| 100 | PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION | 17:5:05 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Tim Farron | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Iris Robinson | | David Taylor | | Bill Etherington |
| That this House believes that consumers have a right to expect full and impartial information about the potential risks and side-effects of prescription medication; further believes that this requires a robust regulatory framework to ensure that information is not only publicly available but also acted upon promptly; and, in the light of continuing consumer disquiet about Seroxat and similar concerns about other medicines, calls for an urgent, full, independent and open review of the UK drug regulatory system. |
| 126 | WILD AND NATURAL GAME MEAT | 17:5:05 |
| Mr James Paice | | Mr Oliver Letwin | | Mr Owen Paterson | | Bill Wiggin | | Mr Peter Atkinson | | Mr John Randall |
| That this House notes that the Advertising Standards Authority has agreed that game meat can fairly be described as wild, natural and free-range and would encourage people to eat game meat as it is produced from animals which live in a wild and natural environment, and offers a low-fat addition to a healthy diet. |
| As an Amendment to Mr James Paice's proposed Motion (Wild and Natural Game Meat): |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr John Gummer |
| Line 2, after `free-range', insert `despite the fact that this includes many thousands of pheasants which are reared in factory farms, prior to release in the countryside each year'. |
| Mr Michael Meacher | | Mr John Gummer | | Norman Baker | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr David Chaytor | | Mr David Drew |
| That this House agrees with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser that climate change is a threat to civilisation; welcomes the cross-party agreement in favour of major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, and particularly in carbon dioxide emissions, by 2050; believes that such a long-term target will best be met through a series of more regular milestones; and therefore notes the Climate Change Bill that was presented by a cross-party group of honourable Members in the final days before the General Election, and hopes that such a Bill will be brought forward in this Parliament so that annual cuts in carbon dioxide emissions of 3 per cent. can be delivered in a framework that includes regular reporting and new scrutiny and corrective processes. |
| 197 | STUDENT BURSARIES FOR TRAINEE MIDWIVES | 24:5:05 |
| Chris McCafferty | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Tony Lloyd | | Bob Russell |
| That this House recognises the vital role that midwives play in the NHS; notes that many student midwives face financial problems during their training and that, according to the Royal College of Midwives' poll, around a fifth of midwives fail to complete their studies due to financial hardship; and therefore supports the RCM campaign to provide a £10,000 non-means tested bursary for all student midwives, ensuring more students are attracted to midwifery, are able to complete their course and go on to become practising midwives. |
| 204 | UK CITIZENSHIP FOR GURKHAS | 25:5:05 |
| Mr Roger Williams | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Annette Brooke | | Mr Colin Breed |
| That this House celebrates the loyal service to the Crown provided by the Gurkhas since 1815 and particularly the contribution of the four regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, formally transferred into the British Army after 1947; believes that this loyal service should be rewarded with the opportunity to apply for British citizenship upon retirement; further believes that the current situation, whereby only Gurkhas discharged after 1st July 1997, and having served four or more years, are eligible for British citizenship, is arbitrary and unacceptable; notes that this cut-off point prevents around 100 Gurkhas currently resident in the UK as well as many more now living in Nepal from applying for British citizenship; and calls upon the Government to revise this policy and extend the right to British citizenship to all Gurkhas of the four regiments who have served the Crown for four or more years. |
| 237 | COMMERCIAL SEAL HUNTS AND THE IMPORTATION OF SEAL PRODUCTS INTO THE UK | 26:5:05 |
| Mr Eric Martlew | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Peter Bottomley | | David Lepper | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | David Simpson | Nia Griffith |
| That this House notes with grave concern the killing of 317,672 seals in Canada's cruel commercial hunt in 2005; is appalled by the unacceptable cruelty of the hunt; notes that a team of independent veterinarians who observed the Canadian seal hunt in 2001 found that 42 per cent. of the seals skulls examined were found to have minimal or no fractures, suggesting that these animals were conscious when skinned; is concerned that the current level of killing is unsustainable for the harp seal population; further notes that trade data shows that thousands of seal skins were imported into the UK between 1995 and 2003; further notes that the US banned imports of all seal products in 1972 and that Belgium and Italy currently have initiatives to ban such trade; and calls on the Government to prohibit the import of all seal products into the UK. |
| 453 | CIVIL LEGAL AID | 29:6:05 |
| Mr Marsha Singh | | Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | David Taylor | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Fraser Kemp | Harry Cohen |
| That this House welcomes the establishment of the Access to Justice Alliance to promote the need for properly resourced civil legal aid services, as well as the Lord Chancellor's recent acknowledgement that there has been a 22 per cent. reduction since 1997 in the amount spent on civil legal aid; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to restore funding levels adequate to ensure access to civil justice for ordinary people. |
| 596 | ECUMENICAL ACCOMPANIMENT PROGRAMME OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES | 14:7:05 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mr David Drew | | Andrew George | | Bob Russell |
| That this House welcomes the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme of the World Council of Churches in arranging for human rights observers to work in Israel and Palestine; and encourages the UK Government to work with intergovernmental organisations to establish a human rights observation force in the Occupied Territories, and to press for an end to the occupation in a just and peaceful solution to the conflict on the basis of UN resolutions and the international rule of law. |
| 641 | SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BILL | 20:7:05 |
| Julia Goldsworthy | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Alan Simpson | | Matthew Taylor |
| | Mrs Louise Ellman | Hywel Williams |
| That this House welcomes the Sustainable Communities Bill introduced into the House before the General Election and supported by over 200 honourable Members; notes that the bill requires the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Afairs and the National Assembly for Wales, in conjunction with local authorities and local communities, to draw up and implement strategies to promote local services and local economic activity and measures for protecting the environment, social justice and greater political involvement; further notes that the bill specifically enables councils and communities significantly to influence Government policy and actions on these issues; further notes too that this philosophy is in accord with the idea of localism being espoused by many honourable Members; and therefore hopes that the bill will be re-introduced in this Parliament. |
| 786 | NSPCC TALK TILL IT STOPS CAMPAIGN | 18:10:05 |
| Mrs Theresa May | | Tim Loughton | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Greg Pope |
| That this House notes that up to 75 per cent. of sexually abused children do not feel able to tell anyone at the time of their abuse; believes that much more needs to be done to stop child abuse; and commends the NSPCC for running its Talk Till It Stops campaign. |
| 922 | HORSE RIDING ESTABLISHMENTS AND INSURANCE | 2:11:05 |
| Mr Stephen Crabb | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mark Williams | | Mr Richard Benyon | | Sandra Gidley | | Mr Gregory Campbell |
| | Mr David Chaytor | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House notes that horse-riding establishments are encountering difficulty with insurance claims following accidents and in obtaining insurance cover generally following the House of Lords interpretation of the Animals Act 1971 in the case of Mirvahedy v Henley [2003] 2 AII ER 401; further notes that this decision has limited the availability of insurance and increased the cost, adversely affecting the commercial viability of the equine sector; further notes the petition of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which attracted 911 signatures at country shows in 2005; and supports the CLA in its calls on the Government to remedy this situation by way of legislative amendment as soon as possible. |
| 1038 | END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CAMPAIGN | 15:11:05 |
| Mike Penning | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Jim Sheridan | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House condemns all forms of violence against women; notes that almost half of women experience domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking in their lifetime and that at least 200 women are forced into marriage and 2000 women are trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation each year; and therefore supports the End Violence Against Women Campaign's call for an integrated approach to addressing violence against women in all its forms. |
| As an Amendment to Mike Penning's proposed Motion (End Violence Against Women Campaign): |
| Line 4, after `year;', insert `calls for the UK to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking which provides for minimum standards of protection for victims of trafficking;'. |
| 1125 | LOCATION OF FEE-CHARGING CASH MACHINES | 28:11:05 |
| Dan Norris | | Bob Russell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Brian Iddon |
| That this House strongly condemns the fees levied by a rapidly growing number of cash machine operators who charge bank customers to access their own money; and calls on the banks to assist customers who wish to boycott fee-charging machines initially by widely publicising their exact location, following the example of the Bristol Evening Posts's `Don't Feed the Money Monsters' campaign, and ultimately by working with the firms which operate the machines to remove these charges for the benefit of all bank customers across the UK. |
| 1126 | ARMS TRADE TREATY | 28:11:05 |
| John Bercow | | Roger Berry | | Tony Baldry | | Sir Menzies Campbell | | Malcolm Bruce | | Mike Gapes |
| That this House is dismayed at the continued uncontrolled proliferation of arms around the globe which results in one death every minute, undermines development, fuels conflict and enables criminal activity to flourish; notes that the UK is the second biggest arms exporter in the world and has a particular responsibility better to control this trade; acknowledges that the development of an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) would ensure all states were bound by better rules governing arms transfers; congratulates the UK Government for its leadership in the promotion of such a treaty, which now has the support of over 40 countries across the world; further notes the Government's intention to begin negotiations for an ATT within the UN General Assembly during 2006; and calls on all hon. Members to use every chance to promote the ATT over the coming months, particularly with their international counterparts, in order to ensure that next year's historic opportunity is not missed and that negotiations begin. |
| As an Amendment to John Bercow's proposed Motion (Arms Trade Treaty): |
| Mr Alan Duncan | | Mr Simon Burns | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mr Peter Atkinson | | Dr Andrew Murrison | | Mr David Lidington |
| Line 4, after `trade;', insert `further notes that the British arms industry already operates to some of the highest standards in the world; considers that any measure that would make other countries live up to higher standards would be of direct advantage to the British arms industry and would benefit international security in general;'. |
| 1170 | CAMPAIGN FOR A TRADE UNION FREEDOM BILL | 30:11:05 |
| Tony Lloyd | | John McDonnell | | Alan Keen | | Mr Frank Doran | | Jon Cruddas | | Frank Dobson |
| That this House recognises that free and independent trade unions are a force for good in UK society and around the world, and are vital to democracy; welcomes the positive role modern unions play in providing protection for working people and winning fairness at work; notes the 1906 Trades Disputes Act granted unions the legal freedom to take industrial action; regrets that successive anti-union legislation has meant that trade union rights are now weaker than those introduced by the Trades Disputes Act; notes the overwhelming support at both the Trades Union Congress and Labour Party Conference for the Gate Gourmet workers and for improvements in union rights, including measures to simplify ballot procedures and to allow limited supportive action, following a ballot, in specific circumstances; further notes that these conferences called for legislation which conformed to International Labour Organisation Conventions ratified by the UK; and therefore welcomes the decision of the 2005 Trades Union Congress to campaign for a Trade Union Freedom Bill to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1906 Trades Disputes Act. |
| As an Amendment to Tony Lloyd's proposed Motion (Campaign for a Trade Union Freedom Bill): |
| Peter Bottomley | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Mr Joe Benton |
| Line 4, leave out from `work' to end. |
| 1292 | CHASE CHILDREN'S HOSPICE | 19:12:05 |
| Anne Milton | | Mike Penning | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Tim Loughton | | Stephen Williams |
| | Lyn Brown | John Bercow | Mrs Maria Miller | | | Mr Denis Murphy | James Brokenshire | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House pays tribute to CHASE Children's Hospice, which serves many children in Surrey and South West London and West Sussex; notes particularly the assistance provided by Christopher's in Guildford which they run; and calls upon the Government to address the future funding of children's hospices by ensuring that primary care trusts make a fair contribution to the cost of services that the hospices provide on behalf of the NHS. |
| 1300 | TERMINATOR TECHNOLOGY | 19:12:05 |
| Andrew George | | Mr Michael Meacher | | Alan Simpson | | Joan Ruddock | | Angus Robertson | | Mr Peter Ainsworth |
| That this House notes the recent efforts to commercialise Terminator Technology, a genetic use restriction technology, which is designed to prevent through genetic modification farm-saved seeds from germinating; further notes the recent granting of a Terminator patent in Europe; is concerned that this technology will force farmers to purchase new seed each season, thus increasing corporate control of the food supply and threatening the food security of people in developing countries; is not convinced that this technology will prevent GM contamination of non-GM crops, food and feed supplies; is further concerned that this technology may present a threat, especially to farmers' and indigenous peoples' livelihoods, health and biodiversity; and urges the UK Government to follow the precautionary principle and therefore continue to defend, in upcoming meetings of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and elsewhere in 2006, the existing decision that products incorporating Genetic Use Restriction Technologies should not be approved for field testing and commercialisation. |
| 1361 | VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR | 12:1:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House notes with concern the study by the University of Missouri-Columbia demonstrating the clear link between the playing of violent video games and the greater propensity to commit aggressive acts; believes that the current safeguards preventing children from playing such games are inadequate; and calls on the Government to commission an independent study into the effects of the playing of violent video games on children. |
| As an Amendment to Keith Vaz's proposed Motion (Violent Video Games and Aggressive Behaviour): |
| Derek Wyatt | | Mr Roger Godsiff |
| Line 6, at end add `and calls for a system of classification to be agreed on the lines of that applying to films in cinemas.'. |
| 1387 | SUPPLY OF STOMA CARE PRODUCTS | 17:1:06 |
| Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mr Alan Meale | | Ann Winterton | | Mike Penning |
| That this House notes the excellent and expert care and advice given by specialist nurses on the use of stoma care products to ostomates; is concerned that the Secretary of State for Health has issued a consultation document on the purchase and supply of stoma care products and the care of people with stomas; and calls on the Secretary of State to continue the current efficient, effective and convenient stoma care and product supply arrangements and to continue to support stoma nurses. |
| 1412 | GROWING THE RAILWAYS CAMPAIGN | 18:1:06 |
| Dr Alan Whitehead | | Tom Brake | | Mr John Horam | | Bob Spink | | Mike Penning | | Bob Russell |
| That this House welcomes the increasing demand for rail travel but is concerned that no plans currently exist to increase capacity on the railways, and alleviate congestion on parts of the rail network which are already congested; and, therefore, supports Transport 2000's Growing the Railways campaign, as endorsed by 21 organisations, which calls on the Government to draw up a clear investment planning framework for rail, through the High Level Output Statement, which ensures that money spent is used more efficiently, promotes partnership working, appraising rail projects fairly, and, above all, plans for an expanding railway for passengers and freight. |
| 1448 | PROHIBITION OF BATTERY CAGES FOR EGG LAYING HENS | 23:1:06 |
| Mr Eric Martlew | | Bob Russell | | David Taylor | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House notes that the prohibition of conventional battery cages for egg-laying hens that is due to come into force in 2012 under Council Directive 1999/74 is to be reviewed during 2006; firmly believes that the prohibition should remain in place and should not be repealed or postponed; further notes that the report of the Scientific Panel for Animal Health and Welfare of the European Food Safety Authority concludes that the inability of battery hens to perform their natural behaviours poses a particularly severe threat to their welfare; and urges Her Majesty's Government to take the lead in persuading EU partners that the prohibition of conventional battery cages should neither be repealed nor postponed but should come into force in 2012 as enacted by Council Directive 1999/74. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Eric Martlew's proposed Motion (Prohibition of Battery Cages for Egg Laying Hens): |
| Mr James Paice | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Bill Wiggin | | Mr Adam Holloway | | Mr Peter Atkinson | | Dr Andrew Murrison |
| Line 7, after `Government' leave out and insert `in the interests of both animal welfare and equal competition to ensure that the ban applies equally across all member states and that no member state should be allowed to derogate from it.'. |
| 1452 | SAVE THE CHILDREN'S REPORT ON BRITAIN'S POOREST CHILDREN REVISITED | 23:1:06 |
| John Battle | | Mr David Laws | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House welcomes Save the Children's recent report, Britain's Poorest Children Revisited; notes with extreme concern the findings that one million children in Great Britain live in severe and persistent poverty; further notes that additional action is needed if the Government is to meet its targets and if disadvantaged young people are to be given opportunities to fulfil their full potential; and urges the Government to measure the number of children living in severe and persistent poverty and commit to a strategy that explicitly targets these children, who may number up to one million. |
| 1454 | ASSYRIAN AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN 1915 | 24:1:06 |
| Stephen Pound | | Bob Russell | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| That this House is appalled by the genocide committed against the Assyrians in 1915 in their ancestral homeland by the then ruling government of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, the Committee for Union and Progress, a genocide which led to the mass exodus of the Assyrians from their millennia-old native soil and resulted in the deaths of approximately two-thirds of the Assyrian population and one and a half million Armenians and the destruction of many Assyrian and Armenian villages and national and religious institutions; recognises the suffering of the Assyrian and Armenian people during the genocide of 1915, and accepts that the suffering of victims of genocide is augmented and perpetuated by indifference and denial, and that genocide prevention can only by achieved by learning from history and recognising and condemning previous acts of genocide; calls upon the UK and Turkish governments publicly and officially to recognise the Assyrian and Armenian genocide of 1915, and encourage other members of the international community to take similar steps, thereby fulfilling the obligation of international co-operation enshrined in the preamble to the 1948 Genocide Convention; and urges the UK Government to call on the European Union to make official Turkish recognition of the 1915 Assyrian and Armenian genocide one of the pre-conditions for Turkey's membership of the EU. |
| 1494 | ASSISTED DYING IN THE UK AND OVERSEAS | 26:1:06 |
| Joan Ruddock | | Dr Evan Harris | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Tony Wright | | Jo Swinson |
| That this House is saddened by the death of the terminally ill doctor Anne Turner who chose to travel to Switzerland to receive assistance to die; hopes that her son and daughters who accompanied her are treated with compassion and sensitivity by the authorities on their return to the UK; is concerned that this is the 42nd case of its kind in the past three years and yet the Director of Public Prosecutions still refuses to publish guidance as to whether family members who accompany their relatives overseas for an assisted death are breaking the law; notes that recent research by Clive Seale from Brunel University has uncovered that, on average, there are eight illegal assisted deaths performed by doctors in the UK every day; and believes this sensitive issue should be further discussed in this House. |
| As an Amendment to Joan Ruddock's proposed Motion (Assisted Dying in the UK and Overseas): |
| Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr David Crausby | | Ann Winterton | | Paul Rowen | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Jim Dobbin |
| Line 1, leave out from `of' to end and insert `Dr Ann Turner and regrets the manner in which her assisted suicide in Switzerland was politicised by the euthanasia lobby to promote the legalisation of euthanasia; notes that what was described in The Times as as a `grisly travelling theatre of death' for which a television team and other journalists were present throughout has been used relentlessly by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society to promote Lord Joffe's Bill to legalise assisted suicide; notes however that Dr Turner was not terminally ill and would not have qualified under the proposed legislation which requires a prognosis of death within six months whereas Dr Turner had six to eight years to live; further notes that she was diagnosed as having progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in 2004 for which the average survival is 10 years; further notes that the clinical course of PSP is not unlike Parkinson's disease and, although not curable, treatment is available that considerably improves the quality of life; hopes the authorities treated Dr Turner's son and daughters who accompanied her with compassion; nonetheless reminds the Government that every Disability Rights group in the UK is opposed to the Joffe Bill and any form of euthanasia because they consider it would totally undermine the basic rights of disabled people; and calls on the Government to invest extensively in research into PSP and similar diseases, to finance major extensions to the hospice movement and to oppose euthanasia.'. |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Ann Keen | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Hywel Williams | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House condemns the abuse of older people as a national shame; supports the Help the Aged campaign, which is being taken forward in partnership with Action on Elder Abuse, to raise awareness of abuse and increase recognition that all should take responsibility for putting a stop to the abuse of older people; believes that older people have the right to live free from fear and harm; urges immediate action to prevent and tackle elder abuse; and calls for improved mechanisms to address elder abuse through more effective regulatory systems and law enforcement, vetting and barring of health and social care workers and increased access to advocacy and support for people affected by elder abuse. |
| 1503 | GAMING MACHINE STAKE AND PRIZE LEVELS | 26:1:06 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr Don Foster | | Mr Malcolm Moss | | Mrs Janet Dean | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes with concern that the Government has not implemented the Gaming Board of Great Britain's recommendation to raise the prize level for Category C machines to £35 nor to implement its own proposal to raise the stake to 50 pence; recognises the lack of a suitable stake and prize has been damaging to many leisure sectors which have seen a severe decline in income in recent years; further notes that the effect is felt particuarly in rural and community pubs and local bingo halls where the income stream generated by low stake and prize gaming is of vital importance to those businesses; and notes that the leisure industry as represented by the BBPA, BACTA, BALPPA, BISL and the Bingo Association are urging the Government to introduce the stake and prize increase as a matter of urgency under the current arrangements which provide sufficient safeguards in an existing and established market. |
| 1531 | ABOLITION OF THE POST OFFICE CARD ACCOUNT | 31:1:06 |
| Kate Hoey | | Mr Owen Paterson | | Mr Alan Reid | | Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody | | The Reverend Ian Paisley | | Mr Iain Duncan Smith |
| That this House is gravely concerned by the Department of Work and Pensions' (DWP) decision to withdraw support for the Post Office Card Account when the existing contract expires in 2010 and in particular by the Department's attempt to kill off the Account in advance of 2010, through pilot schemes being introduced immediately when it will deny to new benefit claimants the option of opening a Post Office Card Account, inform 35,000 existing customers that they will have to use a bank or building society instead of the Post Office Card Account and require them to provide their account details, and pay benefits of 2,500 existing customers into a bank account rather than the Post Office Card Account, ignoring the preferences they made when their benefit books were stopped; condemns the fact that, in breach of all plans, these pilot schemes are being introduced without consultation; and calls on the Government to halt these pilot schemes immediately and to institute an immediate review of the DWP's proposal to abolish the Post Office Card Account by 2010. |
| 1608 | BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION REPORT ON THE STAFF AND ASSOCIATE SPECIALISTS GROUP OF DOCTORS | 9:2:06 |
| Dr Howard Stoate | | Mr Andrew Lansley | | Steve Webb | | Michael Connarty | | Lady Hermon | | Hywel Williams |
| | Mr Gordon Marsden | David T. C. Davies |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the British Medical Association's recent report, The Hidden Heroes of the NHS; notes the significant contribution that the Staff and Associate Specialists group of doctors play in providing patient care in the NHS; further notes that their contribution in delivering patient care has been largely unacknowledged; believes that recognition of and investment in this group of 12,500 or so senior doctors is much needed as they are an untapped resource and essential to the modernisation of the NHS; and calls on the Government to invest in this group of doctors to enable them to help deliver improvements across the NHS. |
| 1614 | TRIDENT AND THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY | 9:2:06 |
| Mr Neil Gerrard | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr David Drew | | Jim Cousins | | Mr Michael Clapham |
| That this House notes that the Government when elected in 1997 committed itself to working for multilateral nuclear disarmament; further notes that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) commits nuclear weapon states to negotiate the elimination of their nuclear arsenals and that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons affirms an obligation `to negotiate in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament'; further notes that any programme to replace Trident nuclear weapons systems would pre-empt and undermine the effectiveness of such negotiations; and calls upon the Government to support the international rule of law by implementing the obligations of the NPT which would preclude a replacement of Trident. |
| 1622 | OFFENSIVE MATERIALS IN NEWSAGENTS | 9:2:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Annette Brooke | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Andrew George | | Mr Gregory Campbell |
| That this House notes that there is still no legislation in place to ensure that adult titles, including so called lads mags, newspapers and tabloids containing disturbing pornographic material, are kept out of reach and sight of children; acknowledges that most newsagents adhere to the voluntary Code of Practice as set out by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents; welcomes local campaigners all over the UK who are putting pressure on WH Smith to recognise certain tabloid titles as pornography; and calls on the Government once again to consider introducing legislation to ensure offensive material is kept well out of reach and sight of children. |
| As an Amendment to Ms Diane Abbott's proposed Motion (Offensive Materials in Newsagents): |
| Mr Gerald Howarth | | Mr Julian Brazier | | Mark Hunter | | Mr David Burrowes | | Andrew Rosindell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| Line 2, after `tabloids' add `; and magazines such as More which treat sexual matters in an entirely mechanical fashion, virtually devoid of any moral content and are therefore detrimental to the well-being of young people to whom they are marketed by unscrupulous adults'. |
| Simon Hughes | | Sandra Gidley | | Mr Barry Sheerman | | Tim Loughton | | Mr Stephen Crabb | | Mike Penning |
| That this House recognises the invaluable work that YWCA undertakes with disadvantaged young women within its sixteen projects nationwide; firmly believes that young people enrich the world and deserve the provision of and investment in adequate recreational and informal learning facilities within their local communities; notes the need for every young woman to have the opportunity to attend some of this youth provision as women-only space to encourage the broadest participation in youth projects from all ethnicities, genders and sexualities; and calls on the Government to address the issue of provision of safe spaces for all young people as a matter of urgency. |
| 1626 | ANIMAL WELFARE (No. 2) | 13:2:06 |
| Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Russell | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr John Leech | | Harry Cohen |
| That this House commends the work of Animal Defenders International in collecting video evidence of the abnormal behaviour and suffering of animals in travelling circuses, and notes this shows that travelling circuses cannot adequately provide for the basic welfare needs of their animals and as such fail the welfare test of the Animal Welfare Bill; notes that circus animals spend excessive periods of time shut in transporters, whether travelling or not, are forced to live in temporary facilities lacking appropriate space and environmental enrichment, and often in inappropriate groupings of animals; further notes that violence is commonplace and part of the circus culture, and no other working animals spend such a long time, normally at least eight months, in temporary mobile accommodation, thus making animal transport regulations difficult to police and enforce, and that the arrangements for circus animals are entirely different from the higher quality accommodation and transport arrangements of animals being transported for racing, horse shows, dog shows and similar events; and therefore urges that the Animal Welfare Bill is used to end the use of animals in travelling circuses and to take measures to protect performing animals in permanent facilities through regulation and to end the currently legal use of violence to train animals for the purposes of entertainment. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Mike Hancock's proposed Motion (Animal Welfare (No. 2)): |
| Peter Luff | | Mr Edward Vaizey | | Adam Price |
| Line 1, leave out from `House' to end and insert `deplores the use of misleading film footage by Animal Defenders International to make false claims about animal cruelty in circuses in the UK, noting that the vast bulk of the footage was filmed abroad, and that the footage showing abuses in the UK was extremely old and does not reflect current practices; acknowledges that only three touring circuses in the UK use wild animals; regrets the deliberate failure by campaigners to distinguish between wild and domestic animals in circuses; notes the scientific evidence in the Kiley-Worthington Report, commissioned by the RSPCA and written by a respected animal behaviourist, which found that, rather than being intrinsically harmful to captive animals, circuses can provide them with a beneficial mixture of exercise, stimulation and human contact; recognises that circuses' transport records show that the times and conditions for animals in transit exceed the legal requirements; supports the independent inspections that are conducted by local authorities with the full cooperation of circuses; praises the leading circuses for adopting an independent code of conduct and the wider industry for working together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in order to formulate the proposed regulations for the use of animals in circuses; and vigorously defends the right of touring circuses to continue to use domestic animals such as horses, dogs and budgerigars in full compliance with the welfare test of the Animal Welfare Bill'. |
