* The figure following this symbol is the number of Members' who have added their names in support of the Motion, including the Member in charge of the Motion.
After an Early Day Motion (EDM) has been printed for the first time, it is only reprinted when names are added or amendments tabled; only the first six names and any names added since the last printing are included. After the week in which a Motion is first printed and the following week, added names and amendments appear only in a separate paper, Mature EDMs, distributed the next Thursday. In the meantime, they are available for inspection by Members in the Table Office and the Library or on the EDM database at edmi.parliament.uk
| 208 | MOTORCYCLING IN THE UK | 14:6:10 |
| Sammy Wilson | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Martin Caton | | Mr Mike Weir | | Philip Davies |
| That this House notes the positive impact that motorcycling can have both as an alternative to the private car and as a way of reducing congestion in towns and cities; is concerned that these benefits and the views of motorcyclists are often overlooked in the development of transport policy; and calls on the Government to give greater attention to these issues during the course of this Parliament. |
| 209 | DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL AND UK PENSIONS FUNDS | 14:6:10 |
| Zac Goldsmith | | Caroline Lucas | | Martin Horwood | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Jonathan Edwards |
| That this House notes that the Deepwater Horizon disaster is now considered the largest offshore oil spill in US history, and will have devastating environmental and social consequences for years to come; notes that almost all British pension funds have significant investments in BP, and that uncertainty over BP's share price and quarterly dividend will hit ordinary pension savers; believes that this incident clearly demonstrates that environmental risks are also financial risks; further believes that pension funds should do more to integrate environmental risk assessment into their investment practices; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that pension funds report fully on their policy and practice regarding environmental, social and governance risks. |
| 210 | COMMUNITY PUBLIC HOUSES | 14:6:10 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Clive Efford | | Alison Seabeck | | Jackie Doyle-Price | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell |
| Nia Griffith | Mr Clive Betts | Alec Shelbrooke | | Caroline Lucas | Julie Elliott | Dr John Pugh | | Chris Williamson | Simon Hughes |
| That this House recognises the social, economic and cultural importance of well-run community pubs, which provide a safe and sociable environment for the consumption of alcohol among friends and are an essential community meeting place; notes the ideas put forward in the Campaign for Real Ale's Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter which received support from 670 candidates at the last election, 150 of whom were elected; welcomes the genuine cross party consensus on the need to support and protect well-run community pubs; and so urges the Government to implement a package of policies which will help secure the future of viable and well-run community pubs. |
| 213 | MK ZOABI AND THE GAZA FLOTILLA | 14:6:10 |
| Mr Roger Godsiff | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Jim Dobbin | | Jonathan Edwards |
| That this House views with concern the treatment that MK Zoabi has received from her fellow parliamentarians in the Knesset as a result of her participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla; notes that she may shortly be deprived of parliamentary privileges which include her parliamentary immunity and Knesset membership, as well as facing criminal prosecution following her contradiction of the official Israeli version of events when the boats were intercepted in international waters; further notes that her vilification has lead to death threats and the assignment of personal body guards by the Knesset; and calls on the Government vigorously to support the actions of MK Zoabi in its representations to the Israeli government and to affirm MK Zoabi's basic political, civil and human rights, including freedom of speech, and those of the Palestinian people for whom she took her stand. |
| 214 | BREATHE EASY WEEK 2010 CAMPAIGN | 14:6:10 |
| Ian Mearns | | Pat Glass | | Mrs Mary Glindon | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan |
| Tony Baldry | Dr John Pugh | Simon Hughes |
| That this House congratulates the British Lung Foundation (BLF) on the launch of their Children's Charter during Breathe Easy Week 2010; praises the Charter for outlining what is required to make a substantial difference to the lung health of children in the UK; notes that the most commonly reported long-term illnesses in children and babies are conditions of the respiratory system; further notes that children with any respiratory problems have the right to have access to a professional who is suitably qualified and that all children and their parents and carers should be given the opportunity to learn how to keep young lungs healthy; further notes that the BLF's survey of mumsnet.com users found that 86 per cent. of respondents support a ban on smoking in cars, where minors are present, to protect the health of children; and urges an increase in awareness of the dangers of passive smoking to children's health. |
| As an Amendment to Ian Mearns's proposed Motion (Breathe Easy Week 2010 Campaign): |
| Line 1, after `(BLF)', insert `and further congratulates Breathe Easy in Harlow and Epping Forest for their dedicated public service and hard work,'. |
| 215 | PUBLIC VALUE OF THE EDITED ELECTORAL REGISTER | 14:6:10 |
| Dan Rogerson | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Stephen Williams | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House believes that the edited electoral register provides very significant social and economic benefits for the UK as a whole; notes that the edited electoral resister does this by helping charities to fundraise, helping reunite lost friends and family (including the 3,000 people found by the Salvation Army), locating and connecting organ and bone marrow donors, enabling adoption organisations to find biological parents of adoptive children, and assisting businesses provide age verification, to reduce credit card fraud, minimise identity theft, pursue bad debts, repatriate dormant financial assets to their rightful owners, and support probate; and opposes all steps which might further significantly restrict access to or abolish the edited electoral register. |
| 219 | GRAND CENTRAL TRAINS | 14:6:10 |
| Mrs Linda Riordan [R] | | Mr Jim Cunningham | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Tom Harris | | Mr Ian Davidson | | Mr John Leech |
| That this House congratulates the train operator Grand Central on the excellent start it has made to its new direct train service from Bradford to London; praises Grand Central for its initiative in spotting a gap in the rail market and having the vision, dedication and patience to see its plans come to fruition; welcomes the fact that these new London services are serving towns like Halifax and Brighouse which have not had a direct train service to London for decades; further welcomes the fact that the trains are proving to be very popular with the general public and the business community; praises Grand Central staff for their helpful and courteous manner; further praises everyone who helped campaign for these services, particularly the local newspaper the Halifax Evening Courier; recognises that allowing rail operators like Grand Central to link towns like Halifax with London provides new jobs and investment opportunities in the North; urges the Department for Transport to encourage more open access rail operators to introduce new services linking London with towns and cities not currently served by trains to London; further asks the Department to engage more widely with open access operators to see whether there are things the operators could do that would save the Department money on franchised services; and looks forward to Grand Central increasing the number of services in each direction from three to four, giving people in places like Halifax even more opportunity to get to London for business or leisure. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 220 | INDUSTRIALISATION OF DAIRY FARMING | 14:6:10 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Jim Dobbin | | Stephen Williams | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Glenda Jackson |
| That this House notes that pressures are building for the increasing industrialisation of UK dairy farming and that a growing number of cows are being kept indoors for all or most of the year, many of which are pushed to extremely high milk yields; further notes that the 2009 report by the European Food Safety Authority which concluded that breeding for high milk yield is the major factor causing poor health and welfare in cows; and believes that the factory farming of dairy cows must be brought to an end. |
| 221 | BAN ON BATTERY CAGES | 14:6:10 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Jim Dobbin | | Stephen Williams | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Simon Wright |
| Caroline Lucas | Julie Elliott | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes the EU ban on conventional battery cages for laying hens; and believes that the UK needs to remain firm in opposing any postponement of the EU-wide ban on conventional battery cages for laying hens due to come into force on 1 January 2012. |
| 222 | PUBLIC PROCUREMENT OF EGGS, MEAT AND MILK | 14:6:10 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Jim Dobbin | | Stephen Williams | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Simon Wright |
| Caroline Lucas | Julie Elliott | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes that it is encouraging that about 90 local authorities either no longer use eggs from caged hens, or are committed to ending their use in the near future; and therefore believes that the Government should now set high standards of animal welfare for the procurement of food and meals by the whole of the public sector, and that this should extend not just to eggs but also to fish, meat and milk. |
| 223 | BEAK-TRIMMING BAN | 14:6:10 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Jim Dobbin | | Stephen Williams | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Simon Wright |
| That this House notes that the UK ban on the beak-trimming of laying hens is due to come into force on 1 January 2011; further notes that the previous Government planned to postpone the ban without setting any new date for it to come into force; and therefore believes that if the ban is postponed, a new specific commencement date must be set and that an indefinite postponement is completely unacceptable. |
| 224 | BAN ON BATTERY CAGES FOR GAME BIRDS | 15:6:10 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | | Stephen Pound | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr John Leech | | Mark Durkan | | Annette Brooke |
