |
| | Mr Robert Walter | Derek Wyatt |
| That this House recognises the vital role played by the haulage industry in the UK's economy; is concerned that the economic downturn has placed extreme pressure on the haulage industry; is worried at the repeated blockades of European ports used by the UK haulage industry; notes that blockades have a highly detrimental effect on the UK's economy; is anxious that established EU regulations are not being fully enforced; supports the Federation of Small Businesses Stop the Blockades campaign; and calls on the Government to press fellow EU member states such as France to prevent blockades on continental ports by quickly resolving industrial disputes. |
| 729 | REDUNDANCY PAY FOR STAFF OF HON. MEMBERS | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Mohammad Sarwar | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr Virendra Sharma | | Lynne Jones | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell |
| That this House is concerned by the understandable anxiety caused to staff of hon. Members by recommendation 19 of the report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on parliamentary allowances and expenses; notes that the redundancy arrangements available to staff of hon. Members are a fraction of those available to staff employed directly by the House; and calls on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to meet regularly with the Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch to ensure that any implementation of the recommendation results in improved redundancy arrangements for staff of hon. Members. |
| 730 | BEATBULLYING'S CYBERMENTORS SERVICE | 27:1:10 |
| Mrs Anne McGuire | | Mr John Whittingdale | | Jo Swinson | | Lindsay Roy | | Andrew Miller | | Mr Tom Harris |
| That this House congratulates the charity Beatbullying for providing a safe online space for the 275,000 young people who have accessed the Cybermentors website to get help and support from their peers on the issue of bullying; honours the dedication of the 2200 11 to 15 year olds who sacrifice their time to help their peers by becoming cybermentors and senior cybermentors; recognises that 69 per cent. of children in the UK report being bullied, and that one in three 11 to 16 year olds have been the victim of cyber bullying; appreciates the devastating effect that bullying can have on a young person's life; calls on all hon. Members to support the initiative to combat bullying and cyberbullying in their constituencies; further recognises that Beatbullying's You can speak out advertisements for the Cybermentors service are being shown in cinemas and on billboards across the UK; and further calls on Clearcast to reconsider its decision to ban the advertisements from television. |
| 731 | THEFT OF CHARITY CLOTHING DONATIONS | 27:1:10 |
| Jo Swinson | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House condemns the theft of clothing donations left on doorsteps for charity collections; calls on the Government to ensure that police forces tackle the serious and organised nature of the criminal gangs responsible; expresses concern over possible consequent losses to the Exchequer and calls on HM Revenue and Customs to investigate what criminals are doing with the money; notes that research by Clothes Aid and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates losses to theft at between 14,000 and 24,000 tonnes per annum with a value of between £7 million and £12 million; calls on the Government to facilitate a Standards Summit to bring charities, collection agents and Government agencies together to discuss ways to stamp out bogus collectors and companies that mislead the public; and further calls for more robust enforcement powers for Trading Standards, Scambusters and other agencies to regulate all those involved in textile collections, whether charities or commercial operators. |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House notes with concern the announcement by the Student Loans Company of a cut of 150 jobs; asks whether staff numbers should be cut in light of recent acknowledged systemic failures on the part of the company to process thousands of students' loan applications this year; considers that although greater efficiency should always be sought the timing of such a decision will come as no comfort to those students still waiting for September 2009 payments; further asks that the company concentrates on addressing urgently its current processing issues before looking to streamline back office operations; and calls for compensation to be paid to those students who have incurred costs because of the company's failure to deliver the student loans on time. |
| 738 | SCAMS AWARENESS MONTH CAMPAIGN | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| | Sir Alan Beith | John Mann | Mr Paul Truswell |
| That this House welcomes the Office of Fair Trading's Scams Awareness month, run in partnership with 125 local authority trading standards services; notes with concern that over three million United Kingdom consumers fall victim to scams sent by email, internet, post, text and the telephone, collectively losing £3.5 billion; recognises the success of the previous Scamnesty campaigns that call on consumers to drop scam mailings they have received into designated Scamnesty bins or boxes at local libraries and public areas across the country; believes that widespread advice on how to spot scams will help people avoid being deceived in future; and calls on hon. Members to support this campaign in their constituencies. |
| 739 | PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CLUBS AND ADMINISTRATION | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Roger Godsiff | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Lynne Jones | | Harry Cohen | | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House notes that Crystal Palace FC has gone into administration and that many other clubs are in severe financial difficulties; and believes that it is unfair and inequitable for the professional football authorities to insist that all football creditors have to be paid in full before allowing clubs to participate in their leagues while other creditors, many of whom are small businesses, are likely to receive only a small proportion of monies owed to them. |
| Bob Spink | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr Paul Truswell |
| That this House congratulates the six million people in the UK who provide unpaid help, care and support to a relative or friend who has an illness or disability; notes the huge contribution that carers make, many of whom are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year and often unrecognised by society, communities and sometimes within carers' own families; further notes that as a consequence of this lack of recognition carers go without the support they need; further notes that many carers, such as students and carers aged over 65, are ineligible for support and that almost two million disabled people over 65 years receive no state-funded care and rely on informal care, and that this figure is set to grow to 2.6 million by 2022; thanks Counsel and Care, Carers UK and Help the Aged for their work to get the right deal for carers; is concerned that three-quarters of local authorities only provide care to people whose needs are critical or substantial; and calls on the Government to review carer and benefits policy to ensure that vulnerable people get the care they need and are not at risk of social exclusion at a local or national level. |
