| 1659 | SHROPSHIRE WASTE MANAGEMENT | 15:6:09 |
| Daniel Kawczynski | | Mr John Leech | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes that in discussions with the hon. Member for Shrewsbury, the Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services, Monsieur Jean-Dominique Mallet has stated that an incinerator is not the only option available for Shrewsbury for management of Shropshire's waste; further notes that Veolia has a wide range of alternatives which it would be happy to discuss with the new unitary authority; further notes huge opposition to an incinerator by Shrewsbury residents who would prefer a more modern and greener way to dispose of waste; and congratulates the people of Shrewsbury for exceeding Government targets on recycling. |
| 1660 | PRESCRIPTION CHARGES FOR PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr John Leech | | Bob Spink | | Mr Colin Breed |
| | Mr David Anderson [R] | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | Andrew George | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams | | | John Hemming |
| That this House is aware that, unlike their counterparts in Wales, asthma sufferers in England still have to pay prescription charges for their medical needs; further notes that such charges are already being phased out in Scotland and Northern Ireland; recalls Government assurances made that people with long-term conditions would receive their prescriptions free of charge; and calls on the Government to immediately fulfil these promises. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1661 | MARINE AND COASTAL ACCESS BILL | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr John Leech | | Dr Brian Iddon | | David Taylor | | Mr James Gray |
| | Mr Neil Gerrard | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams |
| That this House is aware that the UK's marine environment hosts an astonishing wealth of internationally important marine wildlife; acknowledges that the Marine and Coastal Access Bill currently passing through Parliament represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver long-awaited protection for the UK's coastal marine environment; and therefore believes it important that any nature conservation provisions contained in the Bill must contain an unambiguous duty to designate an ecologically-coherent network of such zones which will protect them from either extractive or otherwise damaging commercial activities, and must include actual prohibitions against sea life disturbance in such environments. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Alan Meale's proposed Motion (Marine and Coastal Access Bill): |
| Line 2, after `wildlife;' insert, `notes that UK membership of the EU Common Fisheries Policy has led to the most intense period of destruction of marine life in UK waters;'. |
| 1662 | COUNCIL TAX COLLECTION COSTS AND ALTERNATIVES | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr John Leech | | Mr Colin Breed | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Hunter |
| That this House notes that council tax is 74 per cent. more expensive than income tax to administer, and that aligning council tax and income tax collection could save the public purse approximately £200 million per year; further notes that many pensioners and families on low incomes are disadvantaged by the current structure of council tax; and calls on the Government to engage in a national debate and provide a detailed assessment of a wide range of alternatives to council tax in its current form. |
| 1663 | ANDY MURRAY AND THE AEGON CHAMPIONSHIP | 15:6:09 |
| Pete Wishart | | John McDonnell | | Mr John Leech | | Mr James Gray | | Mr Alan Meale | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Greg Mulholland | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | David Lepper | | | David Simpson | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams | | | Andrew George |
| That this House congratulates Andy Murray on winning the AEGON Championship; notes he is now ranked number three in the world; and wishes him the very best of luck at Wimbledon next month. |
| 1666 | SEA SUNDAY AND THE WELFARE OF SEAFARERS | 15:6:09 |
| Jim Dobbin | | Robert Key | | Annette Brooke | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr Joe Benton |
| | Mr David Anderson | Paul Flynn | Andrew George | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams |
| That this House, in recalling Britain's proud maritime heritage, notes that today 90 per cent. of world trade travels by sea, 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's imports and exports travel by sea and 146,000 merchant ships arrive in British ports every year contributing to the nearly £40 billion annual turnover of the British maritime sector; acknowledges that the inherent problems for many thousands of merchant seafarers of dangerous conditions, low pay, poor morale, sickness and separation from family are sometimes exacerbated by exploitative employers sailing under flags of convenience; congratulates the national charity, the Apostleship of the Sea, on its work for the welfare and rights of all seafarers who visit British shores through a network of 13 port chaplains and over 120 volunteers in 57 ports and berthing facilities across Great Britain; extends its best wishes for the organisation's future development; hopes that the Apostleship of the Sea and its ecumenical partners, the Mission to Seafarers and the Sailors' Society, which provide so generously for the welfare of seafarers, benefit from the greater awareness of their mission stimulated by the presentations, prayers and collections associated with Sea Sunday on 12 July 2009; and urges all businesses which import and export goods by sea to be responsible corporate citizens and encourage their shipping providers to adopt an acceptable minimum level of care for their seafaring employees as advised by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. |
| 1667 | MID STAFFORDSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (No. 2) | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Andrew Lansley | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mark Simmonds | | Mike Penning | | Mr William Cash | | Mr Graham Brady |
| That this House notes the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Health; and calls on him to initiate an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the failings of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Spink | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mark Durkan |
| | Adam Price | Mr Neil Gerrard | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes with concern the continued rise in fuel prices; further notes that both petrol and diesel prices are at over £1 per litre; recognises that the increased cost of petrol and diesel hits those in low and fixed incomes the hardest in addition to having an impact on business; further recognises the reliance many people have on using their vehicles both for business and private use and therefore the huge impact that the proposed two per cent. increase in fuel duty, due to be introduced in September 2009, will have on many people; and calls on the Government to review its policy and abandon the two per cent. rise. |
| 1669 | ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND AND LIVERPOOL FC | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Peter Kilfoyle | | John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Jim Dobbin | | Dr Alasdair McDonnell |
| | Mr George Howarth | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes the Government's 60 per cent. stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland; further notes that the Royal Bank of Scotland provides a credit facility for the American ownership of Liverpool FC; is aware that the American owners have failed to deliver a new stadium for Liverpool FC, thereby delaying indefinitely the regeneration of one of the most needy areas of the country; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that the Royal Bank of Scotland does not renew that credit facility at the end of its current term. |
