| 1661 | MARINE AND COASTAL ACCESS BILL | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr John Leech | | Dr Brian Iddon | | David Taylor | | Mr James Gray |
| That this House is aware that the UK's marine environment hosts an astonishing wealth of internationally important marine wildlife; acknowledges that the Marine and Coastal Access Bill currently passing through Parliament represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver long-awaited protection for the UK's coastal marine environment; and therefore believes it important that any nature conservation provisions contained in the Bill must contain an unambiguous duty to designate an ecologically-coherent network of such zones which will protect them from either extractive or otherwise damaging commercial activities, and must include actual prohibitions against sea life disturbance in such environments. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Alan Meale's proposed Motion (Marine and Coastal Access Bill): |
| Line 2, after `wildlife;' insert, `notes that UK membership of the EU Common Fisheries Policy has led to the most intense period of destruction of marine life in UK waters;'. |
| 1662 | COUNCIL TAX COLLECTION COSTS AND ALTERNATIVES | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr John Leech | | Mr Colin Breed | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Hunter |
| That this House notes that council tax is 74 per cent. more expensive than income tax to administer, and that aligning council tax and income tax collection could save the public purse approximately £200 million per year; further notes that many pensioners and families on low incomes are disadvantaged by the current structure of council tax; and calls on the Government to engage in a national debate and provide a detailed assessment of a wide range of alternatives to council tax in its current form. |
| 1663 | ANDY MURRAY AND THE AEGON CHAMPIONSHIP | 15:6:09 |
| Pete Wishart | | John McDonnell | | Mr John Leech | | Mr James Gray | | Mr Alan Meale | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House congratulates Andy Murray on winning the AEGON Championship; notes he is now ranked number three in the world; and wishes him the very best of luck at Wimbledon next month. |
| 1666 | SEA SUNDAY AND THE WELFARE OF SEAFARERS | 15:6:09 |
| Jim Dobbin | | Robert Key | | Annette Brooke | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr Joe Benton |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Simon Hughes |
| That this House, in recalling Britain's proud maritime heritage, notes that today 90 per cent. of world trade travels by sea, 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's imports and exports travel by sea and 146,000 merchant ships arrive in British ports every year contributing to the nearly £40 billion annual turnover of the British maritime sector; acknowledges that the inherent problems for many thousands of merchant seafarers of dangerous conditions, low pay, poor morale, sickness and separation from family are sometimes exacerbated by exploitative employers sailing under flags of convenience; congratulates the national charity, the Apostleship of the Sea, on its work for the welfare and rights of all seafarers who visit British shores through a network of 13 port chaplains and over 120 volunteers in 57 ports and berthing facilities across Great Britain; extends its best wishes for the organisation's future development; hopes that the Apostleship of the Sea and its ecumenical partners, the Mission to Seafarers and the Sailors' Society, which provide so generously for the welfare of seafarers, benefit from the greater awareness of their mission stimulated by the presentations, prayers and collections associated with Sea Sunday on 12 July 2009; and urges all businesses which import and export goods by sea to be responsible corporate citizens and encourage their shipping providers to adopt an acceptable minimum level of care for their seafaring employees as advised by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. |
| 1667 | MID STAFFORDSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (No. 2) | 15:6:09 |
| Mr Andrew Lansley | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mark Simmonds | | Mike Penning | | Mr William Cash | | Mr Graham Brady |
| That this House notes the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Health; and calls on him to initiate an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the failings of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Spink | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House notes with concern the continued rise in fuel prices; further notes that both petrol and diesel prices are at over £1 per litre; recognises that the increased cost of petrol and diesel hits those in low and fixed incomes the hardest in addition to having an impact on business; further recognises the reliance many people have on using their vehicles both for business and private use and therefore the huge impact that the proposed two per cent. increase in fuel duty, due to be introduced in September 2009, will have on many people; and calls on the Government to review its policy and abandon the two per cent. rise. |
| John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr John Leech | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Graham Stringer |
| That this House considers that, to be credible and gain the confidence and trust of the British people, any inquiry into Britain's involvement in Iraq must be demonstrably fully independent, open, transparent and held in public, with the power to summon witnesses under oath. |
| As an Amendment to John McDonnell's proposed Motion (Iraq Inquiry): |
| Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| Line 4, at end add `, but the cost and the time taken must not be anything remotely approaching that reached by the Saville Inquiry.'. |
| 1672 | BONUSES OF REMPLOY DIRECTORS | 15:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr John Leech | | Bob Spink | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Graham Stringer | | Mr Dai Davies |
| That this House notes with disgust that the directors of Remploy were paid more than £1.7 million in bonuses in 2007-08, an increase of 40 per cent., in the same year that 2,500 workers lost their jobs at the firm; and agrees with the sentiments of Mr Phil Davies, National Officer of the GMB union, that the bonus culture for Remploy directors must end and that resources should be spent instead on Remploy's role of providing employment to workers with disabilities. |
| 1677 | 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITE STAFF BRANCH | 16:6:09 |
| Tony Lloyd | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Simon Hughes |
| That this House congratulates the Unite 1/427 branch on its quarter century of representing staff of hon. Members; and asks the House of Commons Commission to recognise the branch for the purposes of collective bargaining. |
| 1680 | ON-DEMAND AND INTERNET CONTENT ON TELEVISION | 16:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr Graham Brady | | Paul Rowen | | Richard Ottaway | | David Cairns | | Alan Keen |