| 1681 | RAIL WORKERS' PENSIONS | 16:2:06 |
| John McDonnell | | Alan Simpson | | Ms Katy Clark | | Mrs Linda Riordan | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Kelvin Hopkins [R] |
| That this House is deeply alarmed at the attempts by railways employers substantially to increase employee pension contributions; notes this will not only be detrimental to rail workers' earnings but will threaten the future viability of the Railways Pension Scheme by forcing existing members to opt out, and deterring new members from joining; is concerned that rail employers are considering closing scheme sections, raising retirement ages and reducing benefits; believes the threat to rail workers' pensions is a direct result of the fragmentation of the Railways Pension Scheme and of employers taking pension holidays; strongly supports the rail unions' campaign to cap employees' contributions, maintain existing benefit rates, simplify the Railways Pension Scheme's structure and open the Scheme to all staff; and therefore urges the Government to do all within its power to protect the pensions of rail workers. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1682 | PUBLIC HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH | 16:2:06 |
| Lynne Jones | | Tim Loughton | | Sandra Gidley | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That this House believes that mental health should form a central part of mainstream public health reforms; is appalled that people with severe mental illness can expect to live 10 years less than other people; congratulates Rethink, the charity for people affected by severe mental illness, for campaigning to ensure that people with severe mental illness should be a top priority for programmes on obesity, exercise and smoking cessation because of the high levels of physical health problems among this group; urges the Government to fulfill its commitment to tackling health inequalities through the Public Health White Paper, Choosing Health, and the White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say; and calls on the Government to reassert its commitment to keep mental health as one of its three health priorities. |
| 1686 | HOME OXYGEN SUPPLIES | 27:2:06 |
| Mrs Linda Riordan [R] | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Lynne Jones | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House expresses serious concern at the decision to transfer the delivery of oxygen away from local pharmacies to private companies; regrets that this means the provision will not be made by these pharmacies, who were community-based and aware of patients' needs; is concerned that the 60,000 people across the country who rely on oxygen will now have to wait longer to receive their supplies; and calls on the Government to think again about this decision, as well as resisting any future plans to move away from localised provision of key health services such as these. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1704 | USE OF PRIMATES IN SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES | 28:2:06 |
| Mr David Drew | | Mr Alan Meale | | David Taylor | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Mr Mike Weir | | David Lepper |
| | Geraldine Smith | Mr Nigel Dodds | Mr David Chaytor |
| That this House notes the use of thousands of non-human primates each year in scientific procedures in the United Kingdom and across the EU; further notes that their level of sentience and highly developed social instincts make it extremely difficult to meet their behavioural needs in a laboratory setting; further notes that physical differences between human beings and other primates may make it impossible to predict reliably human outcomes from primate procedures; further notes public opposition to the use of primates; calls upon the Government to extend the current ban on the use of great apes to all primates as a matter of urgency; and further calls on the Government to press for an EU-wide ban on primate experiments as part of the impending review of European Union Directive 86/609/EEC. |
| 1719 | CARDIAC RISK IN THE YOUNG (No. 2) | 28:2:06 |
| Tim Loughton | | Ms Dari Taylor | | Mr Kevin Barron | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Mr Simon Burns | | Mr John Baron |
| That this House congratulates Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) on its work to raise awareness of the 1st anniversary of the new Chapter 8 in the National Service Framework on Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death published on 4th March 2005, which aims to reduce the average eight cardiac-related deaths of fit young people a week; welcomes the launch on 1st March of the results of a recent survey of primary care trusts, general practitioners and the public addressing issues pertinent to the new Chapter 8; recognises the work of CRY's cardiac specialists and CRY's sports and schools screening programmes, the donation of over £400,000 of cardiac equipment to general practitioners surgeries and hospitals and the development of a network of bereavement supporters; and looks forward to the next CRY Raising Awareness Week from 3rd to 8th July. |
| 1726 | WATER SPRINKLERS IN SCHOOLS | 1:3:06 |
| Ms Celia Barlow | | Bob Spink | | Mark Durkan | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Alan Meale | | David Taylor |
| That this House notes that more than 2,000 schools are damaged by fire each year at an estimated cost of £100 million to local education authorities; further notes that the National Governors' Association has been working with the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority to raise awareness of fire risk assessment among head teachers and governors; looks forward to their joint publication of a guide for governors on fire risk; and calls upon the Government to broaden its recommendations to make the installation of sprinklers in all new build and major refurbishments of maintained schools mandatory. |
| 1753 | AGRICULTURE (S.I., 2006, No. 225) | 6:3:06 |
| Mr David Cameron | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Gregory Barker | | Mr James Paice [R] | | Bill Wiggin | | Mr Patrick McLoughlin |
| That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Hill Farm Allowance Regulations 2006 (S.I., 2006, No. 225), dated 1st February 2006, a copy of which was laid before this House on 6th February, be annulled. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 1754 | BEE DISEASES (S.I., 2006, No. 342) | 6:3:06 |
| Mr David Cameron | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Gregory Barker | | Mr James Paice | | Bill Wiggin | | Mr Patrick McLoughlin |
| That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Bee Diseases and Pest Control (England) Order 2006 (S.I., 2006, No. 342), dated 11th February 2006, a copy of which was laid before this House on 15th February, be annulled. |
| 1763 | ACADEMIC SALARIES | 7:3:06 |
| Mr Boris Johnson | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mike Penning |
| That this House applauds the success of the university sector; recognises the vital contribution universities make to economic, cultural and intellectual well-being; believes that the expansion of higher education has been generally a good thing for individuals and for society; notes, however, that resources per student have shrunk as a result of this expansion; recognises that over the last 20 years, many in the public sector have seen their salaries rise by a greater amount than those of academics; and, while regretting that students will be unfairly penalised by the current strike action, congratulates the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers of Further and Higher Education for their belated recognition that the best long-term hope for sustainable funding of higher education is some form of co-payment mechanism. |
| 1770 | BROWNFIELD FIRST APPROACH FOR NEW HOUSING | 8:3:06 |
| Mr David Drew | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Alan Meale | | Jeff Ennis | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | David Taylor |
| That this House welcomes the progress made on recycling brownfield land and increasing the supply of housing with house building reaching its highest level for 16 years and 72 per cent. of homes now built on brownfield sites; notes the positive role played by planning policy in housing provision, especially the sequential brownfield first approach in PPG3; and, in the light of this achievement, is concerned and perplexed by the emphasis the Government's draft planning policy on housing places on meeting market demand where it arises, rather than where capacity for development exists; further notes the lack of a clear sequential approach which ensures urban brownfield development takes priority over greenfield development and the lack of measures and resources to secure more affordable housing and encourage urban regeneration; and calls on the Government to retain a strong emphasis on the sequential brownfield first approach when it publishes its new planning policy on housing later this year. |
| As an Amendment to Mr David Drew's proposed Motion (Brownfield First Approach for New Housing): |
| Bob Spink | | Roger Berry | | Lorely Burt |
| Line 1, leave out from `land' to end and add `but deplores the over development of small sites and the replacement of small homes by massive blocks of flats which is putting too much pressure on the infrastructure'. |
| 1773 | DEMOCRACY IN BELARUS | 8:3:06 |
| Mr Gary Streeter | | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | | Mr Andrew Mackay | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd |
| That this House deplores the recent arrests of opposition activists in Belarus who were campaigning for the Presidential elections on 19th March 2006, including the leaders of reputable political parties; notes that this forms part of a wide scale pattern of arrest, intimidation and oppression by forces loyal to President Lukashenko; believes that the international community should apply more pressure on the government of Belarus to ensure that these elections are free and fair; and looks forward to the day when the 10 million people of this European country can enjoy the freedoms that British people take for granted. |
| Mr Paul Keetch | | Andrew Mackinlay | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Mr Greg Pope | | Mark Pritchard |
| That this House welcomes the lifting of the 10 year ban on the export of British beef to the EU; urges the Government to work with the industry to promote British beef throughout Europe; encourages British tourists in Europe to ask for British beef at shops and restaurants; and calls upon British embassies and military bases in Europe to begin serving British beef with pride. |
| 1779 | WITHDRAWAL OF LEGAL SERVICES COMMISSION SPECIALIST SUPPORT SERVICES | 8:3:06 |
| Mr Jonathan Djanogly | | Mr Oliver Heald | | Mr Dominic Grieve | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Keith Vaz | | Mr Stewart Jackson |
| That this House believes that the Legal Services Commission's decision to end its specialist support services from July is an incomprehensible error; further believes it will impact heavily on the poorer and most vulnerable members of the community and create an even larger shortfall in provision than already exists; deplores the axing of the telephone specialist support service which provides back-up support for solicitors from expert lawyers, involving free telephone advice, help with casework and external supervision and training for legal advisers; notes the severe effect it will have on high street solicitor firms on the frontline dealing with complex legal issues in the areas of housing, employment, immigration, human rights, mental health, welfare benefits, community care and debt that are covered by the service; and further believes that this proposal will not save money for the Government and will only lead to the same sums being spent in a less efficient way on an alternative and less effective scheme. |
| 1788 | BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS AND BADGERS | 9:3:06 |
| Mr Eric Martlew | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton | | Glenda Jackson |
| | Dr Tony Wright | Mr Denis Murphy | Mr Marsha Singh | | | Mr Iain Wright |
| That this House notes that tuberculosis in cattle is increasing by 18 per cent. per year and over 20,000 cattle are slaughtered annually following tuberculosis tests; calls on the Government to note the robust scientific evidence presented by Professor John Bourne, the Chairman of the Independent Scientific Group on bovine tuberculosis that a badger cull will almost certainly make the situation worse; is concerned that the proposed methods of culling badgers by snaring or gassing are inhumane and that the available scientific evidence indicates that the vast majority of badgers are not infected with tuberculosis; and urges the Government to act on the clear scientific conclusion that pre- and post-cattle movement measures should be implemented as soon as possible in order to tackle tuberculosis in cattle. |
| 1793 | GURKHA VETERANS | 10:3:06 |
| Miss Ann Widdecombe | | Mr Adam Holloway | | Mr Mark Lancaster | | Mr Paul Keetch | | Mr Colin Breed | | Ms Diane Abbott |
| | John Thurso | Nick Harvey | Mr Denis Murphy | | | Nia Griffith | Frank Cook | Peter Luff | | | Mr Piara S. Khabra | Dr Brian Iddon |
| That this House welcomes the Government's overdue steps towards producing Gurkhas' terms and conditions of service which are equitable and fair and which begin to remedy the injustice caused by discriminatory conditions of service; but believes that the Gurkha veterans who served the British Army from the Second World War to 1997 are no less affected by the injustice caused to Gurkhas by the discriminatory terms of service; and therefore urges the Government to take steps to remedy the impact of those discriminatory terms before it is too late for the veterans affected. |
| 1795 | TERRORIST ACTION IN VARANASI | 10:3:06 |
| Stephen Pound | | Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Nigel Evans |
| That this House offers its deepest sympathy and sincere condolence to the 80 victims, and their families and friends, of the unprovoked terrorist attack on the religious capital of Hinduism, the Holy City of Varanasi on 7th March; condemns the action of the cross-border terrorist group Lashkar-E-Qahab, who have claimed responsibility; and salutes the government of India for its dignified and principled response to the Varanasi outrage. |
| 1811 | FUTURE OF PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FORUMS | 14:3:06 |
| Mr John Leech | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Derek Conway | | David Taylor | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Stephen Williams |
| That this House welcomes the work of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) forums to secure improvements in health services in many constituencies; notes that the Government is still reviewing the future of patient and public involvement in health and is concerned at suggestions that local authority overview and scrutiny committees could take on the work of PPI forums; believes the overview and scrutiny process is often highly politicised and can be used as a rubber stamp of executive decision-making, and that committees are already overstretched; further believes that the strength of PPI forums is that they are people-focused and work outside the party political arena; and therefore urges the Government not to retreat from supporting independent patient and public involvement bodies. |
| As an Amendment to Mr John Leech's proposed Motion (Future of Patient and Public Involvement Forums): |
| Peter Bottomley | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Mr Paul Burstow | | Bill Etherington | | Mr Paul Keetch |
| Line 9, at end add `and recommends the recreation of community health councils in England.'. |
| 1817 | FOOD SUPPLEMENTS DIRECTIVE AND CONSUMER CHOICE | 15:3:06 |
| Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mr Andrew Lansley | | Kate Hoey | | Tim Loughton | | Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr John Baron |
| That this House notes the continuing concern about the potential impact of the Food Supplements Directive upon consumer choice in vitamin and mineral supplements; further notes that Ministers have accepted the recommendation of the Board of the Food Standards Agency that their approach to the interpretation of the key provisions of this legislation should be to work in Europe for maximum permitted levels for nutrients in supplements to be set on the basis of safety, whilst securing an enduring flexibility to permit onto the United Kingdom market safe and popular products which lie outside the otherwise restrictive provisions of this legislation; understands that the European Commission will shortly be consulting about the setting of such maximum permitted levels for nutrients under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; urges the Government immediately to adopt and implement a co-ordinated strategy for the achievement of their stated objectives for this process; and invites Ministers to keep this House fully informed of the progress that they are making in securing the support of the European Commission and other member states for the principle that consumers should not be denied access to safe supplements of their choice. |
| 1822 | NUFFIELD SPEECH AND LANGUAGE UNIT | 15:3:06 |
| Mr Edward Davey | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Bob Spink | | Derek Wyatt | | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes that the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit at the Royal Free Hospital is a national centre of excellence, providing diagnosis and treatment of hearing, speech and language disorders in children with needs that cannot be properly met by local provision; further notes that the Unit requires only 14 children to remain financially viable; expresses extreme concern that the distinct lack of referrals for the 2006-07 academic year may lead to the Unit's closure; believes that local NHS and neighbouring education authorities have failed to take enough proactive action to ensure the Unit is known about by parents, doctors and speech therapists; and urges the Government to do all it can to support the Unit and promote sufficient awareness to guarantee that the UK does not lose this important national resource. |
| Tony Baldry | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Derek Conway | | Mr Michael Ancram |
| That this House is concerned at the threat to church pipe organs from the EU Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances which will ban the use of lead in pipe organs and as from July will make it illegal to build new organ pipes or to move old ones from one church to another unless they are blown by hand; believes that such a ban will have a serious impact on England's cultural and liturgical life and will mean an end to English organ building; and calls on the Government to negotiate with the European Commission to find a way to protect traditional pipe organs for cathedrals, concert halls, colleges and churches. |
| As Amendments to Tony Baldry's proposed Motion (Pipe Organs): |
| Mr Brian H. Donohoe | | Mark Williams |
| Line 5, leave out from `England's' to `English' and insert `the UK's cultural and liturgical life and will mean an end to the UK's'. |
| Mark Williams | | David T. C. Davies |
| Line 5, leave out from `England's' to end and insert `the cultural and liturgical life of England and Wales and will mean an end to English and Welsh'. |
| Tim Loughton | | Mr Michael Fallon | | Peter Bottomley | | Derek Conway | | Bob Spink | | Mr Greg Hands |
| | John Battle | Dr Julian Lewis |
| That this House notes with concern the case of Craig Alden, a British national detained in Brazil since July 2002; supports the ongoing efforts of Mr Alden's family and supporters to raise the profile of his case; and calls on the Government to give its fullest attention to his welfare. |
| 1835 | CLOSURE OF SUSSEX UNIVERSITY'S CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT | 16:3:06 |
| Tim Loughton | | Hon Nicholas Soames | | Nick Herbert | | Gregory Barker | | Mr Nigel Waterson | | Charles Hendry |
| That this House expresses regret at Sussex University's decision to close its successful chemistry department despite being awarded a grade 5 rating under the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) which monitors university standards and attracting academic staff of world renown, including two Nobel prize winners; notes the discrepancy between this closure and applications to the Sussex University chemistry course being 34 per cent. higher than the average increase in applications for university places; is alarmed that this closure is part of a worrying general trend in closure of chemistry departments nationally; is concerned that not enough is being done to reverse the decline in the number of applicants accepting places to study chemistry; and further notes that this decline in teaching physical sciences will have major detrimental effects on the future success of the UK's economy, its international competitiveness and on future scientific developments. |
| 1840 | EUROPEAN UNION'S WATER INITIATIVE | 17:3:06 |
| Mr David Burrowes | | Emily Thornberry | | Mr Don Foster | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mrs Joan Humble |
| That this House notes with concern that 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe water and 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation; further notes that the European Union's Water Initiative (EUWI), established in 2002 as the EU's main contribution to meeting the water and sanitation millennium development goals, has not yet made any of the policy or practice changes which would have helped extra people to receive access to water or sanitation; further notes that clear commitments to increase aid effectiveness generally have been made in the donors' Paris Declaration; and urges the Government to work with its European counterparts to push for a radical overhaul of the EUWI by incorporating into it the Paris Declaration agenda, setting measurable targets for better donor co-ordination in each country where the Initiative operates and by providing regular reports of progress at country level to ensure that more people really are gaining access to safe water and sanitation. |
| 1850 | ANIMALS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH | 20:3:06 |
| Dr Evan Harris | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Jonathan Djanogly | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Alan Duncan | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes that UK regulation of animal research is among the tightest in the world, that animal research is only permitted where there is no better alternative and that pain and suffering are minimised and balanced against the potential benefit to humans and animals; recognises that good facilities enable scientists to conduct world-class research, potentially leading to new treatments for a number of life-threatening diseases, including leukaemia, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease and that such research has already produced many lifesaving drugs including penicillin and other antibiotics, insulin for diabetes, chemotherapy for childhood leukaemia, and medicines for asthma, high blood pressure and ulcers; therefore supports the building of the new state of the art biomedical research laboratory at Oxford University, which will improve the facilities currently used to house research animals and so enhance animal welfare; applauds the Pro-Test movement in Oxford for their support of scientific research including animal based research; condemns unlawful animal rights extremism, including any violence, harassment or intimidation of those associated with lawful animal research; and supports the well-regulated use of animals in medical research. |
| 1897 | DOUBLE SUMMER TIME | 23:3:06 |
| Mr Greg Hands | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr Greg Knight | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House supports moving clocks forward an additional one hour in England and Wales to create a system of summer time/double summer time which could lead to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries of some 2,500 per annum, would create an extra hour's afternoon light every day for sports and outdoor activities of all kinds and would give relief from night time aircraft noise. |
| 1900 | NEW NATIONAL FEDERATION OF RETAIL NEWSAGENTS' CODE OF PRACTICE ON OFFENSIVE MATERIALS IN NEWSAGENTS | 27:3:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mark Durkan | | Jim Dobbin | | Lynne Jones |
| | David Taylor | Mr David Crausby |
| That this House welcomes the new code of conduct outlined by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) to prevent children being exposed to grown up titles in newsagents; notes that the new more elaborate guidelines relate not only to adult top-shelf titles but cover also what are known as `lads mags' as well as tabloids and other newspapers which carry images of women, along with written content which is potentially harmful not only to children but to gender equality issues in general; applauds the NFRN for being responsive to the growing number of consumer complaints relating to inappropriate display of `lads mags' and newspapers which contain degrading images of women; is concerned that the code remains entirely voluntary; and calls for the scrutiny of the implementation of this code of practice and for a statutory code to govern the display of offensive materials if adherence levels under voluntary arrangements are unsatisfactory. |
| 1905 | 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MISSION TO SEAFARERS | 27:3:06 |
| Mr Julian Brazier | | Chris Grayling | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Tim Loughton | | Gwyn Prosser | | Bob Russell |
| That this House salutes the Mission to Seafarers in its 150th anniversary year; notes the many travails and traumas suffered on an increasingly regular basis by merchant seafarers and is especially concerned at the dramatic increase in piracy and crew abandonment on the high seas; commends the Mission and its chaplains for their sterling work looking after the physical, mental and spiritual welfare of seafarers, be they British or foreign, of any faith or none; recognises their efforts in improving the lot of seafarers through work at the United Nations, the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation; and wishes them every success in the coming century. |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr George Galloway | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Mohammad Sarwar |
| | Lynne Featherstone | Lorely Burt |
| That the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 974), which was laid before this House on 13th March, be disapproved. |
| 1913 | STATEMENT OF UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON IRANIAN BAHA'IS | 28:3:06 |
| Lembit Öpik | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Mr John Leech | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Mr Charles Kennedy | Ann McKechin |
| That this House expresses grave alarm at the news that Iran's military and intelligence apparatus is identifying and monitoring all of that country's Bahá'i minority, as revealed by a recent statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief; registers deepest concern at the mounting threat to the Bahá'i community, who have faced prolonged persecution; and urges the Government to seek immediate guarantees for the safety of the Bahá'is from the Iranian authorities. |
| 1926 | HEALTH AND SAFETY (S.I., 2006, No. 557) | 28:3:06 |
| Mr David Cameron | | Chris Grayling | | Mr Julian Brazier | | Stephen Hammond | | Mr Owen Paterson | | Mr Patrick McLoughlin |
| That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority for Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems) Regulations 2006 (S.I., 2006, No. 557), dated 2nd March 2006, a copy of which was laid before this House on 9th March, be annulled. |
| 1929 | OMBUDSMAN'S REPORT ON OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS | 28:3:06 |
| Mr Philip Hammond | | Dr Liam Fox | | Mr Andrew Mitchell | | Mr Andrew Lansley | | Mr David Willetts | | Mrs Theresa May |
| That this House condemns the Government's rejection of the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman's report Trusting in the Pensions Promise, which found the Government guilty of maladministration which misled thousands of people as to the security of their occupational pensions; further condemns the Government's use of an unsubstantiated figure of £15 billion as the cost of compensation to those identified by the Ombudsman's report, which is not discounted to reflect a net present value, and further wholly rejects the Minister's incorrect calculation that this is equivalent to six pence on the basic rate of income tax; is critical of the Financial Assistance Scheme as it currently exists because of its limited scope and because only 27 people who have lost pensions and are eligible for help under the scheme have so far received any payment; and calls on the Government urgently to look at whether the Financial Assistance Scheme can be reconstructed to help a wider group of people who have suffered loss of pension rights through no fault of their own and to investigate the possible use of unclaimed assets to support the Financial Assistance Scheme. |
| 1930 | EXEMPTIONS FOR THE SPORT OF OLYMPIC PISTOL SHOOTING | 28:3:06 |
| Kate Hoey | | Mr Martyn Jones | | Mr Peter Atkinson | | Mr Roger Williams | | Frank Cook | | Mr Andrew Mackay |
| That this House recognises the importance of the success of Michael Gault in the pistol shooting events in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne; and, conscious of the fact that most of his training and that of other world-class pistol shooters has had to take place outside Great Britain due to the gun laws, calls on the Home Secretary to exempt the sport of Olympic pistol shooting from the handgun ban to allow athletes for the London Olympics to train at home. |
| As an Amendment to Kate Hoey's proposed Motion (Exemptions for the Sport of Olympic Pistol Shooting): |
| Sandra Gidley | | Anne Main | | Mr Charles Kennedy |
| Line 6, leave out `at home' and insert `at approved venues within Great Britain.'. |
| 1935 | NATIONAL DEPRESSION WEEK | 29:3:06 |
| Mr Andrew Lansley | | Tim Loughton | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mr John Baron | | Dr Andrew Murrison | | Mr Crispin Blunt |
| That this House congratulates the Depression Alliance on their organisation of National Depression Week which runs from 17th to 23rd April this year; notes that more than 2.9 million people in the UK are diagnosed as having depression at any one time and that one in five people will be affected by depression at some point in their lives; further congratulates the Depression Alliance for arranging a series of events during National Depression Week which aim to increase awareness of depression; supports the decision by the Depression Alliance to theme this year's National Depression Week around the availability of complementary therapies; agrees with the Depression Alliance that those suffering from depression would often benefit from access to complementary therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, nutritional advice and exercise; further notes that the waiting lists for many alternative therapies are unacceptably long and that the number of people suffering from depression is rising; and believes that urgent action is needed to ensure that all people suffering from mental illness receive the treatment best fitted to their personal circumstances. |
| 1941 | IMPROVING PAYMENT PRACTICES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY | 29:3:06 |
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas | | Mr John Spellar | | Tony Baldry | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Nick Harvey | Gwyn Prosser | Mr Denis Murphy |
| That this House believes that security of payment in the construction industry especially for small and medium-sized businesses is a prerequisite to achieving trust and collaboration in the industry; therefore urges the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to use the opportunity presented by the current review of Part II of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, initiated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to amend the Act to ensure that there is a statutory mechanism for defining the amount to be paid at the date for payment, that all conditional payment provisions and cross contract set-off are outlawed, that progress payments start from commencement of contract and that the Act provides effective protection for firms in the supply chain from `upstream' insolvencies; and believes that payment security will be a major factor in the successful delivery of the construction projects for the 2012 London Olympics. |
| 1945 | PAID LEAVE FOR ALL OFFSHORE WORKERS | 29:3:06 |
| Geraldine Smith | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Kevan Jones | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Bob Laxton |
| | Mr Charles Kennedy | Mr Mark Todd | Mr Jimmy Hood | | | Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods | Mr Siôn Simon |
| That this House notes that the working time regulations Horizontal Amended Directive came into effect in August 2003 which extended the provision for four weeks' paid leave for offshore workers for the first time; is concerned that employers argue that the Directive does not apply beyond territorial waters, a 12-mile radius from the coastline, which accounts for about 99 per cent. of offshore installations; and calls on the Government to clarify or amend the legislation to ensure that all offshore workers enjoy paid leave. |
| 1950 | MENTAL HEALTH ACTION WEEK, 16th TO 22nd APRIL 2006 | 30:3:06 |
| Mr Andrew Lansley | | Tim Loughton | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Mr John Baron | | Dr Andrew Murrison | | Mr Crispin Blunt |
| That this House congratulates the Mental Health Foundation on using Mental Health Action Week, 16th to 22nd April 2006, to raise awareness of the issues facing those struggling with an alcohol addiction; is concerned by the close link between heavy drinking and a high incidence of mental illness; calls on the Government to ensure that those who turn to alcohol as a result of mental illness receive appropriate treatment; understands that depression is one of the conditions which may lead someone into alcoholism; is therefore further concerned by the result of the survey by the magazine Pulse which found that 78 per cent. of general practitioners were dissatisfied with the availability of services for those suffering from depression; notes that the same Pulse survey found that almost all general practitioners feel forced to prescribe anti-depressants as they are unwilling to make patients wait for treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy; believes that appropriate use of psychological therapies can be a far more cost-effective use of NHS resources than widespread prescribing of anti-depressants; is alarmed that research by the Conservative Party has confirmed huge disparities in the availability of psychological therapies despite their efficacy and cost-effectiveness in long-term treatment; is deeply worred that these disparities mean that some patients are waiting as long as 84 weeks; and, in the light of this evidence, further calls on the Government to take urgent action to address this postcode lottery. |