| 742 | ELIZABETH WILMSHURST AND THE WAR IN IRAQ | 27:1:10 |
| Greg Mulholland | | John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House commends Elizabeth Wilmshurst, former Deputy Legal Officer at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for her admirable conduct and the frank and sincere advice she gave at the Chilcot inquiry; notes that Elizabeth Wilmshurst and many of her colleagues believed there to be no legal basis for the Iraq War without further input from the UN Security Council; further notes that Elizabeth Wilmshurst described the Government's attitude towards Departmental legal advice as dismissive; praises her for having the courage to resign when her advice was ignored, confident that she was right; believes that this contrasts starkly with the attitude of senior Ministers who then pushed forward with the decision to invade Iraq, knowing that the Government's own legal advisers believed it would be illegal to do so; questions whether it is usual procedure for the Government to instruct lawyers to draft legal documents that contradict strong expert opinion; and hopes that in future proper effective measures are put in place to ensure Government policy is compliant with law and that this never happens again. |
| 743 | BIOMASS AND THE RENEWABLES OBLIGATION | 27:1:10 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Susan Kramer | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House notes that biomass and bioenergy projects have a crucial role to play in meeting the electricity component of the UK's renewable energy targets; further notes that projects requiring around £13 billion of investment are currently under development, and that project financing relies on predictable and certain income streams; further notes with concern that confusion has recently arisen over the status of current projects should support levels under the Renewables Obligation be reduced in future; shares the fears of industry bodies such as the Renewable Energy Association that UK investment in these technologies will come to a standstill unless it is resolved urgently; further notes that investors' ability to rely on Government statements of intent is critical, since protection from retrospective changes is not contained in the legislation itself; further notes that a failure to address this issue risks undermining wider renewable energy policy; and therefore calls on the Government to clarify that no biomass or bioenergy project that is completed under the current levels of financial support will have its revenue stream diminished as a consequence of any future changes to the Renewables Obligation. |
| 744 | BBC REALLY DISGUSTING FOOD SERIES AND FISH | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Angus MacNeil | | John Mason | | Mr Alex Salmond | | Angus Robertson |
| That this House condemns the BBC for screening a programme titled Britain's Really Disgusting Food: Fish which presented a highly misleading and biased view of the fishing industry; believes it is totally irresponsible of the BBC to broadcast a programme telling people not to eat haddock, when it is healthy, nutritious food from well-managed stocks; recognises the reality is that fishermen, backed by the Scottish Government, have been leading European efforts to conserve North Sea and west coast fish stocks; and points out that the Scottish fleet has been at the forefront of pioneering conservation measures, from which there are positive results. |
| 746 | INTEGRATED EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND | 28:1:10 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Peter Bottomley | | Harry Cohen | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| That this House recognises that sustainable power-sharing in Northern Ireland would be massively enhanced with greater moves to bringing Catholics and Protestants together in daily life, especially in housing and education; further recognises that these two communities are deeply segregated from each other; notes that only six per cent. of children attend integrated schools which seek to promote mutual understanding; and urges policy-makers to make increasing the size of the integrated education sector a far greater priority. |
| 747 | PROTECTION OF GARDEN LAND | 28:1:10 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Tom Brake | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Philip Davies | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House believes that garden land should be designated as greenfield land and afforded greater protection in national planning guidance; notes that garden land provides vital habitats for wildlife and essential amenities for householders; and calls on the Government to amend planning guidance to protect garden land from predatory developers. |
| 748 | ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENT LOCAL PLANNING APPEALS COMMITTEES | 28:1:10 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Tom Brake | | Philip Davies | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Mike Hancock | | John McDonnell |
| That this House believes that the current arrangements for determining appeals against the refusal of planning permission by local authorities places too much power in the hands of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Planning Inspectorate; further believes the Planning Inspectorate to be remote and its Inspectors not sufficiently aware of the local conditions when determining appeals; congratulates the London Borough of Sutton Council for applying to use powers under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 to pilot the establishment of an independent local appeals committee to discharge the function of the Planning Inspectorate; and calls on the Government to approve Sutton's application. |
| 749 | POLITICAL EXECUTIONS IN IRAN | 28:1:10 |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Roger Berry |
| | Mr John Greenway | Bill Etherington |
| That this House condemns the hanging of Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour in Iran at dawn on 28 January 2010; notes that they were arrested during pro-democracy demonstrations and convicted of waging war against God; and calls on the Government to urge the international community to put pressure on Iran to release political prisoners and to cease using execution and torture as tools of repression in Iran. |
| 750 | CANCELLATION OF HAITI'S DEBT | 29:1:10 |
| Harry Cohen | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Mr George Galloway | Peter Bottomley | Bill Etherington | | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House strongly supports Christian Aid's campaign for the full cancellation of Haiti's debt of £890 million and for all emergency and development funds to that country to be given not loaned. |
| 752 | REPATRIATION CEREMONIES | 29:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Paul Flynn |
| | Peter Bottomley | Bill Etherington |