| 1670 | HORTICULTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT | 15:6:09 |
| Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Michael Clapham | | John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Dr Brian Iddon |
| | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Paul Flynn | Andrew George | | | Dr William McCrea | Mrs Betty Williams | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House notes that there has been a significant reduction in resources and funding for research and development in the production horticulture sector over the last 20 years; further notes that research and development is vital for the industry to be able to innovate, improve productivity and deal with new legislation; is deeply concerned that this decline in research and development capacity will mean that the UK is unable to address the scientific challenges raised by new EU-crop protection legislation; observes that, as other EU countries have a stable research base, thus the UK's horticulture sector will become increasingly less competitive; and, as a first step, calls on the Government to match-fund income raised by the levy on the industry through the Horticultural Development Board. |
| John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr John Leech | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Graham Stringer |
| | Greg Mulholland | Adam Price | Mr George Galloway | | | Mr Neil Gerrard | Mrs Ann Cryer | John Hemming |
| That this House considers that, to be credible and gain the confidence and trust of the British people, any inquiry into Britain's involvement in Iraq must be demonstrably fully independent, open, transparent and held in public, with the power to summon witnesses under oath. |
| As an Amendment to John McDonnell's proposed Motion (Iraq Inquiry): |
| Line 4, at end add `, but the cost and the time taken must not be anything remotely approaching that reached by the Saville Inquiry.'. |
| 1672 | BONUSES OF REMPLOY DIRECTORS | 15:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr John Leech | | Bob Spink | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Graham Stringer | | Mr Dai Davies |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | Andrew George | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams |
| That this House notes with disgust that the directors of Remploy were paid more than £1.7 million in bonuses in 2007-08, an increase of 40 per cent., in the same year that 2,500 workers lost their jobs at the firm; and agrees with the sentiments of Mr Phil Davies, National Officer of the GMB union, that the bonus culture for Remploy directors must end and that resources should be spent instead on Remploy's role of providing employment to workers with disabilities. |
| 1673 | LAURENCE DALY, 1924 - 2009 | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr David Hamilton | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Bill Etherington | | Mr Jim Hood | | John Cummings |
| That this House pays tribute to the late Laurence Daly, former General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers between 1968 and 1984, who died aged 84 years on 23 May 2009; recognises that he was a supreme advocate for the miners and that his presentation of their wage claim before the Wilberforce Enquiry in the 1972 dispute won the day for them and earned him extensive respect across the trade union and labour movement; notes that he distinguished himself as a leader of the 1974 miners' strike with the then President of the Union, Joe Gormley, which resulted in the three-day working week and culminated in the 1974 general election that returned a Labour government to power; acknowledges that he was a gregarious man who missed the social life and camaraderie of the close Fife mining community from which he came; and calls for an appropriate acknowledgement for this remarkable son of the radical tradition. |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Lynne Jones | | David Simpson | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Mr Phil Willis |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr Neil Gerrard | Andrew George | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | John Hemming |
| That this House recognises the important role of social care in assisting disabled children, adults and older people to live decent and, where possible, independent lives; notes with concern that many disabled people whose level of need is described as lower or moderate still have social care needs, yet do not receive social care support from their local council and must pay for their own social care or live without appropriate care; and therefore calls on the Government to make more money available for local authorities to fund the social care provision in their area and widen access to those with moderate or lower needs. |
| 1675 | GREEN BRITAIN DAY, 10 JULY 2009 | 16:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Hunter | | Mr Martin Caton | | Dr Alasdair McDonnell |
| | Andrew George | Dr William McCrea | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Mrs Betty Williams |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the first ever Green Britain Day on 10 July 2009 by Eco-Schools, London 2012, EDF Energy, the Eden Project and Global Action Plan; notes with appreciation that Green Britain Day is a chance for people to take specific personal action in the fight against climate change; encourages schools and businesses to participate, to have fun and to work towards a lower carbon future; further welcomes Government efforts to combat climate change; and calls for greater international co-operation to meet lower carbon emission objectives. |
| 1676 | REVERSE E-AUCTIONS FOR PALLIATIVE AND DEMENTIA CARE CONTRACTS | 16:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | David Simpson | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Mr Phil Willis | | Jim Dobbin |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr Neil Gerrard | Dr William McCrea | | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House is deeply sceptical about the use of reverse e-auctions by the NHS for palliative and dementia care contracts for the elderly when they leave hospital; regrets that where such auctions have been used, standards and quality have deteriorated rapidly; notes that one company was struck off the national register of approved providers only weeks after winning a local authority's reverse auction because the level of palliative care it offered was of such poor quality; and therefore calls on the Government to ban the practice, which is undignified and treats vulnerable elderly people as commodities to be bid for. |
| 1677 | 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITE STAFF BRANCH | 16:6:09 |
| Tony Lloyd | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr David Anderson | Graham Stringer | Paul Flynn | | | Mr Neil Gerrard | David Lepper | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Mrs Betty Williams | Dr Hywel Francis | Mr Ian Davidson |
| That this House congratulates the Unite 1/427 branch on its quarter century of representing staff of hon. Members; and asks the House of Commons Commission to recognise the branch for the purposes of collective bargaining. |
| 1679 | CHELSEA BARRACKS | 16:6:09 |
| Mr Ken Purchase | | Mr Dai Davies | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House is dismayed by the undemocratic scrapping of the Rogers plan for Chelsea Barracks; and calls on the Royal Institute of British Architects to instruct its members not to provide services to the Qatari developers until such time as the developers re-adopt and re-submit the Rogers plan to the planning authority for democratic determination. |