| Caroline Lucas | Julie Elliott | Dr John Pugh | | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes that the new Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has withdrawn the new code of practice for game bird production made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and that the effect of this decision will be to overturn a ban on battery cages for breeding pheasants; further notes that the code was the product of years of evidence gathering and public consultation, and that the battery cage ban had the support of Britain's leading pro-shooting lobby group, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation; and therefore opposes any move that would legitimise battery or raised laying cages for game birds. |
| 226 | SATURDAY TOURS OF PARLIAMENT | 15:6:10 |
| John Mann | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Weir | | Philip Davies | | Andrew Stephenson | | Jim McGovern |
| Mr Frank Doran | Julie Elliott | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House notes that tours of Parliament are now to be available to the general public at weekends throughout the year; welcomes the work of the Serjeant at Arms and her team in making this a reality; thanks the security staff, visitor assistants and others who will be working to make Parliament as accessible as possible to more people than ever; believes that Parliament should be open to everyone; and encourages the House authorities to consider providing Members' Tours on Saturdays too. |
| 227 | G8 SUMMIT AND CHILD AND MATERNAL HEALTH | 15:6:10 |
| Tony Baldry | | Annette Brooke | | Richard Burden | | Mark Lancaster | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House welcomes the Prime Minister's announcement that the Government will prioritise maternal health at the forthcoming G8 summit, but wishes to ensure that attention to the survival of children under five years old goes hand-in-hand with initiatives on maternal health; and calls on donor governments like the UK to judge the success of their development policies by their impact in lowering maternal and child mortality rates and to promote strategies that do so. |
| 231 | NATIONAL EYE HEALTH WEEK 2010 | 15:6:10 |
| Alun Michael | | Mr John Baron | | Andrew George | | Luciana Berger | | Annette Brooke | | Peter Bottomley |
| Dr Julian Lewis | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes that 14 to 19 June 2010 is the UK's first ever National Eye Health Week; further notes that at least 50 per cent. of sight loss is preventable and that early detection through regular eye tests is a simple and practical way to maintain good eye health; and congratulates the organisations involved in Eye Health Week in bringing to the nation's attention the importance of regular sight tests for good eye health and prevention of sight loss. |
| 232 | PROPOSED CLOSURE OF TRENCH (UK) ON TYNESIDE | 15:6:10 |
| Mr Stephen Hepburn | | Ian Mearns | | Mr David Anderson | | Bridget Phillipson | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Chi Onwurah |
| That this House deplores the actions of Siemens in proposing to close Trench (UK) on Tyneside and transferring its production to France and Germany; notes that Trench (UK), which has 96 employees, has a healthy order book, is making good profits and is a world leader in manufacturing its high-tech product for the electricity supply sector; further notes that the reason Siemens is giving the workforce for the closure is based on out-of-date information; and calls on Siemens' senior management to look again at its proposals. |
| 233 | REGULATION OF THE PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR | 15:6:10 |
| Mr Andrew Love | | Alison Seabeck | | Nia Griffith | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Ian Mearns |
| Julie Elliott | Dr John Pugh | Rushanara Ali |
| That this House notes with concern the Government's decision to abandon plans for a national register of landlords and further regulation of the private rented sector; recognises that the private rented sector plays a significant role in supporting the housing market in the UK; believes that rogue landlords and letting agents continue to pose a threat to consumers in the private rented sector; further notes the statistic from the Office of Fair Trading that the number of complaints against rogue landlords and letting agents is on the rise; and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals immediately to create a national register of landlords and to propose further regulation of landlords and letting agents in the private rented sector. |
| 238 | ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY'S PARLIAMENTARY LINKS DAY | 15:6:10 |
| Mark Lancaster [R] | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Ian Davidson | | Stephen Williams | | Andrew Stephenson | | Peter Bottomley |
| Mr Frank Doran | Dr John Pugh | Simon Hughes |
| That this House congratulates the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) on holding its Parliamentary Links Day on 22 June 2010 on the theme of Science and the New Parliament; welcomes the Society's commitment to serve the public interest by improving hon. Members' access to scientific information and a better understanding of science; notes the keynote address by right hon. David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science; further notes that other speakers include Professor Dave Garner, President of the RSC, Lord Rees of Ludlow, President of the Royal Society, Martin Earwicker, Council Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Helen Fielding, RSC Member of Council, Dr Mark Downs, Chief Executive, the Society of Biology, Jocelyn Bell, President of the Institute of Physics, Bryan Lovell, President of the Geological Society, Imran Khan of CaSE, David Cope, Director of POST, and Professor John Beddington, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser; further welcomes the participation of the right hon. Member for Doncaster North on behalf of the Official Opposition and the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston as Chair-elect of the Science and Technology Select Committee; further notes that 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 hon. Members, is open to right hon. and hon. Members on all sides of the House; and further welcomes the outstanding contribution that Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengthening the dialogue between Parliament and the science and engineering community. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 240 | NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES | 15:6:10 |
| Andrew George | | Mr Ian Davidson | | Mr John Leech | | Stephen Williams | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House is concerned that the estimated annual cost to the economy of the damage caused by non-native invasive species such as Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and Hottentot fig is in excess of two billion pounds; notes that the most cost-effective and least environmentally-damaging approach to solving the problems caused by non-native invasive species is through prevention, rapid response and early intervention; recognises that non-native invasive species have the ability to cause damage to the environment, the economy, our health and the way we live; further notes that the Invasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain calls for a rapid response system to be created and preventative approach adopted; expresses regret that sufficiently robust controls to prevent the arrival of species known already to be causing damage elsewhere are not in place; expresses further regret that there is no obligation for statutory bodies to enact a rapid response system and no designated resources have been declared for prevention and rapid response; and therefore calls on the Government to identify the resources and the administrative means to ensure that such systems can be implemented. |
| 242 | CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY | 16:6:10 |
| Ms Margaret Ritchie | | Andrew George | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mark Durkan | | David Simpson | | Ian Paisley |
| Julie Elliott | Simon Hughes |
| That this House recognises that construction is a major employer in all constituencies and that a vast number of jobs within the industry are still under threat; and calls for a comprehensive plan, backed by policies on taxation that promote enterprise and growth, that will maintain construction commitments in programmes such as education and infrastructure renewal to achieve long-term national economic benefits whilst ensuring people remain in work. |
| 243 | SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS | 16:6:10 |
| Dr Julian Huppert | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | John Hemming | | Stephen Williams | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| Andrew Miller | Caroline Lucas | Simon Hughes |
| That this House notes the value and importance of science in the schools' curriculum; further notes the importance of the specific inclusion of evolution and natural selection in the schools' curriculum; regrets that evolution has been dropped from reforms to the primary school curriculum, along with other reforms proposed; further regrets the inclusion of creationist and other pseudo-scientific theories in the teaching of science in some schools; and urges the Government to ensure that all schools teach and promote science and the scientific method and to include the theory of evolution in the science curriculum at both primary and secondary levels. |
| 244 | BRITISH AIRWAYS INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE | 16:6:10 |
| Mr John Leech | | Jonathan Edwards | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Alec Shelbrooke |
| That this House regrets that no resolution has been reached to bring an end to the industrial dispute between cabin crew and British Airways; notes with concern that cabin crew who have been unfit for work during strike action have been docked pay due to BA treating sickness as if staff have taken industrial action; further regrets that cabin crew have had pay docked from their salary for days when they were available for work, and in some instances have lost as many as four days' pay for one day of strike action; and recognises that this action by BA will only worsen relations between management and cabin crew, and reduces the chances of an amicable resolution. |
| 245 | SOUTH WEST MUSCLE GROUP | 16:6:10 |
| Alison Seabeck | | Andrew George | | Mr John Leech | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House congratulates the work of the South West Muscle Group, a coalition of families and health professionals affected by or with an interest in muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions, who are working closely with the regional NHS Specialised Commissioning Group to implement the £1 million Neuromuscular Strategy; notes that the Neuromuscular Strategy, announced in March 2009, aims to provide a comprehensive multidisciplinary service for the 5,000 people living in the South West affected by muscle disease and provides for the first time a service for the adults living in the region affected by these rare and very rare conditions; further notes that the South West Muscle Group, supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, is now campaigning to improve access to hydrotherapy and respite care in the region; and praises the hard work of local families, health professionals and experts in these conditions who have joined together in the fight against muscle disease across the South West. |
| Rosie Cooper | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew Gwynne | | Jonathan Edwards | | Mr John Leech | | Jim Dobbin |