| That this House notes the solemn way in which the Prime Minister leads this House's remembrance and expression of the utmost respect for the nation's fallen heroes and our deepest condolences to the bereaved relatives and friends of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country; and in the cause of supporting the bereaved and marking with proper dignity the return of the valiant men and women who have died in combat, calls on service chiefs of staff to agree that a Minister of the Crown should be in attendance at repatriation ceremonies. |
| As Amendments to Mr Andrew Pelling's proposed Motion (Repatriation Ceremonies): |
| Line 1, leave out from `in which the Prime Minister leads this House's' and insert `the people of Wootton Bassett lead the nation's'. |
| Line 6, leave out from `calls' to end and add `thanks the good people of Wootton Bassett for what they do at repatriation ceremonies.'. |
| 755 | STUDENT VOLUNTEERING WEEK 22-28 FEBRUARY 2010 | 29:1:10 |
| Alun Michael | | Tom Levitt | | Chloe Smith | | Charlotte Atkins | | Andrew George | | Mr Robert Walter |
| | Peter Bottomley | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones | | | Mr Paul Truswell |
| That this House expresses its appreciation to the tens of thousands of students in further and higher education who volunteer their time to contribute to society; recognises the benefits of this volunteering to the public, private and voluntary sectors; welcomes Student Volunteering Week being held from 22 to 28 February 2010 to celebrate and promote student volunteering; notes the importance of student volunteering in a difficult economic climate in contributing to an individual's employability, confidence and well-being; and supports the work of Volunteering England in striving to strengthen community cohesion through campus and community-based volunteering across the country. |
| 756 | HONOUR NETWORK FUNDING | 1:2:10 |
| Mr John Leech | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr David Drew | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House notes with concern that the UK's only national telephone helpline dedicated to providing assistance to victims of forced marriage, the Honour Network, has had to stop taking evening and weekend calls due to a lack of funds; commends the important work carried out by the Honour Network whose staff are all survivors of forced marriages; recognises that the helpline received around 300 calls per month in 2009; further notes that a quarter of these were made on evenings or weekends; is concerned that it has already missed in excess of 70 calls in 2010 as a result of not being open on evenings and weekends; is further concerned that after initial support from the Forced Marriage Unit, Honour Network operations are now completely reliant on donations which cannot support it fully; acknowledges that the charity that oversees the Network, Karma Nirvana, estimates that the cost of keeping the helpline open all year round would only be £80,000 per year; believes that this represents excellent value for money for such a vital service; and calls on the Government to make up for this shortfall in funds in order to keep the helpline open. |
| 757 | CONDUCT OF LORD MANDELSON | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Bob Spink | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Colin Burgon | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mr George Galloway | Lynne Jones |
| That this House notes that the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, right hon. Lord Mandelson, told the North West Evening Mail newspaper on 23 January 2010 of the Prime Minister's firm commitment that Labour will build the new generation of Trident submarines; recalls that the Secretary of State for Defence said in a written answer to the hon. Member for Keighley in December 2009 that the Government had originally planned to consider the Concept Phase of the initial gate of the approval process for a replacement for Trident submarines in autumn, but further time was required to ensure that decisions taken are based on robust information and the Government was aiming to be in a position to make an announcement early in the New Year; believes that this House should be the first to be informed of security decisions that could involve public expenditure over 40 years of over £75 billion; further believes the unelected Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has no mandate to make such commitments for policy decisions for which he is not responsible; and calls for the immediate abandonment of further expenditure on Trident, and for the taxpayers' money saved to be redirected to socially useful investments, including the aid fund for Haiti and the alleviation of child poverty, increased support for local authorities, more sustained support for essential public services and public sector jobs in the UK. |
| 758 | CONDUCT OF THE RIGHT HON. MEMBER FOR BLACKBURN | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Paul Holmes | | Lorely Burt | | Mr George Galloway |
| That this House congratulates Elizabeth Wilmshurst, former senior international legal adviser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for her clear and candid evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry into the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath on 26 January 2010; notes her revelation that every legal adviser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2002-03 judged the invasion of Iraq without explicit authorisation by the United Nations Security Council would be unlawful; and calls on the current Justice Secretary to consider his position in light of his rejection of this advice when holding the post as Foreign Secretary. |
| 759 | CATHOLIC AID FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT RESPONSE TO THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr Joe Benton |
| That this House supports and commends the unstinting commitment and dedication of Catholic Aid for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and its partner Caritas Haiti in helping to meet the desperate humanitarian needs to those whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake in Haiti; notes that for many years the Catholic church has been one of the main providers of healthcare in Haiti and that this role and presence has helped in the initial response; welcomes the re-opening of the Catholic hospital in Port-au-Prince and as well as many other church local health clinics and the distribution of aid through priests and religious groups working in 32 parishes; pays particular tribute to the kind generosity of the many Catholic schools, parishes and the Catholic community as a whole across the country who have helped provide the much-needed and continued financial support to enable CAFOD to help the people of Haiti in their time of need; and calls on the Government to continue and to increase its support to enhance the unique and valuable contribution that faith-based organisations make as part of the response to humanitarian disasters. |
| 760 | CO-OPERATIVE PARTY MANIFESTO | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Jon Cruddas | | Peter Bottomley | | Jim Sheridan |
| | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House welcomes and supports the vision and measures set out in the Co-operative Party manifesto; believes that the principles and values of the Co-operative movement provide a relevant and positive response to the policy challenges and opportunities faced by the UK and globally; further believes that it is time to create institutions that demonstrably serve the collective needs of the population; further believes that there is a real appetite for such policies; and calls on policy-makers to take up the policies and ideas set out in the Co-operative Party manifesto. |
| 761 | BLACK YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT | 1:2:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr David Drew | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Mr George Galloway | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House is alarmed that almost half of young black people aged between 16 and 24 are unemployed; is concerned that ethnic groups have been hardest hit by the recession; notes that the Government's pledge to shield ethnic minorities from the recession has failed; further notes that surveys have revealed that black and Muslim young are disproportionately unemployed even when they have comparable qualifications to those in employment; believes institutional racism still exists in the workplace; and calls on the Government to address these issues by doing more to drive local employment in areas like Hackney and other Olympic boroughs where a disproportionately low number of people work on the Olympic site. |
| 762 | JOBS ON THE OLYMPIC SITE | 1:2:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lee Scott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale |
| | Mr George Galloway | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House recognises that unemployment is rising in London; notes that jobs on the Olympic site are set to increase by over 2,000 in 2010; further notes that just 20 per cent. of workers employed on the Olympic site live in one of the five Olympic boroughs; believes that more needs to be done to utilise local workers; and calls on the Government to set targets to encourage Olympic construction companies to employ locally. |
| 763 | CHILD POVERTY IN ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES | 1:2:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr David Drew | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Mr George Galloway | Bill Etherington |
| That this House recognises that more children in London are in severe poverty than anywhere else in the UK; notes that half of these children are from single parent families or families claiming job seeker's allowance; further notes that ethnic minority children are three times more likely to suffer poverty than their white counterparts; believes this is causing vulnerable communities to become further marginalised; and calls on the Government to concentrate its efforts to target these groups to ensure they do not fall behind in terms of the pledge to end child poverty by 2020. |
| 764 | CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Colin Challen | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale |
| | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House recognises the overwhelming evidence which confirms that human activity is contributing to dangerous climate change; believes that public policy on climate change should be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence; further believes that the process by which all such evidence is assessed and presented should be open and available to public scrutiny; deplores any failure of detail in the analysis and presentation contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report; is concerned that such failures have endangered public confidence in the need for policies aimed at enhancing energy security, reducing fuel poverty, cutting waste and energy bills and improving investment opportunities in clean technologies which will benefit the UK's competitiveness and ability to create sustainable employment; and urges the IPCC to take all necessary measures to ensure public confidence in the methodology that applies to its next assessment. |
| 765 | CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE EARTH HOUR 2010 CAMPAIGN | 1:2:10 |
| Colin Challen | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Simon Hughes | | Andrew Stunell | | Peter Bottomley | | Stephen Williams |
| | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House calls for cross-party support for WWF's Earth Hour 2010 campaign which seeks to persuade over a billion people worldwide to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on 27 March 2010 to demonstrate to political leaders the far-reaching public desire for an urgent, fair, ambitious, binding and scientifically credible global deal on climate change; notes that the Copenhagen Accord failed to establish a sufficiently ambitious or binding framework capable of tackling the threat of climate change; further notes the urgent need for a legally binding global compact which sets stringent carbon emissions reductions targets at global and national levels; further notes that such a framework must include a mechanism for the independent monitoring and verification of progress; further calls on the Government to seek a new international mechanism to provide sustained and sufficient finance additional to existing commitments and which will be committed to support mitigation and adaptation and to prevent deforestation in developing nations; recognises the lead the UK showed at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen; and further calls on the Government to take a leadership role in securing jobs in the UK's green economy and in safeguarding lives, livelihoods and the planet. |
| 766 | SPORTS CLUBS AND MEN'S HEALTH | 1:2:10 |
| Dr Howard Stoate | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House welcomes the development of public health programmes that take advantage of sports stadiums' and sports clubs' position in communities to reach men with health information and services; notes the programmes run by NHS Oldham and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation; further notes the research and co-ordination provided by the Men's Health Forum and the Federation of Stadium Communities; and calls on the Government to support the further development of such programmes by health providers and sports organisations. |
| 768 | HYDROFLUOROCARBONS AND SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION | 1:2:10 |
| Clive Efford | | Peter Bottomley | | Ms Karen Buck | | Sandra Gidley | | Mr Dai Davies | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Mr George Galloway | Lynne Jones |
| That this House draws attention to the significant role supermarket refrigeration plays in reducing the UK's greenhouse gas emissions; notes that hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) can be up to 14,000 times more harmful in terms of global warming than carbon dioxide; is concerned that HFCs, used in supermarket refrigeration units, account for one third of the carbon footprint of most supermarkets; welcomes the progress made by certain supermarkets by reducing their use of HFCs, as highlighted by the Environmental Investigation Agency in its 2009 report, Chilling Facts; further notes that many large retailers are calling for legislation to phase out HFCs in the supermarket sector; and calls on the Government to promote the use of HFC-free refrigeration and to introduce legislation to phase out HFCs in large supermarkets as a matter of urgency. |