| 1680 | ON-DEMAND AND INTERNET CONTENT ON TELEVISION | 16:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr Graham Brady | | Paul Rowen | | Richard Ottaway | | David Cairns | | Alan Keen |
| | Mr Neil Gerrard | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes the proposed project linking the internet with television under the project title Canvas being developed jointly between BT, the BBC and ITV and currently under consideration by the BBC Trust; welcomes the innovation reflected in the development of an open platform; recognises the value of a common standard for delivering a wealth of on-demand and internet content such as the BBC iPlayer to television sets via a broadband internet connection; further recognises the significant step that this will be for the broadcasting and broadband sectors; further notes the benefits the service will bring in providing consumers with greater choice of connected television platforms and the associated opportunities for a wide range of content providers, advertisers, network and platform operators, software companies and consumer electronics makers; further notes the potential the project has to stimulate digital creativity and increased take-up of broadband; and encourages other broadcasters and communications companies to join the proposed partnership. |
| 1681 | REFERENDUM ON ELECTORAL REFORM | 16:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr Charles Kennedy | | Mr David Drew | | Sir Alan Beith | | John Mann | | Jo Swinson |
| | Andrew George | Mr David Chaytor |
| That this House supports the call for a referendum regarding a more proportional voting system for elections to the House of Commons. |
| As Amendments to Mr John Grogan's proposed Motion (Referendum on Electoral Reform): |
| Line 1, leave out `a more proportional' and insert `an alternative vote based on the existing single Member constituency'. |
| Line 1, leave out from `regarding' to end and add `a change to the first past the post system of electing hon. Members to the House of Commons which maintains the constituency link.'. |
| 1682 | BEATING DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY | 16:6:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | David Simpson | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Paul Flynn | Mr Neil Gerrard | Andrew George | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams | John Hemming | | | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House recalls the statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on 31 October 2007 that `the Government fully accepts that everything possible needs to be done to bring an end to the tragic impact Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy has on individuals and their families'; acknowledges that in the intervening time period around 200 young men will have died from this disease; believes that experience from Denmark shows that much better outcomes are possible when resources are focused on supporting those hit by this disease; applauds those clinicians and researchers who, despite financial constraints, have made huge strides in recent years; and calls on the Government to implement the commitment given by the Prime Minister by meeting the clinicians, carers and campaigners involved in the Action Duchenne campaign in order to develop a strategy based on best practice. |
| 1683 | LOCAL HOUSING - LOCAL SOLUTIONS REPORT | 16:6:09 |
| Mr Clive Betts | | Sarah Teather | | Mrs Jacqui Lait | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | David Simpson |
| | Mr Neil Gerrard | Andrew George | Dr William McCrea | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | John Hemming | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House supports the publication of the Local Government Association document Local Housing - Local Solutions: the case for self-determination, which welcomes the commitment from politicians of all parties to good housing conditions and the need to build more homes; notes that the current system of funding council housing is unfair, ineffective, promotes a short-term approach to investment and is under-funded; asks that councils be released from this inefficient system; and calls on the Government to scrap the current Housing Revenue Account system and replace it with a fairer, more efficient localised system, giving councils financial self-determination but allowing support for those councils who find this unviable, and addressing the potential financial problems which could be created by removal of positive subsidy payments, enabling all councils to invest in their housing and to contribute to local economies. |
| 1684 | GAME BIRD INDUSTRY | 16:6:09 |
| David Taylor | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Dai Davies |
| | Paul Flynn | Mrs Betty Williams | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House notes that every year in Britain around 35 million pheasants and six million partridges are purpose-bred in cages, sheds and pens so that they can be released and shot for sport; is concerned about the suffering endured by these birds and by the large number of indigenous wild mammals and birds that are trapped, snared, poisoned and shot to protect this activity; is alarmed by the thousands of tons of leadshot and plastic casings discharged annually by live quarry shooters, and also by the disruption caused to native wildlife at the start of each shooting season when the millions of pheasants and partridges are released; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity to prohibit the production of birds for sport shooting, in line with the ban introduced in Holland in 2002. |
| 1685 | SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN | 16:6:09 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr George Galloway | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | Andrew George [R] | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House supports the campaign, led by mainly migrant cleaners and supported by the University and College Union, Unison and the National Union of Students branches, fighting for the improved pay and conditions of School of Oriental and African Studies workers and against the victimisation of the Unison branch chair, Jose Bermudez Stalin, who was sacked earlier this year; notes with concern that after winning union recognition for cleaners working for the cleaning company ISS and on the same day as a protest calling for the reinstatement of Jose Bermudez Stalin on 12 June 2009, nine cleaners, one of whom is reported to be over six months pregnant, were taken away during a sudden immigration raid at the university; is extremely alarmed at reports that five of the nine individuals have already been deported and seeks urgent clarification of the wellbeing of all of the nine cleaners; condemns the practice of using immigration status as a means of attacking workers fighting for their rights and breaking union organisation; and reaffirms the principle of the right of all workers to a living wage and to be active within a free and independent trade union. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1686 | PENDING DEMOLITION OF THE SHAWAMREH FAMILY HOME IN EAST JERUSALEM | 16:6:09 |
| Lynne Jones | | David Lepper | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Dr Brian Iddon | Mr George Galloway | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes that since 1967, the Israeli authorities have demolished more than 24,000 Palestinian homes in the Occupied Territories; further notes the Israeli Supreme Court recently ruled that the home of Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh in Anata, already demolished by the Israeli authorities four times, can be demolished again; applauds the courageous resistance of the Shawamreh family; and calls on the Israeli authorities to grant the Shawamreh family a permit to build and to halt their illegal programme of demolition of Palestinian homes in line with the UN's call for Israel to freeze all pending demolition orders in East Jerusalem. |