| Mr Frank Doran | Stephen Twigg | Roberta Blackman-Woods | | Alex Cunningham | Mr Clive Betts | Caroline Lucas | | Kate Green | Mr George Howarth | Mark Lazarowicz | | Simon Hughes |
| That this House celebrates the valuable role performed by over six million carers in the UK, in the majority of cases without any financial recognition from the public purse, saving the country an estimated £87 billion per year; congratulates Carers UK for the valuable work it does in supporting carers and highlighting their needs during Carers Week; further congratulates the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers for its continued campaigning for a better deal for working carers; recognises that many carers need to work to make ends meet because Carer's Allowance only pays £53.90 a week for a minimum of 35 hours caring; urges the Government to match the commitment of the 2008 National Carers Strategy to ensure that carers are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role and to support the recommendation of the Work and Pensions Select Committee 2008 report that `DWP should support adults who become carers during their working lives to combine work and care'; and therefore calls on the Government to remove the disincentive to work represented by the cliff-edge earnings threshold of £97 per week that prevents many carers from working at all and stops those in work from fulfilling their full working potential. |
| 248 | FREE SCHOOL MEALS PILOT SCHEME | 16:6:10 |
| Roberta Blackman-Woods | | Helen Goodman | | Julie Elliott | | Lilian Greenwood | | Nia Griffith | | Fiona Mactaggart |
| Caroline Lucas | Kate Green | Chi Onwurah | | Chris Williamson |
| That this House urges the Government to reconsider its decision to cancel a planned extension to the universal free schools meals pilot scheme; totally deplores the fact that the extension of free school meals to more low income families due to start this September has been scrapped; and asks the Government to assist with the provision of more free school meals recognising the vital contribution they make in encouraging sound eating habits in early childhood, developing social skills, tackling childhood obesity, supporting local businesses through local procurement, creating jobs and helping to end child poverty. |
| 250 | VAT ON MOUNTAIN RESCUE EQUIPMENT | 16:6:10 |
| Tim Farron | | Peter Bottomley | | John Hemming | | Mr John Leech | | Andrew George | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work undertaken by mountain rescue teams who provide essential support to emergency services in mountainous and rural areas; notes with concern that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment which are exempt for other emergency services who do not have to pay taxes on equivalent equipment; and calls on the Government to exempt mountain rescue teams from these taxes immediately and pay back the estimated £200,000 it collected in value added tax during 2009. |
| 252 | RODEO EVENTS AND ANIMAL WELFARE | 16:6:10 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Chris Williamson | | Mr John Leech | | Andrew George | | Alex Cunningham |
| That this House commends the League Against Cruel Sports in bringing the enormous cruelty of rodeo to the attention of the British public; applauds the work of the Vancouver Humane Society in campaigning against rodeo; and calls on the Canadian government to take steps to end the immense cruelty to animals in events such as calf roping, which is practised at rodeos including the Calgary Stampede. |
| 254 | NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE | 16:6:10 |
| Ian Swales | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew Gwynne | | Mr John Leech | | Jim Dobbin | | Stephen Williams |
| Gavin Shuker | Julie Elliott | Dr John Pugh | | Dr Julian Lewis | Simon Hughes |
| That this House endorses the call by the Motor Neurone Disease Association for a national strategy for motor neurone disease (MND); believes that such a strategy would lead to enhanced cost-effectiveness and good practice; supports the implementation of the National Service Framework for long-term neurological conditions; is dismayed that no official national clinical guidance or approach exists in relation to MND; notes the extreme cruelty of motor neurone disease, which dramatically curtails lives and traps an often healthy mind in a failing and incapacitated body; and further believes that a national strategy is urgently needed in order to address the inequity of access to best practice in care for people with MND and to ensure as high a quality of life as possible and dignity in death. |
| 255 | MENTION THE HOUSING CRISIS CAMPAIGN | 16:6:10 |
| Jack Dromey | | Andrew George | | Mr David Amess | | Dan Rogerson | | Lisa Nandy | | John Woodcock |
| Kate Green | Julie Elliott | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House welcomes the mention the housing crisis campaign; notes that two million households are predicted to be on housing waiting lists by 2011 and that over two million vulnerable children are living in unsatisfactory housing; further notes that, in March 2010, the current housing minister said `We will put our proposals to a very simple test: have we built more homes?'; further notes that poor quality, overcrowded housing damages children's educational attainment and subsequent earnings potential and that according to research commissioned by the National Housing Federation, health problems relating to poor housing cost the country nearly £2.5 billion a year in treatment and time off work; urges the Government not to ignore the housing crisis; and calls on the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to safeguard the building of social rented and affordable homes in the forthcoming spending review. |
| 256 | WEBSITES WHICH ENCOURAGE SUICIDE | 16:6:10 |
| Tony Cunningham | | Peter Bottomley | | Jim Dobbin | | Andrew George | | Chris Bryant | | Mr Eric Illsley |
| Dr John Pugh | Dr Julian Lewis | Simon Hughes |
| That this House is deeply saddened by the tragic death of 16-year old Shane Martin Reid; and calls on the Attorney General to investigate whether legal action can or should be taken against those who write, publish, sell material or distribute information on the internet which encourage people to commit suicide, particularly when they are reckless about making this available to those who are young and vulnerable. |
| 257 | MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY CAMPAIGN REPORT ON THE CASE FOR EFFECTIVE WHEELCHAIR SERVICES | 16:6:10 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Andrew Gwynne | | Jim Dobbin | | Andrew George | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| Miss Anne Begg | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House welcomes the publication of a new report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign on the provision of powered wheelchairs; recognises that specialist wheelchairs can be vital for people with neuromuscular conditions as they can improve quality of life, alleviate pain and slow the progression of the condition; notes that too many children and adults with muscle disease in England are waiting years to receive wheelchairs; is concerned that there is considerable variation across the country in waiting times for wheelchairs, resulting in a postcode lottery for families affected by muscle disease; further notes that many people with muscular dystrophy are denied the most appropriate wheelchairs or are forced to pay for the equipment out of their own pocket; calls on the Government to ensure a ring-fenced budget for electric wheelchairs; urges the Government to establish a national strategy for wheelchairs with a uniform eligibility criteria and a clear, comprehensive target for waiting times; and commends the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign for bringing this critical issue to the attention of the House. |
| 260 | BEAK TRIMMING OF LAYING HENS | 16:6:10 |
| Peter Bottomley | | Kerry McCarthy | | Mr David Amess | | Bob Russell | | Mr Alan Meale | | Caroline Lucas |
| That this House notes that a ban on the beak trimming of laying hens is due to come into force on 1 January 2011; believes that if the ban is postponed a new commencement date must be set by the statutory instrument that postpones the ban; further notes that scientific research shows that the correct way to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism is not to beak-trim the hens but to keep them in good conditions and to select birds that are less prone to feather pecking; further notes that there is ample practical experience to draw on as Austrian farmers and certain UK farmers have successfully phased out beak trimming; and calls on the Government, if it postpones the ban on beak trimming, to set a new commencement date for the ban and to encourage the industry to develop and implement an action plan for bringing beak-trimming to an end. |
| 263 | FRONT PAGE CAMPAIGN | 16:6:10 |
| Lindsay Roy | | Nadine Dorries | | Anas Sarwar | | Mr Tom Clarke | | Sir Menzies Campbell | | Mr Mike Weir |
| That this House welcomes and supports the Front Page Campaign; notes that recommended codes of practice by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents and the Periodical Publishers Association are widely ignored by newsagents and petrol stations; is concerned that this often means that sexually explicit material is displayed within easy reach of children; is further concerned by the practice of publishers paying for so-called best seller spots involving the display of sexually explicit material near check-outs; further notes that seeing such material can cause children confusion and distress and give them a false view of adult relationships; calls on the Government to introduce and enforce measures to ensure that such material is not displayed at or below children's eye-level, near children's publications or without opaque sleeving; further calls for an independent UK regulator to replace out-of-date and ineffective legislation; and also calls for magazines to be assigned age ratings such as are assigned to cinema films and DVDs. |
| 264 | NATIONAL HOUSING FEDERATION'S SAVE OUR VILLAGES CAMPAIGN | 17:6:10 |
| Andrew George | | Mr Robert Walter | | Pat Glass | | Roger Williams | | Dan Rogerson | | Stephen Gilbert |
| 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 every three years and is covered by an action plan to address that need. |
| 265 | CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDHOOD EPILEPSY CAMPAIGN | 17:6:10 |
| Mr Sam Gyimah | | Greg Mulholland | | Andrew George | | Glenda Jackson | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Dr John Pugh | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House congratulates in National Epilepsy Week the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy (NCYPE) on its Champions for Childhood Epilepsy campaign to improve health and education services for young people with epilepsy; notes that 31 staff from 21 schools from the Tandridge Confederation in Surrey and from West Sussex collaborated with the NCYPE on a pilot epilepsy champions project; recognises that the resulting support programme includes a model of best practice that can be adopted by schools across the UK to improve the educational experience and outcomes for the near 60,000 young people living with epilepsy; appreciates that this work covered close to 7,000 students, including 55 with a diagnosis of epilepsy; further notes that on average there is one child with epilepsy in every primary school and five in every secondary school in the UK; welcomes the first phase of the NCYPE's Epilepsy 4 Education programme which will provide free, direct support for schools in London and the South East; and calls on the Government to recognise this significant contribution from the voluntary sector by encouraging all schools to join the NCYPE's Champions for Childhood Epilepsy campaign so that these practical, affordable and effective measures can make a difference to the lives of young people with epilepsy across the UK. |