| 1955 | SMALL BREWERIES' RELIEF | 30:3:06 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Peter Luff | | Mr James Gray | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House endorses the current system of small breweries' relief that has helped small brewers to compete with larger brewers who enjoy greater economies of scale of production, and has enabled small brewers to invest in gaining access to market; notes the importance of small and independent brewers for consumer choice, competition, tourism and local employment; recognises that independent brewers producing between 60,000 and 200,000 hectolitres are too large to benefit from small brewers' relief yet too small to benefit from the substantial economies of scale of production of the global brewers; further notes that 13 EU countries provide small breweries' relief for all independent brewers producing up to 200,000 hectolitres; and therefore urges the Government to consider an extension of small breweries' relief to benefit all independent brewers producing up to 200,000 hectolitres. |
| As Amendments to Greg Mulholland's proposed Motion (Small Breweries' Relief): |
| Ann Winterton | | Philip Davies | | Kate Hoey |
| Line 5, delete `60,000 and 200,000 hectolitres' and insert `10, 588, 523 and 35, 195, 078 pints' |
| Ann Winterton | | Mr Ben Wallace | | Philip Davies | | Kate Hoey |
| Line 9, delete `200,000 hectolitres' amd insert `35, 195, 078 pints' |
| Ann Winterton | | Mr Ben Wallace | | Philip Davies | | Mike Penning | | Kate Hoey |
| Line 11, delete `200,000 hectolitres' and insert ` 35, 195, 078 pints' |
| 1959 | EU COMMON POSITION ON CUBA | 30:3:06 |
| Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Dr John Pugh | | Glenda Jackson | | Adam Price | | Colin Burgon |
| | Mr Phil Willis | Stewart Hosie |
| That this House recognises efforts by the Government to cement positive relations with Cuba; identifies the 48 per cent. decrease in United Kingdom exports to Cuba since 2000 as unwelcome and in direct contrast to increased trade between Cuba and other EU partners; notes the continued aggressive lobbying of EU member states by the US Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba which promotes a tightening of extra territorial elements of the illegal blockade which affect EU-Cuba relations; acknowledges that despite differences between the two countries, cultural, scientific, sporting and trade links should be protected and built upon; and calls on the United Kingdom Government to maintain and develop its independent approach of positive engagement towards Cuba when the EU common position on Cuba is reviewed in June. |
| As an Amendment to Dr Ian Gibson's proposed Motion (EU Common Position on Cuba): |
| Mr Ian Taylor | | Mr John Randall |
| Line 8, at end add `; and further calls on the Government to encourage Cuba to adopt policies to stimulate inward investment and to improve its human rights record'. |
| 1989 | TREATMENT OF TRAINEE DOCTORS FROM COMMONWEALTH AND FORMER COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES | 19:4:06 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | Peter Bottomley | | Mike Penning | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mrs Linda Riordan | | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| | Mr Gordon Marsden | Greg Mulholland |
| That this House expresses its concern at the sudden and peremptory way the Home Office has rushed through without adequate debate inside Parliament or discussion outside it and with only perfunctory consultation with the British Medical Association, associations representing immigrant doctors and a health service heavily dependent on foreign doctors, changes in the immigration rules which will exclude non-EU trainee doctors from shortlists for jobs unless no EU or EEA applicants are available, impose a burden of costs, disruption and uncertainty on hospitals dependent on foreign house officers, as well as on the careers and prospects of foreign doctors training in the UK or hoping to come from India or Pakistan to make a career in the UK, and make nationality a more important qualification for medical and dental appointments than excellence, quality or language skills; suggests that to treat doctors from India, Pakistan and other Commonwealth countries in this fashion is insulting after their great contribution to the National Health Service; and, recognising that these sudden regulations have produced a state of alarm and fear among trainees from overseas, urges that the changes, insofar as they affect medical and dental jobs, both demanding a longer and more complex training than other jobs, be reconsidered and introduced again only after extensive discussion and modification and a substantial period of transition. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Austin Mitchell's proposed Motion (Treatment of Trainee Doctors from Commonwealth and Former Commonwealth Countries): |
| Line 8, after `officers', insert `or operating long-established training exchange schemes with Australia and New Zealand.'. |
| 1992 | IMMIGRATION (No. 2) | 19:4:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Mr Nick Clegg | | Mr David Heath | | Lynne Featherstone | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 1016), which was laid before this House on 30th March, be disapproved. |
| 1999 | STATE OF BRITISH MOTHS | 20:4:06 |
| Mrs Madeleine Moon | | Mr Roger Williams | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Helen Jones |
| That this House welcomes the Butterfly Conservation publication, The State of British Moths, which demonstrates that moths are an important part of our ecosystem, providing pollination for plants and food for bats and birds, with 50 billion moths being required to feed the blue tit population of Great Britain and Ireland alone; notes that moths also act as indicators of the impact of pollution, pesticide use, light and water pollution, habitat loss and global warming on local habitats; further notes that of the approximately 2,500 species of moths currently recognised in the UK, 71 widespread moths are now recognised as endangered or vulnerable, mirroring parallel declines found in common bird species and bearing in mind the 62 species of moths which have become extinct throughout the UK in the 20th century; and calls upon the Government to ensure that steps are taken in partnership with local and regional government and environmental protection agencies to reverse the declines highlighted by the report and that funding is found both to support concerted action for threatened moths within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and to ensure continuation of Rothamsted Research's long running data collection of the moth population in the UK. |
| 2004 | PRIVATISATION OF SEARCH AND RESCUE SERVICES | 20:4:06 |
| Angus Robertson | | Mr Alex Salmond | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Lynne Jones | | Andrew George | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| That this House notes with concern plans by the Government privately to outsource search and rescue services; further notes that such a move would see RAF, Royal Navy and Coastguard helicopters replaced by civilian aircraft and crews; believes that replacing a public professional service with private companies would not meet the high standards of the military emergency teams that have saved thousands of lives over the decades; agrees with Tim Walker, Director of the Glenmore Lodge National Mountain Training Centre, that military crews would lose `essential training' if no longer involved in civilian rescues; and calls upon the Government to abandon these plans and preserve the well-established and highly professional service currently enjoyed. |
| 2009 | USE OF LOTTERY FUNDS FOR GOOD CAUSES | 24:4:06 |
| Bob Spink | | Mike Penning | | Bob Russell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Colin Breed |
| That this House welcomes the use of lottery funds for good causes but believes those funds should be focused on helping vulnerable people and charitable organisations that would otherwise be in difficulty; and therefore urges Sport England and Manchester United Football Club to reconsider the decision to use lottery funds within what is the second wealthiest football club in the world so that those in real need can have access to these funds. |
| 2019 | INHALED INSULIN TREATMENT | 24:4:06 |
| Mike Penning | | Mr David Gauke | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr David Burrowes | | Keith Vaz | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| That this House expresses its deep concern that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal consultation document (ACD) recommends that new inhaled insulin should not be available to NHS patients with diabetes although diabetes is a major and growing health problem that affects two million people in the UK, and complications arising from poor management of the condition costs the NHS £5 billion every year; notes that both the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Evaluation Agency granted inhaled insulin a licence based on robust scientific and medical evidence and that it is one of the most significant medical breakthroughs in diabetes treatment since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s; regrets that the UK had the opportunity to be at the forefront of this development in improving diabetic care, and that the NICE ACD means that patients with diabetes in the UK will either have to pay for this new mode of treatment or continue with the daily multiple injections that lie at the heart of so many problems in managing the disease; and calls upon the Government to find ways to ensure that the NHS provides early and free access to inhaled insulin, so that the benefits of this new approach can be realised for patients in the UK. |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Alan Meale | | Bob Spink | | Andrew George | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House recognises that the extermination of over a million Armenians in 1915 was an act of genocide; calls upon Her Majesty's Government to recognise it as such and for the government of Turkey to do the same; and expresses its condolences to the descendants of those who were so brutally murdered at that time. |
| 2022 | ENGLISH WINE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION | 24:4:06 |
| Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | | Michael Jabez Foster | | Dr Alan Whitehead | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Daniel Kawczynski |
| That this House congratulates English wine producers on the increased demand for their product; expresses concern for the future growth of this domestic industry due to the European Union planting ban which will prevent English vineyards from planting more vines when wine production hits 25,000 hectolitres per annum; and calls on the Government to ensure that the European Union raises the 25,000 hectolitre limit that triggers the planting ban to allow the continued growth of this successful domestic industry. |
| 2023 | ENGLISH WINE WEEK | 24:4:06 |
| Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | | Michael Jabez Foster | | Dr Alan Whitehead | | Mr Eric Illsley | | Daniel Kawczynski |
| That this House congratulates English wine producers on the continuing increases in quality and quantity of English wines; welcomes the recognition English wine producers are receiving in international wine awards; looks forward to English Wine Week at the end of May; and urges the Government to promote English wines at every possible opportunity. |
| 2025 | WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY ON 28th APRIL 2006 | 24:4:06 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr David Hamilton | | Bob Russell | | Mr Dennis Skinner | | Joan Walley | | Mr Frank Doran |
| That this House recognises that Workers Memorial Day is an international commemorative event held on 28th April of each year and dedicated to those who have been killed and injured by workplace accidents or diseases; is aware that the International Labour Organisation reports that worldwide one person dies every 15 seconds as a result of an injury at work or a work-induced disease; is mindful that in the UK more than 3,500 workers die each year as a result of exposure to asbestos; and urges the Government officially to recognise this important day. |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Mr David Marshall | | Mr Edward Vaizey | | Angela Watkinson | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor |
| That this House remembers the heroic campaign that followed the landings of Allied forces at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25th April 1915; joins with all Australians and New Zealanders in commemorating the bravery of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who, together with their British colleagues and others, sacrificed so much in defence of freedom; expresses its pride at the close association that exists between the people of three nations who are bound together by language, history, culture and in sharing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State; and commends all those involved in the organisation of this year's ANZAC Day commemorations in London. |
| 2028 | LOTTERY GRANT TO MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB AND OTHERS | 25:4:06 |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Kate Hoey | | Mr Michael Ancram | | Robert Key | | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes with disdain that the second richest football club in the world, Manchester United, and a number of other financially secure organisations have been awarded lottery grants by Sport England, whilst a number of other charities and good causes which rely on lottery funding have been turned down; and asks the Secretary of State to look again at the rules pertaining to lottery grants and to ensure that the money that is provided is concentrated on those charities and good causes which rely on the National Lottery for funding and is not diverted to organisations which can easily fund their activities from within their own resources, as was intended when the National Lottery was set up in 1994. |
| 2034 | BROWNFIELD FIRST APPROACH FOR NEW HOUSING (No. 2) | 25:4:06 |
| Michael Gove | | Mrs Caroline Spelman | | Mr Eric Pickles | | Mr Robert Syms | | Alistair Burt | | Mrs Jacqui Lait |
| That this House expresses concern that the Government's proposed changes to planning policy for housing (draft PPS3) would, if implemented unchanged, encourage unsustainable patterns of development; believes this would undermine the regeneration of urban brownfield sites before building on green fields, yet do little to address the acute problem of affordable housing need; and calls on the Government to amend its proposed revised policy to retain a strong emphasis on urban renewal, while protecting green spaces and to focus on tackling the inaccessibility of affordable, eco-friendly housing for first-time buyers and those on low or modest incomes. |
| 2036 | BBC'S GRANDSTAND | 25:4:06 |
| Mr Don Foster | | Paul Holmes | | Richard Younger-Ross | | Mr Alistair Carmichael | | Tom Brake | | Mr Phil Willis |
| That this House is saddened by the BBC's decision to axe Grandstand, the longest running sports programme on television; recognises the changing broadcasting ecology in which this decision was made; notes the invaluable contribution to sporting coverage the programme has made in its 58 years on air; and calls on the BBC to ensure that this decision will not lead to a reduction in the quality or quantity of its sports coverage. |
| 2038 | FUNDING OF EXUBERA | 25:4:06 |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Ann Winterton | | John Bercow | | Mr Dai Havard | | Rosie Cooper | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson |
| That this House notes the interim recommendation made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) not to fund the drug Exubera; believes that inhaled insulin would greatly improve the quality of life for the two million diabetics in the UK who are often forced to inject up to five times a day; further notes that this is the first major breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s; urges the Government and NICE to reconsider its decision; encourages all interested parties to make representations to NICE by 10th May to urge them to reconsider their stance; and hopes that NICE will listen to the growing number of people and organisations who want this inhaled insulin to be freely available. |
| 2040 | MINI-MOTORBIKES | 25:4:06 |
| Helen Jones | | Mr George Howarth | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Chris Bryant | | Mr Ian Austin |
| That this House notes with concern the sale of mini-motorbikes to young people and the incidence of anti-social behaviour and accidents associated with these bikes; welcomes the seizure powers given to the police under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 which apply to mini-bikes; but calls on the Government to clarify the law to ensure that mini-bikes are clearly defined as motor vehicles and to prevent their sale to or use by children aged under 16 years. |
| 2041 | SUSPENSION OF EU AID TO PALESTINE | 25:4:06 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Mr Jim Devine |
| That this House notes the decision of the European Union to withhold funding to the Palestinian Authority; recognises that this decision, together with both the Israeli government's regular closure of trade routes in and out of Gaza, and similar funding decisions taken by the United States, Japanese and Canadian governments gravely threatens the health and well-being of the Palestinian people, and quite possibly the jobs of approximately 150,000 Palestinian employees who have in total an estimated seven dependants per employee; expresses its opposition to this act of collective punishment against the already impoverished Palestinian people in contravention of international human rights conventions; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to work with EU and national governments for the immediate reinstatement of funding, as well as for the return of the withheld revenues collected by the Israeli government which belong to the Palestinian people. |
| 2043 | CARERS WEEK, 12th TO 18th JUNE 2006 | 26:4:06 |
| Chris McCafferty | | Sir John Butterfill | | Sandra Gidley | | Tony Lloyd | | Robert Key | | Simon Hughes |
| | Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods |
| That this House expresses its admiration for the six million people in the UK who provide unpaid help and support to a relative or friend who could not otherwise manage because of frailty, illness or disability; is concerned that large numbers of carers are unknown to statutory agencies; notes that Carers Week, being held this year from 12th to 18th June, has the theme of carers and health, with the objective of assisting carers and enabling them to access support and services; believes that carers need to be viewed as key partners in community care; is further concerned that 79 per cent. of carers say that their health has been affected by caring; further notes that nine out of 10 carers believe they will benefit from annual health checks; and calls on local statutory health bodies to carry out an audit of good practice in their area and to establish timescales for the introduction of health checks for carers. |
| 2044 | ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING DEFICITS CAMPAIGN | 26:4:06 |
| Mike Penning | | Steve Webb | | Bob Russell | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Gregory Campbell |
| | Nick Harvey | Danny Alexander |
| That this House welcomes the Royal College of Nursing's Keep Nurses Working, Keep Patients Safe campaign on deficits which will culminate with a rally and lobby in Parliament on 11th May 2006; notes with growing concern the impact of deficits on patient care and nursing posts, with NHS trusts freezing posts, delaying treatment and issuing compulsory redundancies to nurses and other healthcare staff to tackle deficits or balance books; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to prevent long-term damage to patient care through the effects of short-term cuts by implementing a deficits recovery plan. |
| 2045 | PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN DECISION-MAKING IN SCHOOLS | 26:4:06 |
| Mr David Chaytor | | Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods | | Annette Brooke | | Tim Farron | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Helen Jones |
| | Mr Denis Murphy | Mr Greg Pope |
| That this House agrees that school students have the right to be consulted on all matters affecting them and that meaningful participation in decision-making helps to prevent and combat disaffection and can encourage positive behaviour; and calls on the Government to use the Education and Inspections Bill to promote participation in schools by introducing a statutory duty requiring local education authorities and school governing bodies to have due regard to the ascertainable views of children and young people in all matters affecting them in line with article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. |
| 2047 | BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE | 26:4:06 |
| Ann McKechin | | Richard Burden | | Tom Levitt | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Dr Phyllis Starkey | | John Austin |
| That this House unreservedly condemns the bombing by Islamic Jihad of a Tel Aviv falafel stand during the Jewish Passover holiday on 17th April killing nine civilians and injuring 60 people; further condemns the killing of 19 Palestinians including three children by the Israeli army during the first two weeks of April; notes that 111 mainly civilian Palestinians were also injured during that period; further notes that in the week 12th to 18th April about 40 home-made Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militants inside Gaza towards targets in southern Israel and that during the same period Israeli regular forces fired more than 950 artillery shells and 40 F16 missiles into the Gaza strip; commends the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his criticism of the Tel Aviv bombing; further notes that Hamas was not responsible for this attack but rejects Hamas leaders' description of it as an expression of Palestinian self-defence in the face of continuing Israeli violence; welcomes nevertheless the fact that Hamas declared a unilateral ceasefire many months ago which it has maintained; urges the Government of Israel also to declare a ceasefire; and calls on both sides to break the cycle of violence and to negotiate a just and lasting settlement in line with the Road Map and United Nations Resolutions passed on the Israel/Palestine question. |
| 2048 | ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF JAMES CLERK MAXWELL | 27:4:06 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Mike Weir | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr John Grogan | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House notes the 175th anniversary of the birth in Edinburgh on 13th June 1831 of the great Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell; notes that by discovering the nature of electromagnetic waves he paved the way for radio, television, radar and the mobile telephone; acknowledges the tributes paid to him by Max Planck who described his theory as `one of the greatest triumphs of human intellectual endeavour' and Einstein who said `One scientific epoch ended and another began with James Clerk Maxwell'; congratulates the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation on preserving his birthplace in Edinburgh and promoting the study of science by young people; further notes the programme of events to honour Maxwell in this anniversary year; and encourages all who wish to learn more to visit the website at www.maxwellyear2006.org. |
| 2049 | FARM-AFRICA GOAT CAMPAIGN | 27:4:06 |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Bob Russell | | Mark Durkan | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Weir |
| That this House notes that the purchase of a goat for £27 from FARM-Africa can help to save the lives of a family in some of the poorest parts of Africa; further notes that following the purchase of a goat, FARM-Africa will loan it to a family with no livestock and very little income, providing them with immediate nutritional relief through its milk and longer term assistance through the sale of its offspring; applauds those who have helped to support those in need through this initiative which reaches the poorest parts of the world; and encourages both hon. Members and the public to purchase goats so that African families have the opportunity to help themselves. |
| 2050 | DISABLED CHILDREN | 27:4:06 |
| Mr Tom Clarke | | Mrs Joan Humble | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Brooks Newmark | | Annette Brooke | | Danny Alexander |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House believes that the additional needs of the country's 770,000 disabled children must be taken properly into account in the provision of children's services; notes that over half of disabled children's families live in poverty; congratulates Contact a Family, Mencap, the Council for Disabled Children and the Special Education Consortium for their work on raising the profile of disabled children and their families; further notes that a ten-minute rule Bill, the Disabled Children's Assessment and Services Bill, would give disabled children the right to a local authority assessment and to receive services, including short breaks; and calls on the Government to bring in the provisions of the Bill at the earliest opportunity. |
| 2051 | SUNDERLAND AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION | 27:4:06 |
| Mr Fraser Kemp | | Jeremy Corbyn | | John Cummings | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Derek Conway | | Mr Alan Meale |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House recognises the rebirth of Sunderland City which has been hailed by a leading guidebook to the UK, the Rough Guide, which tells visitors that Wearside has attractions to rival anything in other cities and also includes Washington as a tourist destination; notes that the guide heaps praise on the extraordinary things on offer in Sunderland for holidaymakers and hails the revival of the city centre in recent years and that it lists all the city's `crown jewel' attractions, including Washington Old Hall; and believes that Sunderland has transformed itself over the past decades and should be promoted as a real visitor attraction for tourists visiting the United Kingdom. |
| 2052 | RUNAWAY HELPLINE | 27:4:06 |
| Helen Southworth | | Mr Barry Sheerman | | Mr Russell Brown | | Mr Paul Burstow | | Peter Bottomley | | Ian Stewart |
| That this House congratulates the National Missing Persons Helpline for setting up the Runaway Helpline, which took over 45,000 calls in 2004 and 57,000 calls in 2005 and was funded by the charity's own fundraising efforts; notes that a survey undertaken by the Children's Society estimates that at least 100,000 children and young people run away or go missing from home or care each year in the UK; believes that access to a free confidential helpline, available 24-hours a day, is essential for a child or young person on the streets without responsible adult protection; and calls on the Government to work with the National Missing Persons Helpline to ensure that a dedicated Runaway Helpline is available in the future as a key component of safeguarding vulnerable children and young people. |
| 2053 | HUNGER STRIKES IN DETENTION CENTRES | 27:4:06 |
| John McDonnell | | Alan Simpson | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House expresses its deep concern at the incidence of hunger strikes by detainees held in detention centres, in particular Harmondsworth and Colnbrook; and calls on the Home Secretary to undertake an urgent review of the causes and responses to these incidents with the objective of submitting a report to Parliament. |
| 2054 | DEAF AWARENESS WEEK, 1st - 7th MAY | 27:4:06 |
| Malcolm Bruce | | Tim Loughton | | Tom Levitt | | Rosie Cooper | | Mr James Gray | | Mr Colin Breed |
| That this House recognises that Deaf Awareness Week takes place between 1st and 7th May this year in order to raise awareness of the 8.7 million deaf or hard of hearing people in the UK; acknowledges the importance of this week in raising awareness and promoting the positive aspects of deafness; notes the theme of this year's campaign, `Look at Me', which highlights the many varied types of communication used by deaf, deafened and deafblind people such as sign language and lip-reading; encourages people to look at someone who is deaf or hard of hearing to assist with communication; supports the work of nearly 100 local and national deaf charities and organisations that are members of the UK Council on Deafness; and congratulates all those hosting or taking part in events to support Deaf Awareness Week. |
| 2055 | TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNPOST LABELLING SCHEME | 27:4:06 |
| Mr David Amess | | Mr Paul Burstow | | Charlotte Atkins | | Dr Doug Naysmith | | Steve Webb | | Jim Dowd |
| | Mr Frank Doran | Danny Alexander | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House welcomes the decision by the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) Board to adopt a traffic light coloured signpost labelling scheme; is very disappointed by the announcements of some food manufacturers and retailers, such as PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Nestlé, Danone, Kraft and Tesco, rejecting the FSA's scheme; is very concerned that a plethora of different schemes based on various formats, criteria, symbols and colours will only add to confusion by preventing people from being able easily to identify which products are high in fat, sugar and salt and to compare them; welcomes the comprehensive work by the FSA to develop a consistent signpost labelling scheme which found that a multiple traffic light scheme is the most effective in helping consumers to make healthy choices; welcomes the fact that the food industry is keen to improve nutrition labelling on its products; and therefore calls on all retailers and manufacturers to support the FSA scheme and apply it to their products. |
| 2056 | NHS CONNECTING FOR HEALTH COMPUTER SYSTEM | 27:4:06 |
| Tim Farron | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mike Penning | | David Taylor | | Paul Holmes |
| That this House notes with concern the contents of a letter to the Commons Health Select Committee signed by 23 senior academics in computer-related science which criticises the NHS Connecting for Health computer system, and reports in The Sunday Times of 16th April that the system, which was projected to cost £2.3 billion, could cost between £15 billion and £30 billion; further notes that NHS trusts are facing an estimated deficit of £600 million to £1 billion; and calls upon the Secretary of State to set up an independent review of the project and to ensure that any savings identified are directed to cash-strapped NHS trusts. |
| 2057 | COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION | 27:4:06 |
| Tim Farron | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Dr Brian Iddon | | Mike Penning | | Lynne Jones |
| | Hon Nicholas Soames | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House commends the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in recording the location of, and caring for, war graves, in making grave sites places of solace for relatives and in encouraging remembrance of the war dead both through the maintenance of war graves and through the provision of educational resources. |
| 2058 | USE OF MOBILE TELEPHONES IN HOSPITALS | 27:4:06 |
| Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Peter Bottomley | | Mike Penning | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House believes that it is necessary to challenge needless taboos about the use of mobile telephones in hospitals; further believes that hospital trusts should undertake a local risk assessment to determine those areas where it is safe to permit mobile telephone usage and those areas where usage should be prohibited; understands that there are parts of a hospital where the use of mobile telephones should be prohibited because of the potential danger of lethal interference with medical equipment, but urges NHS trusts to do all they can to allow patients to use their mobile telephones where it is safe to do so because being in hospital is, despite the best efforts of nurses and others, a miserable time for most people, who naturally want to keep in touch with their partners and families and so lift their spirits and break their isolation; and further believes that relaxing the rules, where it is safe to do so and with regard to potential disruption and privacy issues, would make it harder for private companies to charge patients and their relatives exorbitant rates for bedside telephone systems. |
| 2059 | WINNING OF THE POSITIVE IMAGES AWARD BY THE EVENING CHRONICLE, NEWCASTLE | 27:4:06 |
| Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Peter Bottomley | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Derek Conway | | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House warmly congratulates the Evening Chronicle, Newcastle on winning the national Positive Images Award for the best local press coverage of young people; recognises the newspaper's belief that one of the biggest issues facing the North East is the relatively low aspiration and achievement levels amongst some young people; salutes its determination through its Young Achiever campaign to feature positive stories about young people in sport, school and other fields in an attempt to inspire others into action; and recommends such an approach to other local and national newspapers. |
| 2060 | MASSACRE OF HINDU VILLAGERS | 2:5:06 |
| Stephen Pound | | Peter Luff | | Ms Celia Barlow | | Ms Dawn Butler | | Sir Peter Soulsby | | Mr Piara S. Khabra |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House is appalled by the massacre of 22 unarmed Hindu villagers in Pandjobi and Thava in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir in a pre-dawn attack on 1st May by Lash Kar-is-Toiba terrorists; expresses its deep sympathy to the friends and family of the slain; and urges the governments of India and Pakistan to persevere in their efforts to bring an end to cross-border terrorist outrages of this type. |
| Mr Rob Wilson | | Mrs Theresa May | | Mike Penning | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Alan Meale | | David Taylor |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House notes with concern the continued detention of Thet Win Aung recognised by Amnesty International as a Prisoner of Conscience of the Burmese government; congratulates Reading University on the appointment of Thet Win Aung as an Honorary Vice-President; and calls upon the Government to press for his immediate release along with other prisoners in similar circumstances. |