| 1687 | LOW CARBON INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY | 17:6:09 |
| Paddy Tipping | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Norman Baker | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Paul Flynn | | | Andrew George | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams | | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to the development of a Low Carbon Industrial Strategy; and calls on the Government to include within the scope of the strategy policies for strategic support for all parts of the environmental technology sector, including those concerned with the quality and condition of water, soil and air, which are vital areas of technology both for environmental protection and for the competitiveness of UK business. |
| 1688 | SAMANTHA OROBATOR (No. 2) | 17:6:09 |
| Mr Alistair Carmichael | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House notes the decision by the Laotian court in Vientiane on 3 June 2009 to sentence Samantha Orobator to life imprisonment; further notes that Samantha pleaded guilty to the charges of drug smuggling; further notes the recent agreement between Britain and Laos regarding prison transfers; calls on both nations to ratify the agreement as a matter of urgency; and further calls on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do all it can to ensure Samantha returns home as soon as possible so she can serve her sentence in the UK. |
| 1689 | WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY | 17:6:09 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Glenda Jackson |
| | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Paul Flynn | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | Andrew George | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams | | | Mark Durkan | John Hemming | Andrew Rosindell |
| That this House welcomes the United Nations' designation of 19 June 2009 as World Sickle Cell Day; congratulates the Sickle Cell Society on its 30th anniversary; recognises the achievements made by the society in raising awareness of, and improving care for, sickle cell disease in the UK; notes this recognition of sickle cell disease as both a global public health problem as well as a serious health problem in the UK; and calls on the Government to continue its funding of newborn and antenatal NHS screening for this disease and to increase support for the development of sickle cell care services. |
| 1690 | MR SPEAKER (No. 2) | 17:6:09 |
| Lembit Öpik | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin | | Glenda Jackson | | Andrew George |
| That this House applauds Speaker Martin's long and honourable service to his country and to this House; and believes that the House will be forever in his debt. |
| 1691 | OUTDOOR LEARNING | 17:6:09 |
| Mr Phil Willis | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| | Dr Brian Iddon | Robert Key | Andrew George | | | David Simpson | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mark Durkan | | | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House notes with concern that the number of school students choosing to study physical science subjects post-16 has fallen over the last 25 years; recognises the significant contribution that outdoor learning makes to increasing students' enthusiasm for science and helping them on their way to becoming the new scientists of the future; notes with concern that there are currently a number of barriers to improving fieldwork, including Initial Teacher Training which is not working effectively enough to help produce sufficient numbers of high quality teachers with confidence, competence and commitment to teach outdoor science to the next generation of children and young people; further notes with concern that Qualified Teacher Status standard 30 only requires that trainee teachers should be able to identify opportunities for out-of-school learning, with no requirement for trainees to plan, organise, take part in, and lead outdoor learning activities; congratulates the Field Studies Council (FSC), an environmental education charity committed to helping people understand and be inspired by the natural world, on its campaign to improve teacher training; and calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support the FSC's campaign to introduce minimum standards in Initial Teacher Training and urgently to review Qualified Teacher Status standard 30. |
| 1692 | UNITE INTERNS AGREEMENT | 17:6:09 |
| Mr Phil Willis | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mrs Linda Riordan | | Dr Nick Palmer | | Greg Mulholland | | Ms Dari Taylor |
| | Dr Brian Iddon | Mr Neil Gerrard | Andrew George | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mark Durkan | Dr Hywel Francis | | | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes the important contribution interns working for hon. Members make; further notes internships in Parliament offer young people a transformative insight into political life and an important gateway into politics; believes that people from all around the UK, and from diverse backgrounds should have an equal opportunity to take part in internships for hon. Members; further believes hon. Members should be leading the country through providing best practice internships; welcomes the new Interns Agreement launched by the Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch, a document analogous to an employment contract, which sets out what both the hon. Member and the intern can expect from the internship; urges all hon. Members to use an Interns Agreement to ensure that their interns are offered a fulfilling and fair experience with the opportunity for training and development; and urges the House to consider bringing forward measures similar to those of the European Parliament to offer well structured, resourced and transparently advertised internship programmes. |
| 1693 | CONDUCT OF INDEPENDENT ADVISER ON EQUITABLE LIFE | 17:6:09 |
| Daniel Kawczynski | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House notes with intense anger and frustration the refusal of Sir John Chadwick to meet the 140-strong All-Party Group for Justice for Equitable Life Policyholders; further notes that, while these 140 hon. Members have several pressing questions for Sir John to answer, he refuses to interact with representatives in Parliament; further notes that the refusal of Sir John to meet the Group is typical of the subservience of the establishment to the present Government; is appalled that, at a time when 15 Equitable Life policyholders are dying every day, and while thousands of other policyholders worry for their livelihoods in retirement, Sir John is frequently abroad; further notes that he is presently out of the country until 29 June; draws attention to the fact that Sir John's main assistant dealing with enquiries while he is abroad, Mr Simon Bor, is seconded from the Treasury, and considers this to be a complete conflict of interest; and has no confidence in Sir John in his capacity as independent adviser to the Government in relation to the Equitable Life ex-gratia payment scheme and calls on him to resign this position with immediate effect. |
| 1694 | GOVERNMENT POLICY ON SELF-BALANCING PERSONAL TRANSPORTERS | 17:6:09 |
| Lembit Öpik [R] | | John Hemming |
| That this House condemns the Government's decision to reject proposals for regulation of self-balancing personal transporters; recognises that the Government has missed an opportunity to further carbon reduction and reduce congestion; further recognises the potential for self-balancing personal transporters to help people with reduced mobility; and calls on the Government to reconsider its position. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1695 | DIABETES AMPUTATIONS | 17:6:09 |