| 268 | CITIZENS ADVICE | 17:6:10 |
| Ann Coffey | | Karl Turner | | Toby Perkins | | Fiona Mactaggart | | Angela Smith | | John Woodcock |
| That this House notes that the national Citizens Advice has been asked by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to make an 11 per cent. cut in its 2010-11 budget; is concerned that cuts to advice databases and policy advice funded centrally will impact on the effectiveness of local citizens advice bureaux, and that this will undermine valuable advice services to local communities at a time of cuts to the public sector; and asks that consideration be given in any future cuts in grant to the voluntary sector of the impact on the ability of this sector to contribute to the Big Society. |
| 270 | COST OF FOSTER CARE | 17:6:10 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Andrew Gwynne | | Yasmin Qureshi | | Peter Bottomley | | Annette Brooke | | John McDonnell |
| Andrew Miller | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House welcomes the Fostering Network's report, the Cost of Foster Care, on the cost of the foster care service; notes that the total number of children in foster care is rising year on year; supports the Fostering Network's Together for Change campaign to provide foster carers with improved status, training and support; and urges the Government to give funding for children in care the highest possible priority when considering future spending commitments. |
| 272 | LOW CARBON TRANSITION | 17:6:10 |
| Martin Horwood | | Mr Tim Yeo | | Paul Flynn | | Bob Russell | | Glenda Jackson | | Dr Julian Huppert |
| That this House welcomes the cross party commitment for a rapid transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy; recognises that the challenges of climate change and resource depletion require urgent action; believes that explicit policies are required to stimulate UK jobs and wealth creation in a global environmental goods and services sector that is currently valued at £3.2 trillion; further welcomes the Aldersgate Group's report Accelerating the Transition: Priorities for the first 100 days of the new Government, which calls for quick and decisive action to ensure an effective carbon price to help drive investments in low carbon technologies, the creation of a Green Investment Bank with a significant level of capital, a more comprehensive industrial strategy to maximise the economic opportunities for the UK, greater accountability across government departments to ensure cross-cutting challenges are effectively addressed and the implementation of a national energy efficiency delivery plan; and recognises that the achievement of these objectives would help reduce the UK's carbon emissions and reliance on overseas energy and ensure the new green technologies and jobs of the future are developed and deployed in the UK. |
| 273 | NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS | 17:6:10 |
| Alex Cunningham | | Glenda Jackson | | Sir Stuart Bell | | Bridget Phillipson | | Mr Barry Sheerman | | Ian Mearns |
| Julie Elliott | Chris Williamson |
| That this House calls for an immediate review of the decision to cancel the planned new hospital to replace the North Tees and Hartlepool University hospitals; recognises the tremendous progress in closing the gap in health inequalities in the North East in recent years; and believes that the new hospital would provide the kind of facilities needed to close the gap even further and maintain high quality health services in the area. |
| 274 | ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF RAIL TRANSPORT | 17:6:10 |
| Iain Stewart | | Bob Russell | | Glenda Jackson | | Dr Julian Huppert | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Catherine McKinnell | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House recognises that Britain relies on rail transport; notes that every year 1.3 billion passenger journeys are made by rail and that rail freight carries 100 million tonnes of goods; further recognises that at peak times the busiest parts of the rail network are full, trains are overcrowded and that passenger and freight demand continue to grow; notes that the annual cost of road congestion to the economy is already estimated to be £7-8 billion; believes that investment in infrastructure is necessary to stimulate business investment in Britain's towns and cities and boost economic recovery; further recognises that current major rail capacity enhancement projects bring economic benefits to Britain; and calls on the Government to consider the economic benefits of rail schemes when determining value for money projects in the Comprehensive Spending Review. |
| 276 | WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY | 17:6:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | John Hemming | | Bob Russell | | Andrew Rosindell | | Glenda Jackson | | Tom Blenkinsop |
| That this House celebrates the United Nations World Sickle Cell Day on 19 June 2010; notes that sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disease in England; believes that allocation of NHS resources should reflect this; recognises that some improvements have been made in the UK in treatment and screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia, but that care received by patients is still variable, leading to unnecessary deaths in the most extreme cases; calls on the Government to continue improving services for patients with these conditions; further recognises the need for better education of the medical, nursing and social care professions regarding the conditions; and further calls on the Government to support the work of the voluntary sector in improving awareness of the conditions within the communities affected, in schools and amongst the wider public. |
| Barry Gardiner | | Helen Goodman | | Luciana Berger | | Tristram Hunt | | Alison McGovern | | Stephen Pound |
| Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes the US administration's insistence that BP set up an escrow fund of $20 billion to compensate the families of the 11 victims who died in the Deepwater Horizon disaster and to pay the full clean up costs as well as the indirect losses arising to US coastal businesses and livelihoods; recalls the Bhopal Gas tragedy in India where over 15,000 people died and approximately half a million people have suffered serious injury and long-term illness as a result of a leak of methyl isocyanate at the plant of American-owned Union Carbide Corporation and where a total settlement of less than half a billion dollars was made by the company; expresses its profound concern that the victims' recent request to President Obama for the extradition of Union Carbide Corporation CEO, Warren Anderson, has been rebuffed; and urges the US administration to show by its action that the same standards of corporate responsibility that apply to non-US companies in dealing with American citizens apply equally to American companies dealing with non-US citizens, and that the value of a life in India is worth no less than in the United States. |
| 282 | VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS DAY | 21:6:10 |
| Robert Halfon | | Mr Gordon Marsden | | Stephen Williams | | Mr Stewart Jackson | | Dr Thérèse Coffey | | Mr Robin Walker |
| Kate Green | Chi Onwurah | Mr David Hamilton | | Dr John Pugh | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House congratulates the millions of people who gain vocational qualifications every year and celebrates their achievement on the third annual Vocational Qualifications Day on 23 June 2010; notes that, while there have been significant improvements in the way vocational qualifications are viewed, more needs to be done to raise the stature and demonstrate the benefits of practical and vocational learning; recognises that vocational qualifications provide the workforce of tomorrow with the practical skills needed to progress in the workplace and help employers improve and grow their businesses, especially in a challenging economic environment; and believes that the many paths to success available should be celebrated. |
| 283 | TRADE UNION LEGISLATION | 21:6:10 |
| Ian Lavery | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Grahame M. Morris | | Ian Mearns | | Tom Blenkinsop |
| Mr Frank Doran | Julie Elliott | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House notes with deep concern proposals contained in the CBI report on the UK Labour Market published on 21 June 2010; further notes that the UK already has some of the toughest legal restrictions on the right to strike in the advanced world; believes that these restrictive proposals are unnecessary and unfair and agrees with the Trades Union Congress that the CBI proposals add up to a charter for exploitation by unscrupulous employers; recognises that free and independent trades unions are a force for good in UK society; and further believes that there should be no further weakening of trade union rights restricting their ability to protect workers and ensure fairness at work. |
| 284 | BMA ANNUAL REPRESENTATIVE MEETING MOTIONS ON HOMEOPATHY | 21:6:10 |
| David Tredinnick | | Robert Halfon | | Mr Steve Brine | | Bob Stewart | | Joan Walley | | Gordon Birtwistle |
| Yvonne Fovargue | Richard Harrington | Jessica Lee |
| That this House expresses concern at motions 301, 301a, 301b, 301c, 301d, 301e and 301f at this year's British Medical Association's (BMA) Annual Representative Meeting, which calls for no further commissioning of, nor funding for, homeopathic remedies in the NHS; believes that the BMA has overstepped its remit by making such statements without proper consultation with its own membership that practice homeopathy and, more importantly, with the tens of thousands of patients who depend on homeopathy; thinks that an integrated NHS, which employs the best from the orthodox and complementary, and which empowers patients, could deliver better and more cost-effective outcomes at a time of financial prudence; and calls on the Government to maintain its policy of allowing decision-making on individual clinical interventions, including homeopathy, to remain in the hands of local NHS service providers and practitioners who are best placed to know their community's needs. |
| As an Amendment to David Tredinnick's proposed Motion (BMA Annual Representative Meeting Motions on Homeopathy): |
| Line 1, leave out from `expresses' to end and insert `support for the right of the BMA to express its views about the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of any putative health treatment and the appropriateness of the NHS commissioning such treatments; notes that the motions of the 2010 BMA Annual Representative Meeting dealing with homeopathy endorse the findings of the recent report from the Fourth Report of the Science and Technology Select Committee of Session 2009-10 on Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy Fourth Report of Session, HC45, namely that the evidence base is clear that homeopathy is not effective beyond placebo and that scarce NHS funds should not be spent commissioning it at a time when, due to cost, the health service is not able to provide its patients even with treatments that have been shown to be effective in clinical trials; and further welcomes the view of the BMA that healthcare should be based on good evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.'. |