| That this House notes the proposed project linking the internet with television under the project title Canvas being developed jointly between BT, the BBC and ITV and currently under consideration by the BBC Trust; welcomes the innovation reflected in the development of an open platform; recognises the value of a common standard for delivering a wealth of on-demand and internet content such as the BBC iPlayer to television sets via a broadband internet connection; further recognises the significant step that this will be for the broadcasting and broadband sectors; further notes the benefits the service will bring in providing consumers with greater choice of connected television platforms and the associated opportunities for a wide range of content providers, advertisers, network and platform operators, software companies and consumer electronics makers; further notes the potential the project has to stimulate digital creativity and increased take-up of broadband; and encourages other broadcasters and communications companies to join the proposed partnership. |
| 1681 | REFERENDUM ON ELECTORAL REFORM | 16:6:09 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr Charles Kennedy | | Mr David Drew | | Sir Alan Beith | | John Mann | | Jo Swinson |
| | Clare Short | Simon Hughes | Willie Rennie |
| That this House supports the call for a referendum regarding a more proportional voting system for elections to the House of Commons. |
| As Amendments to Mr John Grogan's proposed Motion (Referendum on Electoral Reform): |
| Mike Gapes | | Roger Berry | | Mr David Hamilton |
| Line 1, leave out `a more proportional' and insert `an alternative vote based on the existing single Member constituency'. |
| Stephen Hesford | | Lembit Öpik |
| Line 1, leave out from `regarding' to end and add `a change to the first past the post system of electing hon. Members to the House of Commons which maintains the constituency link.'. |
| 1682 | BEATING DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY | 16:6:09 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | David Simpson | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Mr Frank Doran | Clare Short | Dr Howard Stoate | | | Mr David Hamilton | Mr Clive Betts | Simon Hughes |
| That this House recalls the statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on 31 October 2007 that `the Government fully accepts that everything possible needs to be done to bring an end to the tragic impact Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy has on individuals and their families'; acknowledges that in the intervening time period around 200 young men will have died from this disease; believes that experience from Denmark shows that much better outcomes are possible when resources are focused on supporting those hit by this disease; applauds those clinicians and researchers who, despite financial constraints, have made huge strides in recent years; and calls on the Government to implement the commitment given by the Prime Minister by meeting the clinicians, carers and campaigners involved in the Action Duchenne campaign in order to develop a strategy based on best practice. |
| 1683 | LOCAL HOUSING - LOCAL SOLUTIONS REPORT | 16:6:09 |
| Mr Clive Betts | | Sarah Teather | | Mrs Jacqui Lait | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | David Simpson |
| That this House supports the publication of the Local Government Association document Local Housing - Local Solutions: the case for self-determination, which welcomes the commitment from politicians of all parties to good housing conditions and the need to build more homes; notes that the current system of funding council housing is unfair, ineffective, promotes a short-term approach to investment and is under-funded; asks that councils be released from this inefficient system; and calls on the Government to scrap the current Housing Revenue Account system and replace it with a fairer, more efficient localised system, giving councils financial self-determination but allowing support for those councils who find this unviable, and addressing the potential financial problems which could be created by removal of positive subsidy payments, enabling all councils to invest in their housing and to contribute to local economies. |
| 1687 | LOW CARBON INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY | 17:6:09 |
| Paddy Tipping | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Norman Baker | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to the development of a Low Carbon Industrial Strategy; and calls on the Government to include within the scope of the strategy policies for strategic support for all parts of the environmental technology sector, including those concerned with the quality and condition of water, soil and air, which are vital areas of technology both for environmental protection and for the competitiveness of UK business. |
| 1688 | SAMANTHA OROBATOR (No. 2) | 17:6:09 |
| Mr Alistair Carmichael | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House notes the decision by the Laotian court in Vientiane on 3 June 2009 to sentence Samantha Orobator to life imprisonment; further notes that Samantha pleaded guilty to the charges of drug smuggling; further notes the recent agreement between Britain and Laos regarding prison transfers; calls on both nations to ratify the agreement as a matter of urgency; and further calls on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do all it can to ensure Samantha returns home as soon as possible so she can serve her sentence in the UK. |
| 1689 | WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY | 17:6:09 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Spink | | Jim Dobbin | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Glenda Jackson |
| That this House welcomes the United Nations' designation of 19 June 2009 as World Sickle Cell Day; congratulates the Sickle Cell Society on its 30th anniversary; recognises the achievements made by the society in raising awareness of, and improving care for, sickle cell disease in the UK; notes this recognition of sickle cell disease as both a global public health problem as well as a serious health problem in the UK; and calls on the Government to continue its funding of newborn and antenatal NHS screening for this disease and to increase support for the development of sickle cell care services. |
| 1691 | OUTDOOR LEARNING | 17:6:09 |
| Mr Phil Willis | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| That this House notes with concern that the number of school students choosing to study physical science subjects post-16 has fallen over the last 25 years; recognises the significant contribution that outdoor learning makes to increasing students' enthusiasm for science and helping them on their way to becoming the new scientists of the future; notes with concern that there are currently a number of barriers to improving fieldwork, including Initial Teacher Training which is not working effectively enough to help produce sufficient numbers of high quality teachers with confidence, competence and commitment to teach outdoor science to the next generation of children and young people; further notes with concern that Qualified Teacher Status standard 30 only requires that trainee teachers should be able to identify opportunities for out-of-school learning, with no requirement for trainees to plan, organise, take part in, and lead outdoor learning activities; congratulates the Field Studies Council (FSC), an environmental education charity committed to helping people understand and be inspired by the natural world, on its campaign to improve teacher training; and calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support the FSC's campaign to introduce minimum standards in Initial Teacher Training and urgently to review Qualified Teacher Status standard 30. |
| 1692 | UNITE INTERNS AGREEMENT | 17:6:09 |
| Mr Phil Willis | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mrs Linda Riordan | | Dr Nick Palmer | | Greg Mulholland | | Ms Dari Taylor |