| 769 | CATEGORY B3A AUTOMATED LOTTERY MACHINES AND VALUE ADDED TAX | 1:2:10 |
| Philip Davies | | Ann Winterton | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mrs Janet Dean |
| | Bill Etherington | Lynne Jones |
| That this House is alarmed that large numbers of traditional working men's clubs, ex-servicemen's and political clubs may have to close following the decision of HM Revenue and Customs to serve them with assessments to pay value added tax (VAT) and duty on category B3A automated lottery machines operating on their premises, having changed their status from lottery machines to gaming machines; notes that unlike gaming machines, category B3A machines do not dispense cash prizes, and that winning tickets are redeemed via the club; appreciates that there is no private gain to be had from such machines as they are simply another source of fundraising for the club and the revenue often serves as a lifeline to smaller clubs; points out that HM Revenue and Customs consider paper-based lottery machines, which differ only from automated lottery machines in that they display the result via paper, to be exempt from value added tax and duty; draws attention to the fact that the Gambling Commission still states that category B3A machines can offer only lottery games; points out that private members' clubs are not-for-profit organisations and as such do not have the resources to pay retrospective tax bills; and calls on the Government to halt this process, taking into account its negative economic and social impact on local communities up and down the country. |
| 770 | NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY (No. 2) | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Bill Etherington | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Bob Laxton |
| That this House is concerned about distortions and misinformation being circulated in opposition to HM Treasury plans to curb bogus self-employment in the construction industry; notes that the key change caused by such Government policy will be that construction companies will no longer be able to avoid paying their employers' national insurance contribution of 12.8 per cent. for their workers; is aware that currently there are an estimated 400,000 bogus self-employed workers operating in the UK construction industry, costing the Exchequer £1.7 billion per annum in lost revenue; congratulates the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians and other buildings trades unions for their sterling efforts to rid the industry of such illegal practices; and calls on the Government to enact fully the Treasury's proposals in the forthcoming budget to ensure that in future all construction workers currently considered self-employed would be in future deemed officially in receipt of employment income thereby protecting their rights and conditions. |
| 772 | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN | 2:2:10 |
| Annette Brooke | | Mr Robert Flello | | Mr Barry Sheerman | | Mr Edward Timpson | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr John Greenway | Bill Etherington |
| That this House is concerned that 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence in the home; notes that children can experience domestic violence in many ways such as seeing or hearing the violence and the shouts, screams and crying, seeing the cuts, bruises and emotional impact on the abused parent, getting physically hurt whilst trying to intervene, and being deliberately injured by a perpetrator in order to terrorise the non-abusing parent; supports the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's campaign to tackle domestic violence from a child's point of view; and calls on the Government to amend the Home Office's definition of domestic violence in England to include the impact of domestic violence on children. |
| 773 | FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT (No. 2) | 2:2:10 |
| Kelvin Hopkins | | Frank Dobson | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | John McDonnell | | Kate Hoey | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes the continued poor service on First Capital Connect; believes that this breaches the company's franchise agreement; is appalled that passengers have suffered this disruption whilst First Group's Chief Executive was paid over £1 million in 2009 and the company's profits have exceeded £800 million since rail privatisation; welcomes the fact that the Minister of State, Department for Transport has confirmed that all options are on the table when considering the future of the franchise; and urges the Government to take the franchise in-house and to run it as a publicly-owned and accountable public service for the benefit of passengers, taxpayers and railway employees. |
| 774 | DOG EATING IN THE PHILIPPINES | 2:2:10 |
| Mark Pritchard | | Mr Elliot Morley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Eric Martlew | | Mr David Amess | | Bob Russell |
| That this House congratulates His Excellency Mr Antonio Lagdameo on his appointment as Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the Court of St. James; notes the historic special relationship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of the Philippines and the never to be forgotten heroism shown by Filipino allies during World War II; further notes the shared value of respect to the treatment of animals in both countries as evidenced by recent legislation in the Philippines providing severe penalties for those convicted of involvement in the dog meat trade; respectfully requests that Mr Lagdameo conveys to his government the hope of this House that a Special Filipino Task Force is created to enforce these laws thereby eliminating this cruel exploitation of animals once and for all; and calls on the Government to offer support and advice to ensure that the practice is finally stamped out. |
| 775 | NEUROMUSCULAR CARE | 2:2:10 |
| Lorely Burt | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Hunter | | Mr Martin Caton | | Dr William McCrea |
| That this House calls on the NHS West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group to accept and approve the clinician-endorsed neuromuscular strategy; notes that the strategy was commissioned and produced by the Group's own Specialised Commissioning Team with the input of patients and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign; welcomes the recommendation to save up to £6.6 million spent annually on unplanned emergency admissions for people living with rare and very rare muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; expresses concern that clinicians estimate that patients who do not receive specialist neuromuscular care are 20 times more likely to have to be admitted to hospital as an emergency than those who receive timely preventative care; and calls on the Government to urge regional NHS decision-makers to take the action necessary to ensure that everyone living with neuromuscular conditions across the West Midlands has access to specialist multidisciplinary care. |
| 776 | PRESCRIPTION FOR THE UK'S HEART HEALTH CAMPAIGN | 2:2:10 |
| Mr Ian McCartney | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Dr Doug Naysmith | | Mr Malcolm Moss | | Mr Paul Keetch | | Dr Brian Iddon |