| 2067 | COMMUNITY TRAINING PROJECTS | 2:5:06 |
| Mark Williams | | Lembit Öpik | | Jenny Willott | | Mr Roger Williams | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House recognises that on average, a person can now expect to have seven jobs in their lifetime and that the typical individual will re-train several times for a new career; pays tribute to community training projects like Dysgu Gyda'n Gilydd (Learning Together Project), which has been set up in Ceredigion to promote retraining opportunities which are relevant to the needs of individual communities; and calls on the UK Government, working with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Executive, to give this project and similar projects across the UK its full support. |
| Dr Ian Gibson | | Mike Penning | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Heath | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House applauds Sue Ryder Care for the innovative neurological and palliative care services it provides in people's own homes, communities and specialist care centres; notes that its vision to provide care that liberates lives and activities are in line with the recommendations of the Health White Paper; and supports their We Care: Who Pays? campaign which highlights that the charity currently subsidises state commissioned services by £7 million each year through regional contacting, that this situation is unsustainable and that the voluntary sector will be hampered from playing a full role in the health and social care of the nation until primary care trusts and social services pay the true cost for the care they commission. |
| 2070 | DEATH OF J. K. GALBRAITH | 2:5:06 |
| Mr David Drew | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Alan Meale | | David Taylor | | Dr John Pugh |
| That this House notes with sadness the recent death of J. K. Galbraith, economist, diplomat and adviser to numerous American presidents; recognises the huge debt that liberal democracies owe to him as an opponent to the crass monetarism of the 1980s and 1990s and for keeping Keynesian economics alive; acknowledges the way in which he was able to use his wit, charm and excellence in communication to advance the study of economics beyond the academic world to influence the views of the general public and in particular pays tribute to his great works including American Capitalism and The Concept of Countervailing Power, The Great Crash (1929), The Affluent Society and The Culture of Contentment; remembers with nostalgia his Reith Lectures and his BBC TV series The Age of Uncertainty; and believes that it is unlikely that his like will ever be seen again. |
| 2071 | BBC LICENCE FEE | 2:5:06 |
| Mr Greg Pope | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jim Dobbin | | Philip Davies | | Derek Wyatt | | Mr Mike Weir |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Battle |
| That this House notes with concern the possibility that there may be a steep rise in the BBC licence fee; believes that even at its current level the licence is difficult to pay for many on low and fixed incomes; further believes that any such rise would be particularly hard to justify in the light of the extravagant salaries of some BBC presenters; and concludes that, as the licence fee is effectively a tax on entertainment, any increase in it should only take place after it has been specifically approved by the House on an amendable motion. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Greg Pope's proposed Motion (BBC Licence Fee): |
| Line 7, at end add `especially as the weather forecast is still less than satisfactory.'. |
| 2072 | ELIGIBILITY OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND LEUKAEMIA FOR DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE | 2:5:06 |
| Dr Doug Naysmith | | Mr Greg Hands | | Stephen Williams | | Roger Berry | | Mr David Laws | | Mr David Amess |
| | Danny Alexander | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House expresses its concern about the length of time it takes for children with cancer and leukaemia to become eligible for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and the many weeks more it takes to process their claims before any benefit can be paid; recognises that the treatment of cancers and leukaemias in children follows clearly established protocols and is of predictable duration; further notes the recognised and exacerbated effects chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment have on the quality of life of child cancer patients and the clear need for additional care and support that results from these illnesses and their treatments; congratulates CLIC Sargent, the UK's leading charity for children and young people with cancer and leukaemia and the only national charity solely representing the needs of these cancer patients, on its work to highlight this issue through its `Cut the red tape - keep it simple for kids with cancer' campaign; and urges the Government to explore ways of addressing the acknowledged disconnect between the point of diagnosis and the commencement of DLA for under-16s, and to develop a DLA claims process that responds sensitively and speedily to cases involving children. |
| 2073 | PROMOTING PUBLIC SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL WATER SHORTAGES | 2:5:06 |
| Ann McKechin | | Mr David Drew | | Andrew George | | John Battle | | Mark Lazarowicz | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr Frank Doran | Nick Harvey | Mr Alistair Carmichael | | | Ian Stewart | Mary Creagh | Mr Denis Murphy | | | Mr Marsha Singh | Frank Dobson | Colin Challen | | | Miss Anne Begg | Mr Brian Jenkins | Dr Gavin Strang |
| That this House recognises that 1.1 billion people globally do not have access to clean water; notes the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015; welcomes the evidence of the 2006 UN World Water Development Report which demonstrates the key role of the public sector in achieving the MDG target; recognises that there are many examples of successful public water supply systems in the developing world which have transparency, accountability, efficiency and community participation as core features; and calls on the Government to increase overall aid to the water and sanitation sector in developing countries, alongside targeted political and financial support to extend good practice within and amongst public water utilities. |
| 2076 | FINANCIAL FAIRNESS FOR FOOTBALL CLUBS | 2:5:06 |
| Kitty Ussher | | Alan Keen | | Ms Dari Taylor | | Mr Jamie Reed | | Mrs Louise Ellman | | Jim Dobbin |
| That this House is deeply concerned with the current practice of banks refusing to pay football clubs all revenue up-front from credit and debit card season ticket sales and instead paying in instalments throughout the season; notes that season ticket sales form a vital part of a football club's budget and that withholding money only increases their financial difficulties; believes that such behaviour by banks is unacceptable and that football clubs should receive money that is rightfully theirs without delay; further notes that the incidence of football clubs going out of business mid-season is a very rare occurrence; believes that financial risk is not a valid argument for banks to withhold full payment; and urges the Government to do everything in its power to prevent banks making profit from withholding money from clubs and to ensure that they pay football clubs all revenue from season ticket sales paid for by credit or debit cards up-front. |
| 2077 | HONORARY TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP | 3:5:06 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Natascha Engel | | Peter Bottomley | | Mike Gapes | | Stephen Pound | | Rob Marris |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House congratulates Harry Barnes, the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire from 1987 to 2005, on being granted honorary membership of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions, the main new Iraqi trade union centre formed after the fall of Saddam Hussein; notes that honorary membership was conferred on Mr Barnes at a summit meeting between the Iraqi trade union movement and a delegation organised by Labour Friends of Iraq in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan in early April; and believes that the conferral of honorary membership is a fitting tribute to a man who first experienced Iraq in the mid-50s when he did his national service in that country, who consistently opposed the invasion of Iraq and then united with those who took different views to promote the interests of the free Iraqi trade union movement and wider civil society as a joint President of Labour Friends of Iraq. |
| 2078 | NATIONAL CONDOM WEEK | 3:5:06 |
| Mr Neil Gerrard [R] | | Lembit Öpik | | Lyn Brown | | Mike Penning | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House recognises the value of National Condom Week, sponsored by Durex and the summer-long campaign `He Says You Say'; welcomes its aims of educating young people, and particularly young women, about safer sex, sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancies; and urges the Government to support this campaign and to promote the objectives of improving knowledge of sexual health among young people. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2079 | VENTURE CAPITALISTS AND WORKERS' RIGHTS | 3:5:06 |
| Gwyn Prosser | | Mr Alan Meale | | David Taylor | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| | Mr Sadiq Khan | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House regrets that since the motorists' organisation, the AA, was purchased by the venture capitalists CVC and Permira in 2004, some 3,400 of the 10,000 staff who assist motorists have been sacked; notes that the company has indulged in union-busting tactics; further notes that the remaining employees, many of whom are GMB members, have been put under excessive pressure to cope with extra work resulting in some motorists being abandoned at the roadside; is concerned that AA membership charges have risen by up to 30 per cent. while company profits have doubled to £200 million; is alarmed at reports that the venture capitalists are planning to borrow a further £500 million to pay themselves a special dividend that would burden the company with bank borrowings of £1.9 billion and which could jeopardise future pensions; considers this action to be blatant asset stripping by individuals who are protecting their own assets by operating through limited liability companies; and believes that company law should be reformed to prevent speculators from exploiting the protections afforded by limited status and that the interests of the customer and the employee should not be jeopardised by the greed of venture capitalists like Permira and CVC. |
| 2081 | CASE OF MIRZA TAHIR HUSSAIN | 3:5:06 |
| John Battle | | Mr Mike Weir | | Keith Vaz | | Greg Mulholland | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House notes the case of Mirza Tahir Hussain of Leeds who holds dual British/Pakistani nationality and is facing the death penalty on 3rd June; further notes that he was 18 years old when he travelled to Pakistan in 1988, has been accused of murder and robbing a taxi driver, that these claims have not been verified beyond reasonable doubt or to the standards laid by the European and Human Rights Commission and that in 1992 and 1996 the High Court quashed the sentence and acquitted him of all charges; and urges the Government to petition the President of Pakistan to prevent the execution of Mirza Tahir Hussain. |
| 2082 | FOSTER CARE FORTNIGHT 2006 | 3:5:06 |
| Tim Loughton | | Mrs Maria Miller | | Mr Paul Goodman | | Mrs Theresa May | | Justine Greening | | Mr Rob Wilson |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Damian Green | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House notes that Foster Care Fortnight 2006 will run from 8th to 21st May; praises the exceptional work done by the country's 37,000 foster families; thanks these foster carers for the positive impact that their guardianship has on the children and young people who live with them; congratulates the Fostering Network for co-ordinating Foster Care Fortnight and supports the theme, fostering bright futures, which has been chosen by the Fostering Network as the focus for this year's awareness raising campaign; in the light of this theme, recognises that despite the hard work of foster carers the health and education outcomes for looked after children are still worryingly poor; acknowledges that the support foster carers give the 50,000 children who live with them is essential to the children's achievements; and calls on the Government to recognise this in its support of foster carers. |
| 2083 | A DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS PROTESTS IN THE USA | 3:5:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House notes the mass protests carried out by more than a million immigrants in the United States as part of A Day Without Immigrants; recognises that the objective of the protests was to raise awareness of the significant contribution immigrants provide to the US economy; believes that managed immigration offers benefits to both richer and poorer nations; and hopes that a consensus on immigration can be achieved. |
| 2085 | WORLD ASTHMA DAY 2006 | 3:5:06 |
| Andrew George | | Dr Howard Stoate | | Mr Robert Walter | | Bob Russell | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House supports World Asthma Day on 2nd May 2006 held to raise awareness of the issues that affect people with asthma; notes that there are 5.2 million people with asthma in the United Kingdom and that asthma is the most common long-term condition among children in the United Kingdom; regrets that there were over 72,000 hospital admissions for asthma in 2003; further notes that 75 per cent. of hospital admissions are preventable; further regrets that only one in five adults with asthma in the United Kingdom has their asthma under control and that over three million adults with asthma are living with symptoms that impact unnecessarily on their lives; congratulates Asthma UK for launching a month-long UK-wide campaign to raise awareness of asthma control amongst adults with asthma; and urges the Government to consider the needs of people with asthma when implementing the Department of Health White Paper Our Health Our Care Our Say. |
| 2086 | BODY AND SOUL CAMPAIGN | 3:5:06 |
| Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Keith Vaz | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House welcomes the Body and Soul, a smile is a gift, campaign, which aims to challenge the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV from a positive and empowering platform; is concerned that the rate of infections continues to rise in the United Kingdom with a 14 per cent. increase in 2004; acknowledges that all communities have a part to play in tackling HIV stigma and discrimination, with on average a hundred people in each parliamentary constituency living with HIV; and calls on the Government to honour its commitment to involving those affected by HIV in the policy-making process by consulting young people from Body and Soul's Teen Spirit group on how stigma and discrimination affects this particularly vulnerable and disenfranchised group. |
| 2088 | ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS | 3:5:06 |
| David Taylor | | Bob Russell | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Alan Meale | | Keith Vaz | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House notes with deep disappointment that 2.85 million experiments were performed on animals in the UK in 2004; is extremely concerned that animal experiments have risen in the UK for the past three years, reaching their highest level for over a decade; further notes that the recent TGN1412 drug trial has highlighted the problem of relying upon animal test data; supports the development of new technology such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), which allows the accurate analysis of micro-doses of experimental drugs; acknowledges that such a system can replace the use of animals, thus avoiding the problem of species differences, representing a safer method of testing experimental drugs for human volunteers; regrets that the UK has only one AMS facility, whilst countries such as Japan have several; supports the campaign led by the National Anti-Vivisection Society and Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research (LDF) for the replacement of animals in research; congratulates the LDF for funding over £2 million in medical research since 1973; condemns the small minority of violent extremists as unrepresentative of people opposed to animal experiments but supportive of modern medical research; and calls on the Government to increase funding to techniques to replace animal experiments through the NC3Rs centre. |
| 2089 | JOURNALISM MATTERS CAMPAIGN | 3:5:06 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | John McDonnell | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Angus Robertson | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the Journalism Matters campaign by the National Union of Journalists to highlight the importance of quality journalism to local democracy in the UK; believes that quality journalism relies on adequate resources being provided to enable journalists to carry out their role in an effective manner; expresses concern at recent editorial job losses and budget cuts in local newspapers which are undermining journalists' ability to carry out their role effectively; notes that the cuts are being carried out by highly profitable media companies who effectively operate as regional monopolies; and calls on the Government to investigate allegations of profiteering and anti-competitive practices by local newspaper companies. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Austin Mitchell's proposed Motion (Journalism Matters Campaign): |
| Mr Dennis Skinner | | David Taylor | | Mr David Marshall | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mr David Hamilton |
| Line 8, after `monopolies', insert `without in many cases trade union collective agreements and bargaining rights.' |
| 2090 | PALM OIL AND THE SURVIVAL OF THE ORANG-UTAN | 3:5:06 |
| Norman Baker | | Mark Lazarowicz | | Peter Bottomley | | Martin Horwood | | Mike Penning | | Colin Challen |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd |
| That this House recognises that one in 10 UK supermarket products contain palm oil yet no UK supermarket knows from where its palm oil is sourced, that UK companies have also started importing palm oil for use in bio-diesel and that the UK is now the second biggest importer of palm oil in Europe; notes that 90 per cent. of global palm oil exports originate from Malaysia and Indonesia; is concerned that palm oil plantations are one of the biggest causes of forest destruction in these countries and pose the biggest threat to the survival of the orang-utan; is further concerned by plans of the Indonesian government to set up a mega palm oil plantation project in Borneo that would cut through the heart of most intact forest left on the island and convert part of Tanjung Puting National Park; supports the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; regrets that over 500 UK companies buy and sell palm oil but fewer than 20 have joined this initiative; and urges the Government to persuade leading UK companies trading in palm oil to join the Roundtable, to use its influence to stop the development of the mega palm oil project in Borneo, to ensure that palm oil from destructive sources is not imported into the UK for use as a bio-fuel and to amend the Company Law Reform Bill to require directors to minimise negative social and environmental impacts. |
| 2091 | NATIONAL THROMBOSIS WEEK 2006 | 3:5:06 |
| John Smith | | Mr Mike Weir | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr David Clelland | | Mark Durkan |
| That this House congratulates Lifeblood, the thrombosis charity, for organising its second annual National Thrombosis Week from 8th to 14th May with a focus on healthy legs; recognises that many thousands of people die each year from venous thromboembolism (VTE) (blood clots) contracted in hospital; notes that many of these deaths are preventable, with safe, cost-effective methods of preventing venous thrombosis; is concerned that these are not being administered as widely as they should; calls on the Government to ensure that all patients, both medical and surgical, who are admitted to hospital undergo a risk assessment for venous thrombosis; recommends that thrombosis committees be established in each hospital to promote best practice and to be a source of education and training for all staff; and further recommends that the Healthcare Commission undertake, as part of its audit process, an investigation into the availability and use of VTE prevention protocols in each hospital as a matter of urgency to halt the alarming number of avoidable deaths. |
| 2093 | ARMED FORCES OMBUDSMAN | 3:5:06 |
| Nick Harvey | | Mr Kevan Jones | | John Bercow | | Pete Wishart | | Mrs Joan Humble | | Willie Rennie |
| That this House notes the findings of the Blake Review published on 29th March 2006; further notes that recommendation 26 of the Review proposes an Armed Forces Ombudsman; notes with concern that figures from the latest Army Continuous Attitudes Survey show that of those soldiers who complained about unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment or bullying in the last 12 months, 77 per cent. were not satisfied with the way the complaint was handled; further notes that the Money Resolution agreed in this House on 21st March 2006 would cover provisions in the Armed Forces Bill establishing an Ombudsman; and therefore calls upon the Government to support recommendation 26 of the Blake Review and bring forward an amendment to the Armed Forces Bill to establish an Armed Forces Ombudsman. |
| 2094 | GAZPROM, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW | 4:5:06 |
| Malcolm Bruce | | Mr Michael Moore | | Mr Edward Davey | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink |
| | Nick Harvey | Danny Alexander |
| That this House notes that the Russian gas producer Gazprom is state-owned and that it has acquired assets from Yukos that are the subject of international litigation and that Yukos executives are being given asylum in the UK and that others in Russia have been imprisoned in extremely questionable circumstances even though Russia is a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights; further notes that, while the Duma has passed legislation to allow limited foreign ownership of Gazprom, this is an unattractive option given both the litigation and the recent history; and therefore calls on the Russian government to act swiftly to give justice to former Yukos executives, to honour its international obligations on human rights in accordance with its obligations as a member of the G8, and to give categorical assurances on the practicalities and safeguards for reciprocal rights for international investors in Gazprom. |
| 2096 | BLYTH VOLUNTEER LIFEBOAT SERVICE | 4:5:06 |
| Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | John Cummings | | Kelvin Hopkins |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House congratulates the Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service, which was granted facility status in just 16 months; and notes that the Service is an independent lifeboat covering 5,000 square miles of the North Sea in the best traditions of the seafarers of the North East Coast of England. |
| 2097 | LAW LORDS JUDGEMENT ON ASBESTOS-RELATED CANCER | 4:5:06 |
| Mr Stephen Hepburn | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House condemns the majority decision taken by the Law Lords in depriving asbestos-related cancer victims of their rightful compensation; and calls on the Government to introduce early legislation to ensure victims are adequately compensated without being dragged through the courts by multi-national insurance companies. |
| As Amendments to Mr Stephen Hepburn's proposed Motion (Law Lords Judgement on Asbestos-Related Cancer): |
| Line 1, Leave out from `House' to `and' in line 2. |
| Line 3, after `ensure', insert `asbestos-related cancer'. |
| 2098 | SINGLE FARM PAYMENTS (No. 3) | 4:5:06 |
| Mr James Paice [R] | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Bill Wiggin [R] | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mike Penning |
| That this House notes that despite the Rural Payments Agency's (RPA) failure to pay the single farm payment when due, it expects farmers to complete their 2006 claims by 15th May; calls on the Secretary of State to seek a derogation to delay the date for submissions until all 2005 claims have been validated by the RPA; and demands that penalties for late or incorrect submissions are not imposed unless entitlements have been validated. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2099 | BRITISH PIG EXECUTIVE AND STANDARDS OF IMPORTED PORK | 4:5:06 |
| Mr Richard Bacon | | Helen Goodman | | Mr Simon Burns | | Mr Tobias Ellwood | | Mr Jeremy Hunt | | Mr Tim Boswell |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House congratulates the British Pig Executive on its continued campaign to raise awareness of the impact of cheap imports of pork and processed pork products on domestic pig producers' ability to compete on a level-playing field and on animal welfare; applauds the Executive's continued efforts in promoting the Quality Standard Mark via the lookforthemark.co.uk website; notes the recent research findings in the `Pork Quality Standard Mark Report' that 93 per cent. of consumers believe pork should not be imported if it does not meet the minimum standards required in the United Kingdom; notes in particular that 75 per cent. of consumers believe it is important to have the Quality Standard Mark logo on pork; and urges those supermarkets not currently requiring all pork products to carry the Mark to reconsider their policy. |
| 2100 | GLAS CYMRU FIFTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY | 4:5:06 |
| Mr Wayne David | | Linda Gilroy | | Mrs Cheryl Gillan | | John Smith | | Albert Owen | | Paul Flynn |
| That this House notes that 11th May 2006 marks the 5th anniversary of Glas Cymru's purchase of Dwr Cymru Welsh Water; recognises that the company is unique amongst utility companies in having no shareholders and re-invests any financial surpluses for the benefit of its customers; congratulates Glas Cymru for its recent £19 dividend to customers this year, costing £23 million in total; further notes that this year Dwr Cymru Welsh Water topped the industry league table for service and attracted substantial interest from around the world; congratulates Glas Cymru on five successful years; and believes that Glas Cymru is a company of which Wales and the whole of the UK utilities industry can be justly proud. |
| 2101 | LIFTING OF THE BAN ON BRITISH BEEF EXPORTS | 4:5:06 |
| Mr James Paice [R] | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Bill Wiggin [R] | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Tim Loughton |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Damian Green |
| That this House calls on the Government to ensure that the lifting of the ban on British beef exports is properly applied across the EU; regrets that whilst the ban has been in place hundreds of thousands of calves have been shot at birth; believes that it would be far better for farmers and animals if there was a domestic veal industry so that calves could be reared for meat, and that where the live trade takes place the highest standards must be rigorously applied to uphold animal welfare; and calls on the House authorities to ensure that only British veal is served on the parliamentary estate. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2104 | NEWSFAX AND THE LONDON DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (No. 2) | 4:5:06 |
| Derek Wyatt | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Lynne Jones | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| That this House congratulates the London Development Agency (LDA) on reaching a satisfactory and fair agreement over compensation with Newsfax; and notes that, as a result of the agreement, Newsfax will be able to transfer successfully its business to a new site by the LDA's vacant possession deadline of July 2007, safeguarding the jobs of 450 staff and a further 1,000 suppliers reliant upon the company. |
| 2106 | WELSH ENERGY CONSENSUS | 4:5:06 |
| Jenny Willott | | Lembit Öpik | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mark Williams | | Nia Griffith | | Paul Flynn |
| That this House believes that building a consensus in Wales on renewable energy sources is crucial; notes that Wales has some of the best potential sources of renewable energy production in the world; recognises that the full exploitation in Wales of innovative technologies can help put the UK at the forefront of environmentally friendly technology development; further believes that without a consensus, Wales will not be able fully to realise its considerable renewable energy potential; and further believes that a renewable energy consensus in Wales should be built around a common goal of achieving a sustainable energy economy in Wales that is affordable and effectively tackles climate change by exploiting the full range of potential renewable energy sources in Wales including microgeneration, onshore and offshore wind, biomass, tidal power, hydroelectric, solar, wave and geothermal potential as well as developing a more efficient decentralised energy network and investing in energy efficient technologies. |
| As Amendments to Jenny Willott's proposed Motion (Welsh Energy Consensus): |
| Line 10, leave out from `including' to end and insert `but notes that Wales has already erected a substantial number of wind turbines and that more emphasis needs to be focussed on other forms of renewable energy.'. |
| Line 12, at end add `and ruling out no technology which could be used to replace energy sources which emit greenhouse gases.'. |
| 2107 | TIDAL POWER IN THE SEVERN ESTUARY | 4:5:06 |
| Jenny Willott | | Lembit Öpik | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mark Williams | | Nia Griffith | | Mr David Jones |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House welcomes the recent calls for a reappraisal of the Severn Barrage scheme; believes that with a tidal range of over 12 metres, the Severn Estuary is arguably the second best site in the world for generating tidal power; further believes that taking advantage of this clean and guaranteed renewable energy resource is essential if the UK is to achieve energy security and effectively combat climate change; further welcomes the advances in tidal power technology since the first proposals for a Severn barrage; and calls on the Government to undertake an immediate appraisal of the financial costs and ecological impact of the full range of tidal power options that could be used in the Severn Estuary so that the most suitable scheme can get underway as soon as possible. |
| 2108 | SOUTHEND UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB'S PROMOTION TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP | 8:5:06 |
| James Duddridge [R] | | Mr David Amess | | Mr Mark Francois | | Bob Spink | | Mike Penning | | Mr Greg Hands |
| That this House congratulates Southend United Football Club on winning League One and being promoted to the Championship; and calls on Southend United and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to work together to ensure that a new stadium is built which is fit for the Premiership. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2109 | PROMOTION OF SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK BY THE FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL | 8:5:06 |
| Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Julian Brazier | | Mr Phil Willis | | Joan Walley | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Tim Farron | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House congratulates the Field Studies Council for its ongoing campaign and commitment to promoting the importance of science and geography fieldwork; believes that fieldwork continues to be given a low priority in school, denying children the invaluable educational experience that out-of-classroom activity can bring; notes the significant benefits fieldwork has for academic achievement, self-confidence and improved attitude to education; further notes the contribution fieldwork makes to sustainable development goals through greater understanding of the environment; applauds the Government's steps so far to encourage fieldwork, such as the Department for Education and Skills Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom; and urges the Government to continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the Field Studies Council and others such as the Real World Learning partners involved in this very important campaign to ensure that fieldwork is a requirement of the science and geography curriculum and to ensure that teachers through both initial teacher training and continued professional development are competent and confident to provide this important investigative aspect of education. |
| 2111 | PROMOTION OF COLCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB | 8:5:06 |
| Bob Russell | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | David Lepper |
| That this House congratulates Colchester United Football Club on being promoted from League One to the Championship, the first time in the club's history that it has reached this level; notes that the club was the smallest in League One and will be the smallest in the Championship; congratulates Manager Phil Parkinson, the coaching staff and the players for the wonderful achievement of promotion; praises the off-pitch team led by Chairman Mr Peter Heard and Chief Executive Mrs Marie Partner; applauds the club's loyal supporters and everybody associated with Colchester United FC; and calls on all involved to deliver the promise of building a new stadium in 2007. |
| 2113 | 60th ANNIVERSARY OF THE NHS BILL | 8:5:06 |
| Mr Andrew Lansley | | Mr John Baron | | Sandra Gidley | | Steve Webb | | Dr Howard Stoate [R] | | Mike Penning |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House notes that on the 60th Anniversary of the NHS Bill the United Kingdom is fortunate to have one of the fairest health systems in the world where no-one need fear becoming bankrupt because of their need to fund their healthcare; further notes that the NHS has dedicated staff who are driven by a passion for patient care; further notes that the continued commitment of funding through tax ensures equity for patients and is the cheapest way of collecting money; further notes that any move to a health insurance system to charge patients for their care would increase bureaucracy and would leave those who need the most care with the greatest financial burden; and welcomes the joint statement from the British Medical Association, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, Diabetes UK, FPA, Macmillan Cancer Support, the New Health Network, the NHS Confederation, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, Turning Point and UNISON stating their commitment to a tax-funded system. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2114 | CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT OF SECURED DEBT PRODUCTS | 8:5:06 |
