| 46 | EX-SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN | 3:12:08 |
| Colin Challen | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Ian Cawsey | | Sandra Gidley |
| | Patrick Hall | Mr Edward Leigh | John McFall | | | John Hemming |
| That this House believes that all ex-servicemen and women should be treated equally in the payment of pensions, regardless of when they served in Her Majesty's armed forces. |
| 57 | DIABETES UK'S YOUR VISION CAMPAIGN AND ACCESS TO RETINAL SCREENING | 3:12:08 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders [R] | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr Desmond Turner | | Sandra Gidley |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Sammy Wilson |
| That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK's campaign Your Vision; recognises that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK working age population; considers that all people with diabetes should have access to free annual retinal screening with a digital camera and that each primary care trust should have a systematic call and recall system to ensure that people with diabetes receive an annual letter inviting them for screening; notes with concern that Government targets, of all people with diabetes being offered free digital retinal screening by the end of 2007, were not met and as a result one in four, up to 470,000, people with diabetes in England, are needlessly being put at risk of losing their sight; further notes that retinal screening is one of the most cost-effective interventions known in medicine, with 90 per cent. of cases of retinopathy being treatable with early intervention; and calls on the Government to ensure that primary care trusts put in place the appropriate facilities and allocate the necessary budget to their screening programme to prevent people with diabetes from needlessly losing their sight. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 74 | DIABETES UK MEASURE UP CAMPAIGN | 3:12:08 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders [R] | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr Desmond Turner | | Paul Rowen |
| That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Measure Up, which aims to raise awareness of diabetes; recognises that there are currently an estimated 750,000 people in the UK who have diabetes who are not aware of their condition; notes that the campaign aims to identify at least 25 per cent. of these people; further notes the seriousness of diabetes, which if left untreated can lead to blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks and other life-threatening complications; supports the key messages of the campaign that if you are a white or black male and your waist is 37 inches or more, a woman and your waist is 31.5 inches or more, or a South Asian man and your waist is 35 inches or more, you could need a test for diabetes; observes that keeping people with the condition healthier will also reduce the long-term impact on limited NHS resources; expresses its concern over Department of Health figures which show that only 72 per cent. of the diabetic population has been diagnosed across the UK; further notes that some primary care trusts have only diagnosed around half of their diabetic population; and calls on the Government to encourage primary care trusts to spell out their plans for early identification of people with diabetes in their local area. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 79 | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN FOOD LABELLING | 3:12:08 |
| Mr James Paice [R] | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Bill Wiggin | | Miss Anne McIntosh [R] | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George |
| | Mr David Willetts | Jeremy Wright |
| That this House believes that British consumers are entitled to know exactly how and where the food they are eating is produced, and that clear and unambiguous labelling stating the country of origin of the major ingredients is required to achieve this; and further believes that this will level the playing field for British farmers and enable British consumers to show their preference for home-grown food which is produced to high standards of animal welfare, health and safety and environmental protection. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 85 | ROBBIE AND MARGARET HUGHES | 3:12:08 |
| Tom Brake | | Andrew George | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House draws attention to the serious assault suffered by Robbie Hughes whilst in holiday in Crete; notes that the alleged perpetrators of the assault have been allowed to return to the UK; calls on the Greek authorities to pursue the case vigorously and the Greek and UK police to work closely together to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice; and commends Margaret Hughes for seeking to set up an effective support mechanism for families affected by violent crimes or serious accidents whilst abroad. |
| 92 | ACCESS TO INSULIN PUMP THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES | 3:12:08 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders [R] | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Amess | | Dr Desmond Turner | | Sandra Gidley | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| That this House welcomes Diabetes UK's campaign to end the postcode lottery for insulin pump therapy; believes that making a small change through providing the technology can make a big difference to the lives of people with diabetes; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation that insulin pump therapy should be available as a treatment option for people with Type 1 diabetes in cases where multiple dose insulin therapy has failed, and the person is willing and able to use insulin pump therapy effectively; notes with concern that this guidance is not being adhered to locally in a uniform manner; is aware that currently only two per cent. of people with Type 1 diabetes use pumps in the UK, compared to 10 to 20 per cent. in other European member states and around 15 to 20 per cent. in the United States; believes that the use of pumps can have cost benefits to the local NHS through a reduction in primary care contracts and a reduction in hospital admissions and hospital outpatient contracts; and calls on the Government to oversee the implementation of NICE guidance by primary care organisations to end the postcode lottery. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 123 | CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER AND THE CREATION OF A HIGH VOLTAGE DIRECT CURRENT SUPERGRID | 4:12:08 |
| Dr Howard Stoate | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | Paul Flynn |
| That this House recognises the great potential of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) in desert regions as a source of clean energy for countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (EUMENA); welcomes the Prime Minister's endorsement of CSP and its potential in his speech at the inaugural meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean; notes that CSP is already feeding electricity into the European transmission grid, that CSP plants are quick to build, and that the UK may benefit soon from this source of power via the existing grid; further notes that the existing grid may be upgraded with high voltage direct current technologies and smart electronics; further notes that the resulting supergrid would be a cost-effective means of promoting the security, efficiency and stability of electricity supplies throughout the region, and will in any case be needed for a single market for electricity and to provide access to large-scale but remote sources of renewable energy; and calls on the Government to promote these developments vigorously, to work with its international partners to remove overt and hidden subsidies for non-renewable sources of energy, to ensure that a proper price is paid for carbon dioxide emissions, to provide a system of support for renewable energy technologies that is harmonised across the region, to support existing moves to develop a single market for electricity throughout the EU, to extend that single market to EUMENA, and to put in place appropriate mechanisms for upgrading the transmission grid throughout the region. |
| 127 | OMBUDSMAN AND SUFFERING IN ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS | 4:12:08 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | David Taylor | | Paul Flynn | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) investigation report PA-2823, which rejects Uncaged's complaint against the Home Office's regulation of Imutran's pig-to-primate organ transplant research, laid before Parliament in December 2006; further notes that Uncaged won a legal battle having asserted Home Office maladministration in this case; further notes that at least 17 primates used in Imutran procedures categorised as of only moderate severity were found dead or in a collapsed state rather than being euthanased before they suffered a significant departure from their health as required by the moderate severity limit according to published policy; is deeply concerned at the PHSO's erroneous reasoning at paragraph 13, which confuses the degree of harm caused by death in itself with the level of harm involved in this case where the experiments were allowed to continue until the animal is found dead as a direct result of the experiment; further notes that the PHSO has repeatedly refused to respond substantively to Uncaged's expert submissions regarding this unsound reasoning; and calls on the Government to establish an independent inquiry into the numerous significant outstanding concerns regarding the regulation of this research programme in the light of PHSO's flawed investigation. |
| 135 | ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICY | 4:12:08 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | David Taylor | | Paul Flynn | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that animals have complex mental and emotional lives; considers animals to be conscious, feeling beings with an interest in living, avoiding suffering and experiencing pleasure; acknowledges that each animal has inherent value and is worthy of serious moral consideration; further considers respect for animals to be indicative of the level of civilisation; is concerned that policy making is led by industries that inevitably compromise animals' welfare and interests, and that the most essential interests of animals and the public's concern for their protection are given insufficient consideration; endorses the Prime Minister's call for constitutional reform that entrusts more power to Parliament and the British people; further notes that there is no Government body whose primary purpose is to protect the interests of animals in policy-making; and calls upon the Government to establish an animal protection commission or similar body, answerable to Parliament via a Minister, with a remit which includes the ongoing examination of the ethical status and rights of animals and how they are affected by policy-making, the facilitation of genuine public participation throughout policy processes which affect animals, and the development of a cross-Government agenda for animal protection. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Mike Hancock's proposed Motion (Animal Protection Policy): |
| Line 6, leave out from `civilisation' to end and add `notes that there is no Government body whose primary purpose is to protect the interests of animals in policy-making; and is concerned that policy-making may be led by industries that inevitably compromise the welfare and interests of animals, and that the most essential interests of animals, and the public's concern for their protection, are given insufficient consideration.' |
| 137 | ANIMAL TESTING OF COSMETICS | 4:12:08 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Paul Holmes | | Glenda Jackson | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Mr Michael Moore |
| That this House believes, in common with the majority of the British public, that it is morally unacceptable that animals should suffer merely because companies choose to develop new cosmetic products; applauds Uncaged's Boycott Procter and Gamble campaign as a vital means of relaying public concern to companies who perform toxicity tests on animals for cosmetics products; supports the transparent and thorough implementation of the animal testing and marketing bans in the Council Directive 76/768 relating to cosmetic products; calls on the Minister of State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ensure the disclosure of relevant non-confidential data in product information relating to animal testing of cosmetics products so that consumers can make informed choices; and urges the Government to resist attempts by cosmetics companies and non-EU states to prevent or postpone implementation of the ban on the sale of animal tested cosmetics products or ingredients. |
| 139 | PANDAS FROM CHINA | 4:12:08 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Paul Flynn | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House expresses its concern at the proposal to bring giant pandas from China to London, Edinburgh and Colchester zoos; considers that there are serious animal welfare problems attached to the keeping of giant pandas in zoos; notes that captive breeding of giant pandas has resulted in no successful reintroduction to the wild; believes that the best way to conserve the giant panda population is to support in situ projects such as panda reserves and habitat conservation; and requests the Scottish and UK governments not to become involved in using animals in the course of diplomatic exchange. |
| 161 | LEARNING DISABILITY COALITION | 8:12:08 |
| Mr Tom Clarke | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Greg Mulholland | | Roger Berry | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell |
| | Siobhain McDonagh | Julie Morgan |
| That this House is alarmed by the report from the Learning Disability Coalition, Tell It Like It Is, which reveals that 34 per cent. of people with a learning disability surveyed had had their daytime activities cut; is further alarmed by the number of people with a learning disability who are being squeezed out of the social care system by the tightening of eligibility criteria; is concerned that these cuts will worsen across the country as demographic and social changes and medical advances mean the number of people with a learning disability requiring social care continues to rise; is further concerned by a report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights which found that failures in social care were contributing to the social exclusion, poverty and isolation experienced by people with a learning disability; welcomes the work of the Learning Disability Coalition to highlight these cuts to services; and calls on the Government to ensure that all of these issues are directly addressed in the forthcoming Green Paper on adult social care. |
| 174 | FIREFIGHTER SAFETY | 8:12:08 |
| Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Michael Clapham | | John McDonnell | | Mr David Drew | | Ian Stewart | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House notes the recent increased number of firefighter deaths highlighted in the Fire Brigades Union report In the Line of Duty; further notes the lack of safety-critical operational guidance for fire authorities highlighted in that report, and the absence of a properly resourced national body with overall responsibility for recording and investigating firefighter deaths and other serious incidents; and calls for work to be commenced with stakeholders leading to the creation of such a body with responsibility for developing and agreeing safety-critical operational guidance arising from those investigations. |
| 189 | POINT OF SALE DISPLAY OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS | 9:12:08 |
| David Taylor | | Bob Russell | | John Robertson | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr Phil Willis | Jenny Willott |
| That this House welcomes the Government's announcement of legislation to prohibit point of sale display of tobacco products in the 2008 Queen's Speech; notes that the Department of Health estimates that this will lead to up to 2,800 fewer young people taking up smoking each year, saving many thousands of lives in the longer-term; and calls upon the Government to commit itself to open, full and genuine consultation with all affected and interested parties on the most effective means of implementation of this legislation, in line with its obligations under the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which requires it to protect its public health policies from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry. |
| 221 | FREE OUR BILLS CAMPAIGN | 9:12:08 |
| Jo Swinson | | Derek Wyatt | | Philip Davies | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mr Martin Caton | | Susan Kramer |
| That this House believes it has a duty to publish Bills in such a fashion that they can be accessed as easily and as early as possible by the public; notes that the non-partisan Free Our Bills campaign is urging the House to publish bill texts in a new electronic format to improve accessibility and public scrutiny of legislation; notes that the changes requested have no impact on the content of bills, nor upon the process by which they are currently made; notes that the new format can be delivered cheaply and quickly; notes that the Leader of the House's Office has not accepted a prior request for new formatting from mySociety, nor has provided any explanation of why the changes cannot be made; and calls on the Leader of the House to take all necessary steps to ensure that House of Commons Clerks work with the Free Our Bills campaign staff to commence publication of Bills in the new format. |
| 242 | BEARS IN CHINA | 10:12:08 |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bill Wiggin | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Ann Winterton | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House welcomes the progress that is being made by the Animals Asia Foundation towards bringing an end to the abhorrent abuse of over 7,000 bears on farms in China; recognises that bear farmers and stakeholders in the industry continue to maintain that conditions on the farms are humane, whilst some evidence points to the contrary; notes that bears are kept for up to 22 years in cramped, rusting cages, with little room to stand up or turn around; further notes that bears continue to suffer in the most deplorable conditions, with metal catheters implanted deep into their gall bladders and infected fistula holes in their abdomens, enabling farmers to milk the bears for their bile twice daily; congratulates the Chinese government's work in partnership with the Animals Asia Foundation in rescuing 247 bears from bear farms to date; and calls on the British Government to do everything in its power to encourage the Chinese government to bring about an urgent end to this barbaric practice. |
| 258 | ANIMAL TESTING AND HOUSEHOLD CLEANING PRODUCTS | 11:12:08 |
| Bob Russell | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr David Drew | | John McDonnell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | David Simpson |
| That this House supports the campaign of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection to end the suffering of animals in tests for household cleaning products and their ingredients; and urges the House of Commons Commission to demonstrate support for this initiative by ensuring that cleaning products used throughout the parliamentary estate have been certified as not tested on animals. |
| 266 | SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH DIABETES | 11:12:08 |
| Helen Southworth | | Mr George Howarth | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Charlotte Atkins | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr Robert Syms |
| That this House congratulates the 225 children who came to Westminster on 18 November 2008 to mark World Diabetes Day and to inform hon. Members about their experiences of living with diabetes; welcomes the Diabetes UK report Making All Children Matter which calls for the 20,000 children in the UK who have Type 1 diabetes to receive appropriate support in managing their condition at school; is concerned that the UK has the lowest percentage of children attaining good diabetes control in Europe, with 83 per cent. failing to achieve recommended blood glucose levels; is further concerned that many children are still not getting the support they need in school to administer their medication and are still having to rely on parents visiting the school because the school cannot or will not provide the necessary assistance; and calls on the Government to ensure that local authorities, primary care trusts and schools take immediate steps to make this assistance available so that all children with diabetes are supported to play a full part in school life. |
| 273 | DIABETES MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS | 11:12:08 |
| Paul Rowen | | Mr Lee Scott | | Bob Spink | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr David Drew | | John McDonnell |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Sammy Wilson |
| That this House notes that the UK has the highest number of children with diabetes in Europe with 20,000 children below the age of 15 years diagnosed; urges the Government to ensure that children suffering from diabetes receive vital checks required for good diabetes management; further notes with concern the recent Diabetes UK campaign highlighting the lack of support for children at school in the management of their diabetes; further urges the Government to aid schools in ensuring children with diabetes have a safe environment and are able to receive full access to medication and health monitoring in schools; and concludes that all schools should have trained staff to deal with medical emergencies concerning children suffering from diabetes to assist with and if required administer insulin injections and blood glucose tests. |
| 285 | RACEHORSE BREEDING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM | 15:12:08 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Frank Cook | | Lynne Jones |
| | Susan Kramer | Ms Angela C. Smith (Sheffield, Hillsborough) |
| That this House is alarmed by evidence suggesting that many healthy but unprofitable thoroughbreds are slaughtered in British abattoirs or shot in racing yards every year; notes that the Chairman of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has acknowledged the problem of over-production of racehorses; believes that horse welfare problems flowing from racehorse over-production are likely to worsen as a result of the BHA's future fixtures list which will deny racing opportunities to hundreds of lower-rated horses; further notes that every year more than 160 horses die or are destroyed due to racecourse injuries; calls on the Government to undertake and put into the public domain a full audit of racehorse production, death and injury; and asks it to urge racing's regulators to act decisively to remedy the problems of racehorse over-production and the alarming level of equine death on British racecourses. |
| 299 | EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE STANDARD | 16:12:08 |
| Mr Tim Yeo | | Colin Challen | | Malcolm Bruce | | Joan Walley | | Lynne Jones | | Nick Harvey |
| | Mrs Eleanor Laing | Mr Simon Burns | Mr Oliver Heald | | | Sir John Butterfill | Mr Graham Allen | Paddy Tipping | | | Mr Russell Brown | Mr George Galloway | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson | | | Mr Alan Reid | Patrick Mercer | Angela Watkinson | | | Stephen Williams | Mr David Jones | Mr Andy Slaughter | | | Mr Adam Holloway | Mike Penning | Mr Philip Dunne | | | Jeremy Wright | Stephen Hammond |
| That this House believes that, in light of the strong recommendation made by the Climate Change Committee that the power sector should be almost fully decarbonised by 2030, and its warning of the potential dangers of a purely market-led approach leading to carbon lock in, the Government should bring forward early legislation to introduce a greenhouse gas emissions performance standard to apply to all new power generation capacity. |
| 308 | RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN ORISSA INDIA | 16:12:08 |
| Mr Virendra Sharma | | Mark Pritchard | | Andrew George | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Mike Weir | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Joan Ryan | Dr Vincent Cable | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson | | | Mr David Evennett | Mr John Leech | Sammy Wilson |
| That this House is deeply disturbed by the systematic attacks perpetrated against the Christian community in Kandhamal and other districts of Orissa state in India following the deplorable assassination of Swami Lakhmananda Saraswati, which has been characterised by brutal murder, arson, destruction of Christian institutions and places of worship, looting of property and retributive rape and which has resulted in a significant number of deaths; notes the European Parliament resolution of 24 September 2008 which `expresses deep concern at the recent attacks on Christians in Orissa'; further reports that Christians in the area have been coerced into renouncing their faith; observes that anti-Christian violence has intensified in other states since the outbreak in Orissa; strongly condemns the violence; further notes that no effective prosecutorial action was brought after an outbreak of anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal district in December 2007; further notes that relatively few complaints have been registered by police in Orissa and that the capacity of the police force to investigate the violence is very limited; and calls for bilateral representations to be made to the Indian government to call for the restoration of peace and stability in Orissa and the bringing to justice of inciters and perpetrators of the violence, and to consider what assistance the UK may offer for relief and rehabilitation and addressing the root causes of the violence. |
| 310 | EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS JUDGMENT AND THE NATIONAL DNA DATABASE | 16:12:08 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Martin Caton | | Frank Cook | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Gordon Prentice |
| | Paul Farrelly | Jenny Willott |
| That this House welcomes the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of S vs Marper; believes that the DNA of innocent people should not be retained in the National Database; notes that 2.3 million offenders do not have their DNA details on the database whereas around 730,000 innocent people do; further notes that Britain has the largest database of this kind in the world with the details of an estimated one in six of the adult population on it by 2012; and calls on the Home Secretary to respond by instructing local police authorities to destroy the DNA they hold where the person has not been convicted of an offence, including hundreds of thousands of innocent individuals. |
| 337 | MARINE RESERVES | 17:12:08 |
| Bill Wiggin | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Mr James Paice | | Miss Anne McIntosh | | Ms Katy Clark | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr Edward Garnier | Mr Russell Brown | Greg Mulholland | | | Susan Kramer | Lorely Burt | Mr Jeremy Hunt |
| That this House notes the recommendation made by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in their 25th Report in 2004 that a widespread network of highly protected marine reserves throughout all UK seas is an important marine management tool which is required in order to rebuild UK commercial fish stocks and to halt the serious damage being caused to marine ecosystems; and calls upon the Government to develop selection criteria under the Marine Bill for establishing a network of protected marine areas based around science-based decision making. |
| As Amendments to Bill Wiggin's proposed Motion (Marine Reserves): |
| Line 5, after `ecosystems;' insert `further notes that the main damage to fish stocks and the marine environment come from fishing by the non-British EU fishing fleet.'. |
| Bob Spink | | Mrs Iris Robinson |
| Line 7, at end add `and the need to enable sustainable fishing by the British fishing fleet.'. |
| 357 | UNITED UTILITIES CHARGES FOR PLACES OF WORSHIP | 17:12:08 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Durkan | | John McDonnell | | Robert Key | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House expresses concern at the decision by United Utilities to introduce a new method of calculating surface water charges and highways drainage services, known as site area charging; recognises the negative impact this will have on churches and places of worship which, in some cases, will now face increases in their charges in excess of £1,000 per year as they are being treated in the same way as all other non-household customers; and calls on United Utilities to review the decision to impose site area charging on churches and places of worship which cannot afford such huge increases in their water bills. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Lindsay Hoyle's proposed Motion (United Utilities Charges for Places of Worship): |
| Line 1, leave out from `House' to end and add `does not believe that ordinary consumers should have to pay higher utility and water charges so that places of worship can benefit from lower charges just because they are places of worship, and that any reduction in utility charges should apply to all community facilities regardless of their purpose or religious affiliation.'. |
| 361 | FIREFIGHTER SAFETY AND DATA COLLECTION | 18:12:08 |
| Mr Stewart Jackson | | Mr Simon Burns | | Mr Lee Scott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House notes with profound gratitude the selfless commitment of firefighters to their role, often in very stressful and dangerous circumstances; further notes the increased number of firefighter deaths in recent years, as highlighted in the Fire Brigades' Union report, In the Line of Duty; further notes the lack of safety-critical operational guidance for fire authorities highlighted in that report, and the deficiency of data collection in regard to firefighter deaths and other serious incidents; and therefore calls for greater clarity and standardisation in the recording and investigation of firefighter fatalities and injuries and for more comprehensive safety guidance for fire authorities. |
| 441 | EPILEPSY IN ENGLAND | 14:1:09 |
| Chris McCafferty | | Mr Paul Truswell | | Dr Evan Harris | | Andrew George | | Mr David Amess | | Mr Kevin Barron |
| That this House notes the Epilepsy Action survey of January 2009; agrees that it is time for change for people with epilepsy; recognises that the majority of primary care trusts and acute trusts in England are failing to meet National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines of 2004 for adults and children with epilepsy; congratulates Epilepsy Action for highlighting these issues in its campaign Epilepsy in England: time for change; believes that all health commissioners should carry out a review of their implementation of the NICE epilepsy guidelines and develop plans to ensure these are met; and calls on the Government to take a lead in driving improvements in epilepsy service provision and appoint a national clinical director to review service provision in England and lead change. |
| 458 | EQUALITY BILL AND AGE DISCRIMINATION | 14:1:09 |
| Mr Gordon Marsden | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Hywel Williams | | John Mason | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Andrew George |
| That this House notes the Government's manifesto commitment to bring in a single comprehensive Equality Bill within the lifetime of this Parliament; welcomes the Government's commitment to banning age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services as part of this Bill; urges all hon. Members to support this Bill; recognises that health and social care is one of the key areas in which older people face unfair discrimination; is concerned that this discrimination has a major impact on their quality of life and, in extreme circumstances, can deny them potentially life-saving treatment; understands that the Government intends to introduce provisions on age discrimination in health and social care by secondary legislation; and is concerned that the provision for this and detailed guidance should be brought forward as soon as possible after Second Reading of the Bill and not be subject to a lengthy delay before enactment. |
| 465 | NEW WATER CHARGES AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR | 15:1:09 |
| Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Mr Jeremy Hunt | | Greg Clark | | Mr Eric Pickles | | Miss Anne McIntosh | | Hugh Robertson |
| That this House notes with concern that the imposition of new surface water drainage charges comes at the worst possible time for the voluntary sector, ranging from churches to sports clubs to local scout and guide huts, many of which are already suffering from a fall in donation income and investment income as a result of the crisis in the economy; regrets what is yet another sign of the Government's failure to appreciate the vital role of faith-based and voluntary sector organisations to our communities; and calls for the implementation of these new charges to be delayed until a proper assessment of their impact has been made. |
| 481 | PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE HUNTING ACT 2004 | 15:1:09 |
| Mr David Drew | | Miss Ann Widdecombe | | Mr Eric Martlew | | Mr Elliot Morley | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House reaffirms its support for the Hunting Act 2004; notes the Ipsos MORI poll in September 2008 highlighting that three out of every four people in Britain do not want fox-hunting to be made legal again, and that 71 per cent. of the rural community backs the ban on fox-hunting; notes that the rule of law applies to all individuals; and calls upon the Government to ensure the Act is enforced consistently. |
| 487 | GARY MCKINNON EXTRADITION | 19:1:09 |
| Mrs Janet Dean | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Gordon Marsden | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Don Foster | Mr Russell Brown |
| That this House notes the likely extradition to the United States of Mr Gary McKinnon, a man recently diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, on charges of computer misuse; further notes that the diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome was made subsequent to the judgments of the Magistrates' Court, Divisional Court and the House of Lords; regrets that this new evidence has not been taken into account; calls for Mr McKinnon's diagnosis to be considered in any legal proceedings relating to his extradition; and supports the National Autistic Society's campaign for Mr McKinnon's Asperger's syndrome to be considered. |
| 496 | SHARED SURFACES AND DISABLED PEOPLE | 19:1:09 |
| Roger Berry | | Mr David Amess | | Mr Paul Burstow | | Bob Russell | | Bob Spink | | Mrs Joan Humble |
| | Norman Baker | Mr Michael Mates | Dr Vincent Cable | | | Chris Ruane | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | Alun Michael | | | Dr Gavin Strang | Lorely Burt |
| That this House supports the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (Guide Dogs) and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee in calling for a moratorium on new shared surface schemes in our towns and cities until the Department for Transport has published the results of its forthcoming research; recognises that in these schemes it is not possible for certain groups of vulnerable road users to use such areas independently because they cannot tell where the pavement ends and the road begins; and welcomes the research that Guide Dogs has already carried out to highlight the issue and to try to find an effective solution. |
| 522 | TIME TO CHANGE CAMPAIGN TO END MENTAL HEALTH DISCRIMINATION | 20:1:09 |
| Lynne Jones | | Paul Rowen | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Mark Fisher | | Tim Loughton | | Bob Russell |