| That this House supports the British Heart Foundation's Prescription for the UK's Heart Health, which contains the commitments needed to protect the UK's heart health for the coming decade; notes that heart and circulatory disease is the UK's biggest killer; calls for the significant recent progress made towards preventing heart and circulatory disease to be preserved; expresses concerns over new challenges ahead including demographic changes, shifts in the burden of disease and a more stringent financial climate; is further concerned that the prevalence of heart and circulatory disease remains disproportionately high amongst people living in disadvantaged circumstances and from particular ethnic groups; and calls on the Government to meet these challenges by setting out a renewed approach to tackling heart and circulatory disease in England to reduce its incidence to one of the lowest levels in Western Europe. |
| 777 | SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE SNOW | 2:2:10 |
| Lorely Burt | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Hunter | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr William McCrea | | Mr Edward Davey |
| That this House recognises the negative impact that snow can have on small businesses; welcomes the report by the Federation of Small Businesses, Business Continuity-Let's Keep Britain Moving, which contains 14 recommendations to help keep businesses running through periods of adverse weather conditions; and calls on the Government to launch an inquiry to examine its response to heavy snowfall and to investigate further steps that must be taken to Keep Britain Moving in the future. |
| 778 | APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 2010 | 2:2:10 |
| Mr David Willetts | | Mr Kenneth Clarke | | Mr John Hayes | | Mr David Evennett | | Mrs Maria Miller | | Mr Stephen Crabb |
| | Tony Baldry | Bill Etherington |
| That this House believes that apprenticeships are a valuable source of training and work experience; believes that apprenticeships have a vital role to play in tackling rising youth unemployment; regrets that the number of new apprentice starts for those aged under 25 years is falling; calls on the Government to do more to encourage apprenticeships during the recession; further calls on public sector organisations to consider where they can offer greater numbers of apprenticeships; and welcomes National Apprenticeships Week as an opportunity to celebrate the success of apprenticeships across the country. |
| 779 | FUNDRAISING FOR HAITI | 2:2:10 |
| Jo Swinson | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Paul Flynn |
| That this House congratulates the British people for their generosity in donating more than £58 million so far to the relief effort for the people of Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010; welcomes the huge number of fundraising events organised by individuals, community groups, charities, schools and churches up and down the country; congratulates East Dunbartonshire Council on setting up the East Dunbartonshire Haiti Appeal; commends the extraordinary efforts of the people of East Dunbartonshire to raise money for Haiti, including Cadder Parish Church, Milton of Campsie Parish Church, the Pro-Life Club at St. Ninian's High School, Scouts from 45th Glasgow, 32nd Glasgow and 12th Glasgow Scout Groups, Baljaffray Primary School, The Inn in Bearsden and Joe McCrum; praises Samaritan's Purse in Kirkintilloch for the 400 tonnes of emergency relief and supplies recently delivered to Port-au-Prince; and pays special tribute to Sharon Reader of Milngavie, who has flown to Port-au-Prince with the Red Cross Logistics Emergency Response Unit, and the many other British people working in Haiti to bring relief to those affected by the disaster. |
| 780 | HATE SPEECH AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES | 2:2:10 |
| John Mann | | Mr Tim Boswell | | Chris Huhne | | Bob Spink | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Gordon Prentice |
| | Bill Etherington | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism, its section on Antisemitism in Higher Education and its five recommendations; welcomes the establishment of the Higher Education sub-group of the Inter-departmental working group on Antisemitism; further welcomes improved reporting of incidents through the Community Security Trust and Union of Jewish Students; recognises the continued increase in attacks linked to hostilities in the Middle East, the related incidents that have taken place in universities and that 2009 will see the highest number of reported antisemitic incidents since records began in 1984; notes with concern recent reports on the radicalisation and racial incitement caused by speakers on campus; is concerned that little progress has been made on the question of hate speech since the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism; believes that more can and should be done by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, higher education institutions and the sector as a whole on this matter, applauds the decisions that have been taken to cancel events likely to breach the peace, radicalise students or incite hatred; calls for more progress, with greater urgency in the creation of a wide ranging policy to help vice-chancellors and Student Union representatives to deal effectively with speaker invitations and hate speech; and calls for universities to establish good practice guides based on the speaker request processes that exist. |
| 781 | REGULATION OF STORE CARDS AND CREDIT CARDS | 2:2:10 |
| Ms Sally Keeble | | Mr Don Touhig | | Paul Holmes | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House welcomes the recent consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the regulation of store cards and credit cards; notes its proposals for measures to prevent unsolicited credit limit increases, debt re-pricing and increases of minimum payments; and, given the pressure on consumers during difficult financial times to opt for easy credit, calls on the Government urgently to bring forward recommendations to protect consumers from exploitation. |
| 782 | POLICE NUMBERS IN LONDON | 2:2:10 |
| Clive Efford | | Mike Gapes | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Ms Karen Buck | | Mr Andy Slaughter | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House recalls that the Mayor of London promised prior to his election that `it is important for the Mayor to take a public lead, so I will chair the Metropolitan Police Authority'; further recalls that he promised in his manifesto that `I will take personal responsibility,' and that `no offence will be too trivial to demand my attention' and that he claimed that `no challenge will be so big that I shrug my shoulders and pass the buck'; notes that on 27 January 2010 the Mayor broke all of these pledges to Londoners by resigning as the chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority; further notes with concern that the Mayor's draft budget contains a proposal to cut the number of police in the capital by 455 officers; further notes that the net effect of his four budgets will be that the Conservative Mayor will preside over a reduction in police numbers in the capital; is reminded that police numbers in the capital fell under the last Conservative Government; contrasts this policy with Labour's record in London; believes that the Conservative Mayor's election rhetoric on crime is not matched by adequate investment in the police service; further believes there are now serious questions over what the Mayor is delivering for the capital; and urges the Mayor to reverse his policy of squeezing the budget for the fight against crime at the expense of Londoners. |