| Sarah McCarthy-Fry | | Barbara Keeley | | Mrs Madeleine Moon | | Ms Celia Barlow | | Mr Robert Flello | | Mrs Siân C. James |
| | Mr Paul Keetch | Mr Brian Jenkins | Annette Brooke |
| That this House is concerned about rising levels of secured debt, due in part to celebrity endorsement of such products, particularly from individuals who are well known for their mathematical skills which gives the impression that such products are financially safe; notes that failing to repay secured loans can result in losing one's home or leave people locked into long-term debts which means the overall interest cost is substantially increased; further notes that rates from secured debt companies are often higher than unsecured loans from high street lenders and much higher than re-mortgages which is one of the viable alternatives; believes that secured debt companies should take up a charter of responsible advertising that only targets those limited niche individuals who would actively benefit from secured debt; and further notes that lowering monthly repayments, which increases the cost of the loans because the interest is spread over a longer period, should never be portrayed as saving people money. |
| As an Amendment to Sarah McCarthy-Fry's proposed Motion (Celebrity Endorsement of Secured Debt Products): |
| David Taylor | | David Heyes | | John Hemming |
| Line 3, leave out `mathematical' and insert `arithmetical'. |
| 2116 | WILLESDEN POST OFFICE | 9:5:06 |
| Ms Dawn Butler | | Mr Sadiq Khan | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Paul Flynn | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Dr William McCrea |
| That this House expresses concern at the proposed franchising of Willesden's main Post Office branch, which has served local residents since 1894; notes that this will result in the closure of service desks, resulting in more queues; further notes that the Willesden Post Office branch was announced as the best performing branch in the UK for the sale of financial service products in February 2006; recognises the essential services that local Post Offices provide to their communities; further recognises the importance of the accessibility and convenience of local Post Office branches to communities, and particularly the elderly and disabled; and urges Post Office Ltd to review the unpopular proposal to franchise Willesden's main Post Office. |
| 2117 | APPOINTMENT OF A MINISTER FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING AND FOOD | 9:5:06 |
| Mr Roger Williams | | Andrew George | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mr John Leech | | Mr Colin Breed | | David Simpson |
| | Nick Harvey | Annette Brooke |
| That this House believes that the country needs a full-time minister for sustainable farming and food; notes with concern the dual roles of the noble Baroness Ashton of Upholland, as Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whilst retaining her responsibilities at the Department for Constitutional Affairs; further notes the huge impact of the current single farm payments crisis, imminent common agricultural policy reform and World Trade Organisation negotiations on the future of sustainable farming and rural communities; and calls on the Prime Minister to appoint a full-time minister for sustainable farming and food. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Roger Williams's proposed Motion (Appointment of a Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food): |
| Line 2, leave out from `concern' to `further' in line 5 and insert `the continued failure by the Government to appoint a full-time minister for sustainable farming and food given the dual role of Baron Rooker as a Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland Office;'. |
| 2118 | ALCOHOL BAN BY THE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL | 9:5:06 |
| Mr Don Foster | | Lembit Öpik | | Tom Brake | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Phil Willis | | Sandra Gidley |
| | Mr Rob Wilson | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | Clive Efford |
| That this House condemns the decision of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ban test match spectators from taking modest amounts of alcohol into grounds; notes that this decision is not justified on the basis of safety considerations given that alcohol is sold inside English grounds; further notes that test spectators will, from 11th May 2006, have to queue for more expensive drinks from a limited range; and urges the ICC to exempt English grounds from this ban. |
| 2119 | 61st ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS | 9:5:06 |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Geraldine Smith | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Mike Penning | | Mr Greg Hands | | Bob Spink |
| That this House is pleased to join with the people of the Channel Islands in celebrating the 61st anniversary of their liberation from German occupation by British military forces on 9th May 1945; pays the warmest tribute to the courageous stand for freedom taken by the Channel Islanders during their years of occupation when, despite extreme persecution and hardship, they never lost hope that their liberation would take place; and calls upon the Government to continue to fulfil its historic duty to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the Channel Islands, guaranteeing their safety, freedom and independence for centuries to come. |
| 2120 | WORLD CUP TICKET ALLOCATION | 9:5:06 |
| Mr Don Foster | | Lembit Öpik | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Tom Brake | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Phil Willis |
| That this House notes that tickets for the World Cup are being resold for up to £1000 at an average of 327 per cent. more than their face value; recognises that touted tickets for football matches can result in a dangerous mix of opposing fans; congratulates the Football Association (FA) and the German authorities on their robust plans to help prevent crowd violence; regrets that only 8 per cent. of tickets for each match have been allocated by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to the fans of each competing side; believes that such a low ticket allocation encourages touting; welcomes the FA's decision to cut its own allocation to their football family in half to the benefit of the fans; and calls on FIFA to act now to ensure that a far higher proportion of tickets are allocated to fans in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. |
| 2122 | ANDIJAN MASSACRE IN UZBEKISTAN | 9:5:06 |
| Mr Greg Hands | | John Bercow | | Angus Robertson | | Mr Alistair Carmichael | | Mike Penning | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes that it is one year since the massacre of hundreds of civilian demonstrators in Andijan in Uzbekistan on 12th to 13th May 2005; condemns the Uzbekistan government for this needless loss of life; and calls on the Uzbek government to be expelled from NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, for President Islam Karimov to be subject to an EU visa ban and for other practical measures to be taken against the Karimov regime. |
| 2123 | COIN-OPERATED TANNING SALONS | 9:5:06 |
| Mrs Siân C. James | | Mr Stephen Crabb | | Mr Roger Williams | | Julie Morgan | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Jessica Morden |
| That this House expresses concern that children aged 16 years and under have easy walk-in access to unstaffed coin-operated tanning salons; notes that some operators charge as little as 25 pence per minute for a tanning session; is concerned that coin-operated tanning centres do not have trained staff to provide advice and assistance and to restrict access; believes that unstaffed salons can be inappropriately used by children and people with health problems who should not use sunbeds; recognises that such salons rely on posters to provide awareness on exposure to UV rays and skin types that are not appropriate for tanning; and calls on the Government to restrict the use of coin-operated tanning equipment and to fine and prosecute operators of unstaffed coin-operated salons who allow children access to tanning equipment. |
| John Mann | | Tony Lloyd | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr David Drew | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Khalid Mahmood |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House salutes the memory of Tele Santana, one of Brazil's greatest football coaches, who died in late April 2006 aged 74 in Belo Horizonte; notes that Santana, who led Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and won the Libertadores Cup twice in a row with Sao Paulo was widely respected for his sense of fair play and his refusal to use rough-arm tactics; commends his views that `Football is art, it's enjoyment and it's not about hoofing the ball up field', and `I'd rather lose the game than tell my team to foul, kick the opponents or win an illegitimate goal'; and hopes that the forthcoming World Cup is played in the spirit of football that Tele Santana embodied. |
| 2125 | DANCE TEACHERS' QUALIFICATIONS | 9:5:06 |
| Meg Hillier | | Mrs Siân C. James | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Sarah McCarthy-Fry | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Alison Seabeck |
| That this House calls for the compulsory qualification of professional dance teachers in line with the standards of physical knowledge required of sports teachers; notes that some young people are suffering avoidable physical and psychological harm due to the lack of knowledge of some unqualified teachers; further notes that research conducted by the Birmingham Royal Ballet reveals that a high proportion of young people receive two or three injuries a year which are frequently exacerbations of injuries originally sustained under instruction by inadequately qualified or unqualified teachers; and believes that a recognised qualification is one way for parents to protect their children from harm. |
| 2126 | HP FACTORY IN ASTON, BIRMINGHAM | 9:5:06 |
| Mr Khalid Mahmood | | Mr John Spellar | | Lorely Burt | | Lynda Waltho | | Rob Marris | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson |
| That this House condemns the proposal by Heinz UK & Ireland to close the HP factory in Aston, Birmingham and to relocate production to the Netherlands; is concerned at the loss of employment that this move will cause in an area which already has high unemployment; notes the longstanding history of HP in Aston, Birmingham and the positive contribution it has made to the local economy; further notes that the workers at HP Aston have worked hard to raise production and have performed to a high standard over the last few years; is further concerned that this factory will be closed without further consultation and consideration of other possible options; and calls on Heinz UK & Ireland to reconsider their plans and to engage constructively with unions and local politicians in order to ensure a positive outcome for this national institution and its workers. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Khalid Mahmood's proposed Motion (HP Factory in Aston, Birmingham): |
| Mr Siôn Simon | | John Hemming | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Iris Robinson | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| Line 11, at end add `further recognises that HP sauce is a national icon with its trademark picture of the Houses of Parliament on every bottle; and demands that, as long as production remains out of Birmingham or the United Kingdom, Heinz UK & Ireland should not be allowed to use the Houses of Parliament as a marketing brand.'. |
| 2127 | AWARENESS OF COELIAC DISEASE | 10:5:06 |
| Gordon Banks | | Mr Jim Devine | | Rosie Cooper | | Lyn Brown | | Keith Vaz | | Jim Sheridan |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Annette Brooke |
| That this House is concerned that the average general practitioner has little or no experience of coeliac disease, an extremely debilitating illness that affects one in 100 of the population, of which four out of five people are undiagnosed, and which can lead to serious complications such as osteoporosis and bowel cancer if left undiagnosed; regrets that the lack of experience of this condition prevents many people with coeliac disease from receiving early diagnosis; is dismayed that there is no Government support for the charity Coeliac UK that provides literature, advice, helpline and dietary information to address this need; and calls on the Government to promote measures to ensure that general practitioners receive more appropriate training and support to enable them better to recognise and more accurately to diagnose the disease. |
| 2129 | UK SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER CAPABILITY | 10:5:06 |
| Mr Graham Stuart | | Miss Julie Kirkbride | | Mr Charles Walker | | Mr Robert Goodwill | | David Mundell | | Stephen Hammond |
| That this House notes that the UK Search and Rescue Helicopter capability is a vital service which has built up a fearsome reputation for saving lives at sea; expresses concern that the recent announcement outlining plans to let private companies compete to operate services provided inadequate detail; expresses further concern that the decision has primarily been driven by Treasury defence cuts; and calls on Ministers to provide a further statement to hon. Members on the floor of the House. |
| 2130 | REMOVAL OF GARDENS FROM BROWNFIELD DEFINITION | 10:5:06 |
| Greg Clark | | Ms Dari Taylor | | Mr Paul Truswell | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Andrew Mackay | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr James Arbuthnot | Ms Gisela Stuart | Mrs Theresa Villiers | | | Mr Brian Jenkins | Damian Green | Justine Greening | | | Mr David Lidington | Mr Paul Goodman | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House shares the concern of communities throughout the United Kingdom over the scale of residential development on garden land; recognises that the density and speed of such development can cause irreparable damage to neighbourhood character and cohesion; notes that the loss of garden land threatens urban biodiversity and environmental sustainability in towns and cities; further notes that garden land developments rarely exceed the threshold at which affordable housing must be provided and displaces the regeneration of derelict land; believes the official classification of garden land as brownfield to be inappropriate and misleading; and therefore urges the Government to amend all relevant planning guidance to remove gardens from the definition of previously developed land and thereby return decisions over proposed garden land developments to the discretion of local planning authorities. |
| 2131 | DARFUR PEACE SETTLEMENT | 10:5:06 |
| Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Chris McCafferty | | Peter Bottomley | | David Taylor |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House applauds the signing of a peace settlement between the major rebel group the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the government of Sudan on 5th May 2006; welcomes the intervention of the Secretary of State for International Development the right hon. Member for Leeds Central, and the US Deputy Secretary of State in the mediation process that led to the settlement; recognises the peace settlement to be a positive step towards ending a conflict that has displaced a population of over two million and caused the death of more than 180,000 people; cautions against excessive optimism as the peace settlement is but a first step, agreed to in part by the major rebel movement, SLM, and rejected by the other two rebel movements; and urges that in order for the settlement to bear long term peaceful solution to the Darfur conflict the two parties need to commit genuinely to an end to the conflict and that the international community, especially the UK Government, must continue to put pressure on the parties to honour their pledges, pursue opportunities to include the other rebel groups within the peace process and provide sufficient funding for the African Union and for the humanitarian aid effort. |
| 2132 | SCOTTISH SALMON AND BIRDSEYE ADVERTISEMENT | 10:5:06 |
| Mr Angus MacNeil | | Mr Alistair Carmichael | | Paul Flynn | | Mr Martin Caton | | Alan Simpson | | Mr Mike Weir |
| That this House deplores the current television advertising campaign mounted by the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever on behalf of its Birdseye brand of Pacific salmon frozen meals; regrets its inappropriate use of a Barra-registered prawn trawler Harvest Home CY 211 and the use of the Minch and the hills of West Sutherland to create the misleading inference that these are images from the Pacific; further condemns its tendentious inferences on the wholesomeness of salmon farmed in Scotland, and its use of the scenery of the west of Scotland to advertise an alien product while attempting to denigrate the product actually raised in that pristine environment; and calls for the shameless and misleading Birdseye advert to be withdrawn. |
| As an Amendment to Mr Angus MacNeil's proposed Motion (Scottish Salmon and Birdseye Advertisement): |
| Line 5, leave out `Pacific' and insert `Atlantic'. |
| 2133 | INSTITUTE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES | 10:5:06 |
| Julia Goldsworthy | | Peter Bottomley | | Paul Flynn | | Paul Holmes | | Alan Simpson | | Dr Vincent Cable |
| That this House notes with concern that the total debt of British families is larger than the UK's GDP, that 50 per cent. of the population does not understand what 50 per cent. means, and that 79 per cent. of consumers do not know what an `APR' is; further notes that little substantive progress has been achieved to address this problem, believes that financial capability is an essential life skill along with numeracy, literacy and IT; recognises the outstanding work of the Institute for Financial Services in developing qualifications in financial capability across the 14 to 19 age range including in 1,000 schools; and calls on the Government to build on that experience by investigating the provision of a financial capability programme in all schools, colleges and adult education institutions and by training suitable teachers to deliver the programme. |
| 2134 | JOURNEY OF THE WILD PROJECT | 10:5:06 |
| Pete Wishart | | Lynne Jones | | Peter Bottomley | | Paul Flynn | | Mr Martin Caton | | Alan Simpson |
| That this House welcomes the initiative of the John Muir Trust in arranging the 2006 Journey of the Wild, an epic adventure through some of the wildest places in the country; recognises that the aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of wild places for people and nature; notes that the journey will cover 2,500 miles during five months in the summer of 2006, with routes from the north, south, east and west culminating in a celebration at Ben Nevis; and hopes that this initiative will stimulate further interest and lead to greater protection for the UK's wild places. |
| 2135 | WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN | 10:5:06 |
| Nick Harvey | | Mr Michael Moore | | Bob Russell | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Chris McCafferty |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House expresses concern at the attack on Ms Malalai Joya in the Afghan Parliament on 7th May 2006; notes that following the incident Ms Joya stated that she has suffered a series of threats; and calls upon the UK Government to make urgent representations to the Afghan government calling for the equal treatment of women in the Afghan Parliament and the protection of female MPs from violent threats. |
| 2136 | INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION | 10:5:06 |
| Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods | | John Hemming | | Dr Gavin Strang | | Peter Bottomley | | Jim Dobbin | | Dr Alasdair McDonnell |
| That this House supports innovation through wireless and mobile technology to tailor learning to students; believes that the integration of fixed and wireless broadband with high speed 3G mobile communications can help deliver the vision of a personal online learning space accessible using laptops and personal digital assistants at a time and place convenient to the learner, as well as encourage better communication, interaction and engagement between parents, teachers and students; recognises the importance of making this available to all schools, colleges and universities across the UK; and urges the Government to take forward the commitment in the Education White Paper to support and promote good practice. |
| 2138 | BUILDING ON BEST PRACTICE OF THE NHS | 10:5:06 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Mr Paul Truswell | | Lynne Jones | | Kelvin Hopkins | | John Cummings | | Joan Walley |
| | Mr John Leech | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House welcomes much of the Government's White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, as a genuine attempt to reform and improve the NHS; notes with concern however the financial crises recently faced by many NHS trusts which has resulted in the closure of departments and staff redundancies; believes that many of the proposed market style reforms such as preferential funding treatment for independent sector treatment centres, the high costs of private finance initiatives and the ongoing move towards outsourcing undermines the skills, knowledge and dedication of NHS staff who are experts in their fields; agrees that a period of stability within the NHS is essential and would be welcomed by staff and patients alike; and therefore calls on the Government to consult extensively and to build a genuine consensus with all stakeholders before implementing any further major NHS reforms. |
| 2139 | WORLDSKILLS COMPETITION | 10:5:06 |
| Mr Gordon Marsden | | Helen Jones | | Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods | | Mr David Chaytor | | Jeff Ennis | | Mr Barry Sheerman |
| That this House congratulates London for winning the bid to host the WorldSkills Competition 2011; recognises that hosting the competition will drive up standards and the status of skills within the UK; notes that hosting the WorldSkills Competition will have a significant and positive impact on the preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games and its legacy; believes that it will be a triumph for both the UK's skills levels and the economy; and wishes the UK every success in hosting the competition. |
| 2140 | AUTISM AND FRAGILE X SYNDROME FAMILY SUPPORT AND RESPITE SERVICES | 10:5:06 |
| Mrs Betty Williams | | Mr Roger Williams | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mark Hendrick | | David Simpson | | Julie Morgan |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Baldry |
| That this House believes that family support and respite services are vital for families of children with Fragile X Syndrome and autistic spectrum disorders; notes that local authorities and other partners highlighted family support and respite as priority issues to be addressed with regard to autistic spectrum disorders in the recent National Audit of Support, Services and Provision for Children with Low Incidence Needs, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills; regrets that support for families of children with Fragile X Syndrome and autistic spectrum disorders varies across the country and is insufficient overall; welcomes the Treasury review of children and young people as an opportunity to consider ways to improve support for families with children with these conditions; and calls on the Government to work with local authorities to ensure that appropriate and timely services are in place to prevent families from reaching crisis point. |
| 2142 | COMPENSATION TO THE VICTIMS OF SOUTH PACIFIC NUCLEAR TESTS | 11:5:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mike Penning | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House calls on the Ministry of Defence to provide fair compensation and a full apology to service veterans who were deliberately exposed to dangerous levels of radiation during a series of British nuclear tests in South Pacific during the 1950s and 1960s; notes new research carried out by Dr Al Rowland of Massey University, New Zealand, which provides further strong evidence of linkage between exposure to nuclear tests and medical conditions which developed later; and further notes that these veterans and their children have suffered from appalling medical conditions directly related to radiation poisoning over the past 50 years. |
| 2144 | EPILEPSY ACTION | 11:5:06 |
| Helen Goodman | | Mr Denis Murphy | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Mr Kevan Jones | | Mr David Anderson | | Mr Fraser Kemp |
| | Mr Paul Truswell | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming |
| That this House welcomes Epilepsy Action's `Take Control' campaign, which seeks to help people with epilepsy in the North East to take control of their condition; notes that, of the 456,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK, as many as 82,000 who are currently having seizures could be seizure free if they were receiving the best possible care; further notes that as many as 105,000 probably have an incorrect diagnosis; recognises that the best way for these problems to be addressed is for the person with epilepsy to see a specialist; and invites hon. Members to encourage those with epilepsy with ongoing seizures or experiencing bad side effects from their medicine to seek a review meeting with a specialist. |
| 2145 | LABOUR RIGHTS IN IRAQ | 11:5:06 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Mary Creagh | | Rob Marris | | Mr Clive Betts | | Mr Ian Austin | | Mr Frank Doran |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House applauds the recent Labour Friends of Iraq (LFIQ) delegation to Erbil and Sulamaniyah to meet unions, parties, and ministers from Iraqi Kurdistan as well as 22 union leaders from Baghdad, Basra and Babel; is concerned that Iraqi Ministers, through Decree 8750 of August 2005, have frozen the monies of unions including those affiliated to the Iraqi Workers' Federation, leaving organisations which represent up to a million Iraqis and which are the bedrock of a non-sectarian civil society unable to organise and play a positive role in both the workplace and in wider society; fears that some may create sectarian client unions; urges the British Government to make representations to the Iraqi government to lift Decree 8750 and the continuing ban, first introduced in 1987 by Saddam Hussein, on public sector trade union organisation; is concerned that this ban is the basis of hostile actions against the Port Workers' Union in Khour Al-Zubeir; further notes that the LFIQ delegation was told repeatedly by union leaders and others of the potential of private foreign investment in Iraqi Kurdistan, whose Parliament is keen to encourage investment, not least in tourism and mineral extraction; and believes that those concerned for Iraqi democracy should heed the call of the Iraqi unions for urgent assistance to retrieve their independence and to increase their power as a social partner in reconstructing Iraq, which has long been isolated from modern thinking and must contend with the enormous physical and psychological legacy of dictatorship, sanctions and war. |
| 2146 | BRIAN HAW AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST | 11:5:06 |
| Nick Harvey | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Annette Brooke | | Mr Edward Davey | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes the verdict of Monday 9th May in the case of Brian Haw, peace protestor in Parliament Square for over four and a half years, which overturned the original High Court ruling allowing him to continue his peace vigil; notes with concern that Mr Haw may now be forced to end his protest should the Police Commissioner fail to grant him permission to remain; further notes that Mr Haw's silent protest causes no hindrance to the proper operation of Parliament, nor does it create a public disorder; further notes that this House owes Mr Haw a debt of gratitude for his long-term active engagement in democracy; believes that Mr Haw should be allowed to remain in Parliament Square; and calls upon the Government to nurture engagement by the public with politicians and to support the democratic right of all to protest where they can be seen by hon. Members. |
| 2147 | TEST MATCH CRICKET AND FREE-TO-AIR TELEVISION COVERAGE | 11:5:06 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr Paul Truswell | | Paul Rowen | | Richard Ottaway | | Mrs Betty Williams | | Mr Don Foster |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming |
| That this House regrets the fact that not a single over of this summer's cricket test matches between England and Pakistan and England and Sri Lanka will be live on free-to-air television; supports the conclusion of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee `that a more proactive approach should have been taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to maximise broadcasting revenue while ensuring some cricket remained on terrestrial television'; notes the fact that the Government has said it would be willing to convene a meeting between the broadcasters and the ECB to discuss the sharing of live coverage if there were a possibility of a deal being struck; calls upon BSkyB to agree to share with a free-to-air broadcaster live coverage of the climax of this summer's test matches involving Pakistan, defined as play from Saturday onwards; urges the Government to support the `Keep Cricket Free' campaign proposals to partially re-list home test matches as one of the Crown Jewels of sport so that the main test series of the summer is made available to free-to-air broadcasters at `a fair and reasonable price'; and further urges BSkyB as a gesture of goodwill to negotiate a highlights deal with a free-to-air broadcaster for next winter's Ashes series in Australia. |
| 2148 | EUROPEAN GEOPARK WEEK | 11:5:06 |
| Mr Philip Dunne | | Stewart Hosie | | Andrew Selous | | Mr Mark Francois | | Mr Colin Breed | | Helen Goodman |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming | Mr Paul Goodman |
| That this House welcomes this summer's European Geopark Week; supports its aim to raise awareness of Europe's common geological history; recognises the fundamental influence of geodiversity upon biodiversity and on natural and cultural heritage and its importance in providing an integrated approach to nature conservation; further recognises the role that the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, and every other geopark, plays in the promotion, preservation and enhancement of biodiversity for generations to come; and calls upon the Government to join in the celebrations of European Geopark Week across 13 European countries between 28th May and 4th June. |
| 2149 | POST OFFICE CLOSURES AND THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BILL | 11:5:06 |
| Mark Williams | | Lembit Öpik | | Mr Roger Williams | | Jenny Willott | | Mr David Heath | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House is concerned at the ongoing decline of numbers of post offices; notes that post office closures often impact most heavily on rural communities; acknowledges that post offices are one of the local services that help create sustainable communities; welcomes measures to empower local communities to keep their post offices if they so wish; and so supports the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Bill and hopes they will be introduced in this Parliament. |
| 2150 | LOCAL SOURCING AND THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BILL | 11:5:06 |
| Mark Williams | | Lembit Öpik | | Mr Roger Williams | | Jenny Willott | | Mr David Heath | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House is concerned at the high proportion of food and other goods that are sourced from overseas yet could be locally provided; notes that local sourcing often has considerable benefits to local economies and the environment; further notes that currently communities and local government often lack the ability to choose to source locally; welcomes measures to empower local communities to promote the sourcing of food and other goods locally which increase their sustainability; and so supports the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Bill and hopes they will be introduced in this Parliament. |
| 2151 | ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS IN KAREN STATE, BURMA | 11:5:06 |
| John Bercow | | Joan Ruddock | | Mr William Hague | | Mr Michael Moore | | Mr Andrew Mitchell | | Julie Morgan |
| | Dr Liam Fox | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | Tony Lloyd | John Hemming | | | Mr Iain Wright |
| That this House condemns the gross violations of human rights perpetrated by the Burma Army in Karen State, Burma, in recent months, including the displacement of over 11,000 villagers, the shootings of civilians at point-blank range, the beheading and mutilation of civilians, the shooting of a nine year-old girl, and the continued attacks on Karen civilians in the worst offensive since 1997; calls on the Government and the European Union to condemn these atrocities; urges the Department for International Development to provide urgently-needed humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced people in Eastern Burma through Thai-based relief organisations; calls on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to use its authority to stop the violence against civilians in Eastern Burma and to pass a binding resolution requiring democratic change in Burma; and further calls on the Government to work with UNSC member states to ensure such a resolution is passed as a matter of urgency. |
| 2152 | PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN FOOD | 11:5:06 |
| Mr Ian Taylor | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Alistair Burt | | Jim Dobbin |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd | John Hemming |
| That this House notes that the public's interest in the nature of the food they are eating has never been higher; further notes that a series of food scares have all shaken consumer confidence; further notes that seven out of 10 shoppers said they lacked confidence in the foods they bought and the level of information they were given; congratulates in particular Birdseye for the work it has done to reformulate its product portfolio by removing artificial colourings, flavours and preservatives and ensuring that its products use natural ingredients; and believes that a positive way to address the issue of consumer confidence in foods is to provide consumers with clear details about the food they are buying through factual and informative advertising and marketing activity. |
| 2153 | COAST 96.3 RADIO STATION | 11:5:06 |
| Chris Ruane | | Ian Lucas | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr David Jones |