| 285 | EFFECT OF HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES ON BREAST CANCER CELLS | 21:6:10 |
| David Tredinnick | | Robert Halfon | | Mr Steve Brine | | Dr William McCrea | | Bob Stewart | | Joan Walley |
| Julie Elliott | Jessica Lee | Richard Harrington | | Yvonne Fovargue |
| That this House welcomes the study published in the International Journal of Oncology, 2010 Feb; 36(2): 395-403 which revealed that homeopathic remedies have a beneficial effect on breast cancer cells; notes that researchers at the University of Texas conducted an in vitro study to determine whether products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines; further notes that the researchers studied four ultra-diluted remedies, carcinosin, phytolacca, conium and thuja against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells, HMLE; observes that the remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis; believes that the findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses; and calls for further research in this important area. |
| As an Amendment to David Tredinnick's proposed Motion (Effect of Homeopathic Remedies on Breast Cancer Cells): |
| Line 2, leave out from `403' to end and insert `as an example of the failure of adequate scientific peer review because the paper provides no statistical analysis to support any conclusion, indicates that the experimental control, 87 per cent. alcohol solution, was itself toxic to the cell cultures, does not illustrate or explain the different chromatographic profiles of the solvent and the test substances, and does not provide sufficient data to allow proper evaluation of the study; notes that the lead author has retired and runs a homeopathy website which falsely claims that homeopathy is as effective as a conventional chemotherapy agent, Taxol, in treating breast cancer; further notes that one of the authors, Alison Pawlus, has publicly disowned the paper; regrets that isolated poor-quality studies are cited by proponents of homeopathy to endorse dangerous and exploitative cancer-curing claims in the face of overwhelming weight of scientific evidence against them; and agrees with the conclusions of the Science and Technology Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy HC45 that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials, and the spending of scarce public sector funds on research into homeopathy cannot be justified.'. |
| 286 | HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES IN THE TREATMENT OF MODERATE TO SEVERE DEPRESSION | 21:6:10 |
| David Tredinnick | | Robert Halfon | | Mr Steve Brine | | Dr William McCrea | | Bob Stewart | | Joan Walley |
| Jessica Lee | Richard Harrington |
| That this House welcomes the double-blind study conducted at the outpatient clinic at Jundiai Medical School in São Paulo, Brazil, which consisted of patients with moderate to severe depression; notes that patients were randomly assigned to a double-blind treatment with individualised homeopathic Q-potencies or fluoxetine (Prozac); further notes that the non-inferiority analysis indicated that the homeopathic Q-potencies were not inferior as compared to fluoxetine in treatment of this sample; observes that the study is the first randomised controlled double-blind trial with a reasonable number of subjects to draw conclusions about the homeopathic treatment of depression; acknowledges that homeopathy is recognised as a medical specialty in Brazil; and calls on the Government to carry out further research into this area. |
| As an Amendment to David Tredinnick's proposed Motion (Homeopathic Medicines in the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Depression): |
| Line 1, leave out from `House' to end and insert `notes the study published in August 2009 in the journal e-Cam by UC Adler et al, conducted in São Paulo on 91 patients with depression, which claimed that individualised homeopathic treatments were not inferior to fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; further notes that only 55 patients completed the study and that the finding of non-inferiority, while statistically significant, was marginal; further notes that fluoxetine is considered by many to be no more or barely more effective than a placebo in such patients and that this study therefore merely provides further evidence that homeopathy treatment is no more effective than placebo treatment; and supports the findings of the Fourth Report from the Science and Technology Select Committee of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC45, namely that there are ethical problems in prescribing patients placebos without full candour, that the evidence base is clear that homeopathy is not effective beyond placebo and so scarce NHS funds should not be spent commissioning it at a time when, due to cost, the health service is not even able to provide its patients with treatments that have been clearly shown to be effective, and that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials, and the spending of scarce public sector funds on research into homeopathy cannot be justified.'. |
| 287 | HOMEOPATHY AND CHRONIC PRIMARY INSOMNIA | 21:6:10 |
| David Tredinnick | | Robert Halfon | | Mr Steve Brine | | Dr William McCrea | | Bob Stewart | | Joan Walley |
| Jessica Lee | Richard Harrington |
| That this House welcomes the randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, which evaluated the efficacy of homeopathic simillimum in the treatment of chronic primary insomnia; notes that the measurement tools used were a sleep diary (SD) and a sleep impairment index (SII); further notes that the SD data revealed that verum treatment resulted in a significant increase in duration of sleep throughout the study and a significant improvement in SII scores, compared to the placebo treatment which resulted in no significant increase in the duration of sleep; observes that an initial improvement occurred in the placebo group but this was not sustained and that a comparison between the results revealed a statistically significant difference; believes that homeopathic simillimum treatment of primary insomnia is effective compared with placebo in this study; and calls for further research in this area. |
| As an Amendment to David Tredinnick's proposed Motion (Homeopathy and Chronic Primary Insomnia): |
| Line 1, leave out from `House' to end and insert `notes the study conducted at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, by Naude et al, published in Homeopathy (2010) 99 63-68, which claimed that homeopathic treatment of primary insomnia was significantly more effective compared with placebo; further notes that only 33 patients were enrolled, which makes any conclusion statistically questionable, especially given the randomisation did not take account of the distribution of any clinically relevant variables between the resulting two groups, for example any age differences; further notes that there was not full blinding with respect to the dispenser of the treatment; recognises the dangers, inherent with publication bias, in selectively citing isolated small studies of dubious significance in the absence of any demonstration that infinitely diluted and vigorously shaken solutions have a rational and effective method of action; and supports the findings of the Fourth Report from the Science and Technology Select Committee of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC45, namely that there are ethical problems in prescribing patients placebos without full candour, that the evidence base is clearly that homeopathy is not effective beyond placebo and so scarce NHS funds should not be spent commissioning it at a time when, due to cost, the health service is not even able to provide its patients with treatments that have been clearly shown to be effective, and that putting patients through pointless further clinical trials and the spending of scarce public sector funds on research into homeopathy cannot be justified.'. |
| 289 | DIAGNOSIS OF COELIAC DISEASE | 22:6:10 |
| Gordon Banks | | Dr Julian Lewis | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Andrew Gwynne |
| That this House recognises that people with coeliac disease have an autoimmune disease for which the only treatment is a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet; acknowledges that one in 100 people have the condition but that only 12 to 15 per cent. of these people are diagnosed; urges the medical profession to improve diagnosis rates to reduce the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis; and supports Coeliac UK and its campaign to help the half a million undiagnosed get a diagnosis of their condition which will significantly improve their quality of life and save the NHS money. |
| 290 | CO-OPERATIVES FORTNIGHT 2010 | 22:6:10 |
| Luciana Berger | | Mr Adrian Bailey | | Chris Evans | | Mr Andrew Love | | Gemma Doyle | | Kerry McCarthy |
| Chris Bryant | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House welcomes the first ever Co-operatives Fortnight from 19 June to 3 July 2010; notes the resurgence in the UK co-operative movement, which now contributes £30 billion a year to the country's economy and employs over 200,000 people; recognises the benefits of applying co-operative values and principles; and calls on Government to ensure that it treats co-operatives equally with other types of business and continues to work closely with the co-operative movement so that co-operative and mutual solutions play a significant and growing part in an innovative, sustainable and competitive UK economy. |
| 292 | US, CANADA AND EU ANNOUNCEMENT ON LOOPED BLIND CORD SAFETY | 22:6:10 |
| Gordon Banks | | Thomas Docherty | | Jim Sheridan | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Ian Davidson |
| Julie Elliott | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House welcomes the joint statement by the US Consumer Products Safety Commission, Health Canada and the European Commission Health and Consumers Directorate-General of 15 June 2010 calling for a swift and comprehensive process that concurrently eliminates the risk factors causing deaths and injuries from all types of corded window covering products; believes that deaths in the UK and the wider world as a result of strangulation from looped blind cords is a tragedy that could be avoided; and calls on the Government to work with campaigners and the industry to enact the ambitions of this statement with immediate effect. |
| 293 | ST MUNGO'S ACTION WEEK | 22:6:10 |
| Mr Mark Field | | Ms Karen Buck | | Mr Andy Slaughter | | Miss Anne Begg | | Jonathan Edwards | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House supports the aims of St Mungo's Action Week 2010 from 20 to 27 June, which focuses on the dedicated support that homeless people need to make the journey back to work; recognises that the homeless, socially excluded and long-term unemployed require integrated, personalised and specialist support to get back into employment; and calls on the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Health to work together to improve the support provided to this vulnerable group. |