| That this House notes the important contribution interns working for hon. Members make; further notes internships in Parliament offer young people a transformative insight into political life and an important gateway into politics; believes that people from all around the UK, and from diverse backgrounds should have an equal opportunity to take part in internships for hon. Members; further believes hon. Members should be leading the country through providing best practice internships; welcomes the new Interns Agreement launched by the Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch, a document analogous to an employment contract, which sets out what both the hon. Member and the intern can expect from the internship; urges all hon. Members to use an Interns Agreement to ensure that their interns are offered a fulfilling and fair experience with the opportunity for training and development; and urges the House to consider bringing forward measures similar to those of the European Parliament to offer well structured, resourced and transparently advertised internship programmes. |
| 1695 | DIABETES AMPUTATIONS | 17:6:09 |
| Norman Lamb | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Bob Laxton | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Jim Dobbin | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes that there are around 100 lower-limb amputations among people with diabetes every week in England; is concerned that one in three people with diabetes do not realise that having the condition puts them more at risk of having an amputation; welcomes the publication of the Diabetes UK/NHS Diabetes report, Putting Feet First, which calls for better joint working between primary care trusts and hospitals to ensure provision of high-quality specialist care for the management and prevention of diabetic foot disease; supports the top tips resource to inform people with diabetes of the foot care they should demand; and commends the work of Diabetes UK in improving the lives of people with diabetes. |
| 1696 | PAY AND CONDITIONS OF CLEANERS ON LONDON UNDERGROUND | 17:6:09 |
| John McDonnell [R] | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mrs Linda Riordan |
| That this House believes that the low pay and appalling working conditions of cleaners working on London Underground have no place on a modern transport network, particularly one which will be the focus of the world during the 2012 Olympics; commends the campaign of Rail, Maritime and Transport members which has ensured that all but one of the contractors now pays the 2008 London Living Wage of £7.45 per hour; condemns ISS Tube Lines for breaking a commitment that rates of pay would increase to this level; notes the Mayor of London's embrace of a London living wage and calls on him immediately to intervene to address this anomaly especially as he has now endorsed an increased London living wage of £7.60 per hour; is shocked at the degrading conditions endured where men and women change together in cramped rooms and neither London Underground nor cleaning contractors will provide mess rooms for cleaners in which to eat food during their rest break or wash their hands, while they must clean up vomit and blood; further notes that many cleaning contractors have dismissed long-standing employees because of alleged invalid immigration status; calls for an amnesty for immigrants who have worked for many years in London and contributed to the economy; and therefore demands urgent remedial action from the Mayor as Chair of Transport for London to improve cleaners' working conditions. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1697 | DEAF CHILDREN'S SOCIETY BIG WALK FORWARD INITIATIVE | 17:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Andrew George |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Simon Hughes |
| That this House recognises The Big Walk Forward - London as an excellent opportunity to re-discover what the UK's great capital has to offer on foot whilst raising money for local deaf children societies or the National Deaf Children's Society; and commends those who took part in The Big Walk Forward 2008 and successfully raised thousands of pounds for deaf children's societies. |
| 1698 | KEEP BRITAIN TIDY CAMPAIGN | 17:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | David Taylor | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Drew | | Richard Burden |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Simon Hughes |
| That this House warmly congratulates Keep Britain Tidy, the environmental charity and anti-litter campaign for England, on its work; notes that Keep Britain Tidy also runs programmes such as Eco-Schools, Blue Flag and Quality Coast Awards for beaches, and the Green Flag for parks to demonstrate practical action; recognises the Government's support of such charities to enable their work; and congratulates all those who are involved. |
| 1699 | GOVERNMENT POLICY ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS | 17:6:09 |
| Dr Phyllis Starkey | | Mr Colin Breed | | Mr Andy Slaughter | | John Austin | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House endorses the call by President Obama for a full and complete freeze on all Israeli settlement building in occupied territories, including natural growth; notes that all settlements including outposts are explicitly illegal under international law and exist in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions; further notes that they are a major obstacle to peace and a meaningful two state solution which includes a viable, independent sovereign Palestinian state; and welcomes the Government's call for such a total freeze on settlement activity and urges the Government to do all in its power to bring this about. |
| 1700 | GOVERNANCE OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AUTHORITY | 17:6:09 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Nick Ainger | Mr David Hamilton | Mr Andrew Pelling | | | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes with concern the dominance of people with a financial services industry background on the board of the Financial Services Authority (FSA); acknowledges the concerns of consumer organisations such as Which? that this limits the board's ability to challenge the application of regulation and supervision by the senior management of the FSA and to promote and represent the interests of ordinary consumers; highlights the importance in the current economic climate of ensuring that the right decisions are taken on issues relating to financial regulation including rewards and remuneration in the sector; and therefore urges the FSA to ensure that suitable consumer representation is reflected on the board as a matter of urgency. |
| 1702 | ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY'S PARLIAMENTARY LINKS DAY | 18:6:09 |
| Dr Brian Iddon [R] | | Mr Mark Lancaster [R] | | Mr Phil Willis | | Dr Ashok Kumar | | Dr Evan Harris | | Ian Stewart |
| | Simon Hughes | Willie Rennie |