| That this House supports Time to Change, England's biggest and most ambitious campaign to end mental health discrimination; notes that one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime; further notes that nine out of 10 people with mental health problems have been discriminated against at home, work or in the community; acknowledges that the stigma surrounding mental health problems must be challenged at every level of society; encourages greater and more open discussions in Parliament of the ways in which mental illness has impacted on the lives of hon. Members, their families and friends; and calls on the Government to speak out publicly in support of the Time to Change initiative. |
| 545 | SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES ON ANIMALS AND THE USE OF NON-ANIMAL ALTERNATIVES | 21:1:09 |
| Martin Horwood | | Mr Oliver Letwin | | David Taylor | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Andrew George |
| | Patrick Hall | Mr Michael Mates | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews | | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | Joan Ryan | Mr Andrew Dismore | | | Mike Gapes | Mr John Horam | Dr Vincent Cable | | | Roger Berry | Steve Webb | Sir John Butterfill | | | Mr Robert Walter | Mrs Janet Dean | Joan Walley | | | Judy Mallaber | Mr Dennis Skinner | Mr Bob Laxton | | | Ms Sally Keeble | Mr John Greenway | Mr David Curry | | | Mr Terry Rooney | Chris McCafferty | Colin Burgon | | | Derek Twigg | Helen Southworth | Mr Graham Brady | | | Sir Gerald Kaufman | Mr Gordon Prentice | Mrs Louise Ellman | | | John Cummings | Mr David Clelland | Paul Flynn | | | Mrs Betty Williams | Miss Anne Begg | Sandra Osborne | | | Mr Jim Hood | Mr Tom Clarke | Michael Connarty | | | Mr George Galloway | Malcolm Bruce | Mr Michael Moore | | | Mr Alan Reid | Gregory Barker | Pete Wishart | | | Andrew Selous | Mr David Anderson | Mark Williams | | | Dan Rogerson | Mr Jim McGovern | Mike Penning | | | Mr Ben Wallace | Anne Main | Mark Pritchard | | | Stephen Hammond |
| That this House is concerned that for the sixth successive year the number of scientific procedures on animals has steadily increased, reaching over 3.2 million in 2007, the highest level since 1991; notes that the use of animals in scientific procedures continues to outstrip the development of non-animal alternatives in spite of the valuable work of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and other organisations involved in the development and promotion of non-animal alternatives, replacing the need for animal testing and offering hope of humane scientific research; further notes that this year it is 50 years since the 3Rs approach (replacement, refinement and reduction) was first advocated; considers that progress towards implementing the 3Rs has been desperately slow; and urges the Government to introduce measures to deal with barriers to implementing non-animal alternatives, halt increases in the numbers of animals used, and encourage more widespread implementation of non-animal alternatives across all sectors involved in research. |
| 554 | PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS | 22:1:09 |
| Dr Richard Taylor | | David Taylor | | Dr Doug Naysmith | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Charlotte Atkins | | Dr Howard Stoate |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Jenny Willott |
| That this House notes the recently adopted Article 13 guidelines to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which define tobacco packaging and display as a means of advertising and promotion; acknowledges that research has found that current tobacco packaging is misleading by implying that some tobacco products are less harmful than others; believes that misleading packaging is in contravention of the EU directive on tobacco products and that research also shows that removing colours and brand imagery from packs increases the effectiveness of health warnings; supports the prohibition of retail display of tobacco products; and urges the Government to introduce measures to require plain packaging of all tobacco products by regulation. |
| 566 | FREE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR LONG-TERM CONDITIONS | 26:1:09 |
| Mr Neil Gerrard | | Norman Lamb | | Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| | Mr Michael Mates | Mr Malcolm Moss | Mr Robert Syms | | | Clare Short | Mr Roger Godsiff | Judy Mallaber | | | Ann Winterton | Mr George Galloway | Mr Jim McGovern |
| That this House is concerned that large numbers of people with long-term conditions are struggling to afford vital medication and that some are unable to pay; welcomes the commitment given by the Prime Minister in September 2008 to abolish prescription charges for people with cancer from April 2009 and for people with long-term conditions over the next few years; notes that the new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme will deliver substantial savings to the NHS drugs budget; further welcomes the announcement that Professor Ian Gilmore will conduct a review to consider how to implement this policy; and supports the Campaign for Free Prescriptions for Long-term Conditions in urging the Government to abolish prescription charges for all people with all long-term conditions before the next General Election. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Neil Gerrard's proposed Motion (Free Prescriptions for Long-term Conditions): |
| Mr Angus MacNeil | | John Mason | | Mr Mike Weir | | Angus Robertson | | Pete Wishart | | Stewart Hosie |
| Line 10, at end add `, and notes the steps taken by the Scottish National Party-led Government in Scotland in this regard.'. |
| 569 | SAFETY OF MEDICINES | 26:1:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr David Amess | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Dr Desmond Turner |
| | Kelvin Hopkins | John Cummings | David Cairns | | | Ms Angela C. Smith (Sheffield, Hillsborough) | Sammy Wilson |
| That this House believes that the safety of medicines should be established by the most reliable methods available in order to reduce the large and increasing toll of serious adverse drug reactions; and calls on the Government to initiate an unprecedented comparison of currently required animal tests with a set of human biology-based tests, as required by the Safety of Medicines (Evaluation) Bill, to see which is the most effective means to predict the safety of medicines for patients. |
| 581 | FOOD LABELLING AND THE WELFARE OF CHICKENS | 26:1:09 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George |
| | Mr David Curry | John Cummings |
| That this House believes that all chicken meat, including imported chicken meat, should be labelled as to farming method and preferably stocking density; further believes the labelling regulation that requires packs of shell eggs to be labelled as to production method should be extended to chicken meat; congratulates Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Compassion in World Farming on their Chicken Out! campaign calling on supermarkets to introduce labelling as to farming method to allow consumers to make informed choices; notes that most UK chickens are still reared intensively in overcrowded conditions and have been bred to grow so quickly that many suffer from lameness and heart problems; and calls on the Government to make it a requirement for all chicken producers to meet the conditions of the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Mike Hancock's proposed Motion (Food Labelling and the Welfare of Chickens): |
| Line 9, after `Government', insert `to work with the European Union to'. |
| 588 | BLINDNESS PREVENTION AND PEOPLE WITH DIABETES | 26:1:09 |
| Mr George Howarth | | Helen Southworth | | Rosemary McKenna | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Graham Stringer |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Sammy Wilson |
| That this House regrets that diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among the working age population in the UK; considers that all people with diabetes should have access to free annual retinal screening with a digital camera; welcomes the progress made by many primary care trusts across England in implementing retinal screening programmes for people with diabetes, but is concerned that the latest figures from the Department of Health show that 28 per cent. of people with diabetes are at risk of losing their sight because they have not received screening and 6.9 per cent. of these have not even been offered it; commends the ongoing campaign from Diabetes UK that calls for everyone with diabetes to have access to high quality, annual retinal screening and appropriate follow-up treatment as necessary; and calls on primary care trusts to do more to reduce the number of people who do not respond to screening invitations. |
| 589 | ASSISTED SUICIDE AND THE SUICIDE ACT 1961 | 26:1:09 |
| Dr Brian Iddon | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David S. Borrow | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Ann Winterton | | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House welcomes the provisions in the Coroners and Justice Bill to bring the Suicide Act 1961 up to date by making clear that its provisions on assisting or encouraging suicide apply to the internet; notes the declared wishes of pro-euthanasia campaigners to see further amendments to the 1961 Act to permit assistance with suicide for vulnerable groups of people, including the terminally ill; observes that the Act combines a categoric prohibition of assisted suicide to deter abuse with an ability to assess the circumstances of apparent breaches of the law and, where appropriate, to deal compassionately with them; believes therefore that the Act, especially if amended as the Government proposes in the Coroners and Justice Bill, is working as it should; and calls on the House to reaffirm its support for a law which protects vulnerable people from abuse. |
| 660 | PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY OF TRIDENT REPLACEMENT | 3:2:09 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr Dai Davies | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling |
| | Dr Howard Stoate | Sandra Osborne |
| That this House recalls the commitment given during the parliamentary debate on the prospective programme for the replacement of the Trident system on 14 March 2007, Official Report, column 309, by the then Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Derby South, that the Government would ensure regular reports to Parliament as the programme proceeds; contrasts this with the answer given by the Permanent Under Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Sir Bill Jeffrey, in oral evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on 19 November 2008, when it was highlighted that the Ministry of Defence had announced its intention to conclude the Initial Gate decision in September 2009, during the parliamentary recess, that these would normally be decisions taken by Ministers; notes that the Secretary of State for Defence said in a written Answer on 10 December 2008, Official Report, column 341W, that decisions will be taken on the Initial Gate in autumn 2009 and that the Government proposed to update Parliament on progress after Initial Gate; believes this undermines the commitment made to Parliament by the Foreign Secretary in March 2007; and requests that the Initial Gate decision be delayed until Parliament is in session and can be presented with the report for scrutiny. |
| 666 | UNITED UTILITIES AND SURFACE WATER CHARGING | 3:2:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House welcomes the decision taken by United Utilities to introduce a moratorium on the implementation of its new system of charging for surface water and highway drainage for 2009-10 for three categories of customer, faith buildings, community amateur sports clubs and Guide and Scout Association properties; recognises the huge financial burden this has already placed on places of worship and voluntary organisations since its introduction in April 2008, threatening the future viability of these organisations; notes the huge amount of public opposition to the new charging system; further notes that the new system of charging comes as a recommendation from OFWAT and is not compulsory; and calls on United Utilities to abolish this new form of charging permanently. |
| 685 | ASSESSMENT AND TESTING IN SCHOOLS | 4:2:09 |
| Mark Fisher | | Paul Holmes | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Crausby |
| That this House notes the Government's attempt, through the School Report Card, to shift the emphasis from school league tables of test and examination results to more meaningful performance and accountability measures, but is concerned that the proposals may create even more unnecessary accountability burdens on schools; whilst welcoming the decision to abolish National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 3, believes it is incomprehensible that teacher assessment is deemed appropriate for secondary and not primary schools; and therefore calls on the Government to introduce a similar system to that in Wales by removing high stakes end of key stage tests at age seven and 11, replacing them with meaningful assessments which inform teaching and learning. |
| Colin Challen | | John Hemming | | Mr David Chaytor | | Kate Hoey | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mr Peter Ainsworth |
| | Joan Walley | Judy Mallaber | Janet Anderson | | | Mr David S. Borrow | Malcolm Bruce | Hywel Williams | | | Adam Price |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the We Support Solar campaign; notes that globally solar photovoltaic (PV) will be a key climate change mitigation technology and that solar PV in the UK can play an important role in contributing to the UK 2020 renewable energy target; expresses its concern at the negative treatment of solar photovoltaics in the Government's 2008 renewable energy strategy consultation; and urges Ministers to ensure that the potential of the technology to deliver significant carbon dioxide reductions in the built environment, to make a significant contribution to the 2020 target and to deliver many tens of thousands of new green UK jobs is supported in the final renewable energy strategy document. |
| 691 | NORTH EDINBURGH FUEL POVERTY ACTION GROUP'S CAMPAIGN ON PRE-PAYMENT METERS | 4:2:09 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Mr Mike Weir | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Lynne Jones | | Bill Etherington |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the campaign by North Edinburgh Fuel Poverty Action Group calling for an end to the excessive prices paid for gas and electricity by pre-payment meter users; notes that pre-payment meters are used predominantly by consumers on low and fixed incomes; believes it is unacceptable that a pre-payment meter user can pay up to £340 more each year than a customer using an online payment method; recognises this is an issue for low-income households across the United Kingdom; calls on Ofgem to bring forward regulations at the earliest opportunity to end these punitive charges on the poorest in society; and further believes that if Ofgem fails to act the Government should introduce legislation to address the issue. |
| 735 | BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL NUTRITION'S REPORT ON COMBATING MALNUTRITION | 9:2:09 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mark Hunter | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House welcomes the report Combating Malnutrition by the Advisory Group on Malnutrition led by British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition; thanks the Advisory Group's members for giving up their time to identify the steps which can be taken by the Government and by all those with caring responsibilities to address the condition; expresses concern over the Advisory Group's finding that three million people are malnourished in the UK at any one time and that the total costs to the public purse of disease-related malnutrition are in excess of £13 billion per annum; notes the findings of the Advisory Group that malnutrition is closely linked to socio-economic factors such as deprivation and that as a result the burden of malnutrition exacerbates health inequalities; endorses the Advisory Group's recommendation for joined-up action by the Government, the NHS, the voluntary sector and other parties to work together to tackle malnutrition; calls on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consider the case for including malnutrition in the Quality and Outcomes Framework of the General Medical Services contract from 2010-11; and further calls on the Government to ensure that as many of the Advisory Group's recommendations are implemented in full and as soon as possible, including the requirement to undertake nutritional screening in line with the recommendations already made by NICE. |
| 764 | POST OFFICE BRANCHES WITHIN SUPERMARKETS | 10:2:09 |
| Mr Tom Harris | | Mr Mohammad Sarwar | | Mr Parmjit Dhanda | | Siobhain McDonagh | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mrs Siân C. James |
| That this House congratulates those supermarkets which continue to accommodate post offices within their stores; deplores the decision of those supermarkets which have excluded long-established post offices from their premises, often for purely commercial reasons and without regard for their customers' convenience or for alternative post office provision in the local area; and calls on local planning authorities throughout the country to impose conditions on any new supermarket development that would oblige the applicant to offer to accommodate a post office within any new store and to guarantee an appropriate minimum period during which the post office's tenancy rights would be guaranteed. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Tom Harris's proposed Motion (Post Office Branches Within Supermarkets): |
| Line 5, after `area', insert `particularly regrets that the current Ramsbottom Post Office will shortly be expelled from its ideal location within the current Ramsbottom Co-op supermarket, following the recent transfer of ownership to Morrisons, and urges the senior management of Morrisons to rapidly reconsider this massively unpopular decision; |
| 767 | BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION AND EUTHANASIA AND ABORTION | 11:2:09 |
| Mr David Drew | | Angela Watkinson | | Paul Rowen | | John Mason | | David Taylor | | Andrew Selous |
| That this House regrets the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC's) practice of using drama to promote euthanasia and abortion; notes that the play, Hunter, presents those opposing abortion as violent activists prepared to kill to raise awareness of their views, contrary to the respect for human life which characterises the UK pro-life movement; further notes that the pro-life movement has frequently been the victim of violent attacks by pro-abortion activists, including violent assaults upon hon. Members of this House such as the late right hon. Bernard Braine, and forced entry to offices leaving premises so badly damaged as to be reported as a major item on BBC News; further notes that while pro-life groups demonstrating against abortion have always walked in silence they have often been physically attacked by pro-abortionists; further notes with regret that in the BBC film of Dr Ann Turner's assisted suicide the only reference to palliative care was utterly derogatory and completely ignored the fact that treatment could have prevented Dr Turner from choking or from suffering pain, contrary to the erroneous claims by the pro-euthanasia lobby; calls on the BBC Trust to ensure that the management of the BBC upholds the duty of impartiality and fairness enshrined in its codes; and suggests that if these principles are being abandoned then the BBC is undermining its case for continuing to enjoy the privileges of licence fee funding. |
| 768 | SALE OF TOBACCO FROM VENDING MACHINES | 11:2:09 |
| Chris Ruane | | Mr Roger Williams | | Dr Howard Stoate | | Mr Brian Binley | | Bob Russell | | Andrew Miller |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Jim Cousins | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | | Jenny Willott |
| That this House supports the call of over 100 health organisations for urgent action to ensure a new generation of young people do not become smokers; believes that children's easy access to cigarettes through tobacco vending machines undermines other important tobacco control measures; notes that the British Heart Foundation estimates that over 46,000 11 to 15 year-old regular smokers bought cigarettes through vending machines in England and Wales in 2006; recognises that this number may now be higher as the age limit for purchasing tobacco has been extended from 16 to 18 years; expresses concern that age verification systems for vending machines using remote-controls, tokens, identity cards or other means are insecure; further notes the UK's commitments as a party to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its guidelines which recommend banning sales of tobacco from vending machines as they constitute a means of advertising and promotion for smoking; and therefore calls on the Government to bring forward legislative proposals to bring an immediate end to all sales of tobacco products from vending machines in England and Wales through the Health Bill. |
| 779 | THALIDOMIDE AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (No. 2) | 11:2:09 |
| Mr Martin Caton | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Mr John Leech | | Dr Desmond Turner | | David Taylor |
| | David Lepper | Norman Baker | Mr Peter Lilley | | | Siobhain McDonagh | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Bill Olner | | | Mr Geoffrey Robinson | David Tredinnick | Mr Graham Allen | | | Paddy Tipping | John Cummings | Alun Michael | | | Sandra Osborne | Mr Russell Brown | Mr Michael Moore | | | Sir Robert Smith | Jon Cruddas | John Hemming | | | Susan Kramer | Anne Main | Tim Farron |
| That this House recalls that side effects of the drug Thalidomide, prescribed for prevention of morning sickness in the 1960s and 1970s, caused nearly 500 babies to be born with a range of severe disabilities; pays tribute to the campaign by journalists, politicians and others that eventually resulted in the manufacturers having to increase their compensation offer tenfold; nevertheless recognises, however, that this could not take account of unforeseen future problems arising from Thalidomide; notes that, as the surviving victims enter their 40s and 50s, many of them face a host of new problems as their bodies suffer from the wear and tear that the overuse of certain muscles has caused, dramatically restricting movement and pushing the cost of mobility up; believes that these people should now receive direct help from the state; and calls on the Government to introduce a financial assistance package to improve the lives of Thalidomide victims. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Martin Caton's proposed Motion (Thalidomide and Financial Assistance (No. 2)): |
| Frank Cook | | Mark Durkan | | Mrs Iris Robinson | | Mr Phil Willis |
| Line 11, at end add `at the earliest date.'. |
| 786 | UN CONVENTION ON ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES | 11:2:09 |
| Mr David Lidington | | Mr Dominic Grieve | | Mr Keith Simpson | | Mr Mark Lancaster | | Mr Edward Garnier | | Mr Edward Davey |
| That this House notes that the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 2006, is critical to providing protection for all British citizens anywhere in the world from enforced disappearance; notes that the Convention is the first universally binding treaty that recognises that enforced disappearance is a violation of human rights and prohibits it, and that it aims to prevent the enforced disappearance of all peoples, to establish the truth when this occurs, to punish the perpetrators and to provide reparations to victims and families; acknowledges the UK's role in the working group which drafted the Convention; but is concerned that progress on signature and ratification of the Convention by the UK has been delayed and that the UK is one of the last countries in Western Europe which has not signed the Convention; notes that France ratified the Convention on 23 September 2008; and calls upon the Government to sign and ratify the Convention as soon as possible. |
| 814 | DEPORTATIONS TO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | 23:2:09 |
| Dr Rudi Vis | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Alan Meale | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr David Clelland | David Heyes | Ms Katy Clark |
| That this House believes that in spite of the decision made by immigration judges to refuse to accept the compelling evidence of ill-treatment of asylum seekers who are forcibly returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the recent Country Guidance case, there is information from reliable sources demonstrating that there is very real persecution by the security services at the behest of President Kabila himself of anyone perceived to be in opposition to his regime, including arrest, torture and extrajudicial execution, particularly in the Kinshasa, Bas-Congo and Equateur areas; further believes that asylum seekers sent back from the UK will be viewed as political dissidents and that their physical integrity will be at risk if deported; and further believes that given the gravely unstable conditions in the country as a whole, the appalling human rights record and the fact that average life expectancy is below 40 years old, there should be an immediate moratorium on forced returns to that country. |
| 826 | STEPS RESEARCH INTO DEVELOPMENT DYSPLASIA OF THE HIP | 23:2:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Ian Stewart | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr Doug Naysmith | | Dr Desmond Turner | | Mr Gordon Prentice |
| | Mr Fabian Hamilton | Mr Greg Pope |
| That this House warmly welcomes Baby Hip Health Awareness Week from 23 to 28 February 2009, organised by the STEPS charity, which provides support and information for lower limb conditions in children and young adults; notes that the aim of the national screening policy is to identify and treat infants with a hip abnormality at an early stage, with a post-birth hospital check and another check at six to eight weeks, because late diagnosis can lead to complex surgery and lifelong problems, often impacting on psychological development; further notes that up to 2,000 children a year are diagnosed with development dysplasia of the hip (DDH) which requires treatment involving splints and plaster body casts; is concerned, therefore that a STEPS survey of acute trusts and of primary care trusts (PCTs) showed a staggering gap in health policy which, if it were correctly followed, could detect DDH at an early age and prevent years of pain and emotional distress; is disappointed that many PCTs refuse to take responsibility for checking babies' hips, leaving it to GPs and creating massive inconsistency in procedure; further welcomes the STEPS survey of parents with children affected by lower limb conditions which shows that while many praised the care received during treatment for DDH, the majority felt that they were not informed about the condition, which was not clearly explained to them; and urges the Government to meet STEPS to investigate how these shortcomings can be overcome. |
| 845 | DEFORESTATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND LIVESTOCK | 23:2:09 |
| Andrew George | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr David Drew | | Tony Baldry |
| | Frank Dobson | Judy Mallaber | Mr Greg Pope | | | Geraldine Smith | Alun Michael | Jon Cruddas |
| That this House notes that global livestock and animal feed production contributes to 18 per cent. of global greenhouse gas emissions and is currently the most significant driver of biodiversity loss worldwide; further notes that the large-scale conversion of forests and other valuable habitats into croplands for the production of animal feeds such as soy for intensive livestock farming is a cause of particular concern; recognises the associated impacts on small farmers and communities in developing countries who are often forced off their land; urges the Government to undertake an assessment of the scale and impact of this trend and the UK's role in it, and to gauge whether the UK's livestock industry has become overly dependent on soy-based animal feed which has such an unwelcome and unsustainable impact upon the environment; and calls on the Government to bring forward the measures necessary to reduce the UK's impact on global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss from the livestock sector whilst avoiding the export of these impacts overseas and supporting a viable, sustainable and thriving UK farming industry. |
| 880 | ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND AND CLIMATE CHANGE | 25:2:09 |
| Martin Horwood | | Mark Durkan | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones | | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes that one of the most significant outcomes of the recent financial crisis has been the Government's acquisition of a majority stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS); further notes that RBS has been identified by campaign groups People and Planet and Platform as the UK bank that is the most heavily involved in financing the expansion of fossil fuel projects around the world, and that the carbon dioxide emissions embedded in RBS's project finance in 2006 were calculated to be greater than the carbon dioxide emissions of Scotland itself; believes that the fact that banks play such a large role in providing finance to projects that are exacerbating climate change has been wholly unaddressed in Government policy; further believes that there is an urgent need for the Government's new banking regulations to include environmental concerns as well as financial concerns; calls on the Government to use its majority share in RBS to prioritise climate change as a principal concern in RBS's lending decisions; further calls on the Government to require RBS to calculate, publish and cap embedded emissions resulting from its lending to fossil fuel projects, and to set annual targets for reducing these emissions; and further calls on the Government to promote RBS investments in renewable energy, new green jobs and the infrastructure needed to decarbonise the economy. |
| 885 | DISPLAY OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS | 25:2:09 |
| Mike Penning | | Mr Mark Prisk | | James Brokenshire | | Justine Greening | | Mr David Burrowes | | Mr Greg Hands |
| | Mr James Paice | Malcolm Bruce | Mr Greg Knight | | | Mr Dai Davies |
| That this House acknowledges the hard work of small and independent retailers; congratulates them on the vital role they play in many diverse communities across the country; recognises the ongoing economic and commercial pressures threatening their viability and survival; is concerned that the regulatory burden placed upon them should be maintained at an appropriate level; expresses its concern that proposed measures to ban the display of tobacco products in small shops are not balanced, proportionate or firmly evidence-based; calls upon the Government to further consider the effects of the measures on the viability of small shops and the market in illicit tobacco; welcomes Government action to address illegal sales of tobacco; and urges the Government to pursue the most effective and proven measures by which under-18 year olds can be deterred from smoking. |
| As an Amendment to Mike Penning's proposed Motion (Display of Tobacco Products): |
| David Taylor | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Alan Simpson | | John Austin |
| Line 5, leave out from `level' to `tobacco' in line 8 and insert, `notes that, according to small shop owners, tobacco sales typically account for 25 per cent. of turnover but only account for around four per cent. of their net profits; further welcomes the long-term decline in smoking prevalence in England to 22 per cent. in 2006 and to six per cent. amongst 11 to 15 year-olds in 2007, the lowest levels since records began; and congratulates the Heart of England Co-operative on their policy of donating to charity the profits they make from tobacco sales.'. |
| 909 | INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY | 26:2:09 |
| Colin Challen | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Lynne Jones | | John McDonnell | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House regrets that the UK is not giving the establishment of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) its wholehearted support; notes that global subsidies to renewable energy have amounted to one-eighth of those given to fossil fuels and that a global approach to the promotion of renewable energy is urgently called for; and therefore urges the Government to recognise that it cannot claim to be a global leader on tackling climate change if it is not prepared to will the means to mitigate it and join with 76 other signatory countries seeking to make IRENA work. |
| 916 | SUPPORT FOR LOCAL JOURNALISM | 26:2:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Dai Davies | | Mr Don Foster | | Mr David Chaytor | | Hywel Williams | | Paul Holmes |
| | Dr Vincent Cable | Mr Geoffrey Robinson | Mr Russell Brown |
| That this House regrets the trend of cutbacks and lack of investment in local journalism by the owners of local news providers; notes that since the summer of 2008 over 1,000 editorial posts in local news have been cut or left unfilled and that dozens of local newspaper offices have closed despite local newspapers remaining viable and profitable businesses from which huge sums having been returned to shareholders over a number of years and where the pay of directors has rocketed; further notes that local journalists are over-worked, often being forced to cover wider areas owing to staffing cutbacks; further notes that coverage of court trials, council meetings and local elections is in massive decline; re-affirms a commitment to high quality local journalism as an integral part of engaging people in their community, strengthening local identities and democracy; believes that Government action in this area must focus on supporting local journalism not simply propping up companies that have already extracted millions of pounds from their businesses whilst cutting investment in editorial resources; and therefore calls on the Government to explore innovative solutions to preserve local journalism and to ensure that state support, either in the form of deregulatory measures or financial help, is given only where firm guarantees on investment in local journalism are secured. |
| 918 | NATIONAL HOUSING FEDERATION AND PREPAYMENT METER CUSTOMERS | 26:2:09 |
| John Austin | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Paul Holmes | | Lynne Jones | | John McDonnell |
| | Kelvin Hopkins | Siobhain McDonagh | Joan Walley | | | Mr David Chaytor | Julie Morgan | Anne Main |
| That this House welcomes Government assurances that, if necessary, legislation would be introduced to outlaw the overcharging of prepayment meter customers; notes that E.ON, Scottish Power and npower have equalised charges which they make to their prepayment meter customers with those who pay by quarterly bill, but that British Gas, EDF and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) continue to charge their prepay customers more; further notes that the National Housing Federation calculates that British Gas, EDF and SSE will overcharge their 1.7 million prepay customers by £8.6 million every month over the next year, with British Gas charging its prepayment customers £77 more over 2009 than those on quarterly bills, SSE charging £38 more and EDF charging £19 more; refutes the claim by Ofgem that it has been successful in its campaign to stop this overcharging; congratulates the National Housing Federation on championing the cause of some of the most vulnerable people on low incomes; and believes it is time for the Government to introduce legislation to equalise prepay bills with those charged to people on a quarterly basis. |
| 923 | AVAILABILITY OF VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS | 2:3:09 |
| Mike Penning | | Mr Andrew Lansley | | Chris Grayling | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mr Mark Prisk | | Mr David Amess |