| That this House congratulates Coast 96.3 radio station in North Wales for winning the Sony National Award for being the Best Radio Station in the UK for Potential Audiences of 300,000 group; and recognises the high quality of news, information and entertainment and the high professional standards of its staff, Steve Simms, Craig Pilling, Katrina Cameron, Sion Pritchard, Adam Hopkins, Scott Lawson, Mair Thomas, Non Gwyn, Stephanie Tie Steel, Joanne Withington and Clive Douthwaite. |
| 2154 | CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE OF ENGLAND AND WALES, CENTENARY YEAR | 11:5:06 |
| Mr Phil Willis | | Ann Winterton | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Jim Devine | | Paul Flynn | | Mr David Amess |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House congratulates the Catholic Women's League (CWL) of England and Wales in its centenary year; recognises the extensive charitable work of its 5,000 members at a local, diocesan, national and international level, in particular its support for the relief of refugees; notes the history of the League, founded in Brighton in 1906 by Margaret Fletcher who gave her first lecture on present day social work for Catholic women; further notes its major contribution throughout both World Wars and ensuing conflicts in supporting servicemen and their wives; is aware of the current, commendable work that the CWL undertakes in public and social service to which their motto is Charity, Work and Loyalty; and acknowledges that the League is a founder member of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations affiliated to over 100 women's organisations in five continents which promote the advancement of women globally and protect the interests of women and children, especially in the Third World. |
| 2155 | NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR VICTIMS OF SLAVERY | 11:5:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House commends the French government for organising Europe's first national day in remembrance of the millions of victims of slavery; recognises that the UK also allowed slavery and slave-trading before becoming one of the first countries to make slavery illegal and help end the trade on the high seas; further recognises that significant amounts of the United Kingdom's national wealth was built upon the efforts of slaves; notes with regret that the UK has no national day of remembrance for the victims of slavery; further notes that slavery and other types of indentured labour still exist across the world; and calls for a determined effort by all governments to stamp out such practices. |
| 2156 | THREE-DAY CLEARING SYSTEM | 11:5:06 |
| Chris Bryant | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd | | | John Hemming |
| That this House congratulates Lloyds TSB on its decision to pay immediate interest on cheques before they are cleared; looks forward to the Office of Fair Trading's promised report into ways the banks can speed up the underlying three-day cheque clearing system; and urges all banks to move as swiftly as possible towards scrapping the three-day clearing system for all banking transactions. |
| 2157 | 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF MARKETING OF BREASTMILK SUBSTITUTES BY THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY | 11:5:06 |
| Lynne Jones | | Annette Brooke | | Sandra Gidley | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | Harry Cohen | | | John Hemming |
| That this House celebrates the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes by the World Health Assembly; recognises the Code and subsequent relevant Resolutions as essential tools for protecting infant health and ensuring parents, carers and health workers receive information on infant feeding free from commercial pressure; congratulates those governments that have implemented the Code and Resolutions in legislation; notes with concern that despite supporting the Code, Resolutions and the Assembly's Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding at international meetings and being called on by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2003 to implement the Code, the UK Government has still not done so; and therefore calls on the Government to introduce legislation, policies and guidelines for enforcement authorities, fully in line with the Code and Resolutions, as soon as possible and to work to bring relevant EU Directives and other international measures into line. |
| 2158 | 60th ANNIVERSARY OF MIND | 11:5:06 |
| Lynne Jones | | Tim Loughton | | Sandra Gidley | | Stephen Hesford | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd | | | Mr Alan Meale | John Hemming |
| That this House congratulates Mind on its 60th anniversary; pays tribute to its valuable work and many achievements over 60 years speaking out on behalf of and furthering the interests of people with experience of mental distress; notes that it typifies the organisation that its celebrations will champion the voice of mental health service users and advocate forms of user involvement that are not merely cosmetic but actually give people control of their own lives equal to that of other members of society; further notes that Mind's anniversary activities include developing with service users a touring arts project to challenge and develop public and political understanding of mental distress, launching an updated resource pack `Some things you should know about user/survivior action', by Peter Campbell, explaining the origins, aspirations and achievements of the service user movement, holding a service user conference in September, celebrating 21 years of user involvement and setting the agenda for future action, and publishing `Moving on from depression', by Claire Rayner, a book for people experiencing depression, their friends and relatives, with information and guidance based on the experiences of people who have had depression and found effective strategies for moving on; wishes Mind well for all these activities; and looks forward to a future in which Mind's vision of a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all, and that treats people with experience of mental distress fairly, positively and with respect, has been achieved. |
| 2159 | WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY | 12:5:06 |
| Lynne Jones | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Jim Cousins | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Jim Devine | | Mike Penning |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Paul Truswell | Lyn Brown | | | Mr Jeremy Hunt | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd | | | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes that 18th May is World AIDS Vaccines Day, giving an opportunity to observe the urgent need for a vaccine that prevents HIV infection and AIDS; acknowledges that over 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV and that almost five millon new infections have occurred in the last year with developing countries disproportionately affected; recognises that existing HIV prevention methods help to reduce the risk of HIV transmission and should urgently be made available to all who need them, but that in the long-term a vaccine offers the best hope of stopping the continuing spread of HIV; further acknowledges that progress has been made in the search for a preventative HIV vaccine, with vaccine trials in progress in countries on every continent, but that major challenges remain; welcomes the UK's contribution to HIV vaccine research and development; and calls upon the Government to use its influence to urge the international community to recognise the importance of investing in new technologies as a critical element of the comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS. |
| 2160 | APPEALS BY FORMER EMPLOYEES TO LIQUIDATORS | 12:5:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Jim Devine | | Graham Stringer | | Mr Jim McGovern | | Bob Spink |
| That this House believes that the appeals procedure against the decisions of liquidators by former employees of liquidated companies is unsatisfactory; further believes that liquidators should keep all claimants properly informed; notes the case of the former employees of Natural Balance Limited whose payments for work completed have been significantly delayed without proper explanation; and asks the Institute of Chartered Accountants to review its processes for dealing with disputes between former employees and employers of liquidated companies. |
| 2161 | FAIRTALK SURVEY BY PPI FORUMS ON HOSPITAL BEDSIDE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS | 12:5:06 |
| Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | David Taylor | | Peter Bottomley | | Mike Penning | | Keith Vaz | | Mr Jim McGovern |
| | Mr Paul Truswell | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming | | | Annette Brooke |
| That this House recognises the concerns expressed by many hon. Members and others about the high cost of incoming calls to hospital bedside telephones provided by Patient-line, Premier and Hospital Telephone Services; warmly welcomes the Fairtalk survey carried out by Patient and Public Involvement forums across England which covered 40 per cent. of all hospitals using these services and questioned 1,255 patients and members of the public, a much larger sample than previously surveyed; notes that in 88 per cent. of cases people surveyed rated the cost of inbound calls as expensive or very expensive and in some cases as causing real hardship, and that 80 per cent. were not aware of any areas within hospitals where they could use a mobile phone; and calls on the Government to ensure these findings are taken into full account during the current review of the use of mobile phones in hospitals and when awarding or reviewing the contracts to the providers of bedside telephone systems. |
| 2162 | WEST HAM FOOTBALL CLUB | 15:5:06 |
| Lyn Brown | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Jim Devine | | Mr David Amess | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House commiserates with West Ham United Football Club after its courageous performance against Liverpool Football Club in the Football Association Cup Final; applauds the achievements of manager Alan Pardew and all his staff and players this season; notes what a positive group of role models his young team provides, not only in East London, but across the country as a whole; and wishes the team further success next season in both domestic and European competition. |
| 2163 | BBC PARLIAMENT ON FREEVIEW | 15:5:06 |
| Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Weir | | Harry Cohen | | Lynne Jones |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming |
| That this House notes the increasing take-up of digital terrestial television through Freeview; considers that the proceedings of Parliament and other assemblies in the UK should, in the interest of furthering greater involvement in the democratic process, be available to as many people as possible; further notes with regret that BBC Parliament is currently broadcast on Freeview in a quarter screen format using a shared channel decoded by an MHEG which not all decoders can handle; and therefore urges the Government to ensure that BBC Parliament is given its own full bandwith, full screen channel on Freeview at the earliest possible date. |
| 2164 | ACTION FOR MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS | 15:5:06 |
| Mr Edward Davey | | Mike Penning | | Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Paul Truswell | Danny Alexander | | | Mr Brian Jenkins | Dr Julian Lewis | John Hemming | | | Annette Brooke |
| That this House congratulates the charity Action for ME on a successful Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Encephalopathy (ME) Awareness Week, which this year ran from 8th to 14th May; notes that there are 240,000 people in the UK with ME, and that a recent survey by Action for ME has estimated that 55,000 of these people are so severely affected by the illness that they are either bed-bound or house-bound; is concerned that the survey also suggests that 77 per cent. of the total 240,000 people in the UK with ME have lost their jobs because of the illness, with a cost to the nation of £6.4 billion a year; believes that there needs to be greater understanding of the illness if it is to be properly combated; and congratulates Action for ME on all the positive work they have done to raise awareness about this illness and to increase funding for research. |
| 2165 | DISPUTE BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS AND UNIVERSITIES | 15:5:06 |
| Lorely Burt | | Mr Michael Fallon | | Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Mike Penning | | Andrew George |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Don Foster | Mr Brian Jenkins | | | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House is deeply concerned at the failure to resolve the ongoing national dispute between the Association of University Teachers and universities; is further concerned at the massive disruption that students, in particular final year students, are facing in the light of this failure to secure a settlement to the dispute; and urges university vice-chancellors to make the resolution of this damaging ongoing dispute an urgent priority and to seek an immediate settlement in the interests of staff, students and the whole of England. |
| As Amendments to Lorely Burt's proposed Motion (Dispute between the Association of University Teachers and Universities): |
| Line 4, After `and', insert `while deploring the selfish action of the lecturers, which impacts upon the same generation of students that suffered from the problem of A Level reform.'. |
| Line 7, at end add `and Wales' |
| 2166 | DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICAL REPORTING (No. 3) | 15:5:06 |
| Mr Chris Mullin | | Mr Jim Devine | | Graham Stringer | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House notes with interest the recent 4th May front page lead article entitled `Brown backs new watchdog to clear up Blair sleaze'; notes that the report contained no evidence to support the proposition in the headline; regrets the growing tabloidisation of the Telegraph, which once considered itself a paper of record; and calls upon the editor of the Telegraph to require a minimum standard of integrity from its political journalists and sub-editors. |
| 2167 | DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICAL REPORTING (No. 4) | 15:5:06 |
| Mr Chris Mullin | | Mr Jim Devine | | Graham Stringer | | Lynne Jones | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House notes with interest the recent (10th May) report headed `Families are being taxed until the pips squeak' by the paper's economics editor; further notes the introductory paragraph alleging that family finances are being squeezed `more than ever before'; is, therefore, surprised to discover two paragraphs later that disposable income has actually increased and that `more than ever before' is defined as `since comparable records began in 1996'; and calls on the Editor of the Daily Telegraph to stop insulting the intelligence of its readers and take whatever steps are necessary to restore the integrity of its journalism. |
| 2168 | DIABETES UK AND ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE BLIND RALLY FOR RETINAL SCREENING | 15:5:06 |
| Mr Adrian Sanders [R] | | Bob Spink | | Bob Russell | | Mike Penning | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr Paul Truswell | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd | | | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House welcomes the rally of Parliament organised by Diabetes UK and the Royal National Institute of the Blind taking place on 17th May to highlight the need for retinopathy screening for all people with diabetes; notes that retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the working age population and can be prevented and treated if found early enough; further notes the Government targets for 70 per cent. of people with diabetes to be screened by June 2006 and 100 per cent. of people by the end of 2007; is concerned that the latest Department of Health figures show that only 59 per cent. of people with diabetes have received retinal screening in the 12 months up to March 2006; and calls on the Government to ensure that quality assured retinopathy screening programmes are in place across England. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2170 | WALES' FIRST NATIONAL HEALTHY LIVING WEEK | 15:5:06 |
| Mr Wayne David | | Mark Williams | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Michael Connarty | | Mr Elfyn Llwyd | | Mrs Cheryl Gillan |
| That this House welcomes the first National Healthy Living Week for Wales between 15th and 21st May; supports its vision of promoting exercise and better diet through enjoyable activities; notes that the theme for this year's United Nations International Families' Day on 15th May is Changing Families: Challenges and Opportunities; and hopes that families in Wales will take up the challenge to support each other during Healthy Living Week and beyond in improving their diets and taking more exercise together. |
| 2171 | LONG-TERM CARE FUNDING | 15:5:06 |
| Lynne Jones | | Roger Berry | | Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody | | Frank Cook | | Bob Spink | | Sandra Gidley |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming |
| That this House welcomes the recent investigations by Sir Derek Wanless and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) into the funding of long-term care; notes the key conclusion of both reports that the present system of long-term care funding in England is neither fair, intelligible nor sustainable; further notes the findings of the research commissioned by the JRF that the introduction of `free personal care' in Scotland as recommended by the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care has been containable within the Executive's resources and has brought real benefits; regrets the continuing failure of the Government to act fully on the Royal Commission's recommendations in England; welcomes the recent indications from the former social care minister that this issue is under active review; and calls on the Government to bring forward as a matter of urgency new proposals to address effectively a situation that causes distress and financial hardship to thousands of people. |
| 2172 | GLAXOSMITHKLINE AND SEROXAT | 15:5:06 |
| Paul Flynn | | Andrew George | | Mr Jim Devine | | John Cummings | | Paul Holmes | | Stewart Hosie |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd |
| That this House condemns GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for concealing for 15 years evidence that their anti-depressant drug Seroxat increases the risk of suicide and leads to `persistently worse' depression; congratulates the US Food and Drug Administration for forcing GSK to confess that users of Seroxat `experience emergent suicidality or symptoms that might be precursors to worsening depression or suicidality' and that `these symptoms may be severe and abrupt in onset'; and regrets the likely loss of life that has resulted from repeated denials of the lethal side effects of Seroxat by GSK, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the Medicine and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency in spite of the vigorous campaigns to reveal the truth by Professor David Healy, hon. Members, the Seroxat Users Group and Panorama. |
| 2173 | HEARTS CUP FINAL VICTORY | 15:5:06 |
| Mark Lazarowicz | | Anne Moffat | | Mr Jim Devine | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr David Hamilton | | Mr Jim McGovern |
| That this House congratulates Heart of Midlothian Football Club on their historic victory in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday 13th May. |
| 2174 | TELEVISION COVERAGE OF THE SCOTTISH CUP FINAL | 15:5:06 |
| Mr Angus MacNeil | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Alex Salmond |
| That this House notes with deep concern the failure of Sky TV and digital broadcasters to show the BBC1 coverage of the Scottish Cup final, instead showing a typed message for three hours; and considers that in the age of digital switchover, where people are being encouraged to leave normal terrestrial broadcasting, the missing of the Cup Final, especially by children, should cause broadcasters, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Ofcom to resolve this issue. |
| Jim Sheridan | | Mr Jim McGovern | | Mr David Marshall | | Mr Jim Devine | | David Mundell | | Mr Ian Davidson |
| That this House congratulates Scotland's National Football Team for winning the Kirin Cup, the only one of the four home countries to win a non-domestic cup for the past 40 years. |
| 2178 | SCOTTISH JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUBS | 16:5:06 |
| Mr Jim McGovern | | Mr Brian H. Donohoe | | Anne Moffat | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr Jim Devine | | Mr David Hamilton |
| That this House recognises the vital role that junior football clubs play in Scottish communities; recognises the need for these clubs to pay tax where this is appropriate; is concerned that recent changes to the rules regarding the payment of these tax revenues are placing an unnecessary burden on the unpaid staff who make up the committees that run these clubs; notes that these people are invaluable community activists; is further concerned that many of them are considering leaving these committees due to the increased strain placed upon them by the new guidelines; fears losing such valuable community assets; further fears the detrimental effect this will have on junior football in Scotland; and calls upon the Government to look again at the rules regarding the payment of taxes by junior football clubs. |
| 2179 | WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT TERRORISM WORKING GROUPS | 16:5:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Angus MacNeil | | Paul Holmes | | Mrs Linda Riordan |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming |
| That this House wishes to express its delight at the Government's decision to set up working groups in the wake of the 7th July bombings to devise a practical community-led response to terrorism; agrees that greater community consultation, promoting and developing engagement and partnership between Muslim communities and wider society, is key to combating extremism; notes that working group members came together from a wide variety of backgrounds, traditions and with diverse expertise; welcomes the proposals set out by these groups as they reported last year, but notes with great concern that few of these proposals have been implemented; and calls on the Government to act on this invaluable insight and implement the main recommendations as a matter of urgency. |
| 2180 | LORD GOLDSMITH'S CALL FOR GUANTANAMO BAY CLOSURE | 16:5:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Andrew George | | Mr Alan Meale | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Robert N. Wareing | | Mr Mike Weir |
| | Nick Harvey | Danny Alexander | Miss Anne Begg | | | Tony Lloyd | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House welcomes the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith's, call for the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison camp; applauds Lord Goldsmith for joining the UN and the EU in highlighting the injustice associated with this camp; notes that hundreds of individuals remain held in a legal black hole, many with no access to the courts, legal counsel or family visits; believes that Guantanamo Bay, rather than being `an anomaly', has become an endemic symbol of the injustice, abuse and hypocrisy of the US Administration's `war on terror'; and calls on the Government to listen to its most senior legal officer's recommendation and put pressure on its American ally to close these facilities as fast as humanly possible. |
| 2181 | CAMPAIGN TO MARK FORMER COLLIERIES ON ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS | 16:5:06 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Mr Ian Austin | | Mr Stephen Hepburn | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Mr David Clelland | | Jim Sheridan |
| | Mr Denis Murphy | Mr Marsha Singh | Mr Greg Pope | | | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming | Mr John Randall |
| That this House warmly welcomes the initiative led by young people from former mining communities to have all the former UK collieries marked on future Ordnance Survey maps with a scale of 1:25,000 with a pit wheel symbol; acknowledges that the pits have shaped both communities and the local landscape; believes it is important that they are recorded by Ordnance Survey in the same way as other archaeological and historical information; welcomes the positive response so far from Ordnance Survey to this campaign and the assurance that they will give the matter serious consideration; and looks forward to the history of the coal mining industry being permanently recorded on reference maps in the future. |
| 2182 | EFFECT OF GLOBAL TRADE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | 16:5:06 |
| John Barrett | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Mike Weir | | Mr Gregory Campbell |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming | | | Annette Brooke |
| That this House recognises that a proportion of global trade is highly inefficient with identical products often being exported, whilst at the same time being imported with a high cost to the environment; notes that in 2004 over 460 tonnes of gingerbread was imported whilst 460 tonnes was exported, 44,000 tonnes of fresh boneless chicken was imported and 51,000 tonnes exported and 1,500 tonnes of potatoes were imported from Germany, with 1,500 tonnes exported to Germany; and calls on the Government to work with British trading bodies to make the most of British resources, and to work with European and worldwide trading bodies to ensure trade is as ecologically efficient as possible. |
| 2184 | MACLELLAN INTERNATIONAL | 16:5:06 |
| Mr Denis Murphy | | John Cummings | | Paul Holmes | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Lynne Jones |
| | Frank Cook | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd | | | John Hemming |
| That this House notes with great concern the actions of MacLellan International towards the staff employed as security guards on three sites at Government offices in the North East of England; is concerned at MacLellan's imposition of a wage rise of 13 pence per hour, giving security guards an hourly rate of £5.23, much less than they were promised for undertaking extra training; further notes that as a result of MacLellan's refusal to correspond, meet or negotiate with the PCS Union, a ballot for industrial action provided a nine to one vote in favour; further notes that a 36 hour stoppage took place at three sites on 25th to 27th April 2006; condemns the statement of MacLellan that `they do not discuss pay with the Unions'; and calls upon the Government to refuse to let contracts to companies like MacLellan who do not recognise trade unions. |
| 2186 | DEAFBLIND GUIDANCE | 16:5:06 |
| Mr Stewart Jackson | | Andrew George | | Mike Penning | | Mr Alan Meale | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Weir |
| | John Hemming | Ms Sally Keeble | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes that the Government guidance entitled `Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults` was issued five years ago, giving new duties to local authorities to identify deafblind people and to offer them specialist services; welcomes the fact that many deafblind people have received improved social services as a result of this guidance; further notes, however, that research by Sense shows that 40 per cent. of local authorities do not provide any deafblind people with one-to-one support and that 10 per cent. of authorities have not identified a single deafblind person; and urges the Government to act to ensure that the guidance is implemented in all areas of the country. |
| 2187 | VICTIMS OF TERRORISM | 16:5:06 |
| Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mike Penning | | Mr Stewart Jackson | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| That this House commends all the innocent victims of terrorism both in Northern Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom; salutes the bravery and resolve of those who have survived such cowardly attacks; and joins with them in believing that no actions which democrats undertake should give succour or a spurious sense of legitimacy to those who take part in, defend or represent active, violent and ruthless organisations. |
| 2188 | WESTERN SAHARA | 16:5:06 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones | | Mr David Anderson | | Adam Price | | Harry Cohen |
| | Ann McKechin | John Hemming | Mr David Chaytor | | | John Battle |
| That this House calls on the Government to seek an urgent amendment to the proposed European Union Moroccan Fishing Agreement to ensure that the waters of the occupied Western Sahara are excluded from it; and notes that for 30 years Morocco has been illegally occupying the Western Sahara and finds it astonishing that the EU should propose to allow the exploitation of its resources. |
| 2189 | BOLTON UNITED SERVICES VETERANS ASSOCIATION | 16:5:06 |
| Dr Brian Iddon | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin | | Barbara Keeley | | Mr Mark Hendrick |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming | | | Mr David Chaytor |
| That this House congratulates Bolton United Services Veterans Association, the oldest and longest standing Veterans organisation in the UK, on their Centenary on 21st June 2006. |
| 2190 | NORWEGIAN NATIONAL DAY | 16:5:06 |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Mr David Amess | | Mike Penning | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Dr Julian Lewis | John Hemming |
| That this House joins the people in Norway in celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day, marking the signing of the Constitution of Norway at Eidsvoll on 17th May 1814; notes the importance of this day as the foundation of a country that has since been a long standing friend and ally of the UK; acknowledges that Norway has prospered magnificently as an independent nation within the boundaries of Europe; and further notes the importance of maintaining the deeply entrenched links between the UK and Norway for many centuries to come. |
| 2191 | RACE RELATIONS ACT AND THE MINIMUM WAGE | 16:5:06 |
| Gwyn Prosser | | John McDonnell | | Ms Katy Clark | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr Robert N. Wareing |
| That this House is deeply concerned that the United Kingdom Government is currently in breach of European Free Movement of Workers provisions in its treatment of other EU nationals through specific discrimination against seafarers that continues to be permitted through the Race Relations Act 1976; notes that seafarers are only entitled to the protection of the national minimum wage in United Kingdom internal and not territorial waters; further notes the continued employment of foreign national seafarers on rates of pay below the national minimum wage on United Kingdom ships and in United Kingdom territorial waters; welcomes the fact that the Government has acknowledged that the seafarers' exemption contained within the Race Relations Act 1976 needs reform; therefore urges the Government to ensure that the exemption in the Race Relations Act 1976 is fully and urgently repealed; and calls on the Government to ensure that seafarers are properly protected by the United Kingdom minimum wage on United Kingdom ships within United Kingdom waters. |
| 2192 | DIDCOT TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB (No. 2) | 16:5:06 |
| Mr Edward Vaizey | | Mr Greg Hands | | Mr Graham Allen | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr John Horam | | Mr Richard Benyon |
| | Dr Julian Lewis | John Hemming |
| That this House congratulates Didcot Town Football Club upon its promotion from the Hellenic League to the Southern League, the highest position in its 100 year history; further congratulates it on winning three trophies this season, namely the Hellenic League Cup, the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy and the Hellenic League Premier Division; notes that among the club's many achievements this season it is the first club to retain the Hellenic League Cup for three seasons in a row, it has the highest points average per game (2.63) of any club at its level or above in English football, and it is the 219th best supported club in the country; looks forward to further achievements from the club in the years to come; and thanks the chairman, manager and players for everything they have done for Didcot. |
| 2193 | OPENING OF FIFTEEN CORNWALL RESTAURANT | 16:5:06 |
| Mr Dan Rogerson | | Matthew Taylor | | Mr Colin Breed | | Andrew George | | Paul Holmes | | Dr John Pugh |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Greg Pope | Mr Brian Jenkins |
| That this House welcomes the opening of the Fifteen Cornwall Restaurant at Watergate Bay, set up by Jamie Oliver as part of the Fifteen Foundation and in association with the Cornwall Foundation of Promise; notes that Cornwall has the lowest average wages since records began; recognises that projects such as this encourage investment and provide scarce job opportunities for young people who have grown up and live in the area; and calls on the Government to ensure that such initiatives are given full recognition and support. |
| 2194 | CHESTERFIELD'S ROYAL HOSPITAL | 16:5:06 |
| Paul Holmes | | Steve Webb | | Mark Hunter | | John Barrett | | Mr Roger Williams | | Mr Adrian Sanders |
| | Nick Harvey | Danny Alexander | Annette Brooke |
| That this House congratulates Chesterfield's Royal Hospital, whose excellent performance has achieved a three star rating; is appalled that the Labour Government has imposed, at short notice, a five per cent. cut in the hospital's tariff for 2006-07, which has already led to the announcement of the loss of 43 nursing jobs, with more staff restructuring to follow later this year; recognises the devastating impact upon patient care of the NHS service cuts and thousands of job losses that are sweeping the country; and condemns the Government's gross mismanagement of NHS finances. |
| 2195 | HIV AND PREGNANT WOMEN | 17:5:06 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mike Penning | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr David Drew |
| | Nick Harvey | Lyn Brown | Tony Lloyd | | | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes with concern that not all HIV positive women in the UK are entitled to free treatment to prevent mother to baby transmission of HIV; recognises that guidance from the Department of Health clearly states that because of the risks to both mother and baby, maternity services should always be considered to be immediately necessary and never withheld; further recognises that many women who need treatment are not aware of their entitlement and that fears about the cost of treatment mean that some do not come forward or come forward too late for the treatment to be fully effective; acknowledges that there is also continuing widespread confusion within the NHS about what treatment women are entitled to; and calls on the Government to amend the 1989 Charges to Overseas Visitors Regulations to include HIV treatment alongside all other sexually transmitted infections which are currently exempt from charges, to ensure all women are given free HIV treatment to maintain their health and enable them to survive to care for their child, regardless of their immigration status. |