| That this House congratulates the Royal Society of Chemistry on holding its Parliamentary Links Day on 24 June 2009 on the theme of science and global security; welcomes the society's commitment to serve the public interest by improving the access of all hon. Members to scientific information and a better understanding of science; notes the keynote address by the right hon. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; notes that other speakers include Professor Dave Garner, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Lord Rees of Ludlow, President of the Royal Society, Dr Scott Steedman, Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor Paul Monks, Royal Society of Chemistry, Professor Alan Malcolm, Chief Executive of the Institute of Biology, Mr Alan Pratt, Vice President of the Institute of Physics, Dr Richard Herrington of the Geological Society, and welcomes the participation of the hon. Member for Windsor, Shadow Minister for Science and Innovation, the hon. Member for Harrogate, Chair of the Select Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills, and Professor John Beddington, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser; further notes that the Parliamentary Links Day is an established and respected event on the annual Parliamentary calendar; further notes that the Royal Society of Chemistry's pioneering Parliamentary Link Scheme, pairing scientists with Members, is open to right hon. and hon. Members on all sides of the House; and further welcomes the continuing contribution that the Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengthening the dialogue between Parliament and the science and engineering community. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1704 | NORTH WEST MUSCLE GROUP AND NEUROMUSCULAR SERVICES | 18:6:09 |
| Mr John Leech | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Graham Stringer |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the North West Muscle Group; notes that the new group is led by local families and people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions who will campaign to improve access to essential specialist care and support; is concerned to learn of the serious problems affecting the 6,500 people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions living in the North West; further notes that access to multi-disciplinary specialist care improves overall health outcomes and survival for patients with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; is deeply concerned that some patients are being denied access to multi-disciplinary specialist care; calls on the North West Specialised Commissioning Group, local primary care trusts and the Strategic Health Authority to take forward review of neuromuscular services which will identify areas of best practice and gaps in NHS service provision; and praises the campaign led by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who will work together to fight for good access to clinically effective, first class, specialised neuromuscular services across the North West region. |
| 1706 | SUSTAINABILITY OF TUNA STOCKS | 18:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Paul Flynn |
| That this House notes the importance of conservation of global tuna stocks; supports the decision by Pret a Manger to adjust its menu to help support the sustainability of the world's tuna stocks; welcomes its decision to discontinue the sale of yellowfin tuna altogether and the fact that it has been removed from their sushi boxes; notes that the company has never sold bluefin tuna and only sells skipjack tuna, which is a small, fast-breeding, non-migratory fish and not under threat of over-fishing; further notes that its skipjack tuna is caught by dolphin-friendly nets; further welcomes its decision that all its tuna will be caught by the pole and line method from August 2009; and calls on other sandwich and food companies to follow the example of Pret a Manger and play their part in ensuring the sustainability of tuna stocks. |
| 1707 | HEALTHCARE-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS | 18:6:09 |
| Mr Nigel Evans [R] | | Peter Bottomley | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lee Scott | | Philip Davies | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House recognises the significant challenge of healthcare-acquired infections on service delivery, patient safety and well-being and public confidence; welcomes the British Medical Association's report on reducing healthcare-acquired infections; expresses concern that short-term targets have replaced sustainable, evidence-based strategies for dealing with these infections; notes the impact of overcrowding and understaffing on infection-control practices; calls on the Government to produce long-term policies that tackle patient throughput and high bed occupancy; and further calls for adequate resources for thorough everyday cleaning. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Nigel Evans's proposed Motion (Healthcare-acquired Infections): |
| Line 7, after `occupancy;', insert `further calls on the Government to encourage patient participation in prevention, using anti-microbial products;'. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1709 | HUMAN TRAFFICKING OFFENCES | 19:6:09 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Andrew George | | David Simpson |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Simon Hughes |
| That this House welcomes the recent sentencing of Abdul Hameed Sakhizada, Ahmed Shah Sakhizada and Abdul Wakil Niazi, the leaders of what was believed to be one of the most profitable people-smuggling networks uncovered in Europe; is extremely concerned that the global conviction rates for human trafficking remain very low at only 1.5 per 1,000 people and that out of 155 countries, 40 per cent. failed to record a single conviction for human trafficking offences; notes that human trafficking is second only to the drugs trade in terms of the amount of money made; and calls upon the Government to ensure that sufficient funding is provided to those working in the fight against human trafficking. |
| 1711 | VIRGIN ATLANTIC'S 25th ANNIVERSARY | 19:6:09 |
| Mr Paul Keetch [R] | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Ms Gisela Stuart | | Mr Nigel Evans [R] | | Mr Greg Pope | | Paul Rowen |
| That this House welcomes the competition that currently exists in the aviation sector; congratulates Virgin Atlantic on providing 25 years of outstanding service for over 65 million passengers who have flown with the airline since its first flight on 22 June 1984; believes that it has established itself as one of the world's leading airlines; notes that it flies one of the youngest fleets in the world, that the award winning on-board experience is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced of any airline and that it is pioneering the way for aviation to reduce its environmental impacts through technological and operational improvements and investment into alternative fuels; is proud that it flies the Union Flag on the fuselages of its planes and is still Red Hot; and looks forward to many more years of it flying high at the forefront of the aviation industry. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1713 | PROVISION OF CHANGING PLACES TOILETS | 22:6:09 |
| Mr Tom Clarke | | Philip Davies | | Sarah Teather | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House notes the new research from the University of Dundee released by Mencap and the Changing Places Consortium which reveals that up to 230,252 people require the use of a Changing Places toilet; further notes that this 230,252 includes 36,782 people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, 30,947 people with cerebral palsy, 8,000 people with spina bifida and 8,500 people with multiple sclerosis; is alarmed that despite this massive demand there are only 85 Changing Places toilets available in the UK; understands that a Changing Places toilet is a toilet which has enough space for a disabled person, their carers and the right equipment which includes an adult-sized height-adjustable changing bench and a hoist; further understands that without them people who need support from one or two carers to use the toilet or to have their continence pad changed either have to stay at home or their family carers have to resort to changing them on dirty toilet floors; calls on the Government to encourage the building of Changing Places toilets in venues such as hospitals, shopping centres or large train stations; and further calls on the Government to amend Part M of the Building Regulations to ensure that all newly built major public buildings provide a Changing Places toilet. |