| That this House notes that the United Kingdom has a rigorous and effective regime for permitting onto the market under the provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 only such higher potency vitamin and mineral supplements as are accepted as safe and appropriately labelled by the Food Standards Agency; is deeply concerned that the future availability of such safe and popular supplements is now threatened by the current process through which the European Union is proposing pan-European limits on the potencies of such supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; further notes that successive Ministers have pledged to defend the future availability of such supplements but have not yet secured sufficient support from other member states and the European Commission to ensure that the policy objectives of the Government can be achieved; and calls on the Prime Minister personally to intervene with the President of the European Commission to ensure that the right of UK manufacturers to produce, specialist retailers to sell, and informed consumers to choose to buy such safe and popular supplements is not unacceptably curtailed through an unnecessarily restrictive interpretation of the legislation. |
| 924 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Colour Sergeant John Cecil, Royal Marines, UK Landing Force Command Support Group, aged 35, from Plymouth, Lance Bombardier Llywelyn Evans, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, aged 24 from Llandudno, Captain Philip Stuart Guy, Royal Marines, aged 29, from Skipton, Yorkshire, Marine Sholto Hedenskog, Royal Marines, aged 26, from Cape Town, South Africa, Sergeant Les Hehir, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, aged 34, from Poole in Dorset, Operator Mechanic (Communications) Second Class Ian Seymour RN, 148 Commando Battery Royal Artillery, aged 29, from Poole in Dorset, Warrant Officer Second Class Mark Stratford, Royal Marines, aged 39, from Plymouth, Major Jason Ward, Royal Marines, UK Landing Force Command Support Group, aged 34, from Torquay in Devon, Lieutenant Philip Green RN, aged 30 from Caythorpe, Lincolnshire, Lieutenant Antony King RN, aged 35 from Helston, Cornwall, Lieutenant Marc Lawrence RN, aged 26 from Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, Lieutenant Philip West RN, aged 32 from Budock Water, Cornwall, Lieutenant James Williams RN, aged 28 from Falmouth, Cornwall, and Lieutenant Andrew Wilson RN, aged 36 from Exeter all from 849 Squadron, RNAS Culdrose, Flight Lieutenant Kevin Barry Main, Pilot, IX (B) Squadron and Flight Lieutenant David Rhys Williams Navigator, IX (B) Squadron. |
| 925 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 2) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Sapper Luke Allsopp, 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD), aged 24 from North London, Staff Sergeant Simon Cullingworth, 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD), aged 36 from Essex, Sergeant Steven Roberts, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, aged 33 from Bradford, Lance Corporal Barry Stephen, 1st Battalion The Black Watch, aged 31 from Perth, Corporal Stephen Allbutt, aged 35 from Stoke-on-Trent, and Trooper David Clarke, aged 19 from Littleworth, Staffordshire both from the Queen's Royal Lancers, Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, Household Cavalry Regiment, aged 25 from Windsor, Major Steve Ballard, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines, aged 33, from Swindon, Marine Christopher Maddison, 9 Assault Squadron Royal Marines, aged 24 from Scarborough, Lance Corporal Shaun Brierly, 212 Signal Squadron, 1 (UK) Armoured Division and Signal Regiment, aged 28 from West Yorkshire, Staff Sergeant Chris Muir, Army School of Ammunition, Royal Logistic Corps, aged 32 from Romsey in Hampshire, Lieutenant Alexander Tweedie, aged 25, and Lance Corporal Karl Shearer, both from the Household Cavalry Regiment, Fusilier Kelan Turrington, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, aged 18, Lance Corporal Ian Malone, 1st Battalion, aged 28 from Dublin, and Piper Christopher Muzvuru, aged 21 from Zimbabwe both from the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. |
| 926 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 3) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Lance Corporal James McCue, 7 Air Assault Battalion, REME, aged 27 from Paisley, Private Andrew Kelly, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, aged 18 from Tavistock, Gunner Duncan Pritchard, 16 Squadron RAF Regiment, aged 22, Corporal David Shepherd, Royal Air Force Police, aged 34, Mr Leonard Harvey, aged 55, based at Wattisham in Suffolk, Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, aged 41 from Chessington, Corporal Russell Aston, aged 30 from Swadlincote, Corporal Paul Long, aged 24 from Colchester, Corporal Simon Miller, aged 21 from Washington, Tyne and Wear, Lance-Corporal Benjamin Hyde, aged 23 from Northallerton in Yorkshire, Lance-Corporal Thomas Keys, aged 20 from Llanuwchllyn, near Bala in Wales, all of 156 Provost Company, Captain James Linton, 40 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, aged 43 from Warminster, Private Jason Smith, 52nd Lowland Regiment, aged 32 from Hawick, Captain David Jones, Queen's Lancashire Regiment, aged 29 from Louth in Lincolnshire, Major Matthew Titchener, 150 Provost Company, aged 32 from Southport, Merseyside, Company Sergeant Major Colin Wall, 150 Provost Company, aged 34 from Crawleyside, County Durham, Corporal Dewi Pritchard, 116 Provost Company, aged 35 from Bridgend, Fusilier Russell Beeston, 52nd Lowland Regiment, aged 26 from Govan, Sergeant John Nightingale, 217 Transport Squadron, aged 32 from Leeds, Corporal Ian Plank, Royal Marines, aged 31 from Poole, and Private Ryan Thomas, Royal Regiment of Wales, aged 18 from Resolven, near Neath in Glamorgan. |
| 927 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 4) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Major James Stenner, Welsh Guards, aged 30 from Monmouthshire, Sergeant Norman Patterson, Cheshire Regiment, aged 28 from Staffordshire, Lance Corporal Andrew Craw, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, aged 21 from Clackmannanshire, Rifleman Vincent Windsor, Royal Green Jackets, aged 23 from Oxfordshire, Sapper Robert Thomson, Royal Engineers, aged 22 from West Lothian, Corporal Richard Ivell, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, aged 29 from near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Fusilier Gordon Gentle, Royal Highland Fusiliers, aged 19 from Glasgow, Flight Lieutenant Kristian Gover, 33 Squadron RAF, aged 30, Private Christopher Rayment, Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, aged 22 from London, Private Lee O'Callaghan, Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, aged 20 from London, Private Marc Ferns, The Black Watch, aged 21 from Glenrothes in Fife, Lance Corporal Paul Thomas, The Light Infantry, aged 29 from Welshpool, Fusilier Stephen Jones, The Royal Welch Fusiliers, aged 22 from Denbeigh, Corporal Marc Taylor, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, aged 27 from Ellesmere Port, Gunner David Lawrence, Royal Artillery, aged 25 from Walsall, Private Kevin McHale, The Black Watch, aged 27 from Lochgelly in Fife, Staff Sergeant Denise Michelle Rose, Royal Military Police, aged 34 from Liverpool, Sergeant Stuart Gray, The Black Watch, age 31 from Dunfermline, Fife, Private Paul Lowe, The Black Watch, aged 19 from Fife, and Private Scott McArdle, The Black Watch, aged 22 from Glenrothes. |
| 928 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 5) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Private Pita Tukutukuwaqa, The Black Watch, aged 27 from Fiji, Sergeant Paul Connolly, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, aged 33 from Crawley in West Sussex, Squadron Leader Patrick Marshall, Headquarters Strike Command, aged 39, Flight Lieutenant David Stead, 47 Squadron, RAF Lyneham, aged 35 from Yorkshire, Flight Lieutenant Andrew Smith, 47 Squadron, RAF Lyneham, aged 25, Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel, 47 Squadron, RAF Lyneham, aged 35, Master Engineer Gary Nicholson, 47 Squadron, RAF Lyneham, aged 42, Chief Technician Richard Brown, RAF Lyneham, aged 40, Flight Sergeant Mark Gibson, 47 Squadron, RAF Lyneham, aged 34, Sergeant Robert O'Connor, RAF Lyneham, aged 38, Corporal David Williams, RAF Lyneham, aged 37, Acting Lance Corporal Steven Jones, Royal Signals, aged 25 from Fareham, Private Mark Dobson, Tyne-Tees Regiment, aged 41 from County Durham, Guardsman Anthony John Wakefield, 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, aged 24 from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Lance Corporal Alan Brackenbury, The King's Royal Hussars, aged 21 from East Riding, Yorkshire, Signaller Paul William Didsbury, 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support), aged 18, Second Lieutenant Richard Shearer, aged 26 from Nuneaton, Private Leon Spicer, aged 26 from Tamworth, and Private Phillip Hewett, aged 21 from Tamworth, all from the 1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment. |
| 929 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 6) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Fusilier Donal Anthony Meade, aged 20 from Plumstead in South East London, and Fusilier Stephen Robert Manning, aged 22 from Erith, Kent both from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Major Matthew Bacon, Intelligence Corps, aged 34 from London, Captain Ken Masters, Royal Military Police, aged 40, Sergeant Chris Hickey, 1st Battalion the Coldstream Guards, aged 30, Sergeant John Jones, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, aged 31, from Castle Bromwich, Lance Corporal Allan Douglas, Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons), aged 22 from Aberdeen, Corporal Gordon Alexander Pritchard, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, aged 31, Trooper Carl Smith, 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) aged 23 from Kettering, Captain Richard Holmes, aged 28 and Private Lee Ellis, aged 23, both from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, Lieutenant Richard Palmer, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, aged 27, Wing Commander John Coxen RAF, aged 46 from Liverpool, Lieutenant Commander Darren Chapman, Fleet Air Arm aged 40, Captain David Dobson, Army Air Corps, aged 27, Flight Lieutenant Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill RAF, aged 32 from Canterbury, Marine Paul Collins, aged 21, Private Joseva Lewaicei, aged 25 from Lautoka, Fiji, and Private Adam Morris, aged 19 from Leicester, both from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, Lieutenant Tom Mildinhall, aged 26 from Battersea, and Lance Corporal Paul Farrelly, aged 27 from Runcorn, both from the Queen's Dragoon Guards. |
| 930 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 7) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Corporal John Johnston Cosby, 1st Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, aged 28 from Belfast, Corporal Matthew Cornish, of 1 LI killed in Iraq, aged 29 from Yorkshire, Gunner Samuela Vanua, aged 27 from Fiji, and Gunner Stephen Robert Wright, aged 20 from Preston, Lancashire, both from 58 (Eyre's) Battery, 12 Regiment Royal Artillery, Gunner Lee Thornton, 58 (Eyre's) Battery, 12 Regiment Royal Artillery, aged 22 from Blackpool, Lance Corporal Dennis Brady, Royal Army Medical Corps, aged 37 from Barrow-in Furness, Lieutenant Tom Tanswell 58 (Eyre's) Battery, 12 Regiment Royal Artillery, aged 27 from London, Kingsman Jamie Lee Hancock, 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 19 from Wigan, Warrant Officer Class 2 Lee Hopkins, Royal Corps of Signals, aged 35 from Wellingborough, Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott, Intelligence Corps, aged 34 from Ipswich, Corporal Ben Nowak, 45 Commando Royal Marines, aged 27 from Liverpool, Marine Jason Hylton, 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines, aged 33 from Burton on Trent, Sergeant Jonathan Hollingsworth, the Parachute Regiment, aged 35, Sergeant Graham Hesketh, 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 35 from Liverpool, Sergeant Wayne Rees, The Queen's Royal Lancers, aged 36 from Nottingham, Kingsman Alex Green, 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 21 from Warrington and Private Michael Tench, 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry, aged 18 from Sunderland. |
| 931 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 8) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke, 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 24 from Hove, Private Luke Daniel Simpson, 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, aged 21 from Howden, near York, Rifleman Daniel Lee Coffey, Second Battalion The Rifles, aged 21 from Exeter, Private Johnathon Dany Wysoczan, First Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment, aged 21 from Stoke on Trent, Kingsman Wilson, 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 28 from Workington, Rifleman Aaron Lincoln, of the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, aged 18 from Durham, Second Lieutenant Joanna Yorke Dyer, aged 24 from Yeovil, Corporal Kris O'Neill, Royal Army Medical Corps, aged 27 from Catterick, Private Eleanor Dlugosz, Royal Army Medical Corps, aged 19, from Southampton, Kingsman Adam James Smith, 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 19 from the Isle of Man, Colour Sergeant M L Powell, aged 37 from South Wales, Sergeant Mark J McLaren, Royal Air Force, aged 27 from Northumberland, Corporal Ben Leaning, The Queen's Royal Lancers, aged 24 from Scunthorpe, Trooper Kristen Turton, The Queen's Royal Lancers, aged 27 from Grimsby, Kingsman Alan Joseph Jones, 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, aged 20 from Liverpool, Rifleman Paul Donnachie, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, aged 18 from Reading, and Major Nick Bateson, Corps of Royal Signals, aged 49 from Kent. |
| As an Amendment to Paul Flynn's proposed Motion (Fatalities in Iraq (No. 8)): |
| David T. C. Davies | | Adam Price |
| Line 15, at end add `and Jamie Gunn, aged 21 from Monmouth, of the 1st Battalion The Rifles.'. |
| 932 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 9) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Alex Salmond |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Private Kevin Thompson, Royal Logistic Corps, aged 21 from Lancaster, Corporal Jeremy Brookes, 4th Battalion the Rifles, aged 28 from Birmingham, Corporal Rodney Wilson, aged 30, from 4th Battalion The Rifles, Lance Corporal James Cartwright, aged 21, from Badger Squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, Major Paul Harding 4th Battalion The Rifles, aged 48, from Winchester, Corporal John Rigby 4th Battalion The Rifles, aged 24 from Rye, Corporal Paul Joszko, 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Regiment of Wales), aged 28 from Mountain Ash, Wales, Private Scott Kennedy, Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, aged 20 from Oakley, Dunfermline, Private James Kerr, Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, aged 20 from Cowdenbeath, Rifleman Edward Vakabua 4th Battalion The Rifles, aged 23 from Fiji, Lance Corporal Ryan Francis 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, aged 23 from Llanelli, Corporal Christopher Read, of 158 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police, aged 22 from Poole, Dorset, Senior Aircraftsman Matthew Caulwell, aged 22 from Birmingham, Senior Aircraftsman Christopher Dunsmore, aged 29 from Leicester, Senior Aircraftsman Peter McFerran, aged 24 from Connah's Quay, Lance Corporal Timothy Darren `Daz' Flowers of The Corps of Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, aged 25, and Corporal Steve Edwards of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, aged 35 from Thrapston, Northamptonshire. |
| 933 | FATALITIES IN IRAQ (No. 10) | 2:3:09 |
| Paul Flynn | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House salutes the bravery of the armed forces serving in Iraq and records with sorrow the deaths of Private Craig Barber, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, aged 20 from Ogmore Vale, Leading Aircraftman Martin Beard of No. 1 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, aged 20 from Rainworth, near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, Lance Sergeant Chris Casey, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards aged 27 from London, Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards aged 22 from Romford, Sergeant Eddie Collins, The Parachute Regiment, aged 33, Sergeant Mark Stansfield, 32 Close Support Squadron, UK Logistic Battalion, aged 32 from Oxfordshire, Lance Corporal Sarah Holmes, 29 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, aged 26 from Wantage, Oxfordshire, Corporal Lee Fitzsimmons from Peterborough, Sergeant John Battersby from Lancashire, Guardsman Stephen Ferguson, 1st Battalion Scots Guards, aged 31 from Lanarkshire, Sergeant Duane `Baz' Barwood, 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, Royal Air Force, aged 41 from Carterton, Oxfordshire, Lance Corporal David Kenneth Wilson, 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, aged 27, from Huddersfield, Corporal Lee Churcher, 20th Armoured Brigade, aged 32, from Nuneaton, and Private Ryan Wrathall, 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, aged 21 from Surbiton, Surrey. |
| 937 | ARREST AND TRIAL OF BAHÁ'ÍS IN IRAN | 2:3:09 |
| Lembit Öpik | | Peter Luff | | David Lepper | | Ian Stewart | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George |
| | Mr Don Foster | Hugh Bayley | Jenny Willott |
| That this House notes the arrests in March and May 2008 of Mahvash Sabet, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Vahid Tizfahm, members of an informal leadership council of the Iranian Bahá'i community; further notes with concern the announcement of 12 February 2009 by the deputy-prosecutor of Tehran that these seven Bahá'is are to face a revolutionary court to answer charges including, espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic, despite no evidence produced against them to date; observes that such accusations can merit capital punishment under Iranian law; is concerned that the charges against these Bahá'i community leaders may be motivated by a growing culture of anti-Bahá'i repression in Iran; and calls on the Government to protest to the Iranian authorities and press for the immediate release of these seven individuals. |
| 942 | THE PEOPLE'S CHARTER | 2:3:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mike Wood | | Mr David Drew | | Alan Simpson | | Frank Cook |
| That this House welcomes The People's Charter - a Charter for Change, which sets out a programme for challenging the economic crisis and providing hope for a fairer society; notes that this programme includes public ownership of the main banks, public utilities and transport and ending the privatisation of public services, a progressive tax system, investment for full employment, increasing the minimum wage, the restoration of the earnings link for state pensions, an end to home repossessions, empowerment of local authorities to provide affordable quality housing for all, the ending of child poverty, enforced equal pay for women, the restoration of trades' union rights, halting new nuclear weapons and investment for a greener and safer world free of poverty and famine; further notes that the Charter is already supported by the general secretaries of some of Britain's biggest trades' unions as well as numerous national trades' unions, campaigning organisations and prominent people from all walks of life; further welcomes the Charter's declared ambition of collecting one million signatures; and calls upon the Government to respond positively to the demands of this campaign and begin putting people first before the interests of big business and corporate finance. |
| 948 | ANIMAL WELFARE IN CIRCUSES | 3:3:09 |
| John Austin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Lee Scott | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Hunter |
| | Ms Diane Abbott | Mr Khalid Mahmood |
| That this House shares the RSPCA's deep concern at the recent introduction of elephants into a circus in Nottinghamshire; hopes that the public will boycott the circus in protest; believes that the Government should intervene in this case and state categorically that it opposes the use of wild species in circuses; and urges the Government to bring forward proposals to ban the use of wild animals in circuses without further delay. |
| 960 | LET THEM WORK CAMPAIGN | 3:3:09 |
| Lynne Jones | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House welcomes the Let Them Work campaign to allow asylum seekers permission to work while they are waiting for a decision about their claim; notes with concern that asylum seekers who fled persecution in their own countries are among the most vulnerable people in the UK and are being denied the opportunity to work to support themselves and their families, to pay taxes, and to contribute to the economy; is additionally concerned about the situation of those asylum seekers without status who are unable to return home, many of whom spend years in limbo and are reliant on charity hand-outs or forced into illegal work just to survive; is alarmed that this leaves already vulnerable people open to destitution and exploitation; and therefore calls on the Government to allow asylum seekers to work if they have been waiting longer than six months for a full resolution on their asylum claim and to ensure that permission to work remains for people whose claim for asylum is refused, but who are unable to return home immediately through no fault of their own. |
| 963 | ARCHER REPORT INTO CONTAMINATED BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCTS | 3:3:09 |
| Mr Edward O'Hara | | Jenny Willott | | Charlotte Atkins | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Martin Salter | Dr Evan Harris | Mr Bob Laxton | | | Graham Stringer | Sir Gerald Kaufman | Mr George Galloway | | | Angus Robertson | Mr David Laws | Mark Pritchard |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the Archer Report on the use of contaminated blood and blood products in NHS treatments and hopes that the victims of the use of such products will receive swift and appropriate recompense; and calls on the Government to make a full and speedy response to the report's findings and to make a commitment to implement its recommendations as soon as possible. |
| Mrs Linda Riordan | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| That this House applauds the work of Monkey World, the ape rescue centre in Wareham, Dorset; notes with distress that non-human primates are still used as a source of entertainment in both the UK and the US; is further distressed about reports of photographs of the abuse of non-human primates being on sale in China; urges the Government to take action with its international counterparts to comply with worldwide conventions on animal welfare; and congratulates the residents of Halifax constituency who have adopted an ape at Monkey World. |
| 976 | ANIMAL WELFARE IN CIRCUSES (No. 2) | 4:3:09 |
| Mark Pritchard | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | David Taylor | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House notes with concern the continuing use of non-domesticated animals in circuses and more recently the re-introduction of elephants by the Great British Circus; is increasingly concerned by the delay of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in reporting on increasing amounts of evidence surrounding poor animal welfare standards in circuses; believes that the report of the Chair of the Circus Working Group fails to provide reliable information on this subject; supports the work of the Captive Animals Protection Society and others in achieving an end to animal use in circuses; and urges the Government to maintain its commitment to ban the use of non-domesticated animals in travelling circuses and to limit the use of domesticated species under a strict, accountable and open licensing system. |
| 978 | 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TIBETAN NATIONAL UPRISING | 4:3:09 |
| Norman Baker | | Harry Cohen | | Kate Hoey | | Tim Loughton | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Mr Fabian Hamilton |
| That this House notes the 50th anniversary on 10 March 2009 of the Tibetan National Uprising; draws attention to the unique historical position of Great Britain and Tibet whereby Great Britain had direct diplomatic and trade links with Tibet and maintained a permanent diplomatic mission in Tibet between 1933 to 1947; further notes that the Written Ministerial Statement of 29 October 2008, which changed the British Government's long-held position on the status of Tibet, was made without receiving any assurance from the Chinese government that it will make genuine progress on the issue of Tibet; in view of the Government's strong concerns on human rights issues inside Tibet, also expressed in the Ministerial Statement, including the situation of those remaining in detention, the increased constraints on religious activity and the limitations on free access to the Tibet Autonomous Region by diplomats and journalists, urgently calls on the Government to act on these concerns and give effect to its stated commitment to seek a solution for Tibet; and further calls on the Government to draft a list of practical actions that address these issues, with a clear framework to monitor progress, that the Chinese government can adopt in order to work to bring about genuine justice to the Tibetan people. |
| 979 | BRISTOL TO LONDON RAIL LINE ELECTRIFICATION | 4:3:09 |
| Stephen Williams | | Mr Don Foster | | Steve Webb | | Mr David Heath | | Norman Baker | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House notes that the Great Western main railway line uses diesel trains originally brought into service in the 1970s and designed to travel at 125 miles per hour; believes that in the 21st century modern rolling stock travelling at higher speeds than those envisaged 40 years ago is a reasonable expectation for passengers; and further believes that the journey should be along a sustainable electrified line and that investment in high-speed rail for the West Country and other regions is preferable to an unsustainable expansion of aviation and a third runway at Heathrow Airport. |
| As an Amendment to Stephen Williams's proposed Motion (Bristol to London Rail Line Electrification): |
| Line 5, leave out from `line' to end. |
| 985 | WATER CHARGES FOR SCOUT GROUPS | 4:3:09 |
| John Battle | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | David Taylor | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr William Cash | Geraldine Smith | Mr Eric Martlew |
| That this House notes the enormous contribution scout groups and other voluntary organisations make in helping local communities; notes with dismay the water regulator Ofwat's decision to change the way water companies charge small charities and community groups for surface water run-off, and the impact that this will have on the financial future of organisations that rely on fund-raising and members' subscriptions for income, and are therefore particularly ill-placed to afford the huge increases in bills as a result; considers that this highlights the need to protect the ability of such organisations and the communities they serve to access water services; and therefore calls on Ofwat to support the Scout Association's call for a social tariff regime for community and voluntary groups by enabling such a pricing system to be used by water companies. |
| 998 | VENERABLE PALDEN GYATSO AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIBET | 5:3:09 |
| Harry Cohen | | Norman Baker | | Lynne Jones | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| | Julie Morgan | Jenny Willott |
| That this House welcomes the arrival to Britain, at the invitation of the Tibet Society, of the former political prisoner, the Venerable Palden Gyatso, to speak of his experiences; notes with deep regret the suffering and torture he endured during 33 years of imprisonment following detainment in 1959 for peaceful protest; commends his commitment to peacefully calling for the rights and freedom of his people; further notes with sadness that 50 years on the human rights situation in Palden's homeland of Tibet remains critical, with continuing oppressive measures being imposed upon the Tibetan people by Chinese government policies, such as patriotic re-education, arbitrary arrests and torture in detention and the use of brutal force against Tibetans who publicly demonstrate; and offers its support for a just and fair solution for the Tibetan people. |
| 1010 | GREEN ENERGY BILL | 9:3:09 |
| Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Dr Alan Whitehead | | Colin Challen | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Simon Hughes | | Mr Oliver Letwin |
| That this House supports the provisions contained within the Green Energy Bill introduced by the hon. Member for East Surrey and a cross-party group of hon. Members, on promoting the revision of the Government's microgeneration strategy, reforming planning law, and exempting microgeneration developments and energy efficiency measures from a potential council tax and business rate penalty, thereby ensuring that a range of measures designed to promote green energy through small scale renewable and sustainable sources will enable people and businesses to benefit from generating their own energy; recognises the need to use green energy to protect the environment and to slow down climate change; and therefore calls on the Government to support the Bill. |
| 1023 | ROYAL BRITISH LEGION AND AGE CONCERN ENGLAND PETITION | 9:3:09 |
| Mr Bruce George | | Mr Michael Mates | | Bob Russell | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mark Hunter |
| That this House congratulates the Royal British Legion for securing some 25,000 signatures supporting the Return to Rationing? campaign; notes that a petition was presented to 10 Downing Street on 25 February 2009; further notes with concern that a June 2008 Ipsos MORI survey, commissioned by the Legion, revealed that over a third of the ex-service community over the age of 65 exist on an income below the Minimum Income for Healthy Living as defined by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; further notes that council tax bills are probably the most significant household expense for older people and yet, according to the 2007 Lyons Inquiry into Local Government, the take-up rate among older people for what is essentially a rebate has fallen by about 30 per cent. since it was renamed as council tax benefit, down from 90 per cent. take-up of the rebate under the old rates system; welcomes the Ipsos MORI survey finding that 56 per cent. of respondents believed eligible veterans would be more likely to claim council tax benefit if it were known as a rebate, not a benefit; acknowledges the 2006 National Audit Office estimate that just a 10 per cent. increase in pensioner take-up of council tax benefit would lift 47,000 pensioners out of poverty; believes therefore that many ex-service pensioners could gain from an increase in take-up resulting from council tax benefit being rebranded as a rebate; and urges the Government to commit now to such rebranding within the lifetime of this Parliament. |
| 1034 | POLITICAL SITUATION IN TIBET | 10:3:09 |
| Norman Baker | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell | | Graham Stringer | | Mark Durkan |
| | Julie Morgan | Jenny Willott |
| That this House condemns the state of de facto martial law that Tibet has been subjected to by the Chinese government on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising and the flight of the Dalai Lama; recognises the severe impact on basic human rights and freedoms the present Chinese approach is having on the Tibetan people; notes that Tibetans continue to be tortured and killed and that thousands are subject to arbitrary and heavy-handed restrictions of movement; and calls on the Chinese government to end the de facto martial law and to lift the official ban on access to Tibet for journalists and aid organisations. |
| 1042 | EXPERIMENTS ON PRIMATES | 10:3:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell | | David Taylor | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House is concerned to note that thousands of primates are used in experiments across Europe each year; further notes with deep regret that the European Commission refuses to implement a ban on live primate experiments across Europe; further notes that this is contrary to the wishes of 80 per cent. of the population; and therefore calls on the Government to promote strongly a timetabled replacement of all primate experiments in Europe. |
| 1046 | VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS | 10:3:09 |
| Mr Neil Gerrard | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr Richard Shepherd | | Chris Huhne | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George |
| | Norman Baker | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House notes that people seeking asylum whose claims have been refused and who are unable to return home receive section 4 support in the form of supermarket vouchers; welcomes the Refugee Council's recent report, More Token Gestures, which reveals that this voucher system fails to meet the needs of this vulnerable group of people, exacerbates the hardships they face and leaves them open to hostility and abuse; further notes that vouchers are costly to administer and damaging to community relations; and therefore calls on the Government to abandon the inhumane voucher system without delay and to allow people on section 4 support to receive support in cash rather than vouchers and to have the entitlement to work to support themselves. |
| 1052 | THE DAILY MIRROR ASBESTOS TIME BOMB CAMPAIGN | 10:3:09 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr Stephen Hepburn | | Paul Rowen | | Jim Dobbin | | Ann Clwyd |
| That this House welcomes the Daily Mirror Time Bomb Campaign and supports the paper's call for the reintroduction of compensation for the victims of pleural plaques, the establishment of a centre for asbestos-related diseases to find better treatments, the introduction of an employers' liability insurance bureau for victims who cannot trace their employer or their insurer, the publication of a register of all asbestos surveys carried out on public buildings and more resources for the Health and Safety Executive in order to meet its target for inspecting asbestos removal work. |
| 1060 | NATIONAL DEMENTIA STRATEGY | 11:3:09 |
| Robert Key | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Greg Mulholland | | Mr Tim Boswell | | Mr Gordon Marsden | | Dr Richard Taylor |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the National Dementia Strategy; is concerned that within 30 years dementia will affect 1.4 million people in the UK alone, costing the economy at least £50 billion annually; agrees with the Alzheimer's Research Trust that dementia research must have substantially more financial support than its current 2.5 per cent. share of the medical research budget; and urges the Government to increase support for the UK's world-class dementia scientists in their search for new prevention, treatments and cures for Alzheimer's and other dementias. |
| As Amendments to Robert Key's proposed Motion (National Dementia Strategy): |
| Line 5, after `budget' insert `where funding bodies, through peer review, agree that the quality of applications merits funding approval.'. |
| Line 7, at end add `; and recognises the important part played by animal research in such work as well as the potential of embryonic stem cell science.'. |
| 1061 | IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT 2007 | 11:3:09 |
| Mr David Drew | | Mr Nick Hurd | | Julia Goldsworthy | | David Taylor | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Mr Colin Breed |
| That this House notes the words of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the hon. Member for Salford, spoken when launching the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 at the Local Government Association Conference on 14 October, that `this Act is about changing the way we do business in this country'; notes especially her words regarding the duty on the Secretary of State not just to consult but also to try to reach agreement with the Local Government Association regarding what action she should take to help councils promote local sustainability; and accordingly hopes that this co-operative method of governance will be adopted by her and her Department when implementing this Act. |