| 783 | TEN YEARS OF THE COALFIELD REGENERATION TRUST | 2:2:10 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Mr David Hamilton | | Bill Etherington | | Mr David Anderson | | Mrs Siān C. James |
| That this House congratulates the Coalfield Regeneration Trust (CRT) for the determined work undertaken over the last 10 years to create opportunities for coalfield communities; notes it has created more than 90,000 training and education places as well as building or refurbishing 2,200 community facilities; is aware that under the CRT's Family Employment Initiative the average cost of helping people back into work is lower than for other Government schemes; and calls on the Government to review the scale of future funding requirements to complete the task of regenerating mining communities. |
| 784 | MARKS AND SPENCER CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S JOINING FEE | 2:2:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr David Drew | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd |
| | Mr George Galloway | Bill Etherington |
| That this House contrasts the recent reports that the incoming Chief Executive of Marks and Spencer is to receive a fee of £15 million for simply joining the company with the evidence from the Report of the National Equality Panel that people in the poorest tenth of the population have less than £8,800 in total wealth; and calls on the Board and shareholders of Marks and Spencer to reconsider the morality of the scale of such a pay award when so many people are living in poverty, losing their jobs and struggling to provide for their families on low pay. |
| 786 | ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION AND SOS DAY 2010 | 3:2:10 |
| Mr Michael Moore | | Mr Alistair Carmichael | | Mr Alan Reid | | Sir Alan Beith | | Norman Lamb | | Sir Menzies Campbell |
| | Mr Gordon Prentice | Mr James Gray | Bill Etherington | | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House commends the life-saving work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crews in coastal communities around the UK; recognises that this work would not be possible without the selfless generosity of 40,000 volunteers who offer their time freely; notes that 2009 was one of the busiest years on record for RNLI crews; and wishes the RNLI and their supporters every success in their fundraising efforts, including SOS Day 2010. |
| 787 | BBC AND DISABILITY GROUPS | 3:2:10 |
| Ann Winterton | | Geraldine Smith | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Andrew Selous |
| | Mr James Gray | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes that over the years there have been numerous complaints by hon. Members regarding the persistent bias of the BBC on matters relating to euthanasia and other life issues and on the manner in which the BBC have misused public funds to promote changes in the law; further notes the bias of the Corporation applies not only to news programmes but to drama, with thinly-disguised plays and soap operas being used to promote the use of euthanasia and misrepresentation of pro-life activists in the UK as people of violence; further notes that these presentations have culminated in the last weeks with a multi-million pound campaign featuring Mrs Kay Gilderdale in Panorama and the fantasy fiction writer, Sir Terry Pratchett, given centre stage to present this year's BBC Richard Dimbleby lecture calling for euthanasia and supported by the BBC website; further notes that as usual the BBC have ignored the rights of the disabled, despite the fact that every disability rights group in the UK is opposed to the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia on the grounds that from experience they know it would undermine the right to life of the disabled; and calls on the Government to make it clear to the BBC that public funds will be withdrawn unless they abide by the Charter and ensure that all programmes on issues of public interest are treated impartially, and that in particular broadcasters must bear in mind the human rights of the disabled. |
| 788 | ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY | 3:2:10 |
| Gwyn Prosser | | Sir Menzies Campbell | | John McDonnell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| | Mr James Gray | Bill Etherington | Mr David Drew |
| That this House applauds the work of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and the dedication and bravery of its personnel, who provide such invaluable support to the Royal Navy often in war zones around the globe; is extremely concerned that the future of the RFA is under threat due to the proposal to scrutinise its role through the Treasury Operational Efficiency Programme; is dismayed that a further review could be contemplated so soon after a similar exercise in 2006 which resulted in a stable evolved crewing strategy until 2020; believes that the RFA has consistently demonstrated the value in retaining a civilian crewed fleet to provide strategic support to the Royal Navy; and urges the Government to retain the RFA in its traditional role on the grounds of security, efficiency and integration, and support for the armed forces. |
| 790 | MOBILE TELEPHONE MASTS | 3:2:10 |
| Mr Edward Timpson | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Lee Scott | | John McDonnell | | Annette Brooke |
| | Bill Etherington | Hon Nicholas Soames | Mr David Drew | | | Paul Rowen | Ms Katy Clark | Mark Durkan | | | Dr Alasdair McDonnell | Andrew Stunell |
| That this House recognises the high level of concern in many communities regarding the planning of mobile telephone masts; believes that the current planning system is inadequate; and calls on the Government to bring all mobile telephone mast proposals under strict planning control, to include extensive consultation with local residents within that control system, to bring the precautionary principle into planning, and to give extra safeguards to schools, homes and medical facilities. |
| 791 | ITV AIRTIME SALES AND CONTRACT RIGHTS RENEWAL | 3:2:10 |
| Janet Anderson | | Mr Jeremy Hunt | | Mr Don Foster | | Mr Edward Vaizey | | David Cairns | | Miss Julie Kirkbride |
| | Mr John Greenway | Richard Ottaway | Mr Mark Oaten |
| That this House notes with concern the provisional decision of the Competition Commission that the 2003 remedy, Contract Rights Renewal (CRR), applying to ITV1 airtime sales should remain largely unchanged; believes that the explosion of competition in media markets since 2003 now renders the restriction unnecessary; is concerned about the distorting effects of CRR on ITV's scheduling and investment decisions; considers that CRR financially punishes ITV for delivering the programming its customers and viewers want; believes therefore, it is detrimental to the continued investment in original TV content and the health of the UK's wider creative economy; and calls on the Government to undertake an urgent review of the competition regime as it applies to media mergers to ensure that broader public interest criteria are considered alongside price competition by merger authorities. |