| 1714 | WORK OF THE ALIVE AND KICKING CHARITY | 22:6:09 |
| Mr Michael Moore | | Mr Don Foster | | Sir Robert Smith | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr Mark Field | Mr David Hamilton | Willie Rennie |
| That this House commends the work of Alive and Kicking, a charity which takes on previously unemployed adults in Kenya, Zambia and South Africa to hand-stitch durable sports balls for local communities; welcomes the opportunity that these sports balls give for children in some of the poorest communities in Africa to play games; notes that every job provided by Alive and Kicking usually supports an extended family of up to seven or eight people; recognises the importance of the health messages printed on the balls, which raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; and wishes this innovative charity a successful future, particularly in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup which is to be held in South Africa. |
| 1717 | REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY | 22:6:09 |
| Mr George Galloway | | Mr David Drew | | Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | Mr John Leech | | Philip Davies |
| That this House notes that there is an ongoing crisis in regional newspapers due to the fall in advertising revenues which has been compounded by the credit crunch; further notes that regional newspapers play a vital role in ensuring democracy at local level; congratulates the East London Advertiser for winning regional newspaper of the year for the second year running; believes that the demise of regional newspapers would seriously undermine local democracy; further believes that the establishment of weekly newspapers distributed free to every household by local councils further undermines the viability of regional newspapers; further believes that these council-run newspapers, like Eastendlife in Tower Hamlets, are primarily established in order to promote the political interests of the ruling group on these councils rather than to provide impartial and essential information; and further believes that legislation needs to be passed urgently to restrict councils from spending taxpayers' money on regular council newspapers. |
| 1718 | LINDSEY OIL REFINERY INDUSTRIAL ACTION | 22:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mrs Linda Riordan |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House expresses its support for the workers from the Lindsey Oil Refinery site currently taking industrial action to protect their jobs, wages and conditions and for all those workers at sites around the country who are taking action in support; and calls upon Total oil company to enter into talks at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service with the unions GMB and UNITE to resolve this dispute. |
| 1719 | EQUALITY BILL AND AGE-RELATED INSURANCE PRODUCTS | 22:6:09 |
| Harry Cohen | | Mr Michael Howard | | Graham Stringer | | Mr John Horam | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House notes that the Government policy paper Framework for Fairness June 2007 stated that the Equality Bill, currently before Parliament, should not have the unintended consequence of prohibiting positive benefits for either younger or older people, such as youth clubs or clubs for older people, holidays catering for people of particular ages, or concessions and discounts which help younger or older people; further notes that the Government probably wanted to continue to allow insurance companies to design and provide products for specific market segments, for example, younger or older drivers; and, therefore, urges the Government to bring forward amendments to the Bill to achieve this aim. |
| 1720 | PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS' SOURCES | 22:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Paul Farrelly | | Mr Don Foster | | Hywel Williams | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House regrets that many police forces fail to recognise the importance of a journalist's right to protect his or her sources; believes that the protection of confidential sources is internationally recognised as one of the basic principles of press freedom and attempts to force journalists to disclose information to the security services undermine the confidence and candour with which sources will talk to journalists and damages the ability of the press to hold people in positions of power to account; and therefore calls on the Government to issue guidance to police forces across the UK to remind them of the need to respect press freedom. |
| 1721 | BANKING SECTOR | 22:6:09 |
| John McDonnell | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House notes that the Government bailed out the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) with billions of pounds of taxpayers' money and now has a 70 per cent. stake in the banking group; further notes that since that time RBS has announced more than 10,000 job losses; is appalled that the new Chief Executive has been awarded a pay deal of up to £9.6 million, which represents nearly 3,000 times the income of one of the many ex-RBS staff members now claiming jobseeker's allowance; notes with concern reports that Goldman Sachs will be paying out the biggest bonus payouts in the firm's 140 year history; and therefore believes that the Government must now intervene to control the banks in which it has a public stake and legislate to ensure the interests of bank workers and customers are prioritised by the banks rather than the bonuses, pay and dividends of executives and shareholders who caused the UK banking crisis. |
| 1722 | PEOPLE WITH AUTISM | 22:6:09 |
| Mrs Janet Dean | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House notes the recent report from the National Audit Office Supporting People with Autism through Adulthood; further notes that adults with high-functioning autism are significantly less likely to experience traumatic and costly acute mental health problems if they are receiving appropriate services; further notes in particular the report's conclusion that providing appropriate health, social care and employment support to those with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome could save the public purse millions of pounds; recognises the positive steps already taken by the Government to address some of these issues; and calls on the Government to take forward all the recommendations contained in the report in its forthcoming adult autism strategy. |