| Norman Lamb | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Bob Laxton | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Jim Dobbin | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Adrian Sanders | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Andrew George | | | Dr William McCrea | David Simpson | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Mrs Betty Williams | Mark Durkan | John Hemming | | | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House notes that there are around 100 lower-limb amputations among people with diabetes every week in England; is concerned that one in three people with diabetes do not realise that having the condition puts them more at risk of having an amputation; welcomes the publication of the Diabetes UK/NHS Diabetes report, Putting Feet First, which calls for better joint working between primary care trusts and hospitals to ensure provision of high-quality specialist care for the management and prevention of diabetic foot disease; supports the top tips resource to inform people with diabetes of the foot care they should demand; and commends the work of Diabetes UK in improving the lives of people with diabetes. |
| 1696 | PAY AND CONDITIONS OF CLEANERS ON LONDON UNDERGROUND | 17:6:09 |
| John McDonnell [R] | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mrs Linda Riordan |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr George Galloway |
| That this House believes that the low pay and appalling working conditions of cleaners working on London Underground have no place on a modern transport network, particularly one which will be the focus of the world during the 2012 Olympics; commends the campaign of Rail, Maritime and Transport members which has ensured that all but one of the contractors now pays the 2008 London Living Wage of £7.45 per hour; condemns ISS Tube Lines for breaking a commitment that rates of pay would increase to this level; notes the Mayor of London's embrace of a London living wage and calls on him immediately to intervene to address this anomaly especially as he has now endorsed an increased London living wage of £7.60 per hour; is shocked at the degrading conditions endured where men and women change together in cramped rooms and neither London Underground nor cleaning contractors will provide mess rooms for cleaners in which to eat food during their rest break or wash their hands, while they must clean up vomit and blood; further notes that many cleaning contractors have dismissed long-standing employees because of alleged invalid immigration status; calls for an amnesty for immigrants who have worked for many years in London and contributed to the economy; and therefore demands urgent remedial action from the Mayor as Chair of Transport for London to improve cleaners' working conditions. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1697 | DEAF CHILDREN'S SOCIETY BIG WALK FORWARD INITIATIVE | 17:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Andrew George |
| | Dr William McCrea | David Simpson | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Mrs Betty Williams | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House recognises The Big Walk Forward - London as an excellent opportunity to re-discover what the UK's great capital has to offer on foot whilst raising money for local deaf children societies or the National Deaf Children's Society; and commends those who took part in The Big Walk Forward 2008 and successfully raised thousands of pounds for deaf children's societies. |
| 1698 | KEEP BRITAIN TIDY CAMPAIGN | 17:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | David Taylor | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Richard Burden |
| | Dr Brian Iddon | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | | Andrew George | Dr William McCrea | David Simpson | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mrs Betty Williams | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House warmly congratulates Keep Britain Tidy, the environmental charity and anti-litter campaign for England, on its work; notes that Keep Britain Tidy also runs programmes such as Eco-Schools, Blue Flag and Quality Coast Awards for beaches, and the Green Flag for parks to demonstrate practical action; recognises the Government's support of such charities to enable their work; and congratulates all those who are involved. |
| 1699 | GOVERNMENT POLICY ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS | 17:6:09 |
| Dr Phyllis Starkey | | Mr Colin Breed | | Mr Andy Slaughter | | John Austin | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Lynne Jones |
| | Dr Brian Iddon | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr George Galloway | | | Dr Nick Palmer | Paul Flynn | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | David Lepper | Andrew George | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Paul Holmes | Mrs Betty Williams | Mark Durkan | | | Dr Hywel Francis | Mark Lazarowicz |
| That this House endorses the call by President Obama for a full and complete freeze on all Israeli settlement building in occupied territories, including natural growth; notes that all settlements including outposts are explicitly illegal under international law and exist in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions; further notes that they are a major obstacle to peace and a meaningful two state solution which includes a viable, independent sovereign Palestinian state; and welcomes the Government's call for such a total freeze on settlement activity and urges the Government to do all in its power to bring this about. |
| 1700 | GOVERNANCE OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AUTHORITY | 17:6:09 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Jim Dobbin | Bob Spink | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | | Mr George Galloway | Paul Flynn | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | | Mr Neil Gerrard | Mrs Ann Cryer | Paul Holmes | | | Mrs Betty Williams | Mark Durkan | Dr Hywel Francis | | | Mr Ian Davidson |
| That this House notes with concern the dominance of people with a financial services industry background on the board of the Financial Services Authority (FSA); acknowledges the concerns of consumer organisations such as Which? that this limits the board's ability to challenge the application of regulation and supervision by the senior management of the FSA and to promote and represent the interests of ordinary consumers; highlights the importance in the current economic climate of ensuring that the right decisions are taken on issues relating to financial regulation including rewards and remuneration in the sector; and therefore urges the FSA to ensure that suitable consumer representation is reflected on the board as a matter of urgency. |
| 1701 | COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY ON IRAQ | 18:6:09 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr George Galloway |
| | Paul Flynn | Lynne Jones | Mr Neil Gerrard | | | Mark Durkan | John Hemming |