| 294 | RAIL VALUE FOR MONEY | 22:6:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Ian Davidson | | John Cryer | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Jonathan Edwards | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| Catherine McKinnell | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes that the Government has announced a review into the cost of the railways; further notes that the scoping study for the review states that since privatisation the overall cost of running the railway has increased and train operating costs in the UK are above pre-privatisation levels; agrees with the comments of the Secretary of State for Transport that `passengers and taxpayers will rightly ask why it is that railways in the UK are so much more expensive than those in the rest of Europe'; further notes that the most recent report by the European Commission on the European rail market found that in the 10 most populous European countries, other than the UK, the overwhelming majority of passenger services are owned and operated by the state; welcomes the fact that the value for money review will have no `no go areas'; and calls on the Government to ensure the review transparently and objectively undertakes comparisons with European railways to establish whether public ownership of the UK railways would provide better value for money for the passenger and taxpayer. |
| 295 | JARVIS AND RAIL ENGINEERING JOBS | 22:6:10 |
| Mrs Linda Riordan | | John McDonnell | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Andrew Gwynne | | Jim Dobbin |
| Mr Dennis Skinner | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes that on 31 March 2010 1,200 Jarvis rail workers were sacked after the company went into administration and Network Rail refused to back a rescue plan; is appalled that Jarvis workers have not received outstanding wages or redundancy pay; considers it a scandal that Network Rail is now in exclusive negotiations to transfer to other companies all work undertaken by over a thousand Jarvis employees who were made redundant; is concerned that the dismissal of these skilled and experienced rail engineers will have serious consequences for rail services in this country, impacting upon the safety of the railway and inhibiting future capacity for major infrastructure projects such as high speed rail; welcomes the agreement to transfer up to 350 jobs to Babcock Rail; believes that natural justice demands Network Rail must ensure that all former Jarvis employees are transferred to new contractors under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation; and urges the Government to ensure that Network Rail works constructively with trades unions, providing all necessary information to them to assist in securing these workers' future employment. |
| 296 | EFFECTS OF INCREASE IN VALUE ADDED TAX ON PEOPLE ON LOW INCOMES | 22:6:10 |
| Susan Elan Jones | | Alison McGovern | | Dr Hywel Francis | | Owen Smith | | Nia Griffith | | Martin Caton |
| Catherine McKinnell | Kate Green | Julie Elliott | | Mr David Hamilton | Rushanara Ali |
| That this House regrets the announcement made in the Budget that value added tax (VAT) will be raised to 20 per cent. in January of next year; agrees with the statement made by the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, the hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark that `VAT is the most regressive form of tax, which penalises the poor at the same rate as the rich'; further agrees with the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, who described VAT as `a very regressive tax that falls most heavily on the poorest in society'; and calls on the Chancellor immediately to reverse the proposed rise in order to protect those on the lowest incomes. |
| 297 | WORLD TRADE UNION RIGHTS | 23:6:10 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Tony Lloyd | | Mike Gapes | | Mr Stephen Hepburn | | Mark Durkan | | Peter Bottomley |
| Julie Elliott | Jonathan Edwards | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the International Trade Union Confederation's (ITUC) annual survey of trade union rights, which documents a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered last year; notes that there were 101 killings, an increase of 30 per cent. over the previous year; further notes that this invaluable report records an extensive list of violations suffered by trade unionists struggling to defend workers' interests in 140 countries; and concurs with ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder that the survey shows that the majority of the world's workers still lack effective protection of their rights to organise trade unions and bargain collectively, which is a major factor in the long-term increase in economic inequality within and between countries, and that inadequate incomes for much of the world's workforce helped cause the global economic crisis, and are making it much harder to put the economy on a path of sustainable growth. |
| 298 | GOVERNMENT POLICY ON EXTENDED FREE SCHOOL MEAL ELIGIBILITY | 23:6:10 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Catherine McKinnell | | Kate Green | | Julie Elliott |
| That this House shares the concern of several education unions, the Child Poverty Action Group, health groups and prominent academics about the Government's decision not to proceed with the extension of free school meal eligibility to an estimated half a million primary school children from low income working families, which would cost parents returning to work over £300 per child; notes that the recent Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post-2010 highlighted the disadvantages faced by those from the lowest socio-economic groups and the importance of giving every child the best start in life; believes that ensuring that all primary school children living in poverty receive a healthy school meal would make a considerable contribution to reducing both education and health inequalities, given that almost one-third of children are overweight or obese by the time they reach the end of primary school; further believes that healthier school meals have been shown to improve classroom behaviour, helping to improve academic performance and attainment; and urges the Government to review this decision as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process. |
| 299 | DETENTION OF CHILDREN IN TURKEY | 23:6:10 |
| Hywel Williams | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Jonathan Edwards | | Mark Durkan | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Jim Dobbin | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House deplores the Turkish government's policy of detaining children under counter-terrorism laws; notes that around 4,000 Kurdish children are held in prison charged with such offences; expresses its concern that some children and youths face inappropriate sentences for offences such as attending demonstrations; further notes that lawyers defending these cases have condemned the quality of evidence being used to bring such cases to court; understands that many Turkish and international children's and human rights groups are of the opinion that the number of minors affected by Turkey's counter-terrorism legislation is increasing; believes that such prosecutions need to be brought to a halt if Turkey's democratic reforms are to have any substance; and calls for an end to the practice of imprisoning children under counter-terrorism laws in a manner which exacerbates the grievances and sense of injustice felt by Kurds in Turkey and contributes towards prolonging the conflict. |
| 300 | SHEFFIELD FORGEMASTERS LOAN | 23:6:10 |
| Mr Clive Betts | | Mr David Blunkett | | Paul Blomfield | | Angela Smith | | Chris Bryant | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House expresses great concern at the decision by the Government to withdraw the £80 million loan to Sheffield Forgemasters, which would have complemented a similar amount of private investment in order to purchase and install a forging press capable of manufacturing parts for the nuclear power industry, making it the only company outside Japan and Korea to have this capacity and creating around 400 jobs directly and the opportunity for thousands more in the sector; rejects claims that the money was not there as this was a loan repayable with interest out of which the taxpayer would have made a profit once the extra employees' tax payments are taken into account; notes that Sheffield Forgemasters as a highly successful but medium-sized company was not able to access the total amount of cash commercially despite trying before approaching Government; further notes that it is regrettable that no Minister or civil servant sought to contact the company before withdrawing the loan, and that the end result will be the transfer of a share of growing market in specialised manufacturing products abroad with the loss of revenue and jobs involved; and therefore calls on the Government to reopen talks with Sheffield Forgemasters and rethink this issue as a matter of urgency. |
| 301 | CIVIL SERVICE COMPENSATION SCHEME | 23:6:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Ian Davidson | | John Cryer | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Jonathan Edwards | Jim Dobbin | Mr David Hamilton | | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House recognises the crucial work undertaken by civil and public servants every day across all government departments; notes that without their dedication and hard work the Government would not be able to function; congratulates the Public and Commercial Services Union on its latest legal victory in its dispute to defend the Civil Service Compensation Scheme which would have seen tens of thousands of its members worse off; and encourages the new Government to enter urgent negotiations with the union to seek a negotiated settlement. |
| 302 | COMPOSITION OF THE BACKBENCH BUSINESS COMMITTEE | 23:6:10 |
| Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil | | Mark Durkan | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Andrew George | | Mr Adrian Sanders |
| Jonathan Edwards | Jim Dobbin | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes that the Backbench Business Committee in effect resembles a three-party committee as backbench hon. Members outwith the three largest parties cannot stand for membership of the committee; and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals to ensure that no hon. Members are excluded from participation and that no hon. Members are less equal than others. |
| 303 | CANCER RESEARCH UK COMMIT TO BEAT CANCER CAMPAIGN | 23:6:10 |
| Mr John Baron | | Glyn Davies | | Mr John Leech | | Annette Brooke | | Mrs Siân C. James | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson |
| Mr Adrian Sanders | Dr John Pugh | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House applauds the international reputation of Cancer Research UK in its work to understand, prevent, detect and treat cancer; congratulates the charity for being at the heart of the tremendous progress made on cancer survival rates over the last 30 years; acknowledges that the money Cancer Research UK spends on research each year, £355 million in 2008-09, is funded entirely by the public; recognises that 90 per cent. of the population lives no more than 30 miles from a Cancer Research UK research centre; notes that UK cancer outcomes are not yet as good as those in the best performing European countries; commends the Cancer Research UK Commit To Beat Cancer campaign to make the UK's cancer outcomes among the best in Europe in the next 10 years; further applauds the five core elements of the campaign to prevent more cancers, detect cancer earlier, provide world-class cancer treatments, tackle cancer inequalities and protect the UK's research base; and further acknowledges that the support of the new Coalition Government and both Houses is needed for further progress on cancer. |