| 1723 | REMUNERATION OF ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE | 22:6:09 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House is appalled that UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI), the public body created by HM Treasury to oversee the taxpayers' interests in the billions of pounds of public money provided to the failing private banks, has seen fit, on behalf of taxpayers, to endorse the obscene financial package worth £9,600,000 per year to Stephen Hester as chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is 70 per cent. owned by taxpayers; contrasts this utterly unacceptable and incomprehensible UKFI decision with the announcement of RBS a month earlier on 21 May to make redundant 700 workers in the first wave of a planned 4,500 job losses across the United Kingdom, which followed an announcement of 9,000 job losses by RBS in April; does not accept that this absurd level of payment is necessary to incentivise efficient management of RBS, noting that outgoing RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin was paid a massive £4,190,000 a year, and his business decisions brought the bank to the verge of ruin; recalls that Mr Hester told the Treasury Committee on 11 February 2009 `I do think banking pay in some areas of the industry is way too high and needs to come down and I intend us to lead that process'; believes the remuneration package offered to Mr Hester is entirely inconsistent with his own intention; and therefore believes the Chancellor should intervene immediately with UKFI to block this outrageous planned payment to Mr Hester. |
| 1725 | GOVERNOR OF BANK OF ENGLAND | 23:6:09 |
| Mr Frank Field | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Lynne Jones | | Bob Spink | | Mr Ken Purchase | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Mr James Gray |
| That this House congratulates the Governor of the Bank of England in outlining a strategy which will in future ensure that no bank is too large to fail; and further supports the Governor in his wish to separate high street retail banking from risky investment banking. |
| 1726 | GURKHA PENSIONS | 23:6:09 |
| Mr George Howarth | | Tony Baldry | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Mr Robert N. Wareing |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Mr James Gray |
| That this House welcomes the residency rights given to former Gurkha soldiers; notes that the British public united unanimously behind the Gurkhas in their campaign for equality of treatment with fellow British soldiers; further notes with concern that one area of inequality still remains relating to Gurkhas who have protected the interests of the United Kingdom by serving prior to 1997, but still do not receive a fair pension equal to their fellow British Army soldiers with the same service; recognises that Gurkhas who retired from the Army prior to 1997 receive a pension settlement between as little as 1/6th or 1/8th of that of the UK soldiers they served alongside; acknowledges that the British Gurkha Welfare Society is not demanding the backdating of any pension payments, nor any further retrospective grants such as receiving a terminal gratuity payment equal to that which British counterparts have received; further acknowledges that they are simply asking for Gurkhas to be treated as equals by the British Government by ensuring that all Gurkhas, regardless of when they served, receive from this point onwards a fair pension, equal to fellow British Army soldiers with the same service; and calls on the Government to consider giving all Gurkhas an equal and fair pension in the future. |
| 1727 | RETROSPECTIVE BUSINESS RATES CHARGES ON PORT OPERATORS | 23:6:09 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr Frank Field | | Mr Ian Cawsey | | Shona McIsaac | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Lynne Jones |
| That this House, in light of the injustice currently being done to port operators by demanding huge retrospective payments for new business rate assessment on top of the business rates they have already paid through the cumulo rent system, believes that, if the House of Lords reiterates its amendments stopping retrospective demands where they arise through faults on the part of the Valuation Agency, the Government should use the opportunity to listen to the ports, look seriously at the problem, and drop retrospective demands which are going to make many port operators insolvent and lose jobs and investment in ports; urges the Government to restore the basic and fair principle of business rating which is that new assessments which are not the fault of the ratepayer are not made retrospectively; and accordingly further urges the Government to act urgently to save the situation before local authorities are forced to initiate recovery proceedings, company accountants are compelled to indicate a potential insolvency in the accounts of port operators and ports are plunged into a disaster which is easily avoidable if only the Government will listen. |
| 1728 | G8 L'AQUILA SUMMIT AND THE GLENEAGLES COMMITMENTS | 23:6:09 |
| Mr Michael Moore | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Phil Willis | | Mr John Leech | | Andrew George |
| That this House notes the fourth anniversary of the G8 Gleneagles summit on 6 July 2009, and recalls the commitments made to the developing world at that summit, including to increase Official Development Assistance by $50 billion per year by 2010; deeply regrets the failure to honour these and other pledges in years of sustained global economic growth and believes that in a time of economic downturn concerted action to fulfil these outstanding pledges is now essential to prevent a dramatic reversal of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals; further notes the upcoming G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy on 8-10 July 2009 as an opportunity to reaffirm the G8's commitment to meet its Gleneagles pledges, but is concerned that Italy, as chair and host nation, has the worst record of the G8 nations and has actually reduced its aid budget; and therefore calls on the Government to provide the necessary leadership on development issues to ensure that every member of the G8 recommits to the Gleneagles pledges and takes action to implement them. |
| 1729 | TOPICAL DEBATES AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT | 23:6:09 |
| Mr Frank Field | | Bob Spink | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | John McDonnell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House believes that one way to increase Parliament's openness to the public would be to decide the subject of each Thursday's topical debate by means of an online poll, where members of the public would vote for the issues they would like to see debated from a shortlist of 10 varied options decided by the Leader of the House. |
| 1730 | FURNISHED HOLIDAY LETTINGS RULES | 23:6:09 |
| Janet Anderson | | Mrs Joan Humble | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Bob Spink | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr Gordon Prentice |
| | Mr Don Foster | Mr David Hamilton | Lynne Jones |
| That this House notes that the repeal of Furnished Holiday Lettings rules announced in the Budget will have negative and unintended consequences for providers of holiday lettings; believes that the negative impact of the repeal will lead to a reduction in the supply of self-catering accommodation in particular, resulting in a significant loss of jobs and damage to rural and seaside economies; further notes with concern the lack of any industry consultation on the repeal; and calls upon the Government to conduct a full consultation and review of this policy change as soon as possible to ensure all affected parties have the opportunity to voice their concerns and to promote an understanding of and mitigate against any unintended consequences on tourism, especially in rural and seaside areas. |