| That this House rejects the justifications provided during the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 15 June 2009 on the establishment of a Committee of Inquiry into the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath for holding the inquiry in secret; recalls that the Prime Minister told the House in his earlier statement on 10 June 2009 on constitutional renewal that he believes `that we should do more to spread the culture and practice of freedom of information'; records disappointment that this apparent commitment to more openness lasted less than a week; believes that the general public, including the millions of citizens who marched and demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and many families of servicemen and women who lost their lives during the invasion of, and subsequent occupation of Iraq, will not find it acceptable to hold the inquiry in secret, and would want to be able to attend hearings as in the Hutton Inquiry and the Scott Inquiry; notes for example that John Miller whose son Simon was killed in Iraq in 2003, has said private hearings would be marred by `lies and deceit'; and therefore calls on the Prime Minister to scrap the announced arrangements for the Committee of Inquiry into the Invasion of Iraq forthwith and as a democratic and transparent alternative to consult with a wide range of interested parties including backbench hon. and right hon. Members, the Stop the War Coalition and Military Families Against the War, to ascertain what they believe would be a just inquiry. |
| 1702 | ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY'S PARLIAMENTARY LINKS DAY | 18:6:09 |
| Dr Brian Iddon [R] | | Mr Mark Lancaster [R] | | Mr Phil Willis | | Dr Ashok Kumar | | Dr Evan Harris | | Ian Stewart |
| | Jim Dobbin | Bob Spink | Philip Davies | | | Dr Howard Stoate | Mrs Ann Cryer | Clive Efford | | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Paul Flynn | Ann Winterton | | | Lynne Jones | Sir Nicholas Winterton | Mr Ian Davidson |
| That this House congratulates the Royal Society of Chemistry on holding its Parliamentary Links Day on 24 June 2009 on the theme of science and global security; welcomes the society's commitment to serve the public interest by improving the access of all hon. Members to scientific information and a better understanding of science; notes the keynote address by the right hon. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; notes that other speakers include Professor Dave Garner, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Lord Rees of Ludlow, President of the Royal Society, Dr Scott Steedman, Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor Paul Monks, Royal Society of Chemistry, Professor Alan Malcolm, Chief Executive of the Institute of Biology, Mr Alan Pratt, Vice President of the Institute of Physics, Dr Richard Herrington of the Geological Society, and welcomes the participation of the hon. Member for Windsor, Shadow Minister for Science and Innovation, the hon. Member for Harrogate, Chair of the Select Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills, and Professor John Beddington, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser; further notes that the Parliamentary Links Day is an established and respected event on the annual Parliamentary calendar; further notes that the Royal Society of Chemistry's pioneering Parliamentary Link Scheme, pairing scientists with Members, is open to right hon. and hon. Members on all sides of the House; and further welcomes the continuing contribution that the Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengthening the dialogue between Parliament and the science and engineering community. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1704 | NORTH WEST MUSCLE GROUP AND NEUROMUSCULAR SERVICES | 18:6:09 |
| Mr John Leech | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the North West Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned to learn of the serious problems affecting the 6,500 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in the North West; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the North West Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the North West region. |
| 1705 | COLLECTION OF ACCIDENT AND INJURY DATA | 18:6:09 |
| Sandra Gidley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mark Hunter | | Mr Terry Rooney | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Jim Dobbin | Dr Brian Iddon | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | | Paul Flynn | Lynne Jones | Andrew George | | | Mrs Ann Cryer | Mark Durkan |
| That this House notes the importance of collecting injury data in identifying trends and aiding accident prevention; further notes the clear demand for such data, as shown by the 40 per cent. increase in accessing old data from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents website in the last year; regrets that Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance Systems stopped collecting such data in 2002; and calls on the Government to establish a co-ordinated UK-wide approach to the collection of accident and injury data in order to prevent injuries in the future. |
| 1706 | SUSTAINABILITY OF TUNA STOCKS | 18:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Paul Flynn |
| | Lynne Jones | Mr Neil Gerrard | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Paul Holmes | Mr Ian Davidson |
| That this House notes the importance of conservation of global tuna stocks; supports the decision by Pret a Manger to adjust its menu to help support the sustainability of the world's tuna stocks; welcomes its decision to discontinue the sale of yellowfin tuna altogether and the fact that it has been removed from their sushi boxes; notes that the company has never sold bluefin tuna and only sells skipjack tuna, which is a small, fast-breeding, non-migratory fish and not under threat of over-fishing; further notes that its skipjack tuna is caught by dolphin-friendly nets; further welcomes its decision that all its tuna will be caught by the pole and line method from August 2009; and calls on other sandwich and food companies to follow the example of Pret a Manger and play their part in ensuring the sustainability of tuna stocks. |
| 1707 | HEALTHCARE-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS | 18:6:09 |
| Mr Nigel Evans [R] | | Peter Bottomley | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lee Scott | | Philip Davies | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Paul Flynn | Lynne Jones | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | | Dr William McCrea |
| That this House recognises the significant challenge of healthcare-acquired infections on service delivery, patient safety and well-being and public confidence; welcomes the British Medical Association's report on reducing healthcare-acquired infections; expresses concern that short-term targets have replaced sustainable, evidence-based strategies for dealing with these infections; notes the impact of overcrowding and understaffing on infection-control practices; calls on the Government to produce long-term policies that tackle patient throughput and high bed occupancy; and further calls for adequate resources for thorough everyday cleaning. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Nigel Evans's proposed Motion (Healthcare-acquired Infections): |
| Line 7, after `occupancy;', insert `further calls on the Government to encourage patient participation in prevention, using anti-microbial products;'. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1708 | ABORTION ADVERTISING (No. 2) | 18:6:09 |
| Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Ann Winterton | | Angela Watkinson | | David Taylor | | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas |
| That this House notes the recommendation of the Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice that services providing abortion should be permitted to advertise on prime time television and radio to ensure reaching children from 10 years of age, well below the age of consent; further notes that the original recommendation resulted from a memorandum from the Government Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV whose members are all involved in programmes promoting abortion; further notes that some of the Advisory Group's members have a vested interest in the recommendation and include paid officers of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the Family Planning Association and Brook, which receives major grants to provide contraception and abortion to unmarried young people including under-age children, often without parental knowledge; further notes the claim that advertising is needed to lower teenage pregnancies in the UK which they claim result from ignorance; further notes that despite the Department of Health doing more than any other government body in Europe to promote abortion and contraception, the rate of under-age conception in this country continues to increase and is the highest in Western Europe; and calls on the Government to encourage more normal lifestyles with deferment of sexual activity among under-age children and adolescents rather than introducing measures that will further sexualise them. |