| Robert Halfon | | Mr James Arbuthnot | | Mr Graham Brady | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House notes that 25 June 2010 is the fourth anniversary of the kidnap of Israeli serviceman Gilad Shalit by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in a cross-border terrorist attack inside Israel; is concerned that Gilad Shalit is being held incommunicado and is neither permitted to send nor receive messages from his family; further notes that despite repeated requests the International Committee of the Red Cross continues to be denied access to the kidnapped soldier; further notes that the soldier's continued detention is an obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians; condemns the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit; and calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to secure his release. |
| 305 | COMPETITION IN THE MOBILE TELEPHONE INDUSTRY | 23:6:10 |
| Robert Halfon | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Durkan | | Dr Julian Huppert | | Andrew George | | Mr Adrian Sanders |
| Jonathan Edwards | Mr David Hamilton | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House supports proposals for a significant reduction in mobile termination rates (MTRs); is concerned that an artificial floor on the cost of mobile telephone calls distorts competition in the marketplace, and therefore adds hundreds of millions of pounds to UK customers' mobile telephone bills every year; and therefore calls on the Government to reduce MTRs as soon as possible. |
| Fiona O'Donnell | | Ian Murray | | Cathy Jamieson | | Anas Sarwar | | Jim Dobbin | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House regrets the decision to close Leuchie House in North Berwick; notes that Leuchie House is the only respite home for sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS) operating in Scotland and northern England, and is one of a total of only four across the UK; recognises that the level of care given at Leuchie House is exceptional and that the facility has achieved maximum scores in every area of the Care Commission's inspection; further recognises that Leuchie House is much-valued by service users and the closure of such a specialised facility will cause a strain on families and other services, such as the NHS, as they struggle to cope with the needs of MS patients; and calls on the Government to work with the Scottish Government and the MS Society to ensure the continuation of the facility. |
| 307 | ALCOHOL-RELATED CRIME | 23:6:10 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Jonathan Edwards | | Andrew George | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House views with concern the levels of alcohol-related disorder and violence, particularly in city centres; notes that alcohol-related crime costs the public £7.3 billion annually and diverts vital police resources away from dealing with other crimes; further notes the findings of the Home Affairs Committee of the last Parliament in its report on Policing in the 21st Century which elucidates further the detrimental effects of low alcohol prices; welcomes the recent recommendations suggested by Sir Peter North regarding drink and drug driving regulation; appreciates the Home Secretary's announcement of a review of the Licensing Act 2003 and asks for a timetable for the findings of the review to be published at the earliest opportunity; and urges the Government to support the efforts to insist that both the alcohol industry and retailers engage in responsible trading and to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol. |
| 308 | MARINE POLLUTION (S.I., 2010, No. 1228) (No. 2) | 23:6:10 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House welcomes the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010 which were laid before it on 9 April 2010, in the previous Parliament; considers the new requirement for harbour authorities regulating cargo transfers to be licensed by the Secretary of State to be appropriate and proportionate without interfering in day-to-day harbour operations; and welcomes the safeguards given in schedules 1 and 2 to European wildlife sites and to the wider environment. |
| 309 | IMPACT ON SIKHS OF EU REGULATION ON SCREENING OF PASSENGERS AT AIRPORTS | 23:6:10 |
| Mr Virendra Sharma | | Peter Bottomley | | Chris Bryant |
| That this House notes that European Commission Regulation No. 185/2010 came into effect on 29 April 2010 and that it requires hand searches and discourages the use of hand-held metal detectors if walk-through metal detectors suggest a passenger may be carrying a prohibited article; notes with concern that this presents a major difficulty for turban-wearing Sikhs, as walk-through metal detectors will almost always go off due to pins in the turban; further notes that the Regulation is being interpreted as requiring hand searches of the Sikh turban, which is regarded as being insensitive towards Sikhs and which will become an issue of considerable concern within the Sikh community from 1 July 2010 when the new policy is implemented at Heathrow Airport; recognises that the Regulation allows for the appropriate authority to create categories of passengers that, for objective reasons, shall be subject to special screening procedures or may be exempted from screening; urges the Secretary of State for Transport to consider making those wearing Sikh turbans exempt from hand searches and subject only to walk-through metal detectors and hand-held metal detectors; further notes that practising Sikh passengers have the right to wear a small Kirpan with a blade of up to six centimetres as specified by the new Regulation; and, as the Regulation applies across Europe, requests that the Department for Transport obtains letters from the governments of other EU countries to ensure that British Sikhs have the same rights when flying elsewhere in Europe as they do in the UK under this Regulation. |
| 310 | SHREWSBURY PICKET 1972 | 23:6:10 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House recalls the national trade union building workers strike of 1972 and the subsequent arrest a year later of 24 pickets, the sentences handed to six of them, and the long imprisonment served by Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson; notes the legacy in the construction industry since the 1972 strike, including an unregulated industry, increasing casualisation through bogus self-employment, an appalling accident and death rate and renewed blacklisting of workers, as was the case after the 1972 dispute; and supports the campaign by the Trades Union Congress, Unite and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, for the Home Secretary to release all secret papers related to the Shrewsbury case and to instigate a public inquiry. |
| 312 | MAGISTRATES' COURTS | 23:6:10 |
| Chris Bryant | | Mr David Anderson | | Helen Goodman | | Simon Danczuk | | Paul Flynn | | David Cairns |
| Mr Dennis Skinner | Julie Elliott | Jonathan Edwards | | Andrew Miller | Toby Perkins | John Cryer | | Ian Mearns | Mr Russell Brown | Chris Williamson | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | Chris Ruane | Jim Dobbin | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House notes that Magistrates' Courts are a vital local front line service, providing support for witnesses and victims of crime and prosecuting justice on a wide range of issues; is deeply concerned at the threat of closure to Magistrates' Courts in Northwich, Southport, Penrith, Runcorn, Whitehaven, Rawtenstall, Chorley, Salford, Bury, Guisborough, Bishop Auckland, Tynedale, Alnwick, Blaydon, Gosforth, Houghton Le Spring, Goole, Skipton, Selby, Batley and Dewsbury, Keighley sitting at the Bingley Court House, Rochdale, Pontefract, Barry, Aberdare, Llwynypia, Ammanford, Cardigan, Llandovery, Denbigh, Pwllheli, Flint, Chepstow, Abertillery, Abergavenny, Llangefni, Halesowen, Sutton Coldfield, West Bromwich, Rugby, Stoke, Tamworth, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Ilkeston, Newark, Worksop, Retford, Coalville, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Spalding, Towcester, Daventry, Rutland, Kettering, Frome, Bridgwater, Liskeard, Newton Abbot, Camborne, Totnes, Honiton, Penzance, Blandford Forum, Wimborne, Coleford, Cirencester, Stroud, Andover, Alton, Lyndhurst, Grays, Harlow, Epping, Ely, Wisbech, Thetford, Cromer, Swaffham, Sudbury, Ashford, Sittingbourne, Epsom, Woking, Mid-Sussex, Lewes, Bicester, Hemel Hempstead, Witney, Amersham, Newbury, Didcot, Acton, Haringey (Highgate), Harrow, Sutton, Barking, Brentford, Kingston, Woolwich, Balham Youth Court, Waltham Forest and Tower Bridge; believes that if these closures go ahead fewer victims of crime will get justice; and calls on the Government to think again. |
| 313 | SUPPORT FOR ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS PATIENTS | 23:6:10 |
| Andrew George [R] | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Peter Bottomley | | Jim Dobbin | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House supports the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) in its work for people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a form of inflammatory arthritis which affects around 200,000 people in the UK with symptoms usually starting in early adulthood; notes the NASS drive to raise awareness of this condition, which can have a major impact on quality of life and ability to work; is concerned that many people with AS in the UK do not receive optimum care because of delayed diagnosis and lack of access to appropriate expertise and therapies; welcomes the recent NASS report Looking Ahead, which highlights the barriers to people with AS receiving the best care; and calls on the Government to ensure access to the specialists and treatments necessary to achieve the best possible outcomes for people with AS. |
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[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 314 | NATIONAL BUSKING DAY CAMPAIGN | 23:6:10 |
| Kevin Brennan [R] | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Jim Dobbin | | Dr John Pugh | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House supports the call by PRS for Music for a national busking day in recognition of the importance of busking in developing new performers' careers and in the UK's cultural life; calls on every town and city to designate an official busking site where performers can safely entertain the public; and believes that busking should be allowed within the precincts of the Palace of Westminster on any future national busking day, with all proceeds being donated to charity. |
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[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 315 | URDD EISTEDDFOD 2010 | 23:6:10 |
| Mr Mark Williams | | Andrew George | | Jonathan Edwards |