| 1064 | LOCAL SPENDING REPORTS AND THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT 2007 | 11:3:09 |
| Mr David Drew | | Mr Nick Hurd | | Julia Goldsworthy | | Bob Russell | | Bob Spink | | Tony Baldry |
| | Mrs Theresa May | Mrs Eleanor Laing | Mr David Willetts | | | Damian Green | Dr Evan Harris | Mr Francis Maude | | | Mr James Paice | Tom Brake | Michael Fabricant | | | David Tredinnick | Mr Edward Garnier | Dr Gavin Strang | | | Michael Connarty | Bill Wiggin | Patrick Mercer | | | Mr Brian Binley | Justine Greening | Jeremy Wright | | | Mr Jeremy Hunt | Mr Edward Vaizey |
| That this House welcomes the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 requiring the publication of local spending reports; believes that people have a right to know how their money is spent by public bodies; especially welcomes the assurances given by the Minister for Local Government, the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth, that the local spending reports will include all public agencies; further welcomes the Minister's assurance that the purpose is to achieve a report that identifies how much will be spent in each area by the authorities; is therefore very alarmed that the consultation now issued on the local spending reports proposes only to include local authorities, including fire authorities and police authorities, and primary care trusts, and to exclude all other public bodies despite the assurances of the Minister; believes it to be unacceptable that this document is now in blatant contravention of the expressed assurances of the Minister; and calls for proper local spending reports to be published, which give effect to those assurances. |
| 1070 | PERSONAL EXPENSE ALLOWANCE REVIEW AND CONSULTATION | 12:3:09 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Andrew George | | Mr David Clelland | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor |
| That this House believes that over a quarter of a million of the poorest older people living in care homes are entitled to a dignified level of income; notes that under national means-testing rules, these people part with their only source of income, their pensions, to pay towards their care home fees; further notes that normally all they are left with is a personal expenses allowance of £21.15 a week, which will rise by 75 pence in April 2009; further notes that in January 2008 the hon. Member for Bury South, when he served as Minister for Care, promised this House a full review and consultation on the level of the allowance; further notes that the personal expenses allowance is expected to cover the cost of all personal items not covered by the care package agreed by the local authority, including clothes, toiletries, social activities and other items; regrets that the Government has broken its promise to consult; and calls on the Government to recognise the representations of Age Concern and others and to increase the personal expenses allowance for people living in residential care who receive state support to at least £40 per week. |
| 1081 | 30th ANNIVERSARY OF HEADWAY THE BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION | 12:3:09 |
| Bob Russell | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Robert N. Wareing |
| That this House congratulates Headway, the brain injury association, for providing outstanding help and support to brain injury survivors and their families for the last 30 years; acknowledges the vital role that the charity plays in helping to improve quality of life after brain injury; notes that half a million people live with the long-term effects of brain injury; wishes the charity well in its future endeavours; and encourages hon. and right hon. Members to support the charity on a local and national level. |
| 1082 | POST BANK COALITION | 12:3:09 |
| Jon Cruddas | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Colin Burgon | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Mr Greg Pope | The Reverend Ian Paisley |
| That this House congratulates the Post Bank Coalition of the Communication Workers Union, Federation of Small Businesses, New Economics Foundation, Unite the Union, National Convention of Pensioners and Public Interest Research Centre, on its plans for a new state-owned Post Bank based on the Post Office network; recognises the importance such a Bank could have in underpinning the future sustainability of the Post Office network; and calls on the Government, as a matter of urgency, to set up a Post Bank to combat financial exclusion and allow communities and local businesses to access a fair and trusted banking system. |
| 1085 | 2009 REVIEW OF UNIVERSITY AND STUDENT FINANCE | 13:3:09 |
| Paul Farrelly | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Jon Cruddas | | Mike Wood | | Mr David Drew | | Ms Diane Abbott |
| That this House believes that the forthcoming review of university and student finance must involve a broad debate about how higher education is and should be funded; notes that the National Union of Students, as the leading voice of students, must be fully involved in this review; further believes that it should encompass full consideration of both student support and tuition fees, should aim to ensure that students are supported according to their needs while they study, and that their contribution to the costs of higher education should reflect its true benefits after graduation; considers that the review must recognise that unmanageable levels of debt are bad for both the borrower and the lender, act as a barrier to wider participation in higher education and should be avoided wherever possible; and further believes that it must examine the proper balance of contributions between the state, individuals and employers to ensure that the future funding of higher education is fair for all. |
| As Amendments to Paul Farrelly's proposed Motion (2009 Review of University and Student Finance): |
| Line 6, leave out from `study' to `considers' in line 7 and insert `and that it should reflect the principles that no-one should be required to pay tuition fees for first degrees, whether studied for full-time or part-time.'. |
| Line 10, leave out from `must' to end and add `fully reflect the responsibility of the state in providing access to higher education.'. |
| 1090 | DISABLED PEOPLE IN EMPLOYMENT | 13:3:09 |
| John Robertson | | Miss Anne Begg | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mr Dai Havard |
| That this House notes that in 2007 around 350,000 people moved from employment on to incapacity benefit and that a fifth of these, 70,000 people, were on this benefit for less than three months; believes that with early intervention and the right help and support many of these people could have been supported to retain their employment; further believes that more advice and support is needed to assist employers in understanding and acting on their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to make reasonable adjustments to help employees who experience ill health or disability stay in work; and therefore welcomes measures contained in the Employment Retention Bill to put in place a framework of rights, advice and support, ensuring that people who experience ill-health or disability whilst in work, and their employers, are supported to retain that employment whenever possible. |
| Lorely Burt | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Sir Robert Smith | | Chris Huhne | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George |
| | Dr William McCrea | Pete Wishart | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes with concern the 10 year anniversary of the Government's implementation of IR35; further notes that the 1.4 million freelancers in the United Kingdom face a perpetual threat of a costly and distressing HM Revenue and Customs investigation under IR35; further notes that IR35 obliges freelancers to spend time and money assessing their status as best they can, with contract reviews, tax investigation insurances and negotiations with clients and agencies, and that this effort would be better spent generating wealth for the UK economy; highlights concerns expressed by the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) that 1,462 of the 1,468 cases known to PCG have resulted in no extra tax being owed; further notes that there is no evidence that IR35 is raising any money for the Exchequer; and calls on the Treasury, in light of the current economic difficulties, to remove unnecessary barriers to enterprise and to abolish IR35 at the earliest opportunity. |
| 1140 | FEDERATION OF MASTER BUILDERS | 20:3:09 |
| Lorely Burt | | David Taylor | | Peter Bottomley | | Hywel Williams | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House notes the decision of the Ecofin Council to allow EU Member States to permanently implement a reduction in the rate of value added tax (VAT) to five per cent. on building repairs and improvement work; supports the work of the Federation of Master Builders and the Cut the VAT Coalition in consistently arguing for this change; believes that reducing VAT on repairs and maintenance to existing buildings would benefit millions of home owners by getting rid of rogue builders, helping the most vulnerable afford vital repairs to their homes and thus helping free millions from fuel poverty, bringing empty homes back into use, and protecting the countryside and heritage; further notes that more energy efficient homes would help the Government meet its target of an 80 per cent. reduction in UK carbon emissions by 2050; and calls on the Government to action a cut in VAT on building repairs and maintenance work at the earliest opportunity. |
| John McDonnell | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | David Taylor | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes the continuing reports of allegations of cruelty and animal suffering associated with puppy farms; and calls upon the Government to review the effectiveness of the current procedures and legislation relating to animal safety in puppy farms. |
| 1148 | ANIMAL WELFARE AND THE PRODUCTION OF FOIE GRAS | 23:3:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House notes that foie gras is traditionally produced by forcing metal pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and over-feeding them, causing their livers to swell to 10 times the normal size; further notes that the production, but not the sale, of foie gras is banned in the UK; applauds the work of banfoiegras.org.uk; calls on restaurants to use brands of faux gras which are supported by the RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming and are produced from free-range ducks and geese without force-feeding; and further calls on the Government to prohibit the sale of traditionally-produced foie gras in the UK. |
| 1154 | TENANTS IN THE PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR AND REPOSSESSIONS | 23:3:09 |
| Ms Sally Keeble | | Martin Linton | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Colin Breed | | Andrew George | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House recognises that tenants in the private rented sector risk losing their homes through repossession when landlords default on mortgages; notes that many tenants are evicted with little or no notice, sometimes only finding out when the bailiff arrives on their doorstep; further notes that many of these tenants could be at risk of homelessness through no fault of their own; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to avert a potential crisis by giving courts the discretion to defer possession and allow tenants sufficient time to find another home. |
| 1163 | 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE | 24:3:09 |
| Mr David Blunkett | | Tony Lloyd | | Mr David Anderson | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Andrew George |
| That this House welcomes the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the National Minimum Wage on 1 April 2009; applauds the fact that employees in more than one million jobs have benefited, two-thirds of them women; believes that annual uprating and effective enforcement are the key to its continued success; regards the current economic climate as an opportunity to increase the spending power of the low paid; calls for an end to discriminatory lower age rates for young workers; and further calls on the Low Pay Commission and Government to end the exemption of some apprenticeships from the national minimum wage. |
| 1171 | UK RELATIONS WITH CUBA | 24:3:09 |
| Mr Ian Taylor | | Paul Holmes | | Robert Key | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Colin Burgon | | Sir Peter Viggers |
| | Richard Burden | Mr Elliot Morley | Mr Greg Pope | | | Mr David S. Borrow | Mr Russell Brown | Adam Price | | | Jon Cruddas | Jenny Willott |
| That this House welcomes the fresh approach to international relations with Cuba including recent legislation in the US to lift family visiting restrictions on Cuban-Americans; notes the recent formal visits to Cuba by the Irish and Spanish Foreign Ministers and Presidents of Chile and Argentina; further notes the recent visit by the Shadow Foreign Secretary to Cuba; welcomes the fact that the UK enjoys excellent relations with Cuba in the fields of sport, biotechnology and the arts; and calls on the Government to send a high level Ministerial delegation to Cuba, led by the Foreign Secretary, to build on UK-Cuba relations and UK interests in the region. |
| 1172 | SOUTH AFRICA AND THE DALAI LAMA | 24:3:09 |
| Tim Loughton | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lee Scott | | Andrew George | | Mark Durkan |
| | Julie Morgan | Jenny Willott |
| That this House deeply regrets the decision by South Africa to refuse a visa to the Dalai Lama to attend a peace conference in Johannesburg this week; questions the priorities of the South African government in taking such a course of action so as not to upset relations with China; and calls on the South African government to reverse its decision in the interests of promoting free speech and pursuing a peaceful solution to settling the longstanding dispute over the autonomy and human rights of the people of Tibet. |
| Nick Harvey | | Steve Webb | | Mr Michael Moore | | Tom Brake | | Mr Charles Kennedy | | Mr Don Foster |
| That this House notes that Ofcom receives over 1,000 complaints about silent telephone calls a month; recognises that, whilst silent calls are not malicious and are usually caused by automated calling systems, which are used in call centres to generate and connect calls, they can cause distress and anxiety to members of the public; welcomes the campaign by Ofcom, Consumer Focus and Age Concern to raise awareness of silent calls and how to avoid them; calls on the Government to draw attention to the issue and the campaign; and urges the Government to enforce Ofcom regulations more strictly, requiring call centres using automated calling systems to play an information message if a call is abandoned in order to prevent the call from being silent. |
| 1204 | ASBESTOS IN SCHOOLS | 26:3:09 |
| Paul Rowen | | Lorely Burt | | Annette Brooke | | Bob Russell | | Mr Don Foster | | Jenny Willott |
| That this House welcomed the opportunity to debate the issue of asbestos in schools in Westminster Hall; notes the fatal effect that exposure to asbestos continues to have on pupils and teachers exposed to asbestos fibres in school buildings; further notes that the incidence of mesothelioma is rising, with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers citing at least 400 members of the teaching profession who have been exposed to asbestos, recognises that 75 per cent. of all schools across the country have asbestos present in one form or another; notes that in the United States of America and the Republic of Ireland clear policies have been adopted in relation to asbestos in school buildings; calls upon the Government to carry out a confidential national survey of schools, followed by funding from the Department of Children, Schools and Families for any school identified during the survey as needing remedial work; further calls on the Government to implement a policy of replacing all asbestos containing materials in schools as part of a national strategy with clear targets in order to provide safe environments for the nation's pupils to succeed; and welcomes the Government's concession that proper training needs to be provided to all head teachers and school managers regarding their current responsibilities in this area. |
| 1230 | UK BEE HEALTH (No. 2) | 31:3:09 |
| Danny Alexander | | Willie Rennie | | Mr Charles Kennedy | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell |
| | Ms Diane Abbott | John Barrett | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes with concern the threat to the UK bee population, valued commercially at approximately £165 million by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, posed by an increase in reported cases of colony collapse disorder and resistance to the chemical treatment for the varroa destructor mite; further notes that Scottish bee farmers, who run 25 per cent. of the UK's commercial hives, are particularly vulnerable as the alternative treatment for the varroa mite requires an ambient temperature of over 15 degrees centigrade; observes that the limited diagnostic and follow-up service for bee health matters in Scotland comprises only four bee inspectors; calls for greater coordination between Westminster and Holyrood to solve this national problem; and welcomes the support of the Scottish Beekeepers' Association and Bee Farmers' Association for greater funding for research into ways of combating the threats to Scottish hives. |
| 1233 | CLIMATE CHANGE (SECTORAL TARGETS) BILL | 31:3:09 |
| Mr Martin Caton | | Mr David Heath | | Joan Walley | | Mr David Chaytor | | Colin Challen | | Mr Michael Meacher |
| | Gwyn Prosser | Mr Phil Willis | Mr David S. Borrow | | | Adam Price | Jon Cruddas | John Barrett | | | Jenny Willott | Susan Kramer |
| That this House welcomes the Climate Change (Sectoral Targets) Bill introduced on 11 February by the hon. Member for Gower, which would require the Secretary of State to set long-term targets for energy efficiency in the domestic and non-domestic sectors, for renewable energy, for microgeneration and for other low carbon sources of energy generation in order to satisfy all of the UK's energy needs, provide for security of supply and also help achieve carbon reduction targets; notes that the Bill would also require a strategy to be drawn up and implemented by the Secretary of State in order to achieve those targets, and believes that such an approach will provide an immediate, flexible, realistic and cost-effective way of delivering the stated objectives of energy policy which would also create jobs and help regenerate the economy. |
| 1235 | ALLEGATIONS OF WAR CRIMES IN GAZA (No. 2) | 31:3:09 |
| Martin Linton | | Ms Karen Buck | | Dr Phyllis Starkey | | Richard Burden | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell |
| That this House notes the allegations which have been made in respect of war crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 on the basis of investigations by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and The Guardian newspaper; notes that these allegations include the use of human shields, unmanned aerial vehicles and the targeting of medical staff and medical facilities, all of which are prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention; recalls that Britain is a High Contracting Party to the Convention and is, therefore, legally required to uphold its provisions; and urges the Government to call for an independent inquiry sanctioned by the UN Security Council into allegations of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead. |
| 1238 | CORNISH TIER OF GOVERNMENT | 31:3:09 |
| Dan Rogerson | | Mr Colin Breed | | Andrew George | | Julia Goldsworthy | | Matthew Taylor | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House notes that Cornwall is going through a significant reorganisation of local government this year; congratulates Cornwall's seven district, borough and county councils on their past 35 years of joint public service to the people and environment of Cornwall; particularly commends the outstanding contribution of the thousands of rank-and-file staff and officers from each of the seven authorities; believes they have a record of which they can be proud; recognises the commitment and dedication of councillors from all parties and none over the years; believes Cornwall should be a distinctive region within the UK, a champion of social justice and an exemplar of environmental policy; further believes that the advent of a new strategic voice for Cornwall presents the Duchy with an opportunity to realise those aims; acknowledges that there will be challenges along the way; and urges everyone with an interest in the future of Cornwall to work together to make the new authority successful and ambitious for Cornwall as the first step to real devolution from Westminster towards a Cornish assembly. |
| 1239 | CONTACTPOINT DATABASE | 31:3:09 |
| Annette Brooke | | Mr David Laws | | Bob Russell | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Colin Breed |
| That this House notes the announcement of another delay to the implementation of ContactPoint because of further concerns about the accuracy and security of the database; expresses concern over the safety implications of such a vast database containing potentially sensitive information in the light of security breaches in various Government departments; further expresses concern over the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's recent report stating that the database is almost certainly illegal under human rights and data protection law; further notes continued concerns over the projected cost of ContactPoint; further notes the conclusion of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments that the Government has not conclusively demonstrated that a universal database is a proportionate response to the problem being addressed; and therefore calls on the Government to scrap the database. |
| 1248 | CONFLICT PREVENTION | 1:4:09 |
| Simon Hughes | | Mr Gary Streeter | | John McDonnell | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | John Hemming |
| That this House recognises that for every dollar spent globally on conflict prevention nearly two thousand times as much is spent on defence and the military; applauds the many local initiatives around the world that help to prevent conflict; calls on the Government to carry out a study into the cost-effectiveness of local and regional peace building initiatives in the run up to the Global Summit on Security and Peace Building in 2010; and encourages the Government through the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to give greater priority to conflict prevention work and in particular to fund from existing resources more local conflict prevention initiatives. |
| 1250 | REPORTING ON CARBON LIABILITIES | 1:4:09 |
| Colin Challen | | Mr Tim Yeo | | Simon Hughes | | Peter Bottomley | | John Hemming | | Mr David Drew |
| | Siobhain McDonagh | Steve Webb | Malcolm Bruce | | | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson | John Thurso | John Barrett |
| That this House acknowledges the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change; looks forward to a successful global deal on climate change at Copenhagen later this year; notes that in a future carbon-constrained world businesses will need to account for the carbon intensity of their operations and products, particularly in the oil, gas and power sectors; believes that transparent reporting of the lifecycle carbon impacts of these operations and products as financial liabilities is the best way to enable investors and pension funds to factor in carbon risks to investment analysis and support emissions reductions and low-carbon growth; further notes the massive hidden carbon costs of the exploitation of unconventional fossil fuels such as oil sands, which emit on average three times more carbon dioxide in their extraction and production than conventional oil and represent a significant carbon risk for investors; also notes that new coal-fired power stations have lifespans of over 40 years; and therefore calls on the Government to require all UK-listed companies in the oil, gas and power sectors to report on their total carbon liabilities. |
| 1252 | SATELLITE NAVIGATION DEVICES | 1:4:09 |
| Norman Baker | | Mr John Leech | | Mark Hunter | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | John Hemming |
| | Greg Mulholland | Susan Kramer |
| That this House is extremely concerned that satellite navigation devices (sat navs) continue to direct large vehicles down narrow and unsuitable routes; notes with regret that this has a serious impact upon other road users and many communities; and calls on the Government to eradicate this problem by ensuring that sat navs take account of the height, width and length of the vehicle before selecting a route. |
| 1253 | FURTHER PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN REPORT ON EQUITABLE LIFE | 1:4:09 |
| Daniel Kawczynski | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | John Hemming | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| That this House notes the findings of the report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman on Equitable Life; further notes the Ombudsman's letter to all hon. Members in which the Ombudsman indicated her intention to take the unusual step of using powers under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 to present Parliament with a further report; recognises the vital role the Ombudsman plays in public life; reaffirms the duty of Parliament to take adequate account of the Ombudsman's decisions; and further notes with concern that over 30,000 Equitable Life policyholders have died without seeing their situation resolved since the Society's near-collapse in 2000. |
| 1263 | OFGEM AND PREPAYMENT METER PRICES | 1:4:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | David Taylor | | John Hemming | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House welcomes Ofgem's proposals to ban unjustified price differences; notes that Ofgem's measures will prevent the very worst differentials of up to £500 but feels these new proposals do not go far enough as online direct debit prices will be far lower than prepayment meter prices; and calls on Ofgem to ensure that prepayment meter customers do not pay a penny more than quarterly billed customers. |
| 1264 | SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR LIVING TOGETHER REPORT ON GYPSY AND TRAVELLER SITE PROVISION | 1:4:09 |
| Julie Morgan | | Mr Tim Boswell | | Andrew George | | Mr Andy Slaughter | | Lynne Featherstone | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House welcomes the Gypsies and Travellers: Simple Solutions for Living Together report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission; recognises that investment in adequate site provision can generate income for local authorities and significantly reduce eviction costs, improve community relations and provide safe and decent accommodation for Gypsy and Traveller communities; notes that as little as one square mile of land across all of England would be enough to provide all Gypsy and Traveller families with sufficient authorised sites; further notes that local authorities need to double their rate of progress in order to meet the Government's 2011 target to provide sufficient accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers; and calls on the Government to encourage local authorities to work with Gypsies and Travellers and local residents to find fair and sensible ways to deliver the modest number of authorised sites required for Gypsies and Travellers. |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House notes with concern the number of pubs and clubs that are struggling to survive, particularly during the current economic downturn; recognises that the most significant difficulty facing pubs is being tied into contracts with the brewers in relation to the purchase of alcohol which restricts the ability to make profits; and calls on the Government to outlaw the pub tie and allow landlords greater flexibility in the purchasing of alcohol in addition to reviewing the duty placed on alcohol in order to ensure that this reflects alcohol volume rather than flat rate increases in duty. |
| 1273 | SUPPLY OF HARM REDUCTION PRODUCTS TO DRUG USERS | 1:4:09 |
| Mike Wood | | Paul Flynn | | Mr Mike Hancock | | John McDonnell | | Mr David Drew | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House notes that section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was intended to prevent the commercial sale of kits and equipment for the preparation and consumption of illicit drugs; further notes that there have only ever been a handful of prosecutions for the commercial sale of drug kits and paraphernalia since 1986 due to the ambiguous nature of section 9A, leading many police forces to abandon enforcement; further notes that on each of the two occasions that the Act has been amended since the insertion of section 9A in 1986 to incorporate newly-developed harm reduction interventions, each amendment has involved a lengthy process of campaigning and legislative change; is concerned that section 9A currently prevents legitimate harm reduction services from providing a number of otherwise innocuous products to their drug-using clients because these items are not explicitly permitted in the legislation; and therefore calls on the Government to consider either a general exemption for all harm reduction products supplied by drug treatment providers and healthcare professionals, or the repeal of section 9A. |
| 1280 | HEALTH SUPPORT IN SCHOOL | 2:4:09 |
| Mr Jim Cunningham | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House notes with considerable concern that the health of around a million children with specified health conditions, including asthma, cancer, coeliac disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, HIV, mental health problems, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell disease and conditions that can cause stroke, is put at risk because they are not receiving sufficient support at school; further notes that poor support at school stops children from fulfilling their potential; recognises that while guidance on medicines in schools remains voluntary, inequality of experience will continue; and acknowledges that by providing better support, children with medical needs will have improved health outcomes and reduce the financial burden on the NHS. |
| 1282 | NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONVENTION | 2:4:09 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Frank Cook | | Paul Holmes | | Peter Bottomley | | Paul Flynn | | Michael Connarty |
| That this House notes the forthcoming 41st anniversary of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty; further notes the continued failure of the international community to abolish nuclear weapons or prevent their further proliferation; endorses the unanimous opinion of the International Court of Justice that there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith, and bring to a conclusion, negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control; further notes the recent 10th anniversary of the submission of a model nuclear weapons convention by Costa Rica to the United Nations for discussion; and calls upon the Government to work to achieve progress on multilateral negotions with the aim of achieving implementation of a nuclear weapons convention by 2020. |
| 1286 | SAVINGS SUMMARY BOX | 2:4:09 |
| Dr Vincent Cable | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Bob Russell |
| That this House recognises that recent cuts in interest rates have led to a significant loss of income for many savers; condemns the fact that most savings statements do not clearly indicate the correct current interest rate of the account and that Bank of England interest rates have changed dramatically over the last six months, leaving many savers confused about the level of interest which they are receiving; notes that there is no technical barrier to publishing a bespoke rate; calls on the Financial Services Authority to give savers the same protection as credit card holders by mandating savings account providers to include a savings summary box in every online and paper statement; further calls on the Financial Services Authority to require that this summary box include the current bespoke interest rate, bonus rates including expiry date, penalties for withdrawal and lay out what institution the account is linked to for the purposes of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme; and anticipates that this simple step will greatly improve the transparency of many savings accounts, enabling hard-pressed savers to ensure they are maximising their savings. |
| 1288 | HELP FOR HEROES | 20:4:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lee Scott | | Bob Russell |
| That this House supports the Help for Heroes charity which was established to help those injured in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; pays tribute to the founders of the charity and the volunteers who help ensure that the money raised goes to those who need it most; notes that the charity has already raised £16 million through high profile events, sponsorship and individual donations since its formation in October 2007; and congratulates The Sun newspaper for backing the charity and helping to raise its profile even further, which will ensure that troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq will get the help and support they need. |
| 1290 | NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES | 20:4:09 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Lynne Jones | | Bob Spink | | Mr Martin Caton | | David Taylor |
| That this House agrees with President Obama's statement in his joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 1 April 2009 that the United States and United Kingdom share a kinship of ideals; strongly supports this reformulation of the special relationship; notes that the United States and Russia are pressing ahead with negotiations first to reduce, and finally abolish nuclear weapons; rejects the Government's assertion that it is able to maintain very properly within the terms of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty its minimum nuclear deterrent; and calls on the Government to act upon this kinship of ideals and enter Britain into multilateral negotiations on the abolition of weapons of mass destruction. |
| 1291 | WORLD MALARIA DAY 2009 | 20:4:09 |
| Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Andrew Mitchell | | Andrew Selous | | Mrs Eleanor Laing | | Mr Nigel Evans |
| | Mrs Theresa May | Adam Price | Jenny Willott | | | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes World Malaria Day 2009 on 25 April 2009, which is being marked with events leading up to and on that day to raise awareness and to rally support for the effort globally to fight, control and ultimately eradicate malaria; calls on governments of malaria-endemic countries, donor country governments and international public and private organisations to work together to combat malaria worldwide; further notes that malaria occurs in more than 90 countries of the world, placing 40 per cent. of the world's population at risk, and that this preventable and curable disease kills a child every 30 seconds and is especially lethal to children under five and pregnant mothers; further notes that between one and three million people are killed every year by the disease; further notes the estimate that approximately 500 to 600 million people are infected each year, with the heaviest burden of malaria being in sub-Saharan Africa, but also afflicting the peoples of Asia, Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Europe; congratulates all those engaged in the global campaign against malaria and further notes a number of countries have reduced malaria deaths by 50 per cent. in the last five years as the resources and implementation of preventative measures and treatments have been scaled up; and further calls on the Government to maintain and enhance its international co-operation, collaboration and co-ordination of action towards the achievement of the UN 2010 and 2015 goals to end suffering and deaths from malaria, the world's most avoidable but devastating scourge. |