| 1709 | HUMAN TRAFFICKING OFFENCES | 19:6:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Andrew George | | David Simpson |
| | Mrs Ann Cryer | Paul Holmes | Mark Durkan | | | Mr Ian Davidson |
| That this House welcomes the recent sentencing of Abdul Hameed Sakhizada, Ahmed Shah Sakhizada and Abdul Wakil Niazi, the leaders of what was believed to be one of the most profitable people-smuggling networks uncovered in Europe; is extremely concerned that the global conviction rates for human trafficking remain very low at only 1.5 per 1,000 people and that out of 155 countries, 40 per cent. failed to record a single conviction for human trafficking offences; notes that human trafficking is second only to the drugs trade in terms of the amount of money made; and calls upon the Government to ensure that sufficient funding is provided to those working in the fight against human trafficking. |
| 1710 | GREENSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL | 19:6:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Jim Dobbin | | Paul Flynn | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House congratulates Greenside Primary School in Blaydon constituency on celebrating its centenary this year; acknowledges the hard work and commitment of pupils, staff, parents and governors over the last 100 years; commends the school's progress under the leadership of head teacher Dawn Foster and the hard work of governors, pupils and staff; records the school's celebration events throughout the month of June including a balloon launch, a birthday cake, a family visit to Beamish museum, a centenary show, a garden party and a school fair; and hopes the school will thrive for young people in Greenside for generations to come. |
| 1711 | VIRGIN ATLANTIC'S 25th ANNIVERSARY | 19:6:09 |
| Mr Paul Keetch [R] | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Ms Gisela Stuart | | Mr Nigel Evans [R] | | Mr Greg Pope | | Paul Rowen |
| | Bob Spink | Mr Graham Brady | Philip Davies | | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Ann Winterton | Lynne Jones | | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| That this House welcomes the competition that currently exists in the aviation sector; congratulates Virgin Atlantic on providing 25 years of outstanding service for over 65 million passengers who have flown with the airline since its first flight on 22 June 1984; believes that it has established itself as one of the world's leading airlines; notes that it flies one of the youngest fleets in the world, that the award winning on-board experience is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced of any airline and that it is pioneering the way for aviation to reduce its environmental impacts through technological and operational improvements and investment into alternative fuels; is proud that it flies the Union Flag on the fuselages of its planes and is still Red Hot; and looks forward to many more years of it flying high at the forefront of the aviation industry. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1712 | LAUNCH AID FOR THE A350 AIRBUS | 22:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House calls on the Government for an early decision to support launch aid for the A350 and ensure that Airbus uses British workers and technology to build the wing on its A350; recognises the important contribution the work will make to the British manufacturing base; notes that the UK, France, Germany and Spain, where Airbus has its principal factories, have been asked to pledge launch aid for the project; further notes that the UK has confirmed its commitment to the project and the subsequent UK jobs but is yet to announce its financial contribution; and urges the Government to bring forward its announcement and pledge financial commitment to the A350 project. |
| 1713 | PROVISION OF CHANGING PLACES TOILETS | 22:6:09 |
| Mr Tom Clarke | | Philip Davies | | Sarah Teather | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes the new research from the University of Dundee released by Mencap and the Changing Places Consortium which reveals that up to 230,252 people require the use of a Changing Places toilet; further notes that this 230,252 includes 36,782 people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, 30,947 people with cerebral palsy, 8,000 people with spina bifida and 8,500 people with multiple sclerosis; is alarmed that despite this massive demand there are only 85 Changing Places toilets available in the UK; understands that a Changing Places toilet is a toilet which has enough space for a disabled person, their carers and the right equipment which includes an adult-sized height-adjustable changing bench and a hoist; further understands that without them people who need support from one or two carers to use the toilet or to have their continence pad changed either have to stay at home or their family carers have to resort to changing them on dirty toilet floors; calls on the Government to encourage the building of Changing Places toilets in venues such as hospitals, shopping centres or large train stations; and further calls on the Government to amend Part M of the Building Regulations to ensure that all newly built major public buildings provide a Changing Places toilet. |
| 1714 | WORK OF THE ALIVE AND KICKING CHARITY | 22:6:09 |
| Mr Michael Moore | | Mr Don Foster | | Sir Robert Smith | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House commends the work of Alive and Kicking, a charity which takes on previously unemployed adults in Kenya, Zambia and South Africa to hand-stitch durable sports balls for local communities; welcomes the opportunity that these sports balls give for children in some of the poorest communities in Africa to play games; notes that every job provided by Alive and Kicking usually supports an extended family of up to seven or eight people; recognises the importance of the health messages printed on the balls, which raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; and wishes this innovative charity a successful future, particularly in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup which is to be held in South Africa. |
| 1715 | FOOD AND DRINK EXPORTS | 22:6:09 |
| Mr James Paice | | Mr Roger Williams [R] | | Mr Mark Todd | | Mr John Grogan | | Philip Davies | | Tim Farron |
| That this House praises record levels of UK food and drink exports, boosted by strong performances in all product categories, as published by the Food and Drink Federation as part of World Trade Week UK; welcomes the data showing that exports were worth £9.23 billion in 2008, up 20 per cent. in value terms on the year before; recognises that UK food and drink manufacturers have built a strong international reputation for quality and innovation over many years, that the sector continues to perform strongly on the export stage, despite challenging global circumstances; and acknowledges this success as further evidence of the importance of the food and drink sector to the overall UK economy. |
| [R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1716 | SOUTHEASTERN'S HIGH SPEED PREVIEW DOMESTIC RAIL SERVICE | 22:6:09 |