| 794 | SMARTER TRAVEL CHOICES INITIATIVES | 3:2:10 |
| Colin Challen | | Peter Bottomley | | Norman Baker | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Glenda Jackson | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes the success of Smarter Choices initiatives in providing transport advice and information resulting in significant reductions in car trips and increased use of low carbon transport modes including buses, car sharing, cycling and walking; further notes the success of the Department for Transport's pilot projects in Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester; further notes the Committee on Climate Change's call for a phased national rollout of Smarter Choices schemes in its First Report of Session 2009-10; further notes Smarter Choices is a low-cost way of cutting carbon emissions; and calls on the Government to announce a phased rollout of Smarter Choices programmes across England. |
| 796 | LOW GLUCOSE LEVELS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES SUFFERERS | 3:2:10 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House commends research undertaken by Cardiff University into the dangers of letting blood glucose levels drop too low in type 2 diabetes sufferers; notes the health problems associated with letting blood glucose go too high or too low; further notes that it is essential that even levels of blood glucose are maintained in type 2 diabetes sufferers; supports the call for diabetes sufferers to undertake regular check-ups to ensure the most appropriate treatment is provided, alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise; is concerned that more than 145,000 new cases of diabetes, mostly type 2, were diagnosed in the past year; urges the Government to investigate further the overall effect of intensification of glucose control with insulin therapy and its link to a heightened risk of death; and encourages the Government to provide guidelines on regular check-ups and advice on managing diabetes to sufferers and their practitioners. |
| 800 | BEREAVEMENT BENEFITS | 3:2:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House recognises that bereavement benefits are paid to those who are obliged to cope with singular difficulties at an emotional time; notes that receipt of such benefits can debar an individual from access to mortgage support; and urges the Government to reconsider this policy. |
| 802 | ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, CASH BONUSES AND PUBLIC FINANCES | 4:2:10 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House is shocked and disturbed at the complete insensitivity of the senior management, including the chairman of the RBS remuneration committee, to press ahead with plans, set out in a letter to RBS shareholders on 1 February 2010, that would allow top performers to effectively collect large cash bonuses despite the publicly stated opposition to such payouts by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Financial Services Authority; believes that as 84 per cent. of RBS is owned by the taxpayer, the interests of the public should be represented by United Kingdom Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI) who are responsible for protecting the taxpayer's investments into RBS, to the RBS board; further believes the RBS proposed plan, that bonuses could initially be paid in shares which would be convertible to cash after just 12 weeks, is totally contrary to the Chancellor's stated desire to curb unjustified bonuses being paid by banks in which there is significant public ownership; and therefore calls on the Government to instruct UKFI to demand that the RBS chief executive, Stephen Hester, halt such unacceptable bonus plans, on penalty of dismissal if he fails to comply. |
| 805 | DEMENTIA RESEARCH | 4:2:10 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the Alzheimer's Research Trust's Dementia 2010 report; notes that dementia affects 820,000 people in the UK; further notes that dementia costs the economy £23 billion per year, more than cancer and heart disease combined; is concerned that dementia research funding is 12 times lower than that for cancer; welcomes the Government's formation of a Ministerial Advisory Group on Dementia Research; and urges the Government to make dementia research a national priority. |
| 806 | COMPREHENSIVE PEACE AGREEMENT IN SUDAN | 4:2:10 |
| Mr David Drew | | Mr Edward Davey | | Mr Stephen Crabb | | Susan Kramer | | Ms Sally Keeble | | Mark Pritchard |
| That this House is concerned about the current situation in Sudan; notes that the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement put an end to one of Africa's longest running civil wars, in which over two million people lost their lives; is gravely concerned that, without adequate preparation, the upcoming national elections and referendum on southern independence could re-ignite conflict between north and south Sudan, with broader implications for regional stability; notes with horror the significant spike in violence in South Sudan in 2009, with over 2,500 killed and 350,000 displaced; further notes that, in the western region of Darfur, millions continue to suffer daily in camps; calls on the Government to seek urgent action now to protect civilians during this turbulent period in Sudan; and further calls on the Government to devote greater attention to inducing the parties, North, South, East and Darfur, to continue dialogue and find constructive solutions to the problems they face. |
| 810 | HUMAN RIGHTS IN CAMEROON | 5:2:10 |
| That this House condemns the continued abuse of political activists by the Cameroonian government, particularly of the SCNC political party; notes Cameroon's poor human rights record, and its continued abuses including denial of the rights to freedom of expression, association, press, and assembly; further notes the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's advice to avoid political demonstrations and large public gatherings in Cameroon; also notes abuses against the SCNC documented by Amnesty International, which include arbitrary arrest, unlawful detentions and inhuman or degrading treatment; acknowledges the clear risks posed to members of the SCNC by the Cameroonian government; and calls on the Government to offer help to members of the SCNC who are judged to be in danger due to these human rights abuses. |
| 811 | CHILDREN IN IMMIGRATION REMOVAL CENTRES | 5:2:10 |
| That this House notes the £100,000 settlement paid by the Home Office to Carmen Quiroga and her children for their false imprisonment in Oakington Detention Centre for 42 days; is concerned about the increasing length of time families are detained for, with some being detained for over 120 days; is further concerned over the psychological damage that may occur in children following any period of detention; notes that Oakington was initially meant to be used as a short-term measure and closed in 2006, yet has been in operation for 10 years; recognises Chief Prison Inspector Anne Owers' report on detention centres condemning the use of child imprisonment; and urges the Government to extend the provisions of the relevant children's legislation to include children in detention. |
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