| 1293 | NATIONAL PUBWATCH CAMPAIGN | 20:4:09 |
| Mr Nigel Evans [R] | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin |
| | Jenny Willott | Greg Mulholland | Susan Kramer |
| That this House supports National Pubwatch's Court not Cautions campaign; recognises that the campaign is a response to the continuing trend for assaults on staff working in pubs, bars, shops and other licensed premises to be dealt with by way of police caution or fixed penalty ticket; understands that victims of such assaults feel let down by the justice system; believes that current practice is not a sufficient deterrent; and calls on the Government to ensure that the perpetrators of assaults on licensees are rightly pursued in the courts. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1295 | FUNDING FOR SIXTH FORMS | 20:4:09 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Bob Russell | | Bob Spink | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Peter Bottomley | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House is concerned by the late and unexpected reductions in funding allocations to schools and sixth form colleges; notes that these reductions place school managements in great difficulty balancing their budgets; is concerned that schools face the prospect of cutting staff, reducing student numbers, or both; and calls on the Learning and Skills Council and the Department for Children, Schools and Families to restore the cut in sixth form funding. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Paul Burstow's proposed Motion (Funding for Sixth Forms): |
| David Taylor | | Mr Ronnie Campbell |
| Line 2, after `allocations', insert `notified by the Learning and Skills Council'. |
| 1297 | ENFORCEMENT OF BANK OF ENGLAND ACT 1694 | 20:4:09 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | David Taylor | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Harry Cohen | | John McDonnell | | Mr Eric Illsley |
| That this House, observing that the intention of the founding Act of the Bank of England in 1694 was `that their Majesties' subjects may not be oppressed by the said corporation', notes that those subjects have been seriously oppressed by the Bank's failure to control the greed, risk-taking and speculation of the banking system over which it presides; and therefore suggests that this oppression should be dealt with as the Act provides by fines three times the value of the abusive trading. |
| 1298 | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE UK | 20:4:09 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House is concerned at the consistently high levels of domestic violence taking place in the UK; is alarmed that recent statistics suggest two women a week are killed by their male partner or former partner; recognises the severe effects of domestic violence on children who witness or experience incidents of violence; further recognises the links between domestic violence and homelessness, miscarriage and mental health problems; notes the estimated overall costs of domestic violence to the Government for England and Wales is £25 billion per year; and calls on the Government to increase funding for organisations working to support victims of domestic violence, including specific provisions for children staying in refuges with their mothers, to increase awareness-raising work in schools and medical centres and to address the variation in quality of service provision across the country. |
| 1299 | RIGHTS OF TRIBAL AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES | 20:4:09 |
| Martin Horwood | | Mr David Drew | | Harry Cohen | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House welcomes the 20th anniversary of International Labour Organisation Convention 169 on Tribal and Indigenous Peoples, which recognises and respects the land rights of indigenous peoples; notes that protecting the land rights of indigenous peoples is the most effective way to protect the world's rainforests, crucial in the battle against climate change; further welcomes a memorandum submitted to the Environment Audit Committee by the Department for International Development and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which recognises the importance of ensuring indigenous peoples' rights are respected in terms of ownership of the carbon asset; notes the Government's continued refusal to put these rights on a firm legal footing and ratify Convention 169, on the grounds that there are no indigenous peoples in the United Kingdom; further notes that this has not prevented either the Netherlands or Spain from joining the list of 20 countries, including Brazil, that have ratified the Convention; believes that protecting the rights of indigenous peoples is a matter of international concern; and calls on the Government to ratify Convention 169 without delay. |
| 1308 | SECRET EVIDENCE | 21:4:09 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr David Drew | | David Lepper | | Sarah Teather | | Lynne Featherstone | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr Dai Havard | Angus Robertson | Susan Kramer |
| That this House believes the use of secret evidence in UK courts is fundamentally wrong; notes that secret evidence is evidence held by the Home Office against an individual that neither the individual, nor their legal representation, may see; further notes that in recent cases secret evidence has been used to detain individuals in prison for up to three years without charge or trial; further notes that these individuals may also be put under a control order or severe bail conditions, greatly limiting their movements and ability to lead a healthy life; further believes that the use of secret evidence by the state against individuals runs entirely contrary to Habeas Corpus; recognises the European Court of Human Rights' ruling that detaining individuals on the basis of secret evidence is unlawful because detainees had not been able to effectively challenge the allegations against them; and calls on the Government to begin an immediate independent review into the use of evidence that is not ever heard by the defendant or their lawyer but which is used to justify indefinite detention, severe bail conditions or control orders. |
| 1309 | ENERGY PRICES (No. 2) | 21:4:09 |
| John Barrett | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes that natural gas wholesale prices have declined by 54 per cent. in the last year while the average British household has seen their gas bill decline by only around three per cent.; is aware that approximately 54 per cent. of the cost of supplying gas to consumers is made up by natural gas wholesale prices; recognises that if household gas bills had reduced at the same rate as wholesale prices, the average UK household would save over £200 per year; and calls on the Government to ensure that the prices charged by energy companies better reflect reductions in wholesale energy prices. |
| 1311 | SRI LANKA (No.4) | 21:4:09 |
| Mr Jim Cunningham | | Mr Brian Jenkins | | John Cummings | | Geraldine Smith | | Mr David Hamilton | | Mr Russell Brown |
| | Adam Price | John Barrett | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes with concern reports from the International Red Cross that ongoing fighting between Tamil and government forces in Sri Lanka continues to leave a trail of civilian casualties in its wake while depriving access to substantive medical care and hope of evacuation away from areas of conflict; calls on the Sri Lankan government and Tamil forces to work towards a ceasefire to protect the civilian population from further harm as a result of this conflict; and urges the UK Government to work with international partners to do all in its powers to enable full access to humanitarian assistance for the people of Sri Lanka while continuing with exhaustive efforts to achieve a durable ceasefire that will minimise human suffering in that country. |
| 1314 | SPEED LIMIT AND ROAD SAFETY | 22:4:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mark Durkan | | Andrew George | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Russell | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House welcomes proposals that would result in speed limits being reduced in areas where there is a high risk of accidents, in particular the recommendation that there be a 20 mph speed limit around schools and in residential areas; notes that between 2005 and 2007, 2,376 people were killed and 14,577 were seriously injured in road accidents where excessive speed was recorded as a contributory factor and that on average eight people die on the road every day; recognises the need for roads to be made safer; and calls for these recommendations to be implemented as soon as possible throughout the country. |
| 1315 | 40 YEARS OF THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE SOCIETY: FUNDING RESEARCH FOR A CURE | 22:4:09 |
| Mark Hunter | | Mr Tim Boswell | | Mark Durkan | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Andrew George |
| That this House celebrates the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Parkinson's Disease Society; applauds the all-round support the society gives to the 120,000 people living with Parkinson's disease in the UK and in particular its contribution to advances in Parkinson's disease research; congratulates the society on the commitment of over £40 million of charitable funding into research to date, which has contributed to major breakthroughs such as the discovery of two of the genes associated with inherited Parkinson's disease and the development of highly effective drug treatments for Parkinson's disease; commends the society on opening one of the first Parkinson's disease-dedicated brain banks in the world which provides vital clues in understanding what goes wrong when nerve cells in the brain die; wholeheartedly supports its vision of continuing to fund research until the discovery of a cure for Parkinson's disease; and calls on the Government to continue its support for voluntary sector research grants through funds such as the Charity Research Support Fund. |
| 1317 | WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2009 | 22:4:09 |
| Mr Bob Laxton | | Mr David Amess | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Crausby |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Adam Price |
| That this House notes that 19 May 2009 is World Hepatitis Day; is concerned that more than 500 million people worldwide have either chronic hepatitis B or C which is equivalent to one in 12 of the global population; is deeply concerned that these two diseases kill one million people annually; believes that worldwide action is needed in order to save millions of lives; hopes that World Hepatitis Day will increase public awareness of hepatitis B and C in the UK and internationally; and urges the Government to give its full backing to World Hepatitis Day and to support the resolution calling for a world day for the struggle against viral hepatitis at the 62nd meeting of the World Health Assembly in May 2009. |
| 1321 | JACK JONES AND THE TRANSPORT AND GENERAL WORKERS UNION | 22:4:09 |
| Jim Sheridan | | Tony Lloyd | | Mr Don Touhig | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Clive Efford | | John Robertson |
| That this House expresses its condolences to the family of Jack Jones, former General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, the strongest working-class organisation the UK has ever seen, with more than two million men and women united to secure a better life for all, both at home and internationally; and believes the UK has lost the greatest trades unionist of the entire post-war era, a man whose name will be forever associated with the finest achievements and highest values of the trades union movement. |
| 1328 | CHILD POVERTY IN MUMBAI | 22:4:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Alan Meale | | Hugh Bayley | | Paul Holmes | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House notes the serious problem of child poverty in Mumbai; congratulates Celador Films and Film4, the makers of Slumdog Millionaire, for their commitment to provide a £500,000 funding package to tackle child poverty in Mumbai; notes with grave concern recent media coverage regarding the child actors in the film, in particular Rubina Ali; welcomes the efforts of the Indian authorities to investigate these allegations; encourages other filmmakers to provide sufficient support for the communities in which they produce films; and calls on the Government to work with the Indian government and the organisations involved in the delivery of the funding package to ensure that the film leaves a positive legacy in Mumbai. |
| 1333 | 100th ANNIVERSARY OF SUFFRAGETTES' PROTEST | 23:4:09 |
| Jo Swinson | | Lynne Featherstone | | Ms Katy Clark | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mrs Eleanor Laing | | Mrs Theresa May |
| That this House commemorates the 100th anniversary on 27 April 2009 of the day that Margery Humes, Theresa Garnet, Sylvia Russell and Bertha Quinn, suffragettes from the Women's Social and Political Union, chained themselves to statues in St. Stephen's Hall to protest for the right of women to vote; pays tribute to those and all other heroic women who fought for the rights of women during a time when society, and Parliament, thought them undeserving of equal rights; admires their courage and dedication; encourages women to make full use of the hard-earned right to vote and to stand for election; calls on all parties to encourage women's political participation; and looks forward to a day when gender balance in Parliament becomes a reality. |
| As an Amendment to Jo Swinson's proposed Motion (100th Anniversary of Suffragettes' Protest): |
| Line 9, at end add `without positive discrimination but by the will and support of the electorate at the ballot box.'. |
| 1339 | ISRAELI DEFENCE FORCE AND WHITE PHOSPHORUS | 23:4:09 |
| Paul Rowen | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | David Lepper | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House welcomes the Israeli Defence Force's decision to stop using white phosphorus shells in Gaza in 2009 following evidence that they were injuring civilians; notes that, although phosphorus bombs may be used to create smokescreens, their use as weapons in civilian areas is illegal under the Geneva Conventions; recalls the report Rain of Fire by Human Rights Watch; urges Israel to admit that it acted in contravention of the international law principles of distinction and proportionality by using white phosphorus munitions in areas of high civilian density in the recent Gaza conflict; and concludes that Israel must agree to the investigation of this issue by the UN Human Rights Council. |
| 1341 | BREAST CANCER MORTALITY | 24:4:09 |
| Mr David Crausby | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Jim Dobbin | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Glenda Jackson |
| That this House welcomes the fact that the number of women dying from breast cancer has fallen to its lowest level since records began; recognises the Government commitment to the NHS and improvements in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and screening have all contributed to this; and congratulates the Government in promising to extend screening to include all women aged 47 to 73 years of age by 2012. |
| As Amendments to Mr David Crausby's proposed Motion (Breast Cancer Mortality): |
| Line 4, leave out from `and' to `to' and insert `notes that the Government has promised'. |
| Bob Spink | | Dr William McCrea |
| Line 5, at end add `; and urges the Government to bring forward this date.'. |
| 1342 | WARM FRONT SCHEME (No. 2) | 24:4:09 |
| Mr David Crausby | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Jim Dobbin | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| That this House welcomes the announcement in the recent Budget Statement to increase the level of grant available to householders through the Warm Front Scheme; recognises the maximum grants currently available are £2,700 and £4,000 and will be increased to £3,500 and £6,000 respectively; and calls on the Government to ensure that this increase will be administered exclusively to benefit people in households vulnerable to fuel poverty rather than the Warm Front service provider and the sub-contractors. |
| 1350 | FREE REGIONAL RAIL TRAVEL FOR PENSIONERS | 27:4:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lee Scott | | Bob Spink |
| That this House welcomes the success of free bus travel for pensioners and disabled people; recognises the huge boost this has created in the use of bus services and the benefit this has brought to many pensioners, particularly those on lower incomes; realises that there are limits to the distance an individual can travel by bus; and therefore calls on the Government to work with rail operators to introduce a scheme of free regional rail travel helping pensioners travel even further afield free of charge. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Lindsay Hoyle's proposed Motion (Free Regional Rail Travel for Pensioners): |
| Line 6, at end add `but notes that first the Government should keep its promise of April 2008 and fully fund the cost of the national concessionary bus fares scheme instead of underfunding at least 10 councils by over £1 million per year, including Chesterfield Borough Council by £1.6 million per year, equal to 11 per cent. of that council's entire annual revenue, having wiped out the council's financial reserves and caused 45 job losses to pay for the bus scheme.'. |
| 1351 | UNITE FOR JOBS CAMPAIGN AND NATIONAL MARCH | 27:4:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Sheridan | | Jim Dobbin | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Russell Brown | Adam Price | | | John Barrett |
| That this House supports the Unite for Jobs national march organised by Unite; fully supports the union's Unite for Jobs campaign which calls for urgent action to defend jobs across the economy; particularly supports the need for a national strategy for creating and protecting jobs and having a clear road map out of this recession, for speedier access to credit from state-supported banks to ensure immediate cash for businesses and jobs, for the implementation of a temporary short-time working subsidy, for investment in schools, hospitals and homes to create green jobs and to support those most in need during the recession, and for greater protection for UK workers by increasing statutory redundancy pay, giving agency workers full redundancy rights and putting the UK on a level playing field with the rest of Europe; believes that hard working people across the country would significantly benefit from the introduction of these measures; and calls on the Government to work with Unite to ensure their implementation. |
| 1354 | AFGHAN WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS | 27:4:09 |
| Ms Sally Keeble | | Nick Ainger | | Mr Jim Cunningham | | Jim Sheridan | | Bob Russell | | John McDonnell |
| That this House supports the brave stance taken by women members of the Afghan parliament to attack the now shelved family law proposals drafted by the Karzai government, which potentially could have decriminalised rape; furthermore expresses concern that the Afghan government has drawn up legislation which amounts to severe restrictions to women's rights; and calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to continue to express concern at the highest level over this issue and ensure that the Karzai government acts in a way that is consistent with the UN Charter on Human Rights and the Afghan constitution. |
| Mrs Anne McGuire | | Tony Baldry | | Mr Terry Rooney | | Hywel Williams | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Dr Hywel Francis |
| | Miss Ann Widdecombe | Mr Geoffrey Robinson | Adam Price | | | Jon Cruddas | Stephen Hammond | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House expresses its gratitude to and respect for 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 that the huge contribution that carers make is often unrecognised by society, communities and sometimes within carers' own families and that as a consequence of this lack of recognition carers go without the support they need; acknowledges that most will provide care at some point in their lives and need to have access to information and services and to be listened to; is concerned that professionals may not always understand the role of a carer, nor offer them appropriate support, which risks damaging carers' own health; further notes that Carers Week, a partnership of 10 national charities, takes place this year from 8 to 14 June, with the theme Carers: the UK's Secret Service; and believes that carers need to have a higher profile across all services and be prioritised alongside other groups at risk of social exclusion at a local and national level. |
| 1356 | HOUSE OF COMMONS CLEANERS | 27:4:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Russell | | John McDonnell | | Bob Spink |
| That this House recognises the invaluable contribution made by the House of Commons cleaners; notes that hon. Members depend on the vital services provided by these workers to ensure the smooth running of the House; expresses concern and disappointment that the House of Commons cleaners are receiving an hourly wage below the London Living Wage and that they have been waiting months for an agreed 45 pence rise in their hourly rate; and calls on KGB Cleaning and Support Services, the cleaners' employers, and the House authorities urgently to resolve this unacceptable situation and give these workers the pay they deserve. |
| 1357 | BLACKLISTING IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY | 27:4:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Colin Burgon |
| That this House expresses its strong support for all those workers who are fighting the heinous blacklist operating against trades unionists in the construction industry and elsewhere; believes that workers who have been victimised by unscrupulous employers and have endured periods of unemployment as a result should be fully compensated and that those responsible for operating the blacklist should be open to prosecution for wilfully bringing about unwarranted hardship; notes that over 40 well-known companies such as Balfour Kilpatrick, Crown House, AMEC, Costain and Wimpy were using the services of Ian Kerr Associates to promote the blacklist in the building industry, exposed by the Information Commissioner; calls upon the Government to immediately enforce the Employment Relations Act of 1999 which made the blacklist unlawful; and believes that in the meantime companies found operating the blacklist should be banned from operating on the Olympic project or any other publicly-funded construction site in the UK. |
| 1358 | SETTLEMENT FOR FORMER GURKHA SOLDIERS | 27:4:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Graham Stringer | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Spink |
| That this House expresses its extreme disappointment at the Government's announcement of new guidelines for the settlement for former Gurkha soldiers which limits applications for settlement to former soldiers who have served 20 years or more or who have been awarded the highest military honours; believes that the Government's decision fails to recognise the long history of dedicated service to this country by Gurkha soldiers; and calls upon the Government to think again on this issue and bring forward a new and more positive statement. |
| 1359 | WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY (NO. 2) | 27:4:09 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr Stephen Hepburn | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Crausby | | Sir Menzies Campbell |
| That this House notes that Tuesday 28 April is International Workers' Memorial Day; joins in remembering those who died as a result of work; calls on the Government to take measures to reduce the death toll caused by work by increasing resources for the prevention of ill-health and injury in the workplace; and welcomes the Government's consultation on official recognition for Workers' Memorial Day. |
| 1360 | ENGLISH HERITAGE AND THE PROPOSED PAY SYSTEM | 27:4:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Bob Russell | | Mark Fisher | | Mr David Drew | | Jim Cousins | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Ms Diane Abbott | Mr Jim Cunningham | Sir Gerald Kaufman | | | Mr David Anderson |
| That this House values the expertise and hard work of English Heritage staff based on sites across the country who preserve heritage sites for future generations; is concerned that over 800 staff who work in visitor operations are facing proposals for a new pay system that will have a drastic impact by introducing a complex pay system which rewards staff on higher salaries and penalises those on lower salaries and in visitor operations by introducing market rates, performance-related bonuses and regionalised levels of remuneration, setting levels for lower bands that are considerably below the current statutory salary; notes that visitor operations are the main source of revenue through on-site shops, membership sales, guide books, events and entry charges, and that visitor operations staff take tours, assist with site conservation and maintenance and educate school children; is concerned that many staff claim benefits to support working for English Heritage and under these proposals may find it financially impossible to do the job they are so proud of; and therefore urgently calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to demand that English Heritage management scrap these proposals and ask HM Treasury for the maximum paybill increase of 3.7 per cent. to address the low pay issues in English Heritage. |
| 1362 | SETTLEMENT FOR FORMER GURKHA SOLDIERS AND THE HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE | 28:4:09 |
| Martin Salter | | Bob Russell | | Patrick Mercer | | Keith Vaz | | Gwyn Prosser | | Mrs Janet Dean |
| That this House believes that the new guidelines announced by the Home Office for the settlement of former Gurkha soldiers are unnecessarily restrictive, morally wrong and offensive to those dedicated Gurkha soldiers who are denied the opportunity to serve for the 20 year minimum period afforded to those of the rank of Warrant Officer and above; supports the decision of the Home Affairs Select Committee to call Ministers from the Home Office and Ministry of Defence to examine the consequences of this decision and to ascertain how many former Gurkhas would qualify for settlement and how many of the approximately 1,500 Gurkhas, including Falklands veterans, currently awaiting the outcome of their appeals would face deportation under the new guidelines; and calls on the Government to withdraw these guidelines and bring forward a new and more equitable ruling. |
| 1364 | SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND SOCIAL COHESION | 28:4:09 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell |
| That this House recognises the important role social enterprises have in the promotion of social cohesion and sustainable development within communities, generating substantial social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits; notes the emergence of community benefit contracts which allow public bodies to legally insist on terms that bring extra benefits to disadvantaged communities such as work and training opportunities; and calls on the Government to deliver guidance for procurement officers on the use of community benefit clauses, demonstrating how social enterprises deliver added social value. |
| As Amendments to Mark Lazarowicz's proposed Motion (Social Enterprises and Social Cohesion): |
| Line 1, after `enterprises', insert `and local voluntary organisations'. |
| Line 7, after `enterprises', insert `and local voluntary organisations'. |
| 1365 | BREAKTHROUGH BREAST CANCER'S LYMPHOEDEMA SERVICES CAMPAIGN | 28:4:09 |
| Annette Brooke [R] | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Dr Doug Naysmith | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Anne Main | | Dr Evan Harris |
| | Clare Short | Mr Bob Laxton | David Taylor | | | Julie Morgan | Mr Russell Brown | Adam Price | | | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House believes that people with breast cancer who develop symptoms of lymphoedema should be able to access services which enable them to manage their condition more effectively; notes that current service provision may not in all areas provide the specialist services and treatment needed by people with lymphoedema; further notes that local services are vital to ensuring that the pain and discomfort of lymphoedema can be reduced; further notes that healthcare policies and initiatives have been introduced which if delivered would provide much needed lymphoedema services to those areas where they currently may not exist; further notes that more effective data gathering on the incidence of lymphoedema should be implemented at local and national level to ensure that high quality services can be developed and delivered where needed; and supports Breakthrough Breast Cancer's campaign Constant Reminder? - Living with Lymphoedema, which seeks to improve services for people who develop lymphoedema after breast cancer. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1366 | GANGMASTERS LICENSING AUTHORITY | 28:4:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Geraldine Smith | | Jim Sheridan | | Paul Holmes | | Stephen Pound | | Mark Durkan |
| | Clare Short | Mr Fraser Kemp | Mr David Clelland | | | Mr Russell Brown | Adam Price | Mr Parmjit Dhanda | | | Mr Andy Slaughter | Mr Dai Davies |
| That this House notes that the Gangmasters Licensing Authority was created in the aftermath of the Morecambe Bay tragedy to protect workers from exploitation in agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and food processing and packaging; congratulates Gangmasters Licensing Authority staff for the good work they do to safeguard the welfare and interests of workers while ensuring that labour providers operate within the law; further notes that the limitations of the Authority's remit leaves workers in other industries vulnerable as gangmasters are diversifying into construction, textiles, catering and cleaning trades, outside the remit of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority; and therefore calls for a widening of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority remit to incorporate all vulnerable workers whether migrant or casual workers, and improved resourcing to enable the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to carry out its functions to achieve the best results possible. |
| 1369 | DEPRESSION AND ITS TREATMENT | 28:4:09 |
| Dr Brian Iddon | | Dr John Pugh | | Mrs Joan Humble | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Andrew Pelling |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the Depression Alliance's report Daring to Choose: ten ways to deliver choice for people with depression and anxiety; supports the work of the Depression Alliance and Depression Awareness Week, 20 to 26 April 2009; notes with concern that one in six people in the UK will suffer from depression in their lives; believes that choice is vital to empower people and combat stigma and discrimination; welcomes the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme but recognises that it needs to be integrated with a wide range of other services for it to be effective; and calls on the Government to make depression and anxiety an urgent public health priority, make available a full range of treatment options, psychological, pharmacological, social and others, and implement the recommendations set out in the Depression Alliance's report. |
| 1370 | ZERO-GRAZED LIVESTOCK | 28:4:09 |
| David Taylor | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Eric Martlew | | Bob Russell | | Stephen Pound |
| | Gwyn Prosser | Laura Moffatt | Mr Don Touhig | | | Mr Russell Brown | Jon Cruddas | Mr Dai Davies |
| That this House notes the growing trend towards the zero-grazing of dairy cows, lambs and milk-producing goats; further notes that this process confines animals to sheds for all or most of the year; is concerned that such systems are unduly restrictive and oppressive and that the limited investigations that have so far been carried out point to a higher incidence of health problems such as lameness, mastitis, laminitis, acidosis and infertility; and calls on the Government to commission and make publicly available independent research that assesses the scale of zero-grazing of dairy cattle, goats and sheep in the UK, as well as the physical and behavioural problems associated with this method of livestock farming. |
| 1371 | CARERS' ALLOWANCE | 28:4:09 |
| Mr David Clelland | | Mr David Anderson | | John Cummings | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Spink | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| That this House believes that to mark the end of Carers Week positive action should be taken to improve support to carers by ending the anomaly of the cliff edge effect of earnings rising slightly above the carers' earnings limit, resulting in the loss of the whole allowance; and calls on the Government to make carers' allowance a fixed allowance, up-rated at the same time as other state benefits and paid to all carers, regardless of income and including retired carers, in the same way as child benefit is paid to all parents regardless of income. |
| 1373 | DEATH PENALTY IN TIBET | 28:4:09 |
| Kate Hoey | | Norman Baker | | Mr Frank Field | | John Mason | | Mr Chris Mullin | | Mr George Howarth |
| | Mr Michael Moore | Adam Price | John Barrett |
| That this House opposes the use of the death penalty; condemns the recent imposition of the death penalty by the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court on Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak, having found them guilty of arson attacks in Lhasa in March 2008 which led to confirmed deaths; further condemns the recent imposition of the death penalty, each with a two year reprieve, by the same court on Tibetans Tenzin Phuntsok, Kangtsuk and on a 21-year-old Tibetan woman, Penkyi, also for arson attacks in Lhasa in March 2008, which led to confirmed deaths; is concerned that evidence against these individuals is unsound, with one of the convicted found guilty on the basis of a confession only months after the UN Committee Against Torture concluded that China regularly uses torture as a means of extracting confessions in criminal proceedings; is further concerned that the trials of those named above were not conducted in accordance with judicial standards and that the death sentences passed are therefore unsafe; calls on the relevant Chinese authorities to rescind the aforementioned death sentences and to provvide unfettered access to Tibet and all Tibetan-populated regions, including court proceedings, for journalists, consular staff based in Beijing and independent observers; and further calls on the British Government publicly to raise its concerns regarding the cases with the Chinese government. |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lee Scott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| That this House remembers the heroic campaign that followed the landings of allied forces at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915; joins with all Australians and New Zealanders in commemorating the bravery of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who, together with their British colleagues and others, sacrificed so much in defence of freedom; expresses its pride at the close association that exists between the people of the three nations, bound together by language, history, culture and in sharing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State; and commends all those involved in the organisation of this year's Anzac Day commemorations in London. |
| 1376 | DEAF AWARENESS WEEK 2009 | 28:4:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Durkan | | Mark Hunter |
| That this House notes that there are nine million deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the UK; and welcomes the opportunity to promote deaf awareness across all parts of society through Deaf Awareness Week, running from 4 to 10 May, involving over 100 deaf charities and organisations. |
| 1377 | WORLD ASTHMA DAY 2009 | 28:4:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Durkan | | Mark Hunter |