| That this House welcomes the start of Southeastern's high speed preview domestic rail service that will allow passengers to travel from Ebbsfleet and Ashford into London in just 17 and 37 minutes respectively, contribute to the regeneration of the Thames Gateway area, cut commuting times from Kent and provide a blueprint for a high speed rail network across the UK. |
| 1717 | REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY | 22:6:09 |
| That this House notes that there is an ongoing crisis in regional newspapers due to the fall in advertising revenues which has been compounded by the credit crunch; further notes that regional newspapers play a vital role in ensuring democracy at local level; congratulates the East London Advertiser for winning regional newspaper of the year for the second year running; believes that the demise of regional newspapers would seriously undermine local democracy; further believes that the establishment of weekly newspapers distributed free to every household by local councils further undermines the viability of regional newspapers; further believes that these council-run newspapers, like Eastendlife in Tower Hamlets, are primarily established in order to promote the political interests of the ruling group on these councils rather than to provide impartial and essential information; and further believes that legislation needs to be passed urgently to restrict councils from spending taxpayers' money on regular council newspapers. |
| 1718 | LINDSEY OIL REFINERY INDUSTRIAL ACTION | 22:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House expresses its support for the workers from the Lindsey Oil Refinery site currently taking industrial action to protect their jobs, wages and conditions and for all those workers at sites around the country who are taking action in support; and calls upon Total Oil company to enter into talks at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service with the unions GMB and UNITE to resolve this dispute. |
| 1719 | EQUALITY BILL AND AGE-RELATED INSURANCE PRODUCTS | 22:6:09 |
| That this House notes that the government policy paper Framework for Fairness June 2007 stated that the Equality Bill, currently before Parliament, should not have the unintended consequence of prohibiting positive benefits for either younger or older people, such as youth clubs or clubs for older people, holidays catering for people of particular ages, or concessions and discounts which help younger or older people; further notes that the Government `probably wanted' to continue to allow insurance companies to design and provide products for specific market segments, for example, younger or older drivers; and, therefore, urges the Government to bring forward amendments to the Bill to achieve this aim. |
| 1720 | PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS' SOURCES | 22:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Paul Farrelly | | Mr Don Foster | | Hywel Williams | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House regrets that many police forces fail to recognise the importance of a journalist's right to protect his or her sources; believes that the protection of confidential sources is internationally recognised as one of the basic principles of press freedom and attempts to force journalists to disclose information to the security services undermine the confidence and candour with which sources will talk to journalists and damages the ability of the press to hold people in positions of power to account; and therefore calls on the Government to issue guidance to police forces across the UK to remind them of the need to respect press freedom. |
| 1721 | BANKING SECTOR | 22:6:09 |
| That this House notes that the Government bailed out the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) with billions of pounds of taxpayers' money and now has a 70 per cent. stake in the banking group; further notes that since that time RBS has announced more than 10,000 job losses; is appalled that the new Chief Executive has been awarded a pay deal of up to £9.6 million, which represents nearly 3,000 times the income of one of the many ex-RBS staff members now claiming jobseeker's allowance; notes with concern reports that Goldman Sachs will be paying out the biggest bonus payouts in the firm's 140 year history; and therefore believes that the Government must now intervene to control the banks in which it has a public stake and legislate to ensure the interests of bank workers and customers are prioritised by the banks rather than the bonuses, pay and dividends of executives and shareholders who caused the UK banking crisis. |
| 1722 | PEOPLE WITH AUTISM | 22:6:09 |
| That this House notes the recent report from the National Audit Office Supporting People with Autism through Adulthood; further notes that adults with high-functioning autism are significantly less likely to experience traumatic and costly acute mental health problems if they are receiving appropriate services; further notes in particular the report's conclusion that providing appropriate health, social care and employment support to those with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome could save the public purse millions of pounds; recognises the positive steps already taken by the Government to address some of these issues; and calls on the Government to take forward all the recommendations contained in the report in its forthcoming adult autism strategy. |
| 1723 | REMUNERATION OF ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE | 22:6:09 |
| That this House is appalled that UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI), the public body created by HM Treasury to oversee the taxpayers' interests in the billions of pounds of public money provided to the failing private banks, has seen fit, on behalf of taxpayers, to endorse the obscene financial package worth £9,600,000 per year to Stephen Hester as chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is 70 per cent. owned by taxpayers; contrasts this utterly unacceptable and incomprehensible UKFI decision with the announcement of RBS a month earlier on 21 May to make redundant 700 workers in the first wave of a planned 4,500 job losses across the United Kingdom, which followed an announcement of 9,000 job losses by RBS in April; does not accept that this absurd level of payment is necessary to incentivise efficient management of RBS, noting that outgoing RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin was paid a massive £4,190,000 a year, and his business decisions brought the bank to the verge of ruin; recalls that Mr Hester told the Treasury Committee on 11 February 2009 `I do think banking pay in some areas of the industry is way too high and needs to come down and I intend us to lead that process'; believes the remuneration package offered to Mr Hester is entirely inconsistent with his own intention; and therefore believes the Chancellor should intervene immediately with UKFI to block this outrageous planned payment to Mr Hester. |
| 1724 | UK DAIRY INDUSTRY | 22:6:09 |
| That this House notes the severe problems facing the UK dairy industry; is dismayed by the collapse of the co-operative, Dairy Farmers of Britain; and urges the Government to support those numerous producers affected, whilst also requesting urgent action to be taken in tightening up EU and UK labelling requirements on all products of animal origin including dairy products, particularly cheese, so that misleading labelling is stamped out and that consumers can make informed choices about the dairy products they buy, and can clearly identify the country in which the animal was reared, and raw material produced and processed. |
NOTICE OF MOTION WITHDRAWN
| 1703 | | INTERNATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES OF TESCO AND TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP: |
| Jon Cruddas has withdrawn his motion. |
|