| 2196 | GRETNA FOOTBALL CLUB AND THE SCOTTISH CUP FINAL | 17:5:06 |
| David Mundell | | Jim Sheridan | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Mr Alan Reid | | Pete Wishart | | Mr Mohammad Sarwar |
| That this House congratulates Gretna Football Club on its outstanding performance in the Scottish Cup Final, taking the game to extra time before losing out only on penalties to Heart of Midlothian Football Club; congratulates owner Brooks Mileson, Chairman Ron MacGregor, Secretary Helen MacGregor, Manager Rowan Alexander and all the players and staff at the club on all their efforts; recognises the positive impact that Gretna FC has had on Scottish football and the local communities; congratulates the 12,500 Gretna fans who travelled to the game for their exemplary conduct and spirit; and, noting that the club has secured 1st Division football and gained a place in the UEFA Cup, wishes them well in their endeavours next season. |
| 2197 | AIRBUS A380 LANDING AT HEATHROW | 17:5:06 |
| Mark Tami | | Dr Doug Naysmith | | Roger Berry | | Mr Gerald Howarth | | Lembit Öpik | | Kerry McCarthy |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | Ann Keen | John Hemming |
| That this House congratulates Airbus on the first touchdown in the UK of the A380, the world's largest commercial airliner, and welcomes it to London's Heathrow Airport; further congratulates the British Airport Authority on its £450 million investment to prepare for the A380, including construction of the new Pier 6, which will welcome the A380's first ever commercial flight; notes that this underlines Heathrow's importance as the prime international gateway to the UK and Europe; acknowledges that the A380 generates about 22,000 direct and indirect jobs in the UK, with more than 400 companies throughout the UK contributing to the programme; further notes that work on the A380 valued at over £7.5 billion has been placed in the UK through the UK's responsibility for its wings, landing gear and fuel systems; and commends the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the programme. |
| 2198 | DEMOCRACY AND BOLIVIA | 17:5:06 |
| Colin Burgon | | Mr Peter Kilfoyle | | Alan Simpson | | Mike Wood | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Jon Trickett |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Brian Jenkins | Tony Lloyd |
| That this House welcomes the appeal of President Evo Morales for economic partners not masters at the Vienna Summit; notes that the privatisation of Bolivia's natural gas and petroleum reserves in the 1990s took place without the consent of Congress; regrets that to date its natural wealth has had no positive effect on the impoverished majority of Bolivians, particularly the indigenous population; recognises that President Morales pledged to regain national control of Bolivia's natural resources and was subsequently democratically elected with an overwhelming mandate; expresses hope that the considerable profits of these resources will help lift South America's poorest country out of poverty; and acknowledges that neo-liberal policies, US trade agreements and corporate-driven globalisation often act as obstacles to social progress in developing countries. |
| 2199 | ANIMAL WELFARE AND THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR ENGLAND 2007-13 | 17:5:06 |
| Mr David Drew | | Bob Russell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Paul Holmes |
| | Mr Brian Jenkins | John Hemming |
| That this House notes the current consultation on the draft Rural Development Programme for England (ERDP) 2007-13; is disappointed that the draft ERDP does not make use of the full range of measures to protect and promote animal welfare available under European legislation, including supporting appropriate farm assurance schemes, encouraging higher than minimum animal welfare standards, providing for training and incentivising investments in agricultural holdings; and supports the RSPCA in its call for an imaginative ERDP which provides much greater encouragement for higher animal welfare standards. |
| 2200 | HANDWASHING WITH SOAP | 17:5:06 |
| John Barrett | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Keith Vaz | | Dr Vincent Cable |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Danny Alexander | Tony Lloyd | | | Mr Nigel Dodds | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House commends the good work done by the Global Partnership for Handwashing with Soap; notes that handwashing is the single most cost effective method to reduce the spread of infections and diseases; is concerned by figures from the British Medical Journal which show that only 34 per cent. of men and 58 per cent. of women wash their hands after using the toilet; notes that effective handwashing would have reduced the spread of E coli following the recent outbreak in Scotland; and calls on the Government to back a new awareness campaign and to work with soap producers and health experts to raise the awareness of the importance of handwashing with soap in the UK. |
| 2201 | FOOTBALL MATCH FIXING | 17:5:06 |
| Mr Gregory Campbell | | Sammy Wilson | | Mr Alan Meale | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | John Hemming |
| That this House notes recent developments in a number of European states in connection with serious allegations relating to football match fixing at club level; and looks forward to a World Cup in Germany where the participating nations can take their place in the most prestigious international football tournament anywhere in the world in the hope that no such allegations will be made against any of those involved in what should be the pinnacle of achievement for all players. |
| 2202 | OPERATION PENTAMETER | 17:5:06 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Bill Etherington | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Nigel Evans | Tony Lloyd | | | John Hemming |
| That this House welcomes actions taken by the Government to tackle people traffickers whose illegal activities include bringing young women into the UK and forcing them to work in the sex trade; supports the efforts of the UK-wide initiative Operation Pentameter, which identifies and targets criminal gangs which deal in drugs and trade in prostitution; and calls upon the Government to help further in the battle against such practices by providing further support and protective measures for trafficked persons in the UK and throughout the European Union. |
| 2203 | PROPOSED MERGER OF THE WELSH POLICE FORCES | 17:5:06 |
| Mark Williams | | Mrs Cheryl Gillan | | Hywel Williams | | Lembit Öpik | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | John Hemming | Mr John Randall |
| That this House notes the Government's proposed merger of the four Welsh police forces into a single Welsh force; further notes the reservations that all four Welsh police authorities have about the merger and the widespread confusion and uncertainty regarding the costs of the merger, the process of precept convergence and the impact the merger will have on council tax payers across Wales; agrees with the Welsh Affairs Committee's conclusion that `the very short timetable set by the Government' had `limited the scope of the debate and impeded consultation with the police forces and police authorities' and `removed the possibility of full consultation with the public'; and calls on the Government immediately to review its police merger policy. |
| 2204 | NEW NUCLEAR BUILD | 17:5:06 |
| Joan Ruddock | | Mr Elliot Morley | | Mark Lazarowicz | | Dr Alan Whitehead | | Nia Griffith | | Helen Goodman |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr Paul Truswell | Lyn Brown | | | Mr Marsha Singh | John Hemming | Mr David Chaytor | | | Mr Fabian Hamilton | Mr John Grogan | Clive Efford | | | Annette Brooke |
| That this House believes that the argument for new nuclear build in the UK has not been made; notes that even with an accelerated planning system, new nuclear power stations could not contribute either to plugging the `energy gap' or to carbon reductions by 2020 when existing electricity generating capacity is run down and carbon emissions have to be curbed; further notes that existing electricity generation is provided by 40 per cent. gas, 33 per cent. coal, 19 per cent. nuclear and four per cent. renewables, that massive investment in new infrastructure is providing for a diversity of gas supply from many countries including Norway, with Russian gas only around one per cent. and that new clean coal technologies are now available; further notes that the supply of wind power is growing faster than predicted, and that in Germany wind power capacity is already equivalent to UK nuclear capacity; further believes that new nuclear build would be inconsistent with environmental sustainability, adding to the legacy of highly toxic nuclear waste and the huge public cost of decommissioning and storage; urges the Government to see the bigger picture in which electricity accounts for just 18 per cent. of total energy consumed and energy use by sector was last recorded as 36 per cent. transport, 30 per cent. domestic, 21 per cent. industry and 13 per cent. other; and further urges the Government to recognise the enormous potential for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by energy efficiency and conservation, greater use of combined heat and power, and rapid investment in the full range of renewable technologies, including microgeneration. |
| 2205 | BRIDGING THE GAP IN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT | 17:5:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr David Drew | Mr David Chaytor | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes with concern the continuing gap in educational achievement between black and white students, particularly in disadvantaged areas; is concerned about the continuing disproportionate exclusion of black students; notes that not all schools have active equal opportunity policies in operation; and calls on the Government to consider introducing needs-led funding to improve learning for all students, to encourage uptake of active equality of opportunity policies, to introduce anti-racism training for prospective teachers, to integrate anti-racist education into the curriculum, and urgently to implement the full recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence report and place anti-racism at the heart of social policy. |
| 2206 | CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE POOR | 17:5:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr David Drew |
| | Nick Harvey | Tony Lloyd | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes with the greatest concern that climate change is now seriously threatening development goals for billions of the world's poorest people and that recent efforts to reduce poverty will be in vain if urgent action is not taken; is disturbed by the findings of a new Christian Aid report, The Climate of Poverty: Facts, Fears and Hope, in particular that 182 million people in sub-Saharan Africa could die of disease directly attributable to climate change by the end of the century; further notes that many millions more throughout the world face death and devastation due to climate-induced floods, famine, drought and conflict; and calls on the Government to lead rich countries in taking urgent action to curb global warming by revolutionising development thinking and to aid poor regions in developing renewable energy to power a new, and clean, era of prosperity. |
| 2207 | BBC WEATHER FORECAST | 17:5:06 |
| Mr Angus MacNeil | | Dr Alasdair McDonnell | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Sammy Wilson | | Pete Wishart | | Hywel Williams |
| | Peter Luff | Mr Nigel Dodds | John Hemming |
| That this House notes that it is a year since the change to the BBC weather bulletin which, despite the self-congratulations of BBC executives, still fails to compare for weather information with the previous forecast despite a reported outlay of around a million pounds; further notes that despite an improvement in the tilt of the map, it is still not equally representative of the UK land mass area, and is particularly deficient in wind information, particularly speed, direction and crucial isobar information; and further notes that many people who once used the BBC as the touchstone of weather information now have to use other sources outwith the funding of the licence fee. |
| 2208 | RECOGNITION OF CARERS | 18:5:06 |
| Mr Gregory Campbell | | Sammy Wilson | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | David Taylor | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Paul Truswell | Mr Nigel Evans | Dr John Pugh | | | Mr David Drew | Tony Lloyd | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House commends the hundreds of thousands of carers across the United Kingdom; acknowledges their efforts and compassion in tending for family members and friends, many in a voluntary capacity; praises the events and organisations that are held to mark the significant contribution which carers make to saving the economy of the United Kingdom tens of billions of pounds annually; and calls for the Government to work with these organisations to offer a more tangible recognition of their efforts. |
| 2209 | BOTTLING IT UP CAMPAIGN | 18:5:06 |
| Mrs Janet Dean | | Mr Paul Burstow | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Sandra Gidley | | John Bercow | | Mike Penning |
| | Lorely Burt | Mr Paul Truswell | Mr David Anderson | | | Ian Stewart | Dr John Pugh | Mr David Drew | | | Tony Lloyd | John Hemming | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes with concern that there are an estimated 1.3 million children in the UK living with parents who misuse alcohol; recognises that this can have a devastating impact on the whole of family life, including a parent's ability to care for their children properly and on the child's behaviour and physical and mental health; further recognises that a parent's drinking can have a lasting legacy which follows a child into their adult life; welcomes the efforts made by Turning Point to draw attention to this issue and argue for a better deal for these children; supports the Social Care organisation's Bottling it Up campaign which highlights the lack of services to support these children and the problems of services failing to work together to meet the needs of the whole family; and calls on the Government to hold a national inquiry to review services for children, parents and for whole families and to inform a cross-departmental strategy to support children affected by parental alcohol misuse. |
| 2210 | CITY OF SUNDERLAND COLLEGE | 18:5:06 |
| Mr Fraser Kemp | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Lynne Jones | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Paul Flynn | | John Cummings |
| | Mr David Anderson | John Hemming |
| That this House welcomes the fact that the City of Sunderland College has received a Beacon Award from the Basic Skills Agency for its initiative in Basic Skills Test the City which was recognised at the House of Commons on 16th May; praises the high quality of education which the college gives; and wishes the pupils and lecturers at the college success in the future. |
| 2211 | THAMES WATER AND WATER SHORTAGES | 18:5:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Kelvin Hopkins | | David Lepper | | Lynne Jones | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Nick Harvey | Lyn Brown | Mr David Drew | | | Harry Cohen | John Hemming |
| That this House notes with the greatest concern that 23 water companies in England and Wales are losing between eight million and 915 million litres of water a day totalling 3.6 billion litres between them; further notes that Thames Water, the worst culprit, has increased its operating profit by 17 per cent. yet loses one-third of its water between the reservoir and the home, which is 915 million litres a day, and has missed its target for reducing leaks for five successive years; is concerned that this highly profitable company is making consumers pay and suffer hosepipe and other water usage restrictions because of its own failings; deplores these ludicrous levels of water loss at a time when climate change threatens to increase the frequency and length of droughts; and calls on the Government to ensure that water companies improve their performance levels as a matter of urgency and that the public is educated about how to cut water use in the home. |
| As an Amendment to Ms Diane Abbott's proposed Motion (Thames Water and Water Shortages): |
| Line 10, leave out from `to' to end and insert `withdraw its plans to build thousands more homes in the South East which would exacerbate the water shortages in the Thames Water area.'. |
| 2212 | FISH LICENCES AND THE CHAGOS ISLANDS | 18:5:06 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | | Peter Bottomley | | Kelvin Hopkins | | David Taylor | | Derek Wyatt | | Lynne Jones |
| | Lyn Brown | Mr David Drew | John Hemming |
| That this House notes that the British Indian Ocean Territories derive a considerable income from fish licences around the Chagos Islands; and believes that this income should be used for the benefit of the islanders. |
| Mr Bruce George | | Laura Moffatt | | Mr George Howarth | | Mr David Heath | | Miss Ann Widdecombe | | Ann Winterton |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Lyn Brown | Ian Stewart | | | Lynne Jones | Mr Denis Murphy | James Brokenshire | | | Mr Marsha Singh | Dr John Pugh | Mr Greg Pope | | | Dr Gavin Strang | Tony Lloyd | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | Clare Short | Annette Brooke |
| That this House congratulates Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign for its continued success in raising awareness of skin cancer and encouraging people to protect themselves in the sun and welcomes the launch of the 2006 campaign; notes that each year approximately 1,800 people die from melanoma and over a thousand of these are men, a 31 per cent. increase in the past decade; welcomes this year's campaign targeting men and outdoor workers in an effort to raise awareness of skin cancer and the importance of reporting any skin changes to a doctor; and calls upon the Government to provide adequate long-term funding for this national skin cancer campaign and to educate people on the risks of exposure to the sun as recommended in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin's report on the management, treatment and prevention of skin cancer. |
| Tim Farron | | Graham Stringer | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Dr Hywel Francis |
| That this House celebrates the fact that Sedbergh became England's first Book Town on 12th May 2006; commends the beautiful Yorkshire Dales market town, which is home to six specialist book stores, as an excellent place for bibliophiles to visit; and praises the International Book Town movement, which was started by Richard Booth in Hay-on-Wye in the late 1970s. |
| 2215 | INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA | 22:5:06 |
| Mr Brian Binley | | Mr Andrew Love | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Graham Stringer | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| | Lyn Brown | Mr David Drew | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House expresses its deep concern at the plight of 135,000 displaced citizens, mostly Muslims, who have been living in the most abject poverty in 35 camps in the Putalam area of Sri Lanka for 16 years as a result of internal conflict not of their own making; and calls upon the Government to do all it can to raise their profile and motivate support and help to ensure that these forgotten people whose plight has been seemingly overlooked by the world can begin to look forward with more hope and confidence. |
| 2216 | YEMEN NATIONAL UNITY DAY, 22nd MAY 2006 | 22:5:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Colin Breed | | Andrew George |
| That this House congratulates the Republic of Yemen on its 16th anniversary of independence on 22nd May 2006; notes that British-Yemeni diplomatic relations are excellent and that British support for structural reform in Yemen is welcome and widespread; further notes however that Yemen remains one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and that comparatively little financial support is given from the UK and the EU in relation to other countries; and urges the Government to increase its aid to Yemen to enable satisfactory reform to take place. |
| 2217 | HEREFORD UNITED | 22:5:06 |
| Mr Paul Keetch | | Bob Russell | | Bill Wiggin | | Mr Kevan Jones | | Mr Greg Pope | | Mr Roger Williams |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Peter Luff | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House congratulates Hereford United Football Club on its promotion to the Football League after nine years in the Football Conference; recognises the leadership of Graham Turner, the Board, staff and players of the club; salutes the devotion of Hereford's fans, over 10,000 of whom travelled to Leicester to see Hereford win the Conference play-off; and looks forward to a bright future for the club with a new Hereford Stadium being the centrepiece of the proposed Edgar Street Grid Development. |
| 2218 | WATFORD FOOTBALL CLUB'S PROMOTION TO THE PREMIERSHIP | 22:5:06 |
| Mr David Gauke | | Mike Penning | | Mr Greg Hands | | Mr Mark Prisk | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Charles Walker |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Nigel Dodds | Mr John Randall |
| That this House congratulates Watford Football Club on its promotion to the Premiership following its 3-0 victory over Leeds United at the Millennium Stadium on 21st May 2006; further congratulates the manager, Adrian Boothroyd, all the players and staff, directors and owners on Watford's success over the course of the 2005-06 season; welcomes the anticipated boost to the town's profile and economy that Premiership football will bring; and wishes them all well in the Premiership next season. |
| 2219 | DEATH PENALTY IN INDIA | 22:5:06 |
| John McDonnell | | Mark Durkan | | Graham Stringer | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Nick Harvey | Mr David Drew | Tony Lloyd |
| That this House welcomes Amnesty International UK's section Report 2006, Standing Up for Human Rights, which calls upon India to send a strong signal of its support for human rights by abolishing the death penalty; calls for the release of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar who, having been illegally extradited from Germany, is currently under sentence of death; and urges the UK Government to use whatever influence it can to urge the Indian government to abolish the death penalty and to free Professor Bhullar. |
| 2222 | RELEASED FOREIGN NATIONAL PRISONERS | 22:5:06 |
| Anne Main | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Mike Penning | | Mrs Iris Robinson |
| That this House notes that the Home Office has yet to announce how many released foreign prisoners currently being sought by the police are on the Sex Offenders Register. |
| 2223 | PROMOTION OF HEREFORD UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB | 22:5:06 |
| Bill Wiggin | | Mr Greg Hands | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mr Alan Meale |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Peter Luff | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House congratulates Hereford United Football Club on gaining promotion to the Football League through winning the Nationwide Conference play-off final; congratulates the manager, Graham Turner, the players and supporters on their achievement; further congratulates Herefordshire Council for ensuring that the leases on the pitch at Edgar Street were eligible for Football League status; and wishes the club well in the seasons to come. |
| 2224 | CONDUCT OF LABOUR HON. MEMBERS AT MAY 2006 FUNDRAISER | 22:5:06 |
| Mr Stewart Jackson | | Mr Graham Stuart | | Norman Baker | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mike Penning | | Mr Greg Hands |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | James Brokenshire | Mr Oliver Heald | | | Mr Ben Wallace | Peter Luff | Dr Julian Lewis | | | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House notes that senior members of the Labour Party including hon. Members and Government Ministers attended a party fundraising event in May at the Arts Club in Mayfair; further notes that a copy of the official report by Lord Hutton into the death of Government scientist Dr David Kelly, signed by Ms Cherie Booth QC, was auctioned for party funds raising £400; believes this conduct to be in appalling bad taste, arrogant and crassly insensitive in seeking to make money, albeit indirectly, through hawking, as a novelty item, an official Government report into the death of a public servant; regrets the distress caused to the family and friends of the late Dr Kelly; calls on the Labour Party to apologise for such tasteless and offensive conduct and to donate the money raised to an appropriate charity; and deprecates such conduct by hon. Members. |
| 2225 | COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FACILITIES | 22:5:06 |
| Mr Graham Stuart | | Dr Andrew Murrison | | Steve Webb | | Mr Tim Yeo | | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | | Mr Edward Vaizey |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | James Brokenshire | Dr John Pugh | | | Ann Winterton |
| That this House welcomes the commitment to community hospitals in the recent Health White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say; further welcomes the statement that `community facilities should not be lost in response to short-term budgetary pressures that are not related to the viability of the community facility itself'; expresses concern that many community hospitals remain under threat of imminent closure; supports the ongoing work by Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together to raise awareness of and campaign against these closures; and calls on Ministers to allow a debate on community hospitals to be held in Government time on the floor of the House. |
| 2226 | SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINES AND PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS | 22:5:06 |
| Lynne Jones | | Mr David Amess | | Steve Webb | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Dr John Pugh | Mr David Drew | | | Tony Lloyd | Mr Nigel Dodds | Ann Winterton |
| That this House notes that people with severe mental illness have two to four times the average risk of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, five times the average risk of diabetes and higher than average rates of infectious illnesses; further notes that people with severe mental illness are not included on the list of those who are automatically offered seasonal influenza vaccines, though people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic liver disease and chronic airways disease are automatically offered the vaccination; and calls on the Department of Health to add people with severe mental illness to the list of those automatically offered the vaccine. |
| 2227 | DEFAULT BANKING CHARGES | 22:5:06 |
| Julia Goldsworthy | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Bob Spink | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Colin Breed |
| | Nick Harvey | Lynne Jones | Danny Alexander | | | Mr Gordon Marsden | Miss Anne Begg | Dr John Pugh | | | Mr David Drew | Tony Lloyd | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | Lorely Burt | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes with concern the exorbitant costs to customers of default charges applied to current and credit card accounts, which cause distress and alarm to consumers, and in particular to the financially vulnerable; welcomes the statement by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) that a default charge should only be used to recover certain limited administrative costs; recognises the work by Which? to challenge excessive bank charges; commends the thousands of consumers who have challenged these default charges with their providers, many using the free information made available from Which?; and calls on current account and credit card providers to respond positively to OFT's statement. |
| 2228 | NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY'S MAKE SCHOOL MAKE SENSE CAMPAIGN | 22:5:06 |
| Jeff Ennis | | Mr Barry Sheerman | | Stephen Williams | | Mrs Nadine Dorries | | Derek Conway | | Paul Holmes |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Lynne Jones | Dr John Pugh | | | Mr David Drew | Tony Baldry | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | Ann Winterton | Annette Brooke |
| That this House recognises that children with autistic spectrum disorders have the potential to learn, achieve and make a positive contribution to school life; is concerned by the high number of children who are bullied and excluded because of a lack of understanding of autism; welcomes The National Autistic Society's Make School Make Sense campaign to improve educational provision for children with autism; supports the campaign's demands that every child with autism should have local access to a diverse range of mainstream and specialist educational provision, that all teachers should expect to teach a child with autism and must receive appropriate training to best support their need, and that all schools should be autism-friendly schools which promote and provide a positive environment for children with autism now and in the future; and calls on the Government to implement these demands, so that all children with autism have access to the education that is their right. |
| 2230 | ALBANIAN BROADCASTING LAW REFORM | 22:5:06 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Mr David Chaytor | | John Austin | | Mr Bob Laxton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Bob Spink |
| | Nick Harvey | Lynne Jones | Dr John Pugh | | | Tony Lloyd |
| That this House welcomes the emergence of Albania as a member of the democratic family of European nations, recognised by membership of the Council of Europe since 1995; acknowledges the crucial role of organisations in Albanian civil society such as MJAFT! (Enough!) in arguing for good governance; believes that the development of a free media independent of government is crucial to the future of Albania; and hopes that in considering the proposed reforms of broadcasting law the parliament and government of Albania will ensure that both the public service broadcaster, Albanian Radio and Television, and the regulator, the National Council on Radio and Television, are independent of any one political party. |
| 2231 | VIABLE POST OFFICES IN THE COMMUNITY | 23:5:06 |
| Joan Walley | | Mr Ben Wallace | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Spink | | Mr David Heath | | Bob Russell |
| | Dr John Pugh | Mark Williams | Mr David Drew | | | Mr Nigel Dodds | Ann Winterton | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | | Clive Efford | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes that the value of the Post Office in each community adds up to more than the sum of its individual transactions; understands that current decisions by the BBC and Department for Work and Pensions to move services from post offices will further undermine the viability of local post offices; and calls upon the Government to set up a task force and work cross-departmentally to support diversified and sustainable post offices at the very heart of the communities they serve. |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Greg Pope | | Mr John Greenway | | Derek Conway | | Mr Laurence Robertson | | Mr Lee Scott |
| | Mr Malcolm Moss | Dr Julian Lewis | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | Annette Brooke |
| That this House notes with concern the proposal for a `bed tax' which is currently being considered by Sir Michael Lyons as part of an official inquiry into local government funding; calls on the Government to oppose this idea; notes the problems that it could cause to the tourism industry in England and Wales; recognises how it will worsen the £17.5 billion trade deficit and would disadvantage the United Kingdom hotel and guest house industry against many other countries; is concerned that it could cost thousands of hospitality jobs up and down the country; further notes that it has been estimated that a 10 per cent. `bed tax' would add £100 to an average week's holiday for a family of four; and therefore calls on the Government to make an early announcement that this proposal will be rejected. |
| 2233 | CITY OF SUNDERLAND AGREEMENT OF FRIENDSHIP WITH WASHINGTON DC | 23:5:06 |
| Mr Fraser Kemp | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | John Cummings | | Peter Bottomley | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr Greg Pope |
| That this House recognises that Sunderland City Council has negotiated an Agreement of Friendship with Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America and the home of the President; further recognises that it means that over the next five years the two cities will collaborate on a host of activities to create closer friendship and co-operation between both cities and develop programmes of mutual benefit for the people of Sunderland and the people of the District of Columbia; and further recognises that George Washington, the first US President, had an ancestorial home in Washington, Tyne and Wear. |
| 2234 | LOCAL SKILLS LEGACY AND THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES | 23:5:06 |
| Mr Don Foster | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Paul Holmes | | Lembit Öpik | | Tom Brake | | Steve Webb |
| | Dr John Pugh | Mr Nigel Dodds | Annette Brooke |
| That this House acknowledges and supports the pledge made by the London 2012 team when bidding to host the Olympics that staging the Games in the Lea Valley will `stimulate a vital economic regeneration programme in London's poorest and most disadvantaged area', and that `the biggest economic legacy of the Games will be the creation of wider employment opportunities and improvements in the education, skills and knowledge of the local labour force in an area of very high unemployment'; notes with interest the concerns raised by the London Chamber of Commerce's recent report, Meeting the Olympic Skills Challenge, that this legacy may prove elusive if companies bidding for Olympic contracts are not encouraged to train and employ workers from the local communities in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Waltham Forest and Hackney; and urges the Government and the Greater London Authority to take action to address the problems of low skills and social exclusion in the five Olympic boroughs. |
| 2235 | NSPCC'S DON'T HIDE IT CAMPAIGN | 23:5:06 |
| Mr Shahid Malik | | Mr Paul Burstow | | Mr Andrew Lansley | | Laura Moffatt | | Mrs Sharon Hodgson | | Margaret Moran |
| | Mr Greg Pope | Mark Williams | Mr David Drew | | | Mr Nigel Dodds | Sir Nicholas Winterton | Mr David Chaytor | | | Dr Brian Iddon | Annette Brooke |
| That this House warmly welcomes the NSPCC's Don't Hide It campaign to encourage children to speak out about sexual abuse; recognises that the great majority of children who have been abused receive no help to deal with the serious and lasting damage it can cause; and supports the NSPCC's call for access to therapeutic services for all children who have been sexually abused. |