| That this House notes there are over five million people in the UK with asthma and over one million of these are children; further notes that children with asthma may be excluded from academic, physical or social activity in schools; welcomes Asthma UK's upcoming initiatives, such as World Asthma Day on 5 May 2009, which will highlight the experiences of people with asthma; and calls on the Government to improve support for children with asthma. |
| 1378 | IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC RECESSION ON VOLUNTARY SECTOR | 28:4:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mark Durkan | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House notes with concern the wide-ranging and adverse effects of the global economic recession; recognises the growing problem of unemployment facing British workers; commends those unemployed workers who have turned to the voluntary sector as a way to gain new skills, get a head-start in an highly competitive job market and make valuable use of their time out of work; and calls on the Government to further promote the merits of voluntary work and the benefits it offers people seeking a route back into employment. |
| 1379 | UNEMPLOYMENT AND OLDER WORKERS | 28:4:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mr David Drew | | David Simpson |
| That this House expresses concern at the recent sharp increases in unemployment; welcomes the Government's announcement of £1.7 billion of funding for Jobcentre Plus; notes that those over 50 years old have lost their jobs at the highest percentage rate over the past year and that the chance of older men finding future employment falls by a quarter each year they are out of the labour market; recognises that the skills, experience and contribution of older workers should not be lost to the economy; and calls on the Government to introduce a new package of support for unemployed people over the age of 50 years to be made available within three months of them losing their jobs and to train Jobcentre Plus staff to improve the support provided to older clients, including targeted work with older clients who need to change their careers, who face age discrimination and who sometimes need confidence-building for interviews. |
| 1381 | ACOUSTICS IN SCHOOLS | 28:4:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Dan Rogerson | | Glenda Jackson | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr Malcolm Moss | Mr Mark Todd | Jim Cousins | | | Mr David Clelland | Annette Brooke | Jenny Willott | | | Jo Swinson | Philip Davies | Tim Farron |
| That this House is deeply concerned that new schools are being built which do not comply with government standards on acoustics; notes that children suffering from deafness are much less likely to get five good GCSEs than hearing children; agrees with the National Deaf Children's Society that deafness is not a learning disability and that poor quality acoustics is one of several barriers preventing deaf children being able to achieve their full potential; and calls on the Government to require new schools to be tested for acoustics pre-completion, to monitor and review the quality of acoustics in schools annually, and to ensure that all schools adhere to acoustic standards. |
| 1382 | CHILD POVERTY FUNDING | 29:4:09 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes with disbelief that paragraph 5.13 of the Budget Red Book, at page 91, reports that Budget 2009 builds on progress in reducing child poverty, and sets out the next steps for supporting vulnerable groups through the downturn and then announces that `to further help low-to-middle-income families, the child element of the child tax credit will increase by an additional £20 a year above indexation from April 2010 providing valuable support to families with children'; believes that such a paltry rise, amounting to just 38.4 pence per week, is an insult to the poor; contrasts this with the £200 billion plus made available to support the failed banks and the £76 billion cost of building and operation of a replacement for the Trident nuclear weapons of mass destruction system; recalls that the Prime Minister stated in his speech to the Labour Party Conference in Manchester on 23 September 2008 that `because child poverty demeans Britain, we have committed our party to tackle to end it', and announced his intention to introduce ground-breaking legislation to enshrine in law Labour's pledge to end child poverty; and therefore calls on the Government to uphold its pledge to abolish child poverty and to make resources available by cancelling all plans to replace Trident and place the current Trident system into international multilateral nuclear arms abolition negotiations. |
| 1385 | SPECIALIST HELP FOR VETERANS | 29:4:09 |
| Angus Robertson | | Mr Mike Weir | | Stewart Hosie | | Bob Spink | | John Mason | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House notes that Scotland is leading the way in helping ex-servicemen and servicewomen rebuild their lives as civilians; welcomes the establishment of a dedicated veterans' hub which will help those leaving the armed forces to access specialist help and support to get into work, find a home and increase their wellbeing; understands that this is the first time in the UK that specialist help and advice has been brought under one roof for veterans and their families; and believes that this is an excellent example of the Scottish government, Ministry of Defence, NHS and veteran charities all working together to deliver services that will improve the lives of veterans in Scotland. |
| 1389 | EXCHEQUER CONTRIBUTION TO THE PARLIAMENTARY CONTRIBUTORY PENSION FUND | 29:4:09 |
| Steve Webb | | Mr Frank Field | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George |
| That this House welcomes the fundamental review of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund (PCPF) being undertaken by the Senior Salaries Review Board; but believes that until that review is complete the Exchequer contribution to the PCPF should not be increased beyond its 2008-09 level. |
| 1394 | CHARITIES AND ICELANDIC BANKS | 29:4:09 |
| Mr Graham Brady | | Mr Michael Fallon | | Jim Cousins | | John Thurso | | Nick Ainger | | Mr Colin Breed |
| That this House urges the Government to accept the recommendations of the Treasury Select Committee report into the Banking crisis and the impact of the failure of the Icelandic banks (Fifth Report from the Treasury Committee, Session 2008-09, HC 402); notes the recommendation that on this occasion, all charities be compensated for their losses; and further urges the Government to take immediate action to compensate charities so that they can continue with their important work. |
| 1399 | RACIST BULLYING IN SCHOOLS | 30:4:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House notes with concern the Teachers TV survey of education employees which found that 55.1 per cent. of respondents are aware of racist bullying in their school; further notes with alarm that 68.3 per cent. of respondents commented that their school does not have a strategy to help combat racist bullying; commends the work of the Anti-Bullying Alliance in attempting to counter bullying of all kinds; applauds the makers of Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks for drawing public attention to this important issue; and calls on the Government to provide sufficient resources to help ensure that schools successfully implement comprehensive strategies against racist bullying. |
| Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House congratulates those local councils which have reduced the amount of material going to landfill by recycling food waste; notes that the methane gas produced by landfill sites significantly adds to global warming; welcomes the introduction of improved recycling-collection vehicles which can take all recyclables in one journey, cutting down on mileage, saving money and reducing carbon emissions; and calls on the Government to increase pressure on local councils to improve and encourage recycling facilities and collection. |
| Richard Burden | | Mr Jim Cunningham | | John Hemming | | Ms Gisela Stuart | | Lynne Jones | | Mr George Howarth |
| That this House is deeply worried by the announcement that the Birmingham based van-maker LDV has applied to go into administration; notes that over 800 jobs are under threat at LDV and thousands more amongst dealerships and the wider supply chain; recognises that these are skilled, relatively well-paid jobs in one of Britain's manufacturing heartlands; further recognises the assistance the Government has already provided, including the deferment of tax payments; and calls on the Government to do everything it can, proactively as well as reactively, to help secure a viable future for this key strategic manufacturer including the production of a new generation of electric vans. |
| 1410 | WOMEN AND CYCLING | 30:4:09 |
| Jo Swinson | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Martin Caton | | Bob Spink |
| That this House welcomes the Bike Belles initiative, recently launched by Sustrans, that seeks to persuade more women to take up cycling; notes that fewer than one in 10 women cycle more than once a month and that 79 per cent. of women think cycling is not suitable for them; further notes the many health benefits that cycling brings at comparatively low cost compared with many other methods of keeping fit; and therefore encourages more women to visit the Bike Belles website to see whether cycling could be right for them. |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr Anthony Wright | | Colin Challen | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Harry Cohen |
| That this House is shocked by data from the Office for National Statistics that city bonuses are expected to be £7 billion this year, in the midst of the deepest recession in a generation; believes the Government should act immediately to introduce a windfall wealth tax on these bonuses; notes that many of these same institutions have been saved from bankruptcy by taxpayers' cash, and have laid off thousands of workers in recent months; and therefore calls on the Government to nationalise the financial sector to protect the taxpayer, save jobs and ensure profits are used to fund public need rather than private greed. |
| 1413 | ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTIAL LETTING AGENTS LICENSING SCHEME | 5:5:09 |
| Mr James Plaskitt | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Clive Betts | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes with concern that the private lettings sector is currently unlicensed, a situation which poses risks to both landlords and tenants; further notes that without rules and standards, many people could be putting their money in the hands of people who are not members of a professional body, not obliged to maintain separate client accounts with rent money and tenants' deposits as well as other clients' funds, do not offer consumer redress, are unlikely to have professional indemnity insurance, are not professionally qualified, or are not members of a tenancy deposit scheme; believes the licensing of letting agents is necessary to eliminate unprofessional, unqualified and unethical agents from the rental market, and to protect the consumer from unscrupulous letting agents; believes that the Association of Residential Letting Agents licensing scheme will provide a model that will drive up standards and can inform the Government's thinking on the licensing of letting agents; and urges the Government to consider making the licensing of letting agents mandatory. |
| 1415 | PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR STATE RETIREMENT PENSION | 5:5:09 |
| David Heyes | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Marsha Singh | Ian Stewart | Mr George Howarth | | | Mr Tom Clarke | Susan Kramer |
| That this House believes that the state retirement pension should become payable from the actual date that a person reaches pensionable age, rather than from the first Monday thereafter, as is currently the case; and calls on the Government to take the necessary steps to facilitate payment of pension from the actual date that a person reaches the age of entitlement. |
| 1422 | REPLACEMENT OF TRIDENT MISSILES | 5:5:09 |
| Mr Roger Godsiff | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Ken Purchase | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House believes that the spending of upwards of £20 billion capital on the replacement of the Trident missile system cannot be justified in view of the Government's other spending commitments, particularly as the Vanguard Class submarines which carry the missiles, supplied from the United States, will remain useable until 2024. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Roger Godsiff's proposed Motion (Replacement of Trident Missiles): |
| Mr Dai Davies | | John McDonnell |
| Line 4, at end add `but believes that in order to comply with obligations as a member state of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Trident should immediately be entered into multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations.'. |
| 1423 | PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN AND EQUITABLE LIFE POLICYHOLDERS | 5:5:09 |
| Dr Vincent Cable | | Susan Kramer | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Derek Wyatt | | Mr Andrew Tyrie | | Dr Tony Wright |
| | Mr David Willetts | Damian Green | Miss Ann Widdecombe | | | Mr James Paice | Dr Doug Naysmith | Joan Walley | | | Mr Edward Leigh | Mr Elliot Morley | Mr Eric Illsley | | | Ann Winterton | Mr Greg Pope | Mr David S. Borrow | | | Mr Nigel Dodds | Mark Lazarowicz | John Barrett | | | David Cairns | Bill Wiggin | Mr Dai Havard | | | Paul Farrelly | Mrs Iris Robinson | Dr Andrew Murrison | | | Nadine Dorries | Mr Greg Hands | Mr Robert Goodwill | | | Mark Pritchard | Sammy Wilson |
| That this House notes the Parliamentary Ombudsman has taken the unusual step of using powers under the 1967 Act to present Parliament with a further and final report on Equitable Life; also notes that the Public Administration Select Committee's second report on Equitable Life, Justice denied? concluded that the Government response to the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report was inadequate as a remedy for injustice; recognises the vital role the Ombudsman plays in public life; reaffirms the duty of Parliament to support the office of the Ombudsman; believes the Government should accept the recommendations of the Ombudsman on compensating policyholders who have suffered loss; welcomes the formation of the All-Party Group on Justice for Equitable Life Policyholders; and notes with regret its necessary formation and the fact that over 30,000 people have already died waiting for a just resolution to this saga. |
| 1424 | NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION MARKET | 5:5:09 |
| Simon Hughes | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mark Hunter |
| | Mr Michael Fallon | Dr Evan Harris | Jenny Willott | | | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes that newsagents across the country, as represented by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents and the Association of News Retailers, have expressed serious concern about the recent consolidation of the newspaper and magazine distribution market and the likely emergence of two regional monopolies; values the important role of independent newsagents and is concerned that these changes in the market may force many to close, restricting consumer choice and harming local communities, as well as causing up to 2,800 job losses in news distribution branches across the UK; and calls on the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to request that the Office of Fair Trading looks urgently at these recent developments in the distribution market and takes action to safeguard competition for the benefit of consumers, independent newsagents and distribution employees alike. |
| 1425 | RACISM IN FOOTBALL | 5:5:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr George Howarth |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Adam Price |
| That this House welcomes the steps being taken by the Football Association to counter racism in football; applauds the proposals of the Football Association's working group on tackling Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in football to introduce tribunals to investigate racist and religious abuse at all levels of the game; encourages the football authorities fully to utilise the powers at their disposal to tackle all forms of abuse; recognises the need for the football community as a whole to unite to stamp out intolerance in the sport; and looks forward to the publication of the working group's report containing their full recommendations later in the year. |
| 1430 | ADULT LEARNERS' WEEK 9 TO 15 MAY | 6:5:09 |
| Mr David Willetts | | Michael Gove | | Mr John Hayes | | Mr David Evennett | | Adam Afriyie | | Mr Stephen Crabb |
| That this House welcomes Adult Learners' Week and the events being organised all over the country to celebrate the achievements of adult learners; notes with regret the cuts to the number of Learning and Skills Council-funded adult learner places, which have led to 865,000 fewer female learners and 375,000 fewer male learners since 2004-05; is concerned about the opportunities that have been closed to some of the most vulnerable people, including those with learning disabilities and other disabilities; regrets the failure to plan the adult apprenticeship budget, which is likely to lead to a decrease in the number of places available; is further concerned about the slow pace of the Government's attempt to deal with the capital crisis in further education; and calls on Ministers to provide new opportunities to adult learners during the recession. |
| 1431 | SAFETY IN NUMBERS FOR CYCLISTS | 6:5:09 |
| Gwyn Prosser | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Andrew George | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Emily Thornberry | | Mr Don Foster |
| | Mr Andrew Love | Mr William Cash | Ian Stewart | | | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Michael Moore | Sir Robert Smith | | | John Thurso | Angus Robertson | Patrick Mercer | | | Mr David Laws | Greg Mulholland | Susan Kramer | | | Lorely Burt |
| That this House acknowledges the evidence that cyclists gain from safety in numbers, in other words cycling gets safer the more cyclists there are; welcomes the target in the Government's draft Road Safety Strategy to halve the risks of cycling within 10 years; believes that this target can best be met by also aiming for substantial increases in cycle use in order to maximise the safety in numbers effect, thereby also benefiting health, communities, the economy and the environment; urges that the Road Safety Strategy should tackle the fears which deter people from cycling, such as traffic speeds, irresponsible driving, hostile roads and junctions and lorries; and calls for cycle training to be made available to people of all ages so as to achieve more as well as safer cycling. |
| 1432 | LEHMAN-BACKED STRUCTURED PRODUCTS | 6:5:09 |
| Mr Edward Vaizey | | Tony Baldry | | Bob Spink | | Sir John Butterfill | | Adam Price | | Dr Richard Taylor |
| | Mr Michael Mates | Jenny Willott | Susan Kramer |
| That this House notes that more than 6,000 people invested more than £200 million of their savings in structured products backed by Lehman Brothers; further notes that such products were marketed as 100 per cent. secure by the companies that sold them, such as NDFA; is dismayed that, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, investors appear to have lost their savings; and urges the Financial Services Authority to conduct a rapid and detailed investigation into the marketing of these products. |
| 1433 | CAROL ANN DUFFY'S APPOINTMENT AS POET LAUREATE | 6:5:09 |
| Mr John Leech | | Andrew Stunell | | Mark Hunter | | Mr Don Foster | | Andrew George | | Mr Edward Vaizey |
| That this House congratulates Carol Ann Duffy on being appointed Poet Laureate; notes that she is the first woman to hold the position; celebrates her contribution to the British literary landscape as well as that of Manchester; notes also her involvement in local events such as the Chorlton Arts Festival; and wishes her every success in the coming years. |
| 1435 | MISS JOANNA LUMLEY | 6:5:09 |
| Bob Russell | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Edward Vaizey | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Robert Key |
| That this House congratulates Miss Joanna Lumley for her determination and dedication in campaigning so successfully in support of former Gurkha soldiers. |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Mr Denis Murphy | | John Cummings | | Bill Etherington | | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House welcomes the Government's acceptance of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommendations that osteoarthritis of the knee be declared an industrial disease for coal miners and payments under the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme be made available shortly for those disabled by the condition; notes that certain firms of solicitors are seeking to make yet more money out of disabled miners by offering to assist them complete their application forms at a cost of £300 when applications to the Department of Work and Pensions are cost-free; and believes that this activity combined with the likelihood that litigation will grind on for years at an enormous cost makes an overwhelming case for the introduction of a no-fault compensation scheme. |
| 1440 | REGULATION OF VULTURE FUNDS | 6:5:09 |
| Ms Sally Keeble | | Tony Baldry | | Mr David S. Borrow | | Susan Kramer | | Mr David Anderson | | Mr Lee Scott |
| | Steve Webb | Mr Robert Syms | Mr Geoffrey Robinson | | | Andrew Miller | Mr Frank Field | Nick Ainger | | | Miss Anne Begg | Michael Connarty | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson | | | John Mann | John Barrett | Paul Farrelly | | | Jenny Willott | Greg Mulholland | Anne Main | | | Mark Pritchard | Mark Hunter |
| That this House expresses concern at the activities of vulture funds which seek to profiteer from the defaulted debts of developing countries; notes that the international community has already deemed many of these countries' debts unsustainable and agreed to cancel them; further notes the continuing actions brought by vulture funds which try to claim payment via international trade and even aid transactions with poor countries; is concerned at the use of UK courts for a high proportion of these cases; welcomes the work by the Jubilee Debt Campaign to highlight the activities of the vulture funds; supports the provisions of the Developing Country Debt (Restriction of Recovery) Bill introduced, with the support of a cross-party group of hon. Members, by the hon. Member for Northampton North to limit the activities of vulture funds; and calls on the Government to support this bill. |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Alan Simpson | | Kelvin Hopkins | | John McDonnell | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Russell |
| | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | Mr Russell Brown | Jenny Willott |
| That this House is concerned that Dr Binayak Sen, a public health and human rights campaigner in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, has been detained for nearly two years on what Amnesty International considers politically-motivated and trumped-up charges to silence his dissent of State authorities and activities; is aware that Chhattisgarh is of particular interest to the UK as one of six focus states of India for the Department for International Development; is concerned that there have been repeated delays in giving Dr Sen a fair trial and that he has been denied his constitutional right to bail repeatedly; recognises Dr Sen's contribution to community health and human rights as attested by the award of the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights; expresses concern about the deterioration of Dr Sen's health due to lack of appropriate medical care; and therefore calls on the Chhattisgarh state government to release Dr Sen immediately on bail pending a fair and prompt trial so that he is able to carry out his work as a public health and human rights activist without harassment and free from fear; and calls also on the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in this grave case of violation of human rights. |
| 1442 | RADIOACTIVE LEAKS FROM FASLANE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE BASE | 6:5:09 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Dai Davies | | Alan Simpson | | Kelvin Hopkins | | John McDonnell | | Ms Diane Abbott |
| That this House is deeply disturbed at the revelations of at least eight liquid radioactive leaks into the sea loch over the past 10 years from radioactive waste storage facilities at HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, near Glasgow, the home port for British nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed submarines, made public on 27 April 2009 following an investigation carried out by Channel Four News and investigative reporter Rob Edwards; notes with alarm that these latest leaks bring the total number of leaks acknowledged at Faslane over the last three decades to more than 40; welcomes the release of around 400 pages of internal e-mails, letters and reports by the environmental regulator, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA); further notes with concern that one of SEPA's internal reports indicates that many of the ageing facilities used to process, store and dispose of radioactive waste at Faslane are `not fit for purpose'; further notes that the Ministry of Defence has admitted its facilities fail to meet modern safety standards requiring that the `best practicable means' are used to minimise and control waste; further notes SEPA is pressing for the legal power to inspect and control Faslane's nuclear operations; therefore calls upon the Ministry of Defence to urgently tighten safety standards at Faslane, and to evaluate the future environmental hazards to those living around the River Clyde, from Faslane; and calls upon the Government to consider urgently the benefits to the economy and the environment of abolishing Britain's current nuclear weapons, including the planned £76 billion Trident replacement. |
| 1443 | MORDECHAI VANUNU | 6:5:09 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Dr Brian Iddon | | John Hemming | | Mr David Drew | | Simon Hughes |
| | Mr Dennis Skinner | Adam Price |
| That this House deplores the fact that Mordechai Vanunu, released in April 2004 after serving a full 18-year sentence for revealing details of Israel's nuclear weapons' programme, has now had restrictions on his freedom of movement and speech in Israel renewed for yet a sixth year on 21 April; notes also that he is barred from leaving Israel and from speaking to foreigners for which latter offence he was sentenced last year to six months imprisonment, later reduced to three months; and calls upon the Government to request the Israeli government to procure the final lifting of these restrictions, which have no legal or security justification and are an infringement of Mordechai Vanunu's human rights. |
| 1444 | SUPPLEMENTARY CHARGES FOR OXYGEN BY AIRLINES | 6:5:09 |
| Nick Ainger [R] | | Dr Richard Taylor | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Chris Ruane | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| | Damian Green | Gwyn Prosser | Harry Cohen | | | Joan Walley | Mr Geoffrey Robinson | Jim Cousins | | | John Barrett | Mrs Maria Miller | Mr David Burrowes | | | Jeremy Wright | Mark Pritchard | Stephen Hammond | | | Mr Dai Davies |
| That this House recognises that patients with pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular dystrophy and other conditions require supplemental oxygen when travelling by air; is dismayed that the vast majority of airlines operating in the UK currently charge passengers requiring supplemental oxygen on flights; applauds the work of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, the British Lung Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to end the unfair financial impact of what is effectively a tax on the disabled; calls on all airlines flying from or through UK airports to allow passengers requiring in-flight supplemental oxygen to either bring personal oxygen equipment on board and use it, subject to necessary security checks, or to have supplemental oxygen provided for them by the airline, in both cases without charge; welcomes the recent decision by British Airways, Emirates and Cathay Pacific to drop all charges; notes that as of 1 May 2009 airlines in the United States of America will have to allow passengers requiring supplemental oxygen to be able to use their own portable oxygen concentrator free of charge; and urges all airlines operating in the UK to follow suit. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1447 | SCHOOL REPORT CARDS | 7:5:09 |
| Mr David Laws | | Mr David Heath | | Annette Brooke | | Stephen Williams | | Peter Bottomley | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House would welcome the introduction of school report cards provided that they give a broader and more meaningful assessment of school performance and quality; awaits the publication of the Government's White Paper on report cards later this year; welcomes the decision to abolish compulsory national curriculum tests at Key Stage 3; and believes Key Stage 2 tests are an important accountability measure but should be reformed and slimmed down with more teacher assessment coupled with external moderation to ensure high standards are maintained. |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Lynne Jones | | Glenda Jackson | | Ann Winterton | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Bob Spink |
| | Adam Price | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House calls for the identity cards scheme to be scrapped; notes that Manchester will become the first city where people can sign up for an identity card; further notes that the cost of the cards will be capped at £30 for the first two years and then there will be an additional cost to the applicant of getting a card via a post office or high street pharmacy meaning that the total cost will be £60; understands that the scheme will cost £5 billion; believes that a single city voluntary basis trial is a waste of time and money; and calls on the Government to abandon all plans for an identity cards scheme. |
| 1452 | POLITICAL PRISONERS IN BURMA | 7:5:09 |
| Andrew Stunell | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Peter Bottomley | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jim Dobbin |
| | Miss Ann Widdecombe | Dr Evan Harris | Mr Geoffrey Robinson | | | Adam Price | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House welcomes the Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now campaign being organised by former political prisoners from Burma; congratulates the organisers on securing 250,000 signatures in support of the campaign; notes that more than 2,100 political prisoners languish in Burma's gaols, having committed no crime other than to want freedom and democracy, or to deliver aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis; expresses deep concern that political prisoners are deliberately being denied medical treatment; supports the call for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make it his personal priority to secure the release of all of Burma's political prisoners; and calls on the Government to do all it can to assist the UN Secretary General in this objective. |
| 1453 | DETENTION OF PAKISTANI STUDENTS | 7:5:09 |
| Mr Mohammad Sarwar | | Lynne Jones | | Glenda Jackson | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Mr Virendra Sharma |
| That this House calls on the Home Office to intervene in the case of the 11 Pakistani students arrested on 8 April 2009 as part of a security operation and released into UK Border Agency detention without charge and who are currently awaiting removal from the UK; notes that these students were not charged and that as such the human rights of these individuals are being materially breached; further notes that the fundamental tenet and basis of the UK justice system is being innocent until proven guilty; and calls for their immediate release to enable them to resume their studies. |
| 1455 | MIND WEEK CAMPAIGN ON MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH | 11:5:09 |
| Lynne Jones | | Tim Loughton | | Sandra Gidley | | Mr Lee Scott | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George |
| | Jim Cousins | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House supports the Mind Week campaign to raise awareness of men's mental health in England and Wales; notes that 75 per cent. of all suicides are by men and that one in seven men who experience prolonged unemployment will develop a mental health problem; is concerned that the recession will have a disproportionately negative effect on the mental health of men in England and Wales; and further supports Mind's call for greater awareness of men's mental health problems. |
| 1458 | ANDY MURRAY AND BRITISH TENNIS | 11:5:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House congratulates Andy Murray on his move into the top three of the ATP world rankings; notes that Murray is the highest-ranking British tennis player since the current system was established in 1973; recognises his achievement in the week that marks the centenary of Fred Perry's birth, the name synonymous with British tennis success following his three Wimbledon championships titles in the 1930s; hopes that Murray's success will be an inspiration to budding young tennis stars; and wishes Murray luck in his pursuit of a Grand Slam title and further career victories. |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Russell Brown | Susan Kramer |
| That this House welcomes the Government's announcement to equip all homes with smart meters by 2020; notes that smart meters will be a significant step forward in reducing the UK's energy use, cutting carbon emissions, making headway in the Government's pledge to create a smart grid and, further, significantly saving customers money; further notes that smart meters will end the need for utility companies to dispatch meter readers, estimate bills and employ large numbers of call centre staff, resulting in cost savings that can responsibly be passed on to customers; and looks forward to smart meters allowing customers increased awareness of their energy consumption and enabling an estimated two to three per cent. saving of their energy use each year, thereby cutting £100 million from UK bills by 2020 and reducing national carbon dioxide emissions by 2.6 million tonnes. |
| 1460 | LOCAL NEWSPAPER WEEK | 11:5:09 |
| Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Philip Davies |
| | Adam Price | Greg Mulholland | Susan Kramer |
| That this House values the important role performed by local newspapers; agrees with The Newspaper Society that local newspapers are the most trusted source of local news and advertising; welcomes the Society's 11th annual Local Newspaper Week, which is being held between 11 and 17 May 2009; acknowledges that local newspapers are right at the heart of Britain's local communities and have a vital role in assisting the democratic process through coverage of local events and by campaigns on important local issues; and looks forward to local newspapers continuing to make an essential contribution to the vitality of local communities. |
| 1462 | ARRESTS OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY PARTY MEMBERS IN TURKEY | 11:5:09 |
| John Austin | | Graham Stringer | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | David Lepper | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | Julie Morgan | Jenny Willott |