| 1732 | COST OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT | 23:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Stephen Williams | | David Taylor | | Philip Davies | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Jeremy Browne |
| That this House notes with concern that the cost of the European Parliament's policy of dividing its work between Brussels and Strasbourg is estimated at over €200 million per year and creates 20,268 tonnes of additional carbon dioxide emissions; further notes that the European Parliament is the only parliamentary assembly in the world that has two seats; further notes that the Strasbourg seat stands empty for 300 days of the year; therefore calls on the Government to urge the European Council to amend the Treaty of Amsterdam to identify a single seat for the European Parliament thereby reducing the EU budget of €1,530 million and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. |
| 1733 | PLAN BEE CAMPAIGN | 23:6:09 |
| Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Glenda Jackson | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd |
| | Mr George Galloway | Mr James Gray | Willie Rennie | | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House supports the Co-operative's Plan Bee campaign to raise awareness of the dramatic demise of bees and the various disorders and diseases threatening honeybee hives; notes that although in the UK bees contribute £165 million a year to the economy, this is only a small part of their contribution to sustaining the country's way of life and the way the planet functions, including their crucial role in pollinating some 90 commercial crops worldwide; further notes that the British Beekeepers Association survey revealed that 30 per cent. of the UK's 240,000 honeybee hives were lost in the winter and spring of 2008 compared to normal yearly losses of around five to 10 per cent., welcomes the Co-operative's pledge of £150,000 for research into the causes behind the decline of the honeybee and its 10-point plan on prohibiting the use of a group of eight pesticides on own-brand fresh produce, trialling a wildflower seed mix to attract honeybees and raising awareness of the plight of the UK honeybee; welcomes the Government's efforts to tackle the problems; and calls on the Government to redouble those efforts. |
| 1735 | JACK HENDERSON | 23:6:09 |
| Mark Williams | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Stephen Williams | | Mr Phil Willis | | John McDonnell |
| That this House congratulates Jack Henderson, a young inventor from Cardigan, on his success in the last year, which includes winning the WJEC/Welsh Assembly Government Innovation Awards 2008, being a Double Gold Medal Winner at the British Invention Show 2008, and being a runner-up in the National Science Competition, the Young Technologist of the Year, winning the BAE Systems Special Award for Technology 2009; notes that Jack has been featured on national and regional media, providing inspiration for other young inventors; acknowledges the support given to Jack by Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi, which has encouraged him to develop his talents; wishes Jack well for the future; and looks forward to following his future successes. |
| 1736 | INQUIRY INTO THE IRAQ WAR | 24:6:09 |
| Mr Marsha Singh | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Mr Robert N. Wareing |
| That this House calls on the Government to ensure that any inquiry into the Iraq War should be completely public; and notes that any inquiry conducted behind closed doors will be called a whitewash and will do further harm to Parliament's reputation. |
| 1737 | PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVES AND PUBLIC FINANCES | 24:6:09 |
| John Barrett | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House is concerned at Government proposals to publish two separate sets of government departmental accounts, one which includes private finance initiative schemes on the balance sheet and one which does not; notes that the creation of two different balance sheets with different fiscal information was used by accountants working for Enron in order to hide their state of finances during the 1990s; believes that greater transparency and public accountability would be achieved by the publication of a single set of accounts; and calls on the Government to publish one account which includes all private finance initiative schemes on the balance sheet. |
| 1738 | CONFEDERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERVICES | 24:6:09 |
| Tim Loughton | | Mr Andy Reed | | Mrs Maria Miller | | Mr Gary Streeter | | Annette Brooke | | Mrs Eleanor Laing |
| That this House recognises the crucial role that youth work plays in young people's personal and social development, promoting their voice and empowering them to make positive contributions in their communities; and therefore welcomes the launch of the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services, supporting and developing the youth workforce and working to improve the capacity and quality of services for young people. |
| 1739 | FISHERMEN FROM THE PHILIPPINES WORKING ON THE WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND | 24:6:09 |
| Mr Angus MacNeil | | Mark Durkan | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Hywel Williams | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House strongly believes that the Government should quickly reconsider its policies regarding fishermen from the Philippines working in the waters around the Outer Hebrides and west coast of Scotland by establishing a six month moratorium on deportations; notes that these fishermen are not unskilled workers as they need several qualifications to engage in the fishing profession while filling a severe shortage of skilled fishing labour in the Western Isles; and further notes that deporting these fishermen will be yet another blow to the Isles as the Government is already planning to close the Hebrides Range which will result in the loss of almost 120 jobs. |
| 1740 | CONDUCT OF THE PRIME MINISTER | 24:6:09 |
| Daniel Kawczynski | | Ann Winterton | | Mr James Gray |
| That this House notes the disparaging and derisory comments made by the Prime Minister in his statement to the House on 23 June 2009 on the European Council on the Law and Justice Party of Poland; further notes that such an attack is not only an insult to the President of Poland, who is a member of this Party, but also to the Polish people who elected him and his Party to office; further notes that the Prime Minister has managed to offend many senior representatives because of his lecturing and patronising approach; and urges the Prime Minister to take time out to attend a course on the basic elements of international diplomacy before he severely damages the UK's relations with other countries such as Poland any further. |
| 1741 | NATIONAL ARMED FORCES DAY | 24:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell |
| | Mr Paul Keetch | Mr David Hamilton | Mr James Gray | | | Willie Rennie | Lynne Jones |
| That this House acknowledges the first national Armed Forces Day on 27 June 2009; welcomes the event as an opportunity for the nation to show recognition and support for the men and women, both serving and veteran, who make up the Armed Forces community. |
| 1742 | ASSAULTS ON FIRE CREWS | 24:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Mr David Hamilton | Mr Robert N. Wareing | Lynne Jones |