| Mr Jeremy Hunt | | Mr Philip Hammond | | Mr David Ruffley | | Mr Stephen O'Brien | | Anne Milton | | Mrs Nadine Dorries |
| | James Brokenshire | Dr John Pugh | Mr Malcolm Moss | | | Mark Williams | Peter Luff | Mr David Drew | | | Dr Julian Lewis | Tony Lloyd | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | Ann Winterton | Mr John Randall | Dr Brian Iddon | | | Annette Brooke | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House expresses its appreciation for the six million people in the UK who provide unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or partner who could not otherwise manage because they are ill, frail or have a disability; is concerned that every day another six thousand people take on a caring responsibility; notes that Carers Week, being held this year from 12th to 18th June, has the theme of carers and health with the objective of assisting carers and enabling them to access support and services; is further concerned that 79 per cent. of carers say that their health has been affected by caring; welcomes the unique partnership of eight leading UK charities, Carers UK, Counsel and Care, Crossroads Caring for Carers, Help the Aged, Macmillan Cancer Relief, MS Society, Rethink and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers in organising this year's Carers Week; and calls for the provision of high quality support and services for carers, including the hidden carers in every community who often do not receive any help from central government, local authorities or health bodies. |
| 2238 | INDIAN PRISONERS OF WAR ON THE WESTERN FRONT | 23:5:06 |
| John McDonnell | | Rob Marris | | Bob Russell | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mike Penning |
| | Keith Vaz | Nick Harvey | Mr David Drew | | | Tony Lloyd | Harry Cohen | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House calls upon the Government to undertake in liaison with the Indian government an assessment of the plight of surviving members of the British Army recruited from the Indian sub continent who were taken prisoner of war on the Western Front in the Second World War with a view to ensuring adequate support and financial assistance is provided to those who served this country at its time of need. |
| 2239 | PRESCRIBED DISEASES AND THE USE OF PNEUMATIC PERCUSSION TOOLS | 23:5:06 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Bill Etherington | | Tony Lloyd | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Mr David Anderson | Dr John Pugh | Harry Cohen | | | Mr Nigel Dodds |
| That this House is aware that UK legislation covering access to industrial injuries disablement benefits and appropriate compensation for noise-induced hearing loss is currently woefully inadequate, a factor proven by the exemption from valid claims of thousands of workers whose health has been damaged directly because of their employed use of pneumatic percussion tools to drill rock, stone or other solid substances, other than in the severely restricted confines of a quarry, underground coal mine, shaft or tunnelling works; believes such blatantly unfair legal discrimination should not be countenanced; and therefore calls upon the Government immediately to take steps to amend the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and to make the necessary changes to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) Prescribed Diseases Regulations. |
| 2240 | INTRODUCTION OF HOME INFORMATION PACKS | 23:5:06 |
| Michael Gove | | Dr Ian Gibson | | Mr Frank Field | | Susan Kramer | | Mr Jeremy Browne | | Mrs Caroline Spelman |
| | Nick Harvey | Mark Williams | James Brokenshire | | | Dr John Pugh | Mr Lee Scott | Mr Malcolm Moss | | | Damian Green | Dr Julian Lewis | Mr David Lidington | | | Mr Nigel Dodds | Ann Winterton | Mr John Randall | | | Annette Brooke | Mr Hugo Swire |
| That this House expresses concern over the introduction of home information packs from 2007; notes that industry experts have advised that home information packs will add up to £1,000 to the cost of buying an average home and duplicate the ongoing need for a valuation or structural survey; believes that they will discourage potential sellers from putting their homes on the market; notes that smaller solicitors and estate agents may be adversely affected; observes that the Government will benefit from a potential £110 million VAT windfall from the packs and that the Home Condition Register could be used to conduct a council tax revaluation by stealth; questions the lack of a proper dry run and whether sufficient home inspectors will be properly trained by 2007; and calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to push for their implementation to be delayed or cancelled in order to protect the stability of the housing market. |
| As an Amendment to Michael Gove's proposed Motion (Introduction of Home Information Packs): |
| Line 1, leave out from `House' to end and insert `welcomes the introduction of home information packs, which will alleviate the high level of transaction failure in the UK property market; recognises that HIPs already exist on a voluntary basis, and through providing accurate information at the start of the house buying process are reducing the wasted cost and high levels of stress characteristic of moving house in the UK; notes Which?'s strong support for the policy in light of their survey which found that 82 per cent. of consumers would welcome HIPs; recognises that HIPs will ensure that information is only paid for once, by the seller, rather than many times by multiple prospective buyers; notes that first time buyers will be key beneficiaries as the costs of the HIP will be met by the seller; recognises that the only new cost the HIP will bring to the process will be the Home Condition Report, which provides the buyer with essential information and reduces costs for lenders in determining valuations; welcomes the benefit to the environment of the new energy performance certificate in the Home Condition Report; welcomes the property industry's preparations for HIPs by developing with the Office of Fair Trading an industry code of conduct, compliance and consumer redress schemes, along with provisions for insurance and investment in training to create a new profession of home inspectors; recognises the impetus provided by the home condition report to encourage improvements in housing stock; and commends HIPs for delivering benefits to consumers.'. |
| 2242 | POLICE REORGANISATION (No. 2) | 24:5:06 |
| Paul Flynn | | Mike Penning | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr David Heath | | Bob Russell |
| | Ann Winterton | Paul Holmes | Annette Brooke | | | Bob Spink |
| That this House calls for a halt in the planned reorganisation of the police to allow the Home Office to concentrate on reorganising itself. |
| Rob Marris | | Mr Greg Pope | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| That this House congratulates the `Minister for Rain' the hon. Member for Dudley South, for his immediate success, thereby continuing the West Midlands tradition started by Denis Howell in 1976. |
| As an Amendment to Rob Marris's proposed Motion (Rain): |
| Peter Bottomley | | Mr Alan Meale |
| Line 3, at end insert `followed by the then hon. Member for Eltham who as Minister for the Environment was around when the Northern Ireland rain was restored in 1989.'. |
| 2244 | LONDON OLYMPICS AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS | 24:5:06 |
| Kelvin Hopkins | | Jon Cruddas | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Tony Lloyd | | Harry Cohen | | Mr Frank Doran |
| | Mr Andrew Dismore | Mr Martin Caton |
| That this House congratulates all those involved in securing the Olympic and Paralympic Games for London 2012, and welcomes the economic and employment opportunities that will arise as a result; acknowledges that in addition to the construction of stadiums, transport links and other infrastructure, the Games will also generate contracts for security, hospitality and printing, as well as the manufacture of sports goods, clothing and souvenirs; is aware that many of the sponsors, contractors and licensees are or are likely to be multinational corporations; believes that all such companies participating in the Olympics and Paralympics should be required to demonstrate the highest ethical standards in their business activities wherever these are conducted; is mindful of the legal privileges extended to sponsors and licensees by the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006; therefore calls upon the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Delivery Association (ODA) and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) to take steps to require all sponsors, contractors and licensees fully to respect trade union and workers' rights, in accordance with International Labour Organisation conventions, throughout their global operations and throughout their global supply chains; and in pursuit of these objectives further calls upon the IOC, the ODA and LOCOG to make resources available for the independent monitoring of trade union rights and labour standards by sponsors, contractors and licensees, both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. |
| 2245 | 16th ANNIVERSARY OF ALBERT KENNEDY TRUST | 24:5:06 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Martin Caton | | Bob Spink |
| That this House acknowledges the vital role that The Albert Kennedy Trust undertakes in today's society and joins with them in marking the 16th anniversary of the formation of the Trust following the death of Albert Kennedy, a 16 year-old runaway from a children's home who fell to his death from the top of a car park whilst trying to escape a gang of homophobic attackers; notes that his short, tragic life had been filled with rejection and abuse and it was against this background that The Albert Kennedy Trust was set up; further notes that its mission is to ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered young people are able to live in accepting, supportive and caring homes, by providing a range of services to meet the individual needs of those who would otherwise be homeless or living in a hostile environment; and wishes to express its gratitude for the important work done by the Trust. |
| 2246 | BULGARIAN AND ROMANIAN MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION | 24:5:06 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Tony Lloyd |
| That this House welcomes the report of the European Commission that Bulgaria and Romania are on course to become members of the European Union on 1st January 2007; notes that both countries have to make further progress in tackling corruption and reforming their judiciary; hopes that the incentive of EU membership will be enough to ensure these reforms are quickly achieved; and notes that with the addition of Bulgaria and Romania the European Union will comprise 27 countries, have a population of almost 500 million, and continue to have GDP outstripping that of the United States of America. |
| 2247 | MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY CAMPAIGN | 24:5:06 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Nigel Dodds | | Mr Martin Caton | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House congratulates Danny Smith, a teacher at Ryton Comprehensive School on Tyneside, for his ongoing work to raise both awareness and funds in the campaign to defeat the disease Duchennes muscular dystrophy (DMD); notes that Danny's son Sam suffers from the disease and he, like hundreds of other young males, faces a worrying future; applauds the decision of organisers of the Blaydon Races to nominate DMD as its charitable beneficiary around this year's race and festival; further notes that to date Mr Smith has raised over £85,000 and that he hopes to boost that amount by running in the Blaydon Race; and urges the Department of Health to support and finance research into the disease in order to offer hope to the hundreds of young boys who face life in a wheelchair and death in their teens. |
| 2248 | TUC AND MOBILE PHONES FOR IRAQI TRADE UNIONS | 24:5:06 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Mr Alan Meale | | Mr Greg Pope | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr David Drew | | Tony Lloyd |
| | Mr Martin Caton | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes that unions representing workers in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan face incredible challenges in defending working people and rebuilding democracy and that one of their requests for solidarity to be shown by British trade unionists is in the provision of mobile phones, which are crucial for any union organiser but especially in Iraq, where travel can be dangerous and landlines are not sufficiently reliable or widespread; further notes that mobile phone handsets are expensive to buy in Iraq and that buying new ones could eat up scarce union resources, but that the Iraqi trade union movement has identified a way of easily converting old European mobile phones for use in Iraq; and congratulates the TUC on launching an appeal for unions, their members and concerned members of the public to pass on via the TUC their used mobile phones and chargers to the Iraqi trade union movement as an act of solidarity. |
| 2249 | WORK OF THE BLACK COUNTRY STUDY | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Adrian Bailey | | Mr Alan Meale |
| That this House welcomes the work of the Black Country Consortium and congratulates the work done by Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils, together with their private, public and voluntary sector partners, in producing the Black Country Study, the first-ever long-term strategic analysis of the economic opportunities and challenges faced by the region and for the 30 year vision it has set out and the unity of purpose it has developed to address them; notes the fantastic opportunities the area presents for the new retail and office development that will play a crucial role in supporting the area's economic, physical and community regeneration; recognises that the expansion of economic activity in the four strategic centres of Brierley Hill, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton together with strong supporting roles and economic growth in the traditional town centres such as Dudley and Stourbridge is the best way of driving up prosperity across the region as a whole; and urges the region's political, local government, business and community leaders to continue building support for the Regional Spatial Strategy review currently underway and developing strong partnerships to increase employment, to raise educational standards, to boost skills in the work force, to retain the area's population and share of retail expenditure and to continue improving housing standards, environment and transport networks to secure the Black Country's renaissance. |
| 2250 | NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY'S `VOTES FOR CHAMPIONS' SCHEME | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Adrian Bailey | | Mike Penning | | Mr Alan Meale | | David Taylor | | Mr David Drew | | Sir Nicholas Winterton |
| | Andrew George | Paul Holmes | Dr Brian Iddon | | | Bob Spink | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House congratulates Nationwide Building Society on its `Votes for Champions' scheme, raising money for athletes with disabilities through Disability Sport Events; notes that Nationwide will be making an additional donation to Disability Sport Events based on the number of members who vote at the building society's July Annual General Meeting; further notes that voting at the AGM gives eligible members a real opportunity to have their say in the running of their Society; further notes that the commitment to the communities in which they operate is a hallmark of building societies and financial mutuals, and that Nationwide's partnership with Disability Sport Events is an example of such commitment; and urges Nationwide members across the country to use their vote and contribute to this important cause. |
| 2251 | COLONIAL GENOCIDE AND THE CONGO | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Andrew Dismore | | John McDonnell | | Helen Jones | | Mr John Grogan | | Clive Efford | | Lyn Brown |
| | Mr Alan Meale | Mr David Drew | Mr Martin Caton | | | Paul Holmes | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes that in 2002 the Belgian Royal Museum of Africa commissioned a panel to investigate the nature and scale of atrocities committed by the then colonial authorities in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo; notes the commission was due to report in 2004, but no report seems to have been published; believes that many millions, estimated in 1919 at 50 per cent. of the population by official bodies of the Belgian Colonial government, died under the regime of King Leopold II between 1885 and 1908 in what was the world's only privately controlled colony, exposed in part by activists such as Roger Casement, British journalist E.D. Morel and UK, US and Swedish missionaries; whilst recognising the sensitivity of these matters in Belgium, believes the full truth should be known; and calls upon the Belgian government to publish all the evidence that is available and to apologise to the people of the Congo for the tragedy of King Leopold's regime, which can only be classed as genocide. |
| 2252 | TREATMENT OF MESOTHELIOMA VICTIMS | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Chris Bryant | | Mr John McFall | | Tony Lloyd | | John Battle | | Jim Sheridan |
| | Mr Alan Meale | David Taylor | Dr John Pugh | | | Mr Andrew Dismore | Mr David Drew | Mr Nigel Dodds | | | Paul Holmes | Dr Brian Iddon | Mr Edward O'Hara | | | Bob Spink | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House is most concerned at the implications of the Barker case that has changed the law as it applies to mesothelioma victims; notes the reduction of compensation for negligent exposure where more than two companies were responsible and it proves impossible to bring a claim against all of them; observes that liability will be confined to the extent that it had increased the risk of developing mesothelioma and that other factors such as length of time of exposure and type of asbestos may be taken into account; considers that after 1965 no manufacturer can claim not to have known about the dangers of asbestos; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation to restore fairness for mesothelioma. |
| 2253 | USE OF ALIMTA TO TREAT MESOTHELIOMA | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr John McFall | | Tony Lloyd | | Mr David Hamilton | | Jim Sheridan | | John Battle |
| | Mr Alan Meale | David Taylor | Mr Andrew Dismore | | | Mr David Drew | Mr Nigel Dodds | Paul Holmes | | | Mr Edward O'Hara | Bob Spink |
| That this House is concerned by the preliminary guidance given by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on Alimta, the drug used in the treatment of mesothelioma cancer caused by exposure to asbestos; is aware of the wide geographical variation in the availability of the drug and that the Scottish Medicines Consortium and the London Cancer New Drugs Group have already approved the use of Alimta; notes that initial results suggest it has been successful in increasing life expectancy and improving the quality of life of patients; supports the Trades Union Congress in its view that the estimated impact on the NHS of £3 million in the current year and around £5 million by the end of the decade is a small cost to pay for treatment that makes such a difference; and urges that Alimta be made universally available for the treatment of mesothelioma in the UK. |
| 2254 | NURSERY PROVISION FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES | 24:5:06 |
| John McDonnell | | Julie Morgan | | Mr Joe Benton | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Sandra Gidley |
| | Mr Alan Meale | Mr David Drew | Mr Martin Caton | | | Andrew George | Annette Brooke | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House welcomes the Cabinet Office good practice guidance on implementing workplace childcare provision; fears that Government departments may not be using this guidance effectively to ensure working parents have the opportunity to take advantage of workplace childcare provision; is concerned about recent announcements by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office in Croydon, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions in Bootle and the Department for Education and Skills in Darlington that they are to close or withdraw subsidies from their high performing workplace nurseries; believes that all departments should be investing rather than reducing resources to maintain workplace childcare provision and that the Cabinet Office should ensure implementation of its good practice guidance; further believes that workplace childcare provision is crucial to retain skilled staff and is important for both parents and children; and therefore calls on the Government to press for retention of workplace childcare provision in these departments and for tougher penalties for departments who ignore the guidance. |
| 2256 | LOCAL FOOD IS MILES BETTER CAMPAIGN | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown [R] | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Mr James Paice [R] | | Gregory Barker [R] | | Mr James Gray | | Peter Luff |
| | David Taylor | Dr John Pugh | Dr Julian Lewis | | | Mr Nigel Dodds | Ann Winterton | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | | Mr Martin Caton | Andrew George | Paul Holmes | | | Annette Brooke | Mr Hugo Swire | Bob Spink | | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House supports Farmer's Weekly's Local Food is Miles Better campaign; believes that buying locally grown food is an excellent way for consumers to reconnect with farmers and develop a better understanding of where their food comes from; recognises that producing and buying food locally can help the environment, boost the economy, and support British farming; and calls for supermarkets to promote, stock and label locally produced food to cut food miles and support local producers. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| Lembit Öpik | | Andrew George | | Bob Spink |
| That this House notes that the forcible removal of placards and posters from Brian Haw's long-standing demonstration in Parliament Square against the Iraq war is symbolic of the erosion of liberty in a country where the freedom to protest should be fundamental to democracy. |
| As an Amendment to Lembit Öpik's proposed Motion (Brian Haw): |
| Peter Luff | | Peter Bottomley |
| Line 3, leave out from first `the' to end and add `way that those who carry legitimate protest to unacceptable extremes can discredit the cause they support and endanger the liberties of the majority; notes the parallels with the animal rights lobby; and reluctantly supports the action that has been taken against Mr Haw.'. |
| 2258 | NORTHAMPTONSHIRE POLICE FORCE | 24:5:06 |
| Mr Brian Binley | | Mr Malcolm Moss | | Dr Julian Lewis | | Mr Tim Boswell | | Bob Spink |
| That this House disagrees with the former Home Secretary that merging the Northamptonshire Police Force into a larger regional super-force will be of benefit to local policing in Northamptonshire; supports Northamptonshire Police Authority in its decision not to volunteer for merger into a new East Midlands Strategic Police Authority; understands the wider public's opposition to the unspecified costs of these proposals; notes that over 1,000 people have already signed the Save Northants Police petition; further notes that such a reorganisation can only lead to a dilution of local community policing; further notes that the former Home Secretary consistently failed to make a coherent case for such a merger and failed to listen to, or ignored the opinions of local police forces opposed to this merger; commends Northampton Borough Council for passing a motion that opposes such a merger; and expects other local authorities to follow suit. |
| 2259 | PROUD OF PUBS CHARTER | 25:5:06 |
| That this House congratulates The Publican newspaper's Proud of Pubs Charter which calls on licensees to support measures such as not serving anyone who is drunk, not allowing unaccompanied children on the premises, asking for identification if customers appear to be under 21 years, whilst also striving to offer top-quality service and a warm welcome to all customers; recognises that the vast majority of the 60,000 pubs in the United Kingdom trade responsibly and act as a focal point for their community; and notes that the liberalisation of licensing laws contained in the Licensing Act 2003 and implemented from 24th November 2005 has increased choice for consumers whilst, according to initial indications, has had at the same time a positive effect on alcohol-related disorder and anti-social behaviour. |
| 2260 | OPERATION OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE | 25:5:06 |
| That this House welcomes the appointment of the Home Secretary; further welcomes the Home Secretary's admission that the Home Office suffers from major structural and administrative flaws; notes with deep regret that further allegations concerning the poor conduct of immigration staff at Lunar House, Croydon have been made; notes that the allegations include civil servants requesting sexual favours in order to help those applying for a visa or asylum; believes these allegations have serious implications for British national security and the credibility of British immigration controls; considers that the allegations will greatly worry those who are genuine consumers of Home Office services; further notes the findings of an internal investigation published in March which revealed lapses of behaviour by Immigration and Nationality staff; and calls on the Home Secretary to launch a new, external and independent inquiry into all related allegations. |
| 2261 | CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION | 25:5:06 |
| Tony Lloyd | | Mr Alan Meale | | Andrew George | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes that May will mark the 10th anniversary of the UK's ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention; recalls that this was the first treaty in history to ban the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of an entire category of weapons; considers that this was a landmark convention offering not only hope but practical steps to disarmament; observes that the contracting states pledged to reduce chemical weapons stockpiles by 45 per cent. by 2004; regrets that only a 19 per cent. reduction was achieved by 2004; recalls the victims of chemical warfare in the past; and calls upon the Government and the international community to reprioritise the Convention to achieve further reductions. |
| 2262 | CARTER REVIEW AND FILING DEADLINES FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT TAX RETURNS | 25:5:06 |
| Mr Mark Hoban | | Dr Vincent Cable | | David Taylor [R] | | Mr Mark Francois | | Lorely Burt | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Andrew George | Mr Hugo Swire | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes the proposal to shorten the deadline for submission of self-assessment tax returns from 31st January 2009 to 30th November 2008 for online returns and to 30th September 2008 for manual returns; further notes that this proposal was made without proper consultation with tax advisers and their clients; believes the current proposals will place an undue burden on taxpayers by requiring them to provide information to their advisers in a shorter timescale; further believes the current proposals will lead to an increase in the number of provisional and incorrect returns, which will require manual amendment by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as their online systems are unable to accept amendments; and further believes that, far from spreading the workload for accountants and HMRC, the proposal will create a larger peak at a different time; therefore urges the Government to withdraw the proposal; and recommends that the Government consult with the tax profession before bringing forward any revised proposal. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 2263 | IMPORTANCE OF DOMESTIC COAL IN BRITAIN'S FUTURE ENERGY SUPPLY | 25:5:06 |
| Paddy Tipping | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr John Grogan | | Paul Holmes | | Mr William Cash | | Adam Price |
| That this House supports all efforts to develop carbon-capture clean coal technology; notes that 50 per cent. of last winter's electricity supply was derived from coal; recognises that domestic coal provides a reliable, secure energy supply to electricity generators at stable and competitive prices; notes the threat that the vast majority of the UK's future coal needs will have to be supplied via imports, predominantly from Russia, and is concerned at the threat that this will pose to the UK's energy security; believes that without immediate investment in domestic deep coal mining the industry will disappear and the country will be over-reliant on unstable and expensive sources of imported coal; understands that this investment depends on electricity generators paying a fair market price for domestic coal; further recognises that future investment will permit access to 300 million tonnes of deep-mine reserves and support economically viable indigenous coal production in the long term; and calls on domestic coal suppliers, electricity generators and the Government to work together to ensure that fair prices are set as part of new contracts between UK coal mines and generators in order to ensure the survival of the domestic coal industry. |
| 2264 | LIVING GHOSTS CAMPAIGN | 25:5:06 |
| John Battle | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House believes that the principle of `work for those who can, support for those who can't' should extend to everyone in the UK, including people seeking asylum; notes that thousands of people seeking asylum are ending up destitute rather than returning to poverty and/or persecution; supports Church Action on Poverty's Living Ghosts campaign, which aims to end the needless destitution of people seeking asylum; believes that it is in the interest of the whole of UK society for people seeking asylum to be allowed to take paid employment while they are in this country or NASS support if the are unable to work; and recognises that this would stop many people disappearing into destitution. |
| 2265 | BRIAN HAW PEACE CAMPAIGN | 25:5:06 |
| That this House expresses its disquiet at the heavy-handed manner in which the Metropolitan Police forcibly removed, in the early hours of the 23rd May 2006, the banners erected in Parliament Square by the peace campaigner, Brian Haw, which drew attention to the human suffering caused by the war in Iraq. |
| 2266 | SAFETY ON THE RIVER THAMES | 25:5:06 |
| John McDonnell | | Kate Hoey | | Jon Cruddas | | John Austin | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House notes that following the Bowbelle/Marchioness disaster on the Thames in 1989, which claimed 51 lives, robust standards for qualifying for licensed Thames watermen and lightermen were introduced; further notes that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is consulting on a new licence system for boat masters operating passenger and non-passenger vessels on inland waterways and limited coastal voyages; is concerned that the new proposals will require lower standards than the existing safety requirements for the Thames; and urges the Government to ensure that competency standards and qualifying service time for boat masters operating on the Thames are no less than the current standards for time-served watermen and lightermen. |
| 2267 | HUMAN TISSUE (No. 1) | 25:5:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Steve Webb | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Code of Practice on Anatomical examination (Code 4), a draft of which was laid before this House on 16th May, be not issued. |
| 2268 | HUMAN TISSUE (No. 2) | 25:5:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Steve Webb | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Code of Practice on Consent (Code 1), a draft of which was laid before this House on 16th May, be not issued. |
| 2269 | HUMAN TISSUE (No. 3) | 25:5:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Steve Webb | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Code of Practice on Donation of allogeneic bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells for transplantation (Code 1), a draft of which was laid before this House on 16th May, be not issued. |
| 2270 | HUMAN TISSUE (No. 4) | 25:5:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Steve Webb | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Code of Practice on Donation of organs, tissue and cells for transplantation (Code 2), a draft of which was laid before this House on 16th May, be not issued. |
| 2271 | HUMAN TISSUE (No. 5) | 25:5:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Steve Webb | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Code of Practice on Post mortem examination (Code 3), a draft of which was laid before this House on 16th May, be not issued. |
| 2272 | HUMAN TISSUE (No. 6) | 25:5:06 |
| Sir Menzies Campbell | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Steve Webb | | Sandra Gidley | | Dr Evan Harris | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the Code of Practice on The removal, storage and disposal of human organs and tissue (Code 5), a draft of which was laid before this House on 16th May, be not issued. |
| 2273 | RULES APPLYING TO MEMBERS OF THE UPPER HOUSE | 25:5:06 |
| That this House notes Lord Watson intends to resume his place in the Upper House following his release from prison; and believes that reform of the Upper House should include consideration of the status of Members of the Upper House who have been convicted in a court of law and that the same rules that apply to hon. Members in such circumstances should apply to Members of the Upper House. |
| 2274 | EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN STRASBOURG | 25:5:06 |
| That this House believes the continuation of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg is a gross waste of EU funds, energy and time; notes that other large political entities such as the United States and China manage to function well with a single national legislative capital; further notes that the European Parliament estimates it could save 209 million euros (£143 million) a year by meeting only in Brussels and ending its 560-mile round-trip monthly commute; further believes that the image of the Europe legislature transporting itself on such a basis damages the image of the European Union in the eyes of its citizens and the wider world; considers that Strasbourg, as a city of great culture and charm located in a historic crossroads of Europe, does not require the symbolic presence of the Parliament in order to maintain prestige; hopes that a sensible resolution can be agreed between governments at the Europe Council; and calls on members of the European Parliament to consider what action they would be able to take in the lack of such agreement. |
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