| That this House is concerned about the recent wave of arrests in Turkey of members of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), a legal political party which, in the recent Turkish local elections, achieved a resounding endorsement from Kurdish voters; notes that the Party's success awakened hope for many millions of Kurds that their voice would be heard in Turkish politics; regrets that in responding to the DTP's electoral victories with repression, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is revealing itself to be little different from previous administrations which have refused to acknowledge the existence of a Kurdish issue and thus offered no solutions for resolving it; believes that it is the duty of all those who seek peace and stability in Turkey to support the responsible calls for a just democratic solution to the issue of the rights of the Kurdish people; calls for the immediate release of all those DTP members who have been arrested; and urges the UK Government to put the utmost diplomatic pressure on Turkey to turn away from conflict and to open negotiations with DTP leaders forthwith as it believes the DTP has a key role to play in any peace process and bringing stability to the region. |
| 1463 | INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY | 11:5:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Andrew George | | Mr Lee Scott | | John Cummings | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Bob Russell |
| That this House joins the rest of the UK in celebrating International Nurses Day on 12 May which is also the birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale; recognises the vital role the nursing workforce plays in maintaining the health of the nation and the dedication and commitment they show in providing patient care in a wide variety of settings in which they work in the NHS, private sector and elsewhere; acknowledges the expertise, compassion and professionalism nurses display in treating patients of all ages from neonatal care to end-of-life provision; praises the wide range of specialist settings where nurses work as practitioners at the forefront of modernising the healthcare system and the role nurses play in the leadership and innovation of the NHS; and gives thanks to those nurses serving in the armed forces and recognises the essential role they play both in the UK and areas of conflict abroad. |
| 1464 | 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF COMBAT STRESS | 11:5:09 |
| Mr Bernard Jenkin | | Sir Menzies Campbell | | Mr David Davis | | Mr James Arbuthnot | | Mr David S. Borrow | | Mr Frank Field |
| That this House notes that 12 May is the 90th anniversary of Combat Stress, the leading charity specialising in the care of British veterans who have been profoundly traumatised by harrowing experiences during their service career and who are suffering from poor mental health as a result; congratulates the charity on the excellent work it has done for ex-servicemen and women throughout its history and particularly in the last few years with armed forces personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan; and congratulates Combat Stress further on its highly successful campaign to have psychological wounding recognised as an occupational hazard of military service and addressed as effectively as the Government already addresses physical injury. |
| 1471 | BOGUS COLLEGES | 12:5:09 |
| Mrs Janet Dean | | Mr Gary Streeter | | Tom Brake | | Martin Salter | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | David Lepper | Miss Ann Widdecombe | Mr Phil Willis | | | Mr Michael Clapham | Helen Southworth | Jon Cruddas | | | Jenny Willott |
| That this House believes that bogus colleges set up with the express purpose of enabling prospective immigrants to bypass ordinary UK immigration controls, and not providing education and training, prey on unsuspecting students from overseas and are damaging the reputation of UK education; and further believes that the future use of the word `college' in business titles should be restricted under the Companies Act 2006. |
| Mr Eric Martlew | | Miss Ann Widdecombe | | Mr David Drew | | Stephen Williams | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mark Durkan |
| | Dr Phyllis Starkey | Mr Bill Olner | Clare Short | | | Mr Greg Pope | Jim Cousins | Mr Russell Brown | | | John Barrett | Colin Challen | Mr David Laws | | | Susan Kramer |
| That this House congratulates the League Against Cruel Sports for producing the report War on Wildlife highlighting the indiscriminate suffering caused by snares; notes a recent poll conducted by the League Against Cruel Sports in conjunction with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons which found that 90 per cent. of respondents were strongly behind a ban on snares; and therefore calls on the Government to outlaw the manufacture, sale and use of all snares. |
| 1475 | HOUSE OF COMMONS CATERING STAFF | 12:5:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Bob Laxton | | Graham Stringer |
| That this House expresses concern and disappointment that the House of Commons catering grade staff are still waiting for their pay settlement from April 2008; notes the dedication and commitment of the House of Commons catering staff to delivering a first-class catering service in the House of Commons; believes it is unacceptable that these workers have not yet received the pay increases they deserve; and calls on the House authorities urgently to resolve this unacceptable situation. |
| 1476 | DETENTION OF TRADE UNIONISTS AND STUDENTS IN IRAN | 12:5:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Adam Price | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House notes with concern that during the May Day rally in Laleh Park, Tehran over 100 participants were physically attacked and arrested, including leading members of the Free Trade Union, and that at the May Day rally in Sanandaj in western Iran a further attack took place with 10 arrested; further notes that the Iranian authorities continue to detain Mr Mansour Osaloo, the President of the Tehran Bus Drivers Syndicate and students from the Freedom and Equality Seeking Activists movement; and calls on the Government to condemn these human rights abuses and to urge the Iranian government for the release of these detainees. |
| 1477 | PROSECUTION OF GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY | 12:5:09 |
| Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Tom Clarke | | John Battle | | Mr David Chaytor | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Andy Slaughter |
| | Miss Ann Widdecombe | Andrew Miller | Mr Russell Brown | | | Sir Menzies Campbell | David Howarth | Jenny Willott | | | Lynne Featherstone | Greg Mulholland | David T. C. Davies | | | Susan Kramer |
| That this House is concerned that there are people in the UK who are suspected of committing crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide; notes that, because of gaps in UK law, four Rwandans who are suspected of having committed genocide in 1994 cannot be prosecuted in the UK for such crimes; further notes that the four have now been released from custody after winning their appeal in the High Court against extradition to Rwanda; further notes that suspected war criminals from other conflicts are also present in the UK; further notes that these suspects cannot be tried in UK courts because of limitations to the International Criminal Court Act 2001; further notes with concern that the 2001 Act does not apply to suspects if they committed the crime before 2001 or if they are present, but not resident in the UK; further notes that this position is in contrast to the position of the crimes of torture and hostage taking, which are fully prosecutable in UK courts; believes that these gaps in the law lack moral logic; and therefore urges the Government to bring forward proposals to amend the 2001 Act to enable suspects who are present without being resident in the UK and who are suspected of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity before 2001 to be prosecuted in the UK courts, to ensure that the UK does not become a safe haven for war criminals. |
| 1478 | 2009 LOCAL AUTHORITY ROAD MAINTENANCE SURVEY | 13:5:09 |
| Mr Christopher Chope | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mr Greg Knight |
| | John McDonnell | Steve Webb | Tom Levitt | | | Mr Edward Leigh | Mr Elliot Morley | Mr Phil Willis | | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | Sir Alan Beith | Mark Hunter |
| That this House is appalled at the waste and neglect revealed in the findings of the 2009 Annual Local Authority Road Maintainance Survey; is concerned that the number of potholes on England's local roads has increased by a third in one year, that there is now a 13 year backlog of maintenance work and that the annual cost of compensating victims of pothole related incidents now exceeds £53 million; and calls on the Government to come forward urgently with an action plan to restore road and pavement surfaces to a standard that is safe for users. |
| 1480 | ARREST OF SENATOR STUART SYVRET | 13:5:09 |
| John Hemming | | Mr Austin Mitchell | | Peter Bottomley | | John McDonnell | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Adrian Sanders |
| That this House deplores the arrest and detention of Senator Stuart Syvret by the Jersey Police Force for alleged infractions of data protection laws; notes that the Senator was in receipt of information disclosed in the public interest, with which he is attempting to hold the Jersey government to account for a variety of profoundly serious child protection and clinical governance failures; condemns the manner of the Senator's arrest and the subsequent searching of his home by the police without a search warrant; further condemns the fact that substantial quantities of his constituents' private data were taken and copied by the Jersey police; considers this an intimidatory and anti-democratic action which the Senator is virtually powerless to challenge given the politicisation of the Jersey judiciary and the propensity of the Jersey legislature to oppress minority members; and calls on the Secretary of State for Justice to fulfil his duties by exercising his constitutional powers to intervene and ensure good governance and the proper administration of justice in Jersey though requiring a separation of powers and the imposition of effective checks and balances in order that survivors of child abuse, and other victims of malfeasance gain the proper protection of justice; and considers that through such actions the UK will return to compliance with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, obligations which are breached by tolerating the situation in Jersey. |
| 1481 | EARLY SETTLEMENT BY INSURANCE COMPANIES | 13:5:09 |
| Mrs Linda Riordan | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Bob Spink | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Annette Brooke | Lady Hermon |
| That this House is concerned that people who have been injured through no fault of their own are being subjected to high pressure tactics from some insurance companies; notes that such tactics can impede proper access to justice for injured people and compound their distress; believes that all injured people should be made aware of their right to independent legal advice; and calls on the Government to work with the Financial Services Authority to introduce regulation in this area to protect injured people. |
| 1483 | FOSTER CARE FORTNIGHT | 13:5:09 |
| Tim Loughton | | Mrs Maria Miller | | Mr Edward Timpson | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Jim Devine | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House welcomes Foster Care Fortnight which aims to boost the recruitment of foster carers to fill the estimated existing shortage of 10,000 carers without whom many children would have to be placed in less appropriate and more costly alternatives; recognises the importance of the professional contribution of foster carers to the care of looked-after children; is concerned that more needs to be done to attract carers on a long-term basis; and welcomes the events taking place across the UK to promote and encourage caring which changes lives, both those of children and their carers. |
| 1487 | MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING OF DOGS | 14:5:09 |
| Martin Horwood | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Ann Winterton | | Martin Linton |
| That this House is concerned that over 97,000 dogs are picked up as strays by local authorities annually; congratulates Speaking Out for Animals, the animal action club at Thorpe House School, Norwich for campaigning hard to promote the mandatory microchipping of dogs as a means of reducing the huge numbers of strays and for its work to promote responsible pet ownership; commends the Dogs Trust, RSPCA and other animal charities for microchipping all dogs at point of adoption; believes that microchipping should be compulsory for all dogs at the point of sale; and urges the Government to introduce legislation on the mandatory microchipping of dogs. |
| 1490 | AUNG SAN SUU KYI | 14:5:09 |
| Ann Clwyd | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Glenda Jackson | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| That this House deplores the decision of Burma's regime to move the democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, to Insein prison to face charges relating to an incident involving a US citizen who broke into her compound last week; is dismayed by her unlawful detention under house arrest for 13 of the 19 years since the military junta refused to recognise the 1990 landslide victory of her party, the National League for Democracy; is concerned that this incident could give the military junta a convenient reason to extend her unlawful detention, which was meant to end shortly; is concerned about reports of a deterioration in Ms Suu Kyi's health; calls on the international community to do more to secure the release of political prisoners in Burma and to disregard the results of next year's elections if they are not free and fair; and applauds the European Union for extending its sanctions against the regime, including an arms embargo, a travel ban on Burma's leaders and a freezing of their assets in Europe. |
| 1491 | EQUITABLE LIFE COMPENSATION (No. 3) | 14:5:09 |
| John Barrett | | Mr Alan Reid | | Dr Evan Harris | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr George Galloway |
| That this House notes that the collapse of Equitable Life affected more than one million people; further notes that an estimated 32,000 people have died while waiting for just compensation; welcomes the Parliamentary Ombudsman's recent report Injustice Unremedied: The Government's Response to Equitable Life; accepts the report's findings that the Government's response was unsatisfactory; strongly supports the Ombudsman's previous recommendation for the establishment of a just compensation scheme; and calls for the Government to accept immediately all of the findings of the Ombudsman's original report. |
| 1495 | RAILWAY SAFETY | 14:5:09 |
| Mr Jim Cunningham | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House resolves to support Network Rail, British Transport Police and rail operators in their ongoing efforts to promote railway safety; and further resolves to back those groups in combating railway crime, which cost £264 million in 2007. |
| 1499 | REDUNDANCIES IN UNIVERSITIES | 15:5:09 |
| Tony Lloyd | | Jon Cruddas | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Ms Katy Clark | | Chris McCafferty | | Frank Dobson |
| | Ms Diane Abbott | Sir Nicholas Winterton | Mr Gordon Prentice | | | Julie Morgan | David Heyes | Mr Parmjit Dhanda |
| That this House notes with extreme concern that up to 100 universities are currently planning redundancies, which amounts to two-thirds of higher education institutions cutting jobs; agrees that in a time of recession, higher education and higher level skills should be at the forefront of any plan for long term recovery, and that cutting jobs, course provision and student places is not in the interests of the economy or society; and calls on universities to work in partnership with the trades unions to provide a national plan to avoid cuts and defend provision, quality and access to higher education. |
| 1504 | BIG LOTTERY FUND AND HEROES RETURN 2 PROGRAMME | 18:5:09 |
| Nick Harvey | | Mr Gerald Howarth | | Dr Andrew Murrison | | Mr Gordon Marsden | | Derek Twigg | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Gwyn Prosser | Harry Cohen | Chris Ruane | | | Jenny Willott | Susan Kramer |
| That this House welcomes the announcement of further funding from the Big Lottery Fund to support Second World War veterans wishing to attend overseas anniversary events throughout 2009 and 2010 to commemorate the end of the Second World War; notes that the Heroes Return 2 programme builds on over £16 million of previous funding from the Big Lottery Fund's Heroes Return programme that helped over 39,000 veterans, spouses, widows and carers to make commemorative trips to overseas Second World War battlesites; fully acknowledges the sacrifices that British servicemen and women made during the Second World War; recognises their bravery in defending the United Kingdom; and is pleased that this is rightly recognised through funding that will enable veterans to participate in commemorative visits across the world to mark the anniversaries of events that led to the end of the Second World War. |
| 1508 | LOW-SKILLED ADULTS IN OLDER INDUSTRIAL AREAS | 18:5:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Stephen Williams | | Mr Martin Caton | | Lynne Jones |
| | David Taylor | Ian Stewart | John Cummings | | | Mr Dai Havard |
| That this House acknowledges that the current economic downturn makes the prospects even bleaker for low-skilled hard-to-reach adults who live in older industrial areas; realises that many adults in these areas find it difficult to engage with the labour market; and therefore urges the Government to maintain its commitment to provide the resources and funding so that the most disadvantaged people in such communities can be equipped with the skills, qualifications and opportunities that they, the economy and society need. |
| 1509 | NATIONAL OSTEOPOROSIS SOCIETY MANIFESTOS | 18:5:09 |
| John Austin | | Peter Bottomley | | Sandra Gidley | | Ann Winterton | | Charlotte Atkins | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the National Osteoporosis Society's Manifestos for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; is concerned that osteoporosis is a long-term condition which is currently putting three million people in the UK at risk of painful fractures, which are costly for the NHS to treat; is further concerned that £2 billion is spent annually on treatment and care for people with hip fractures; notes that much can be done to prevent these fractures, through the proper identification, treatment and care for people who have osteoporosis; calls for a Fracture Liaison Service to be linked to every hospital that receives fragility fractures in the UK, to ensure that every fragility fracture patient gets the treatment and care they need; further calls for coherent clinical guidance for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of falls, fragility fractures and osteoporosis; further calls for the quality and systems of care for people at risk of falls, and with, or at risk of, fragility fractures and osteoporosis to be measured on a regular basis, to stimulate best practice; further calls for healthcare professionals working in primary care to be offered meaningful incentives to find and treat those at a high risk of fragility fracture; and further calls for measures to improve understanding of bone health amongst individuals of all ages, with positive messages communicated in schools. |
| 1513 | LEGAL SERVICES COMMISSION | 18:5:09 |
| Kelvin Hopkins | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House notes that the proposed restructuring of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) will lead to approximately 600 redundancies in England and Wales; is concerned that the level of redundancies is far too high given the current economic climate; and expresses serious concern about the negative impact this may have on the service delivery for the most vulnerable people in England and Wales requiring the services of the LSC, especially in a time of recession when the demand for legal aid services the LSC provides is increasing. |
| 1514 | MOBILE NUMBER PORTING | 18:5:09 |
| John Robertson | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr Phil Willis | Michael Connarty | John Hemming | | | Mr David Anderson |
| That this House registers its concern about the slow progress made to fully reform the UK's mobile number porting system; believes that the current lengthy porting process undermines the ability of UK consumers properly to exercise choice; notes that the proposal made by Ofcom back in November 2007 would have enabled consumers to move their mobile number between operators within two hours rather than the two days it presently takes; regrets that the September 2009 deadline for the implementation of the new system will be missed; and calls on all mobile operators to support the delivery of two hour recipient led number porting for the benefit of UK consumers as a matter of urgency. |
| 1515 | WELFARE OF FARMED RABBITS | 18:5:09 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| | Dr Desmond Turner | David Lepper | Norman Baker | | | Gwyn Prosser | Miss Ann Widdecombe | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews | | | Tom Brake | Ms Diane Abbott | Mr John Horam | | | Joan Walley | Mr Jim Cunningham | Mr Elliot Morley | | | Mr Marsha Singh | Colin Burgon | Frank Cook | | | John Cummings | Mr Chris Mullin | Ann Clwyd | | | Sandra Osborne | Michael Connarty | John Thurso | | | Jenny Willott | Mark Williams | Susan Kramer | | | Mark Pritchard | Ms Katy Clark | Mark Durkan |
| That this House notes with concern the lack of detailed regulations concerning the welfare of domestic rabbits farmed in the UK; believes that farmed rabbits should not be kept in cages as this practice is not consistent with good welfare; notes that the welfare of farmed rabbits, including breeding does, is improved by housing in enriched group pens that provide greater environmental complexity, freedom of movement and opportunities for social interaction; further believes that rabbits should be provided with sufficient height and floor space to allow them to adopt normal postures such as rearing up on their hind legs and to carry out meaningful exercise such as hopping; supports a provision for solid flooring to reduce foot injuries in rabbits; further believes that all farmed rabbits should have access to environmental enrichment, including hay or straw and wooden sticks or blocks for gnawing, and improved housing design that allows for hiding and retreat; supports the work of the Four Paws organisation in this area; and calls on the Government to introduce regulations to phase-out the keeping of farmed rabbits in cages and to make detailed provisions for their welfare. |
| 1517 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCE | 18:5:09 |
| Dr Vincent Cable | | Bob Russell | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Stephen Williams | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Tom Brake | Mr Phil Willis | Jon Cruddas | | | Annette Brooke | Colin Challen | Jenny Willott | | | Martin Horwood |
| That this House recognises that for the last decade the community development finance sector has been an effective way of providing loans and support to small businesses, social enterprises and entrepreneurs in deprived communities; further notes that these community development finance institutions have financed over 24,000 businesses and individuals, created 15,800 jobs and sustained 70,000 more; believes that this sector has the infrastructure and expertise in place quickly to deliver finance directly into the communities most affected by the downturn; and urges the Government to follow the lead set by President Obama in the United States by introducing measures to support these innovative organisations which are helping communities to help themselves out of recession. |
| 1519 | SUPPORT FOR CARERS (No.2) | 18:5:09 |
| Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Angela Browning | | Tim Loughton | | Mr Simon Burns | | Mr Bernard Jenkin | | Mr Peter Bone |
| That this House recognises the vital role of carers in the lives of those they care for all year round; acknowledges the huge amount of time, effort and devotion involved; welcomes Carers Week 2009 as an opportunity to highlight the contribution of carers; thanks carers for the sacrifices they make in order to improve the lives of others; and recognises that helping carers is one of the best ways to help those they are caring for. |
| 1521 | PROBATION SERVICE | 18:5:09 |
| Mr Neil Gerrard | | David Howarth | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | John McDonnell | | Bob Russell | | Bob Spink |
| That this House urges the Government to ensure that the Probation Service in England and Wales has sufficient resources to ensure that it can carry out its statutory duties in an effective and efficient manner. |
| 1523 | TRIDENT REPLACEMENT | 18:5:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Mr Martin Caton | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Durkan | | Paul Rowen | | Mr John Leech |
| That this House values its unique role of scrutiny in the democratic process; and therefore calls on the Government to make no decision on Trident replacement during a Parliamentary recess. |
| 1527 | UK-US EXTRADITION TREATY | 19:5:09 |
| Chris Huhne | | David Howarth | | Mark Durkan | | Lynne Jones | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George |
| | John Barrett | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House notes that under the Extradition Act 2003 and UK-US Extradition Treaty, the United States is not required to provide prima facie evidence when requesting extradition from the UK, although the United Kingdom is still required to provide evidence to satisfy the US constitution's probable cause requirement when seeking extradition from the US; further notes that the Extradition Treaty was agreed without any recourse to Parliament; and calls on the Government to renegotiate the Extradition Treaty immediately to reinstate the requirement for prima facie evidence, and to reform the Royal Prerogative so that international agreements can no longer be entered into without meaningful reference to Parliament. |
| 1528 | HOME INFORMATION PACKS (No. 2) | 19:5:09 |
| Grant Shapps | | Mrs Caroline Spelman | | Robert Neill | | Justine Greening | | Mr Paul Goodman | | Mr Philip Dunne |
| That this House believes that home information packs (HIPs) are having an adverse effect on the current housing market; notes with concern the recent evidence that the cost of home information packs is being artificially inflated by pack providers and estate agents; recognises that the housing industry has pronounced them unhelpful for buyers and sellers; further notes that at the end of the first day of marketing last month the National Association of Estate Agents said 65 per cent. of estate agents questioned thought the new arrangements would discourage sellers from putting their homes up for sale, and 89 per cent. did not think they would benefit buyers; further notes that the Government's own statistics had shown that 77 per cent. of people paid no attention to HIPs when deciding whether or not to buy a property; further notes with concern that in many areas of the sale and rental industry the home information pack legislation is being routinely ignored; and calls on the Government to use its powers to suspend home information packs immediately, and then introduce primary legislation to scrap them completely. |
| 1529 | GET FAIR COALITION AND POVERTY IN THE UK | 19:5:09 |
| John Battle | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George |
| | Tom Levitt | Mr George Howarth | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House believes that as the fifth largest economy in the world it is unacceptable that 12.8 million people, 1 in 5 of the population, are living in poverty in the UK; further believes that with the economy in recession and rising unemployment, the Government must commit to further measures to protect the poorest in society; and supports calls by the Get Fair Coalition of charities, faith and community groups for the Government to increase levels of income to a minimum living standard for a lasting reduction in poverty in the UK. |
| 1530 | FURNITURE AND FIRE SAFETY GUIDE | 19:5:09 |
| Mrs Madeleine Moon | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the British Furniture Confederation's Guide to the Fire Safety of Furniture and Furnishings in the Home; recognises that the UK flammability regulations have been in existence for over 20 years and in 2000 it was estimated that they had saved up to 1,860 lives since their introduction; notes the importance of the new guide in clarifying and explaining the existing regulations to account for recent precedents and changes; and further notes the high quality and standard of British furniture. |
| 1531 | MOBILE TERMINATION RATES (No. 2) | 19:5:09 |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Spink | | Mr Martin Caton | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Gwyn Prosser | Mr John Horam | Andrew George | | | Mr Eric Martlew | Mr Fraser Kemp | David Heyes | | | John Barrett | Lynne Featherstone | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House welcomes the European Commission's recent recommendation providing clear principles to EU national telecoms regulators to set a fair cost for termination rates; further welcomes the Terminate the Rate campaign, which calls for a significant lowering of mobile termination rates (MTRs) in the future, and is supported by a number of companies and organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Carers UK; notes that MTRs increase the cost of calling a mobile telephone from a fixed-line or mobile telephone on another network, and hold back innovation in the telecommunications sector; further notes that significantly lowering MTRs would pave the way for an end to per-minute call charges and high bills and would enable communication providers to offer flat-rate unlimited tariffs giving consumers better value for money; and calls on Ofcom to take action to reduce excessive mobile termination charges and deliver a better deal for hard-pressed UK consumers. |
| 1535 | CARTMEL POST OFFICE | 20:5:09 |
| Tim Farron | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr John Leech | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | John McDonnell |
| | Mark Williams | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House believes that all post offices which were retained after the 2008 Network Change Programme should remain open for the foreseeable future; and is concerned that many branches, such as Cartmel Post Office in South Lakeland, have been shut or downgraded since the end of the Network Change Programme without consultation with local residents. |
| 1536 | JOINT FORCES ALLIANCE GROUP | 20:5:09 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Bill Etherington | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House commends the work of the Joint Forces Alliance Group which, with the Royal British Legion and other charities, including the Gulf War Veterans Group, is active in gaining housing and welfare support for disadvantaged ex-servicemen and women and their families; and calls on the Government to positively recognise the work done by these groups. |
| 1537 | PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANIES | 20:5:09 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| | Mr Marsha Singh | John Barrett | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House is concerned by the recent recommendation by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that private military companies operating on behalf of the Government need not be regulated by a formal licensing system; notes that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recommended instead drawing up a code of conduct; is further concerned that this means private military companies guilty of malpractice whilst operating on behalf of the Government in war zones would face no legal sanctions other than the loss of their contract; further notes that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is recommending private military companies be monitored by the British Association of Private Security Companies; believes a more independent body should monitor the private military industry; and calls on the Government seriously to reconsider the introduction of a formal licensing and monitoring system and to discontinue or at least reduce the use of private military staff as soldiers in war zones. |
| As an Amendment to Ms Diane Abbott's proposed Motion (Private Military Companies): |
| Mr Peter Kilfoyle | | Mr Edward O'Hara | | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| Line 9, leave out from `Companies;' to end and add `and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals for legislation against the use of private military staff on its behalf as soldiers in war zones.'. |
| 1538 | PUBLICATION OF CONSTITUENCY PARTY AND CONSTITUENCY ASSOCIATION ACCOUNTS | 20:5:09 |
| Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Paul Flynn | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House welcomes the transparency afforded by the annual publication of the accounts of constituency parties and constituency associations; but notes with concern that substantial transfers of money to a constituency from the central party organisation are confidential and not in the public domain; and calls on the Government to bring forward measures requiring this information to be disclosed. |
| 1540 | PEDIGREE DOG BREEDS AND THE KENNEL CLUB | 20:5:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Julie Morgan |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Judy Mallaber | Mr Eddie McGrady | | | Mr David Anderson |
| That this House is concerned about health problems faced by some pedigree dog breeds; is pleased that the objective of the Kennel Club is to improve the welfare, health and general well-being of all dogs and to encourage responsible dog ownership and breeding; welcomes the actions taken by the Kennel Club to improve dog health; and urges the Government to apply the basic principles of the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeder Scheme to the breeding of all dogs in the UK. |
| 1541 | MARINE CONSERVATION ZONES | 20:5:09 |
| Mrs Linda Riordan | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | David Taylor | | Lynne Jones | | Derek Twigg | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House congratulates the Government for bringing forward the world's first comprehensive system to plan and protect the seas now and for the future; notes the commitment of the Government to deliver an ecologically coherent network of marine conservation zones by 2012; further notes the commitment of the Government to deliver coastal access around the UK; and urges the Government to bring forward proposals to put these commitments on the statute book as soon as possible. |
| 1542 | FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS DIRECTIVE | 20:5:09 |
| Mrs Linda Riordan | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Sandra Gidley | | Kate Hoey | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mr Austin Mitchell |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House continues to have enduring concerns about the setting of maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals under the provisions of the EU Food Supplements Directive, a process which threatens the viability of many specialist manufacturers and up to 700 independent retailers whilst also restricting consumer choice; is now gravely alarmed that the majority of EU Member States, including Germany, pressed at a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health held on 27 March 2009 for the scope of the Directive to be further extended to include other substances in addition to vitamins and minerals; notes that such an approach would risk unnecessary and unacceptable maximum permitted levels also being set for a much wider range of supplements including those containing plant ingredients as well as glucosamine, creatine and others; believes that amendment of the Directive is long overdue; and calls on the Government to face up to the challenge and deliver the substantive amendment of this burdensome, unnecessary and bureaucratic legislation before it is too late. |
| Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Glenda Jackson | | Mrs Betty Williams |
| That this House pays tribute to Mr Speaker. |
| 1545 | SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BILL | 21:5:09 |