| That this House deplores physical assaults on firefighters while attending incidents; recognises the need to ensure that firefighters are given the respect they deserve, particularly in the dangerous conditions in which they work, often helping to save lives; welcomes initiatives introduced in Tyne and Wear where crews have spit kits so that attackers' DNA can be collected; and calls on the Government to work with the Fire Brigades Union to develop a national strategy to tackle assaults on firefighters which would require all fire authorities to put in place plans to prevent attacks on fire crews, to standardise the collection of statistics on such attacks, to introduce conflict resolution training where violent attacks cannot be avoided and to conduct public awareness advertising campaigns that challenge attacks on firefighters. |
| 1743 | RESTORATION OF THE PENSIONS AVERAGE EARNINGS LINK | 24:6:09 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Mark Durkan | | Mr David Drew | | John Cummings |
| | Mr Robert N. Wareing | Lynne Jones |
| That this House calls on the Government to bring forward proposals to restore the link between increases in the basic state pension and average earnings in the next Budget; believes that reform to the pension system is needed to allow it to serve as a foundation for retirement planning and for it to retain its value and enable people to plan for retirement with confidence; notes that to delay restoration of the earnings link subject to economic volatilities would result in an increase in the number of pensioners on means-tested benefits; and urges the Government to continue to demonstrate support for pensioners by bringing forward proposals to restore this link. |
| 1744 | EDINBURGH'S TELFORD COLLEGE | 24:6:09 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Dr Gavin Strang | | Mr David Hamilton | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Lynne Jones |
| That this House expresses its concern at the threatened redundancies at Edinburgh's Telford College, which include both lecturers and support staff; notes that this is against a background of a sharp rise in applications for courses there; further notes that amongst those at risk of being made redundant are lecturers in business and trades which have proved particularly popular at a time when proper provision for the unemployed to retrain and improve their skills is vital; and urges the governing board of Telford College to reconsider the proposals and work constructively with staff and trade union representatives to find other means of resolving the present funding crisis. |
| 1745 | HIV TREATMENT IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD | 24:6:09 |
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | | Mr Andrew Mitchell | | Mr Mark Lancaster | | Mr Stephen Crabb | | Alistair Burt | | Richard Ottaway |
| | Anne Main | Mr David Lidington | Robert Key | | | Mr Gary Streeter | Miss Anne McIntosh | Mr Oliver Heald | | | Mr Nick Hurd | Michael Fabricant | Mr Robert Syms | | | Mark Pritchard | Andrew Selous | Mr Lee Scott | | | Mr David Evennett | Angela Watkinson | Tony Baldry | | | Mr Brooks Newmark | Mr Laurence Robertson | Mr Keith Simpson | | | Mr Peter Bone |
| That this House notes with concern that around the world 15 million children have lost one or more parents due to AIDS; notes that only 31 per cent. of adults and barely 10 per cent. of children in need of HIV treatment have access to it and that access to prevention is also limited; 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 pharmaceutical companies have a vital role to play in helping to achieve universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010; welcomes the fact that many companies have chosen voluntarily to sign up to new patent pool arrangements; and calls for governments, businesses and voluntary organisations to work together in tackling the epidemic. |
| 1747 | FAIR TRADE FOR BRITISH FARMERS | 25:6:09 |
| Tim Farron | | Andrew George | | Willie Rennie |
| That this House believes in fair trade for farmers, whether based in the UK or overseas; is concerned at reports of dairy farmers being offered as little as 10 pence per litre for their milk in the aftermath of the collapse of Dairy Farmers of Britain; acknowledges the fact that many British farmers from a variety of sectors are forced to accept payment for their produce by powerful buyers including supermarkets at a rate below the cost price; further believes that this unfair trade is a consequence of market failure and an imbalance of power between the producer, the processor and the retailer; and seeks to correct that imbalance by setting up a new, powerful Food Market Regulator with a remit to be proactive to ensure fair trade in the domestic food market to ensure that farmers, growers and consumers get a fair deal. |
| 1750 | MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAMS AND TAXATION | 25:6:09 |
| Tim Farron | | Andrew George | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work of mountain rescue teams; acknowledges the dedication and skills of mountain rescue volunteers; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment; notes that these taxes cost the volunteer mountain rescue teams up to £200,000 a year; further notes that other emergency services do not have to pay taxes on equivalent equipment; is concerned that the Government has not yet announced an intention to exempt mountain rescue teams from these taxes despite indications from the European Commission that the UK could well be permitted to do so; and calls on the Government to announce such an exemption immediately. |
| 1755 | IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2009 | 25:6:09 |
| Mr David Drew | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House supports the Iranian citizens who are utilising their democratic right to protest over the disputed Presidential election results of 12 June 2009; is concerned by reports of the arrest, torture and murder of protesters by the Revolutionary Guards and paramilitary Bassij; further supports the Iranian people in bringing about democratic change; and urges the Iranian Government to accept free and fair UN-supervised elections. |
| 1756 | FINANCIAL PRIVILEGE AND BUSINESS RATE SUPPLEMENTS BILL | 26:6:09 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr Ian Cawsey |
| That this House deprecates the Government's decision to invoke financial privilege to prevent the House of Lords returning its sensible amendments to the Business Rate Supplements Bill which would have prevented retrospective punishment of port businesses for the incompetence and failures of the Valuation Office Agency; views this pathetic and petty decision not as an invocation of the spirit of Lloyd George to protect the powers of the Commons but as a cowardly attempt to conceal the disastrous consequences of the massive retrospective rate bills the Government is imposing on the ports and its failure to manage the Valuation Office Agency and to prevent it punishing ports; and very much regrets that in doing so the Government and this House lose the opportunity to right a serious wrong and protect Britain's ports from the insolvencies, job losses and diversion of trade and investments which will result. |
| That this House notes that 25 June 2009 was the third anniversary of the kidnap of Israeli serviceman Gilad Shalit; is concerned that he is being held a hostage, incommunicado, and is neither permitted to send or receive messages from his family, nor receive visits from the Red Cross or similar organisations; and calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to secure the release from captivity of Gilad Shalit and of other Israeli service personnel who are being held as hostages. |
|