| That this House notes the outstanding success of Urdd Eisteddfod 2010, held at Llanerchaeron in Ceredigion between 31 May and 5 June; recognises the contribution made by many young people from across Wales in areas such as song, drama and the arts and the opportunity for children to take part in a wide range of activities; applauds the Urdd movement for promoting the Welsh language and cultural activities for children and for ensuring that there are opportunities for young people to participate in creative activities; and wishes the organisers of the 2011 Urdd Eisteddfod in Swansea well in their preparations for the event. |
| 316 | COMPUTER GAMES TAX RELIEF | 23:6:10 |
| Stewart Hosie | | Mr Mike Weir | | Angus Robertson | | Dr Eilidh Whiteford | | Jonathan Edwards |
| That this House condemns the decision by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to abandon plans for tax relief for the computer games industry; considers that this decision will affect Scotland disproportionately, as Dundee alone accounts for 10 per cent. of the total UK computer games industry; further considers tax relief necessary to enable the industry to be on a level playing field with competitors, such as France, Canada, Japan and South Korea, already offering tax relief; notes that a recent report from games industry body TIGA showed that, over five years, the tax breaks would cost an estimated £192 million but would deliver £415 million in tax receipts; and calls for this important industry to be given the support that it needs to ensure its continued success. |
| 317 | VALUE ADDED TAX INCREASE | 23:6:10 |
| Kate Green | | Liz Kendall | | Vernon Coaker | | Jack Dromey | | Margaret Hodge | | Julie Hilling |
| Mr Dennis Skinner | Catherine McKinnell | Chris Bryant | | Jim Dobbin | Mr David Hamilton | Yasmin Qureshi | | Mr Joe Benton | Paul Blomfield | Steve Rotheram | | Bill Esterson | Jeremy Corbyn | Rushanara Ali |
| That this House believes value added tax (VAT) is an unfair and regressive tax which disproportionately affects people on lower incomes, including pensioners and the unemployed who do not pay income tax or national insurance; further believes that the temporary reduction in VAT to 15 per cent. in 2009 was a successful measure in stimulating the economy during the recession; and opposes the unfair increase in VAT to 20 per cent. announced in the 2010 Budget, which will hit the poorest families and pensioners in society hardest. |
| 318 | FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN THE EU | 23:6:10 |
| Philip Davies | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House believes that all levels of government should be underpinned by the principle of good governance; notes the importance that transparency brings to public accountability and to restoring public faith in politics; observes that this principle particularly applies to institutions of the European Communities; and calls on the Government to campaign to inject genuine freedom of information principles into the operating structures of the European Communities institutions, and particularly the European Commission, to put them on the same footing as the Westminster Parliament. |
| 319 | SEAFARERS AND THE RACE RELATIONS ACT 1976 | 24:6:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Karl Turner | | Andrew George | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House welcomes the Government's publication of the independent external review of evidence submitted to the consultation on regulations to end discriminatory pay on UK ships; further welcomes the recommendation of the review that the practice of nationality-based pay differentials for seafarers be outlawed altogether on UK ships; believes that no UK industry should be permitted to ignore legislation on non-discrimination and notes that this discrimination has resulted in rates of pay below the national minimum wage on UK ships; and therefore urges the Government to endorse the findings of the independent external review and to bring forward regulations to end this discrimination as soon as possible. |
| 320 | VOLUME OF PERSONAL MUSIC PLAYERS | 24:6:10 |
| That this House is alarmed at research by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) that 66 per cent. of users of personal music players are listening to music at louder than 85 decibels, which according to the World Health Organisation can cause permanent hearing damage over time; is deeply concerned that other research across Europe has led the European Commission to warn that up to 10 per cent. of 30-year-olds will have to wear a hearing device within the next decade because they listen to music too loudly through headphones; notes that recent research carried out at Ghent University in Belgium has identified that listening to an MP3 player for just one hour can damage hearing; is deeply concerned that surveys show more than 90 per cent. of young people use MP3 players, often for several hours a day at top volume; calls on the Government to make it a requirement that all personal music players sold in the UK have a noise health warning forming part of the casing; and further calls on the Government to launch a national campaign warning of the serious hearing consequences to those who use personal music players as well as the additional financial burden which will be placed on the National Health Service in the future. |
| 321 | SEA SUNDAY 11 JULY 2010 | 24:6:10 |
| Jim Dobbin | | Mr James Gray | | Annette Brooke | | Hywel Williams | | Mr John Leech | | John McDonnell |
| Mr Frank Doran | Glenda Jackson | Mr David Anderson | | Martin Caton | Andrew George |
| That this House recalls Britain's proud maritime heritage and notes that 90 per cent. of world trade travels by sea, 95 per cent. of United Kingdom imports and exports travel by sea and 146,000 merchant ships arrive in British ports annually, 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 the anniversary of its creation some 90 years ago and on its work for the welfare and rights of all seafarers who visit British shores through 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; hopes that the Apostleship of the Sea and its ecumenical partners, the Mission for Seafarers and the Sailors' Society, which provide generously for the welfare of seafarers, benefit from the greater awareness of their mission stimulated by Sea Sunday on 11 July 2010; and urges all businesses which transport goods by sea to be responsible corporate citizens during this International Maritime Organisation Year of the Seafarer and to encourage their shipping providers to adopt minimum levels of care for their seafaring employees as advised by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. |
| 322 | MOBILE TERMINATION RATES | 24:6:10 |
| That this House recognises that mobile termination rates charged between telephone operators are some of the highest in Europe; notes that this cost is passed directly to consumers; welcomes Ofcom's report into mobile termination rates; further welcomes moves to reduce the rates to 0.5 pence per minute; and calls on the telecommunications industry and regulators to put in place these changes as quickly as possible. |
| 323 | MOTHERS OF THE PLAZA DE MAYO | 24:6:10 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | John McDonnell | | Caroline Lucas |
| That this House welcomes the banner displayed by Argentine's national world cup team led by Diego Maradona calling for the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo; remembers the 33,000 people who disappeared during the Dirty War in Argentina between 1976 and 1983; notes that the women, who demonstrated once a week between 1977 and 2006 to demand information on the whereabouts of their missing families and children, faced incredible hostility and danger; expresses surprise at the lack of media coverage of this brave act; and believes that prominent athletes who stand up for human rights should be commended. |
| 324 | JOHN ISNER AND NICOLAS MAHUT | 24:6:10 |
| That this House applauds, salutes and recognises the two players who have given the world the most titanic game in tennis history, which started on Court 18 at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships on 22 June and only finished 11 hours and five minutes playing time later after a full day's play on 23 June and further play on 24 June; records the House's collective amazement at a match which broke so many records but also gave so much pleasure and excitement at the same time as the players showed such good humour, mutual respect, skill, energy and endurance; and congratulates John Isner and Nicolas Mahut on playing themselves so proudly into the record books, with the final result being a win for the younger man by the phenomenal score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6 and 70-68. |
| 325 | INTIMIDATION ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES | 24:6:10 |
| Mr Gregory Campbell | | Jim Shannon | | Dr William McCrea | | David Simpson | | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson | | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House notes the increasing use of social networking sites such as Facebook, which normally provide a very useful service, but on occasions have been used as a vehicle for intimidation, such as recently when the hon. Member for East Londonderry was subjected to a hate campaign which included a photograph of him with a bullet through the forehead, a threat to attack him on specific occasions, an attempt to put a Google Earth picture of his home on the site and a series of vile and false allegations all in a desperate and unsuccessful attempt to frighten and scare; and calls on social network sites such as Facebook more closely to monitor the content so that those who may not be as determined as the hon. Member to defy and defeat some cowardly users of the site can enjoy the medium free from such individuals and their actions. |
| 326 | NUTRITION AND THE HEALTH CLAIMS REGULATION | 24:6:10 |
| Philip Davies | | Rosie Cooper | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Graham Brady | | Dan Rogerson | | Mr Robert Walter |
| That this House notes that the UK natural health products industry currently faces a grave threat both to its businesses and consumer choices from the unforeseen impact of implementation of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, which governs the application of nutrition and health claims of all food products; further notes that despite the initial expectations of the Food Standards Agency over 95 per cent. of claims based on generally accepted scientific evidence are likely to receive negative opinions; expresses disappointment that the European Food Safety Authority has insisted on using an inappropriate pharmaceutical model to assess such health claims as fair despite the stated aims of the legislation; further notes its disappointment that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were not provided with any guidance as on how to submit such claims and consequently were unable to comply with unforeseen criteria; expresses concern about the serial adoption of these claims, causing commercial disadvantage to those manufacturers whose claims happen to be in the early batches; further notes the disproportionate and unforeseen effect on SMEs and the restrictions put on consumer information by this legislation; and calls on the Government to take action to defend the interests of British businesses and consumers. |
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CORRIGENDUM
In the Notices of Motions given on 23 June, on page 487, the name of Jeremy Corbyn should have appeared in support of Early Day Motion 297 (World Trade Union Rights). |
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