| Mr David Drew | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Glenda Jackson | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr John Leech |
| | Dr Desmond Turner | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews | Tom Brake | | | Ms Diane Abbott | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Jim Cunningham | | | Mr Elliot Morley | Mr Marsha Singh | Mr Gordon Prentice | | | Mr Chris Mullin | Mrs Betty Williams | Alun Michael | | | Sandra Osborne | Dr Gavin Strang | Michael Connarty | | | Mr Eddie McGrady | Martin Horwood | Mark Pritchard | | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House notes the success of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 as the first step towards building a bottom up democracy; further notes the enthusiasm shown by local authorities across England in deciding to use the Act, with 115 councils, nearly one third of all principal councils, having opted to use that process; notes also the genuine cross-party support that the original Act commanded; welcomes the Sustainable Communities Bill which will extend the 2007 Act in two ways, firstly by involving parish and town councils and their county associations in the process, and secondly by ensuring that the process of involvement established by the Act becomes an on-going process rather than a one-off event; and so supports the Sustainable Communities Bill. |
| 1547 | DISCRIMINATION IN RECRUITMENT AGAINST PEOPLE WITH INVISIBLE DISIBILITIES | 21:5:09 |
| Lynne Jones | | Sandra Gidley | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Glenda Jackson |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr David S. Borrow | Jim Cousins | | | Mr Andy Slaughter | Emily Thornberry |
| That this House acknowledges the current levels of discrimination suffered by people with HIV and mental health problems in the job recruitment process; notes that fewer than 50 per cent. of people with HIV are in paid employment and more than 60 per cent. of employers write off people with any form of mental illness; further notes that it is currently legal for employers to ask a wide range of questions about a job applicant's medical history when they are recruiting, regardless of whether existing conditions will have any bearing on their ability to do the job applied for; supports calls from Rethink, the Terrence Higgins Trust and the National AIDS Trust for the Government to use the Equality Bill to restrict the use of pre-employment health questionnaires; recognises that employers in many other countries, including the US, are only legally able to ask a candidate about a disability once a job offer has been made; and calls on the Government to use the Equality Bill to bring British law in this area in line with the American system. |
| 1548 | 100th ANNIVERSARY OF POOL METHODIST CHURCH, LEEDS | 21:5:09 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Philip Davies | | Nick Harvey | | Mr John Leech | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House congratulates Pool Methodist Church for reaching its 100th anniversary; acknowledges the crucial support the church has provided for the people of Pool for the past century; celebrates the important role the church plays today in bringing together the local community; praises all who contribute their energy and time to ensure that the church continues to provide fantastic schemes and facilities to the residents of Pool; and wishes the church all the success for the future in continuing to be a fantastic focal point for the community of Pool and its surrounding area. |
| 1549 | LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY CLAIM 2009-10 | 21:5:09 |
| Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr David Anderson | | Paddy Tipping | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr John Leech |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Russell Brown | Mr Eddie McGrady | | | Ms Katy Clark |
| That this House notes with concern the 0.5 per cent. pay offer for 2009-10 made to local government staff in England and Wales on National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) conditions; believes this offer is worth no more than an extra three pence an hour to over 150,000 low paid local government workers; regrets that this offer has been made despite the fact that the respective local authorities have submitted budgets to the Department for Communities and Local Government with an average provision of 2.2 per cent. for NJC pay; and calls on the local government employers to offer a pay award in line with the budgeted increase which includes a strong emphasis on fair rewards for the lowest paid and hard pressed sections of the workforce. |
| 1551 | AUTISM AND THE CARER'S ALLOWANCE | 1:6:09 |
| Mr Lee Scott [R] | | Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Glenda Jackson |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady | Adam Price | | | John Barrett | Mark Williams | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House pays tribute to and acknowledges the valuable contribution made by thousands of parents and carers in supporting the needs of children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome; supports the call of the UK Autism Foundation urging the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to consider a substantial increase to the carer's allowance; shares the concern of the UK Autism Foundation that the present economic crisis is plunging some parents, carers and families with autism into poverty; and backs the call of autism campaigners for the Government to increase tax credits, the disability living allowance and the carer's allowance in order for parents, carers and children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome to survive the credit crunch and the deepening recession. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1552 | STEEL-MAKING IN TEESSIDE | 1:6:09 |
| Dr Ashok Kumar | | Ms Dari Taylor | | Frank Cook | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Dr Brian Iddon |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Ian Stewart | Mr David Anderson |
| That this House expresses its concern at the activities of a number of international steel re-rollers who are attempting to escape their earlier agreements with Corus to buy bulk steel from Teesside; applauds the work done by the hon. Member for Redcar in attempting to bring them back to sensible negotiations with Corus; applauds the patience and work put in by local Corus and Tata steel management on Teesside to keep the Cast Products Division in being; congratulates the Teesside workforce on its forbearance in this process; and calls on the Government to aid management and workers at Teesside in any way it can so as to see a continued future for iron and steel-making in one of the UK's prime manufacturing areas. |
| 1553 | HIV TREATMENTS AND CHILDREN | 1:6:09 |
| Mr David S. Borrow | | Sandra Gidley | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Dr Evan Harris | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink |
| | Ms Diane Abbott | Mr Don Foster | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | Clare Short | Mr Michael Moore | Mr Eddie McGrady | | | Mr David Anderson | Mark Williams | Ms Angela C. Smith (Sheffield, Hillsborough) |
| That this House notes with concern that globally most children who need treatment for HIV are not receiving it; further notes that there is a lack of appropriate HIV treatments for children and that the number of adults who have become resistant to basic HIV treatment and require more expensive medicines is increasing; recognises that the price of medicines and patents are closely linked; commends the Government's financial backing for UNITAID, the international drugs purchasing facility, and its support for the establishment of a patent pool; and calls on pharmaceutical companies to show their commitment to access to medicines for the world's poorest people by signing up to the UNITAID patent pool. |
| 1554 | BURNLEY FOOTBALL CLUB | 1:6:09 |
| Mr Gordon Prentice | | David Taylor | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr Ken Purchase | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House warmly congratulates Burnley FC on its promotion to the Premier League after an absence of 33 years from the top division; and believes the club's success is richly deserved and will boost and give encouragement to the town and East Lancashire as a whole. |
| 1557 | BASIC STATE PENSION AND WOMEN | 1:6:09 |
| Stewart Hosie | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Glenda Jackson |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr David Anderson | | | Mark Williams | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House recognises the predicament of many women who took breaks from work prior to the introduction of Home Responsibilities Protection after it was introduced in 1978 and who, as a result, have been unable to accrue 39 years qualifying contributions which would entitle them to a full basic pension; further recognises that many women are willing to pay for missing contributions; and calls on the Government to reconsider the rules on qualifying contributions for those women with broken national insurance contributions prior to April 1978. |
| 1558 | CANCER TREATMENT | 1:6:09 |
| Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Bob Spink | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mark Durkan | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Dai Davies |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| That this House is concerned that the postcode lottery on cancer treatments is raising its ugly head again; notes that patients who are suffering from cancer and in need of the drug cetuximab, which has been proven to reduce tumours, are being refused because of that lottery; further notes that a constituent of the hon. Member for Blyth Valley, Mrs Mary Brewis, who is 53 years of age, has been informed by the local primary care trust that she cannot have the drug funded, effectively meaning she now awaits an early death sentence; and calls on the Government to fund all cancer treatments, no matter what the cost, to give cancer patients hope. |
| 1559 | ARCHBISHOP VINCENT NICHOLS | 1:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Joe Benton | | Ruth Kelly | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr David Crausby |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| That this House welcomes the installation of the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols as the 11th Archbishop of Westminster; commends his strident defence of Catholic values, particularly in respect of maintaining the dignity of human life, the family, education and championing the needs of the most marginalised; and believes that his leadership will further strengthen the role of the Catholic Church and religion in society. |
| 1560 | 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MORRIS RING OF ENGLAND | 1:6:09 |
| Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Peter Bottomley | | Kelvin Hopkins | | John Hemming | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House congratulates The Morris Ring of England on its 75th anniversary, celebrated from 29 to 31 May 2009 with a Ring Meeting held at Thaxted in Essex, which was attended by more than 400 Morris Men from 33 different sides; recognises with appreciation that The Morris Ring plays a major role in promoting England's traditional male folk dance; regrets, however, that Arts Council England considers it more important to support contemporary Latin American art than England's traditional folk song and dance culture; and calls on the Government, through the Departments of Culture, Media and Sport and Children, Schools and Families, to ensure that England's traditional folk culture is promoted in the same way as the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland promote their respective folk culture in their countries. |
| 1561 | DECRIMINALISATION OF SINGLE DISPENSING ERRORS | 1:6:09 |
| Dr Howard Stoate | | Sandra Gidley [R] | | Bob Russell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Colin Breed |
| | Patrick Hall | Kelvin Hopkins | Norman Baker | | | Mr Michael Mates | Mr Malcolm Moss | Tom Brake | | | Steve Webb | Sir John Butterfill | Mr Robert Syms | | | Miss Julie Kirkbride | Joan Walley | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | Judy Mallaber | Mr Dennis Skinner | Mr Mark Todd | | | Paddy Tipping | Mr John Greenway | Mr John Grogan | | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | Andrew Miller | Mr David Chaytor | | | Geraldine Smith | Mr Gordon Prentice | Mr David S. Borrow | | | Mr Frank Field | Mr Eric Martlew | John Cummings | | | Mr Peter Atkinson | Mr Don Touhig | Ann Clwyd | | | Mr Russell Brown | Mr Ian Davidson | Malcolm Bruce | | | Mrs Anne McGuire | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr Alan Reid | | | Jon Cruddas | Mark Lazarowicz | Mr David Laws | | | Jenny Willott | Mr Jim McGovern | Greg Mulholland | | | Susan Kramer | Paul Rowen | Lorely Burt | | | Mr Jeremy Browne | Ms Katy Clark | Tim Farron | | | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House recognises that community pharmacists are on the front line in providing vital services to NHS patients in a high-pressure environment; notes that under the Medicines Act 1968 pharmacists who make an error while dispensing medicines are regularly tried for a criminal offence; is concerned that this discourages healthcare professionals who fear being criminalised from reporting dispensing errors; is further concerned that this limits opportunities to record mistakes and to learn from these errors; notes that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is currently undertaking a project to review medicines legislation; and calls on the Government to work with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to ensure that amended legislation offers a more proportionate response with the flexibility to recognise a genuine single dispensing error. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1562 | CRICKET AND THE SPORTING LISTED EVENTS REVIEW | 1:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Paul Rowen | | Mr Paul Truswell | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Bob Spink | | Mr David Drew |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr David Anderson |
| That this House is concerned that the 2009 Ashes series will be the first home Ashes series not to be available live on free-to-air television for the entire nation to enjoy; notes that cricket is the only major sport to have no live coverage on free-to-air television; further notes that the Ashes series will be live in Australia on free-to-air channel SBS because it is protected both home and away by anti-siphoning legislation; believes that, particularly to inspire the young to take up the game, some live cricket should go on the A List of events which must be made available to free-to-air broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4 at a fair and reasonable price; and further believes that this should include the home Ashes series and at least part of the Cricket World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup. |
| 1563 | FOOTBALL AND THE SPORTING LISTED EVENTS REVIEW | 1:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Paul Rowen | | Jim Sheridan | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Bob Spink | | Miss Anne Begg |
| | Joan Ryan | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr David Anderson | | | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House welcomes the review of sporting listed events which must be made available to free-to-air broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV at a fair and reasonable price; is concerned that FIFA and UEFA want to take most of the World Cup and European Championship finals matches off the A List to allow them to be auctioned off to subscription or pay TV; believes that it would be a travesty if England were to host the 2018 World Cup finals and most of the matches could not be watched live by those who could not afford to pay; further believes that the World Cup and European Championship finals are unique sporting events of national and international significance which should remain accessible to all in their entirety; and in addition recommends that all qualifying matches of the home nations should be available live free-to-air in the home nation concerned and that the A List should be amended accordingly. |
| 1564 | IVF TREATMENT FOR OXFORDSHIRE COUPLES | 2:6:09 |
| Mr Edward Vaizey | | Tony Baldry | | Dr Evan Harris | | Robert Key | | Kelvin Hopkins | | John Hemming |
| That this House notes that National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance states that IVF treatment should be funded for people aged between 23 and 39 years; further notes with concern that Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust only funds such treatment for couples aged between 35 and 38 years and refuses treatment to those where either partner has had a child, even if that child was born in a previous relationship; is encouraged that the Trust is currently reviewing its guidelines to reduce the age range to 30 years; and calls on Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust to go further and bring its guidelines into line with NICE guidance so that this vital treatment is available to the many couples in Oxfordshire who currently require such treatment but who fall outside the Primary Care Trust's current guidelines. |
| 1565 | THE ELIZABETH FOUNDATION | 2:6:09 |
| Mr Marsha Singh | | Bob Spink | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | John Hemming | | Philip Davies |
| That this House recognises the unique and vital service that The Elizabeth Foundation provides to deaf children from newborn to five years old and their families; notes with concern that the foundation will close at the end of July 2009 if funding of £120,000 per annum cannot be secured; and calls on the Government to help save this service. |
| 1566 | BRITISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM REPORT ON BRITISH RETAILING - A COMMITMENT TO HEALTH | 2:6:09 |
| Philip Davies | | David Lepper | | Bob Spink | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House welcomes the British Retail Consortium's new report British Retailing: A Commitment to Health; is delighted to see UK retailers continue to help their customers choose a healthy, balanced diet through increased ranges, a variety of promotions and campaigns, reformulation and improved consumer education; recognises UK retailers lead the way in Europe and are genuinely committed to playing their part to help stem the UK's obesity crises; congratulates all the report's contributors, namely Asda, Burger King, Boots, The Co-operative Group, Iceland, Marks and Spencer, McDonalds, Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose, for the efforts they have made in health and nutrition; and urges all involved in public health to work together to bring about the cultural change necessary to improve the nation's health. |
| 1568 | KEEP LEEDS WORKING CAMPAIGN | 2:6:09 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Mark Hunter | | John Hemming | | Mr John Leech | | Mr Mike Hancock | | David Simpson |
| That this House congratulates the Yorkshire Evening Post on its Keep Leeds Working campaign; welcomes the scheme, which will include a special jobs supplement offering help and advice to jobseekers and budding entrepreneurs as well as featuring hundreds of job vacancies; laments that in these difficult economic times searching for jobs can be a challenging and demoralising task; notes the positive impact this campaign will have for the people of Leeds; recognises the essential role that local press play in communicating job information to the local community; and hopes that other newspapers will follow the example of the Yorkshire Evening Post and do what they can to help local residents during the recession. |
| 1569 | SUPPORT FOR THE BINGO INDUSTRY | 2:6:09 |
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda | | Lynne Jones | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Jim Dobbin | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| | Tom Brake | Sir John Butterfill | Joan Walley | | | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Dennis Skinner | Mr Mark Todd | | | Mr John Greenway | Mr Marsha Singh | Geraldine Smith | | | Mr David S. Borrow | Mr Frank Field | Mr Fraser Kemp | | | Mr Russell Brown | Dr Gavin Strang | Mark Lazarowicz | | | Mark Williams | Lynne Featherstone | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House congratulates the bingo industry on the contribution it makes to leisure and the economy in the UK; is concerned about the loss of 4,000 jobs in the bingo industry since 2003; calls on the Treasury to work closely with the bingo industry to preserve this popular leisure activity; and urges the Government to work closely with the industry to consider the future impact of the increase in bingo duty from 15 per cent. to 22 per cent., whilst the duty has remained at 15 per cent. for online versions of the game and for football pools. |
| 1570 | ALLIANCE AND LEICESTER AND SANTANDER | 2:6:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr David Drew | | David Taylor | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House has serious concerns that Alliance and Leicester, Abbey and Bradford and Bingley Savings will all be brought together under the Santander name by the end of 2010; welcomes the important role that local banks have on British high streets and believes that any name changes will prove a real loss for the identity of the businesses in the local communities concerned; notes that Alliance and Leicester has a long history in Leicester and is part of the commercial fabric of the city with one third of all branches remaining in the Leicestershire area; fears that any restructuring of the bank will result in a significant number of job losses; and calls on Santander to ensure that Alliance and Leicester retains some of its local identity and that bank employees and the local community are not negatively affected by any change in name. |
| 1571 | BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT AND THE DANCE GROUP DIVERSITY | 2:6:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr David Clelland | | Dr Alasdair McDonnell | | John Battle | | Mrs Linda Riordan |
| That this House congratulates Diversity for their victory in the ITV1 show Britain's Got Talent; notes that they received 24.9 per cent. of the votes cast; praises the group for their fantastic performance and for highlighting the positive impact of multiculturalism on the UK; encourages more young people to follow their example and to engage in positive community-based activities; and calls on the Government to do more to promote ethnic minority participation in the arts. |
| Mr George Galloway | | Mark Durkan | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr John Leech |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Phil Willis | Mr Gordon Prentice | | | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| That this House notes that the Indian government intends to proceed with the building of the Tipaimukh Dam near the border with Bangladesh; further notes that there is widespread and justified concern amongst many Bangladeshis, people of Bangladeshi origin, environmentalists and naturalists about the implications of this project and in particular for the future of Sylhet; further notes that many British citizens have family and property in Sylhet; and believes that the British Government should make urgent representations to the Indian government not to proceed with this project until such time as there are sufficient reassurances about water supply, the security of the dam and its full environmental impact, and that the project should be abandoned if such reassurances are not forthcoming. |
| 1573 | CITIZENS CONVENTION (ACCOUNTABILITY AND ETHICS) BILL | 2:6:09 |
| Mr Martin Caton | | Mr David Drew | | Norman Lamb | | Mr Douglas Carswell | | Julia Goldsworthy | | Jim Dowd |
| | Dr Desmond Turner | Gwyn Prosser | Mr John Horam | | | Dr Doug Naysmith | Steve Webb | Mr Adrian Sanders | | | Peter Luff | Joan Walley | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | Mr Bill Olner | David Taylor | Mr Phil Willis | | | Chris McCafferty | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Gordon Prentice | | | Malcolm Bruce | Sir Robert Smith | Mr Roger Williams | | | Patrick Mercer | Mark Williams | Susan Kramer | | | Mark Pritchard | Mr Dai Davies |
| That this House is concerned at the current crisis of confidence regarding the political system; maintains that electors and not just politicians should be involved in initiating change; therefore supports the Citizens Convention (Accountability and Ethics) Bill; and believes that this measure should become law expeditiously and so calls for sufficient additional time to be made available in the House to achieve that end. |
| 1574 | TAX HAVENS AND HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS | 2:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | David Taylor | | Mrs Janet Dean | | Alan Simpson | | Mr David Drew | | Mark Durkan |
| | Michael Connarty | Mr Eddie McGrady | John Barrett |
| That this House notes that the UK plays a major role in tax dodging, with many of the world's tax havens being British dependencies or territories, and with many tax lawyers and accountants working in the City of London; believes that companies have a social responsibility to pay their fair share of tax, not only in the UK but also in the developing world; further notes that since its creation HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has pursued a programme of job cuts and office closures, and plans to close over 200 offices and cut 25,000 jobs by 2011, undermining HMRC's ability to assess, enforce and collect taxes and monies at a time when the tax gap is estimated by the Tax Justice Network to be costing the UK £100 billion a year and developing countries £250 billion a year; and calls on the Government to halt staff cutbacks and tax office closures in HMRC, to work with other countries to eradicate tax dodging practices, such as trade mis-pricing, and to promote transparency through country-by-country reporting by companies on the tax they owe, to abolish all UK tax havens, to prosecute those corporate executives, lawyers and accountants for profit laundering and tax dodging, and to use the taxes collected to help fund vital public services in the UK and in developing countries. |
| 1575 | NATIONAL HOUSING FEDERATION'S SAVE OUR VILLAGES CAMPAIGN | 2:6:09 |
| Mr Roger Williams | | Mr David Curry | | Mr David Drew | | Andrew George | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Adrian Sanders |
| | Mr William Cash | Mr Brian Jenkins | Ann Winterton | | | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mark Williams |
| That this House is deeply concerned about the desperate shortage of affordable housing in rural areas; recognises that without sufficient affordable housing many lower income earners and young people will be forced to leave the countryside, putting local businesses and services under further threat of closure; notes the lack of research about the true level of rural housing need; and therefore supports the National Housing Federation's Save Our Villages campaign calling on the Government and local authorities to ensure that every rural ward is assessed for housing need and covered by an action plan to address that need every three years. |
| 1576 | FINANCIAL COST OF CONTACTING GOVERNMENT | 2:6:09 |
| John Battle | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Richard Caborn | Mr David S. Borrow | | | Mr Eddie McGrady | John Barrett | Mr David Anderson | | | Jenny Willott | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House notes with concern the high cost of calls to Government helplines from mobile telephones; recognises that many people only have access to a mobile telephone and do not have a landline and therefore have no choice but to pay these high call costs; further notes the recent Citizens Advice Bureau report, Hung Up, which provided evidence from 65 citizens advice bureaux that many vulnerable and destitute people are unable to claim a crisis loan because of the expense of calling the Government freephone claim line on a mobile telephone; recognises that it is possible to make freephone numbers free to call from a mobile telephone, for example by registering the numbers with the Telephone Helplines Association; and calls on the Government urgently to ensure that its benefit claim lines, and in particular its crisis loans claim line, are made free to call from a mobile telephone. |
| 1577 | INCREASED ACCESS TO WATERWAYS IN ENGLAND AND WALES | 2:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | David Taylor | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | John Hemming | | Jim Dobbin |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Sir Alan Beith |
| That this House applauds the British Canoe Union for staging an excellent 2009 European Canoe Slalom Championships in Nottingham, 28 to 31 May 2009, and celebrates the notable success of Team GB in taking four medals in total, two gold, one silver and one bronze; welcomes the BBC's live coverage on a busy sporting weekend; notes that over 2.5 million paddlers in Britain only have access to 1,400 miles of inland water in England and Wales, which is less than four per cent. of the total 41,000 miles of waterways over three metres wide; further notes that while the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2002 only incorporates land, the Scottish Land Reform Act 2003 and its supporting Scottish Outdoor Access Code includes waterways, ensuring that paddlers have the same rights as walkers and access to all of Scotland's waterways; and calls on the Government to set a realistic target for increased access to waterways in England and Wales by the Olympic year of 2012. |
| As an Amendment to Mr John Grogan's proposed Motion (Increased Access to Waterways in England and Wales): |
| Line 11, leave out `and Wales'. |
| 1578 | CROSS-INDUSTRY CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP TASK FORCE | 2:6:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Michael Connarty | Mr Eddie McGrady | | | David Cairns | Jenny Willott | Greg Mulholland | | | Sammy Wilson | Lindsay Roy |
| That this House supports the work of the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force (CCATF); further supports its aim to reinvigorate the culture and ethos of training in the construction industry; accepts the intrinsic value of apprenticeships to young people and to the construction industry; notes the imminent skills shortage affecting the construction industry; recognises that there are currently over 3,000 displaced apprentices in the United Kingdom; further recognises the work of the CCATF in bringing industry together to effect a solution to the current crisis; and calls on the Government to help create an environment conducive to the success of apprenticeships in the construction industry. |
| 1580 | TIME TO GET EQUAL WEEK | 2:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Lynne Jones | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Andrew George |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| That this House welcomes Time to Get Equal week 8 to 14 June 2009; agrees with its aim of bringing people together in support of a future where disabled people are valued and have the same opportunities as everyone else; recognises the work of Scope with disabled people across England and Wales; and calls on the Government to remove the barriers that prevent many disabled people from becoming actively involved in their local communities. |
| 1581 | NATIONAL OBESITY FORUM AND THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF WEIGHT LOSS | 2:6:09 |
| Mr Kevin Barron | | Mr Malcolm Moss | | Dr John Pugh | | John Cummings | | Mr Denis Murphy | | Sandra Gidley |
| | Dr Howard Stoate | Mike Gapes | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | Ian Stewart | Frank Cook | Malcolm Bruce | | | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| That this House notes that the levels of obesity in the United Kingdom continue to increase with serious implications for the quality of life of millions of people and for the National Health Service; welcomes the publication on 2 June 2009 by the National Obesity Forum of Medical Management During Effect Weight Loss as a useful tool which provides outline guidance for healthcare practitioners caring for patients during effective weight loss following surgical interventions and non-surgical methods such as drugs, part-formula low calorie diets and very low-calorie diets; believes that this publication will be a valuable resource for general practitioners to enable them to give the best possible advice to patients seeking and achieving significant weight loss based on sound science and best medical evidence; and congratulates the authors, Dr David Haslam, Dr Colin Waine and Dr Anthony Leeds on their work. |
| 1582 | HEROES WELCOME SCHEME | 3:6:09 |
| Mr Robert Goodwill | | Mr Mark Lancaster | | Bob Russell | | Hon Nicholas Soames | | Mr John Grogan | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House applauds the initiative of over 500 businesses in Scarborough that have already joined the Heroes Welcome scheme; notes that participants offer visiting service personnel special acknowledgement and discounts at hotels, restaurants and other service or retail firms; and calls on other towns and cities around the country to follow Scarborough's lead and join Heroes Welcome UK in order to give support, quiet recognition and a little extra hospitality as a way of showing gratitude to armed forces personnel and their families. |
| 1583 | CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY | 3:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Dr Desmond Turner | Gwyn Prosser | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews | | | Mr Jim Cunningham | Mr David S. Borrow | Sandra Osborne | | | Dr Gavin Strang | Mr George Galloway | Susan Kramer | | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House expresses its concern over pay awards for staff at the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), which includes the Science Museum in London, the National Railway Museum in York and the National Media Museum in Bradford, during a period of great success for the institution and especially when NMSI is celebrating its centenary; notes that management has imposed a pay offer for the third year running, despite its rejection by trade unions; further notes that staff pay scales have been frozen at the top for three years and at the bottom for five years, resulting in many staff receiving derisory non-consolidated awards in the last two years; acknowledges that many employees who meet targets have received a less than one per cent. pay rise in total for each of the last two years; is concerned that staff below the maximum have received half of their 2009-10 pay award on a non-consolidated basis, which is in stark contrast to substantial bonuses paid to some NMSI senior executives in 2007-08; and calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to urgently intervene to resolve this dispute, with the help of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service if necessary, to bring an end to minimal pay increases based on a biased performance appraisal system and also to address the continuing damage being done to staff morale, so it does not cause harm to the NMSI role as guardian and interpreter of the nation's industrial and scientific heritage. |
| 1584 | KING'S FUND REPORT ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 3:6:09 |
| Mrs Janet Dean | | Mr David Amess | | Mrs Linda Riordan | | Susan Kramer | | Peter Bottomley | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Eddie McGrady |
| That this House recognises the findings of the King's Fund report Perceptions of patients and professionals on rheumatoid arthritis care, commissioned by the Rheumatology Futures Project Group; notes with concern wide variations in the standards of care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, poor implementation of service redesign, insufficient clinical involvement in the commissioning process and a limited, understanding of the disease and the needs of patients; recognises the improvements in initial access to care for patients brought about by the introduction of the 18-week waiting tim |
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