That this House notes that the Independent Panel on Forestry is due to publish its report and recommendations to Government on the future of our public woods in early July; believes that public ownership of the Public Forest Estate must be secured through new legislation; and further believes that the rich cultural, historical and natural diversity of our forests and woods, and full access to them, is best protected under the continued stewardship of the Forestry Commission, fully resourced to sustainably manage and expand our multi-purpose Public Forest Estate now and in the future.

That this House notes that the Independent Panel on Forestry is due to publish its report and recommendations to Government on the future of our public woods in early July; believes that public ownership of the Public Forest Estate must be secured through new legislation; and further believes that the...

That this House notes that proposals by Government Ministers run the serious risk of making public sector pension schemes unsustainable; further notes that increasing contributions and reducing the value of pensions could result in significant numbers of scheme members opting out, which will leave many without adequate pensions provision; further notes that in the case of the local government pension scheme this will have significant consequences for investment capacity within the economy; further notes that despite the reports about gold-plated pensions, most public sector employees retire with fairly modest pensions; further notes that changes that result in a deterioration of public sector schemes will impact most on women, who account for two-thirds of public sector employees; further notes that 65 per cent. of women in public sector pension schemes receive pensions below 6,000 a year; further notes that the average for a woman working in local government is 2,800 whilst in the NHS it is 3,500; further notes that there is support from all parties for ensuring that anymodifications to the schemes leave them sustainable for the long term; further notes that there is broad recognition that the costs of the schemes should be shared fairly between employers, employees and the taxpayer; is concerned that the goal of maintaining schemes is being jeopardised by the need for short-term savings; is furtherconcerned that such an approach will hasten the race to the bottom on pensions; and urges Government Ministers to conduct meaningful negotiations immediately to secure the sustainability of the schemes.

That this House notes that proposals by Government Ministers run the serious risk of making public sector pension schemes unsustainable; further notes that increasing contributions and reducing the value of pensions could result in significant numbers of scheme members opting out, which will leave many without adequate pensions provision; further...

That this House considers that the Pensions Increase (Review) Order 2011 (S.I., 2011, No. 827) which was laid before this House on 17 March 2011 should be withdrawn because the Order requires the uprating of public sector pensions using the consumer price index, replacing the retail price index which the Government has indicated will be a permanent change; notes that the Government has refused to heed arguments that a temporary three year change to the index used would represent a fair contribution from benefits and pension recipients, at a time when wage growth generally is suppressed, to reducing the deficit whilst not unfairly impacting on their incomes over the longer term; but regrets that the Government has instead indicated that the change is permanent, leaving public sector workers and the poorest in society disadvantaged permanently, yearafter year, even once the deficit is gone and earnings growth has returned.

That this House considers that the Pensions Increase (Review) Order 2011 (S.I., 2011, No. 827) which was laid before this House on 17 March 2011 should be withdrawn because the Order requires the uprating of public sector pensions using the consumer price index, replacing the retail price index which the...

That this House notes the Government's proposal to use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Price Index (RPI) for the price indexation of benefits, tax credits and public service pensions; further notes that the CPI is consistently lower than the RPI; expresses concern over the impact that this will have on the incomes of pensioners and other vulnerable groups; recognises the concerns held by the Royal Statistical Society and the UK Statistics Authority that CPI excludes many housing costs which are borne by the majority of pensioner households; and calls on the Government to take these concerns into account and postpone the change from RPI to CPI until the appropriateness of CPI as a measure of price increases borne by pensioner households can be fully evaluated.

That this House notes the Government's proposal to use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Price Index (RPI) for the price indexation of benefits, tax credits and public service pensions; further notes that the CPI is consistently lower than the RPI; expresses concern over the impact that...

That this House notes that the commercial and public services sector has the fastest growing energy use apart from aviation, and that its use of electricity, which has a particularly high carbon footprint, is projected to increase by nearly 45 per cent. from 1990 to 2020; notes with concern that, according to the Department for Trade and Industry's updated projections, the UK will undershoot by 9.4 per cent. its domestic target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010; further notes that the new policy measures announced in the revised Climate Change Programme are projected to deliver emissions reduction of only 15 to 18 per cent., leaving the UK still two to five per cent. adrift of its target; is concerned that, according to the Government's Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan, action to reduce energy consumption in the commercial sector is not achieving its full potential, and therefore agrees that it is both cost-effective and practicable to reduce energy usage in this sector by 10 per cent. below 2005 levels by 2010 and by a further 10 per cent. below 2010 levels by 2020 as confirmed in Written Answers by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; welcomes the Climate Change (Commercial and Public Services Sector) Bill introduced in the last parliamentary session; and joins the 315 hon. Members who signed Early Day Motion No. 2378 in the 2005-06 parliamentary session in supporting that Bill.

That this House notes that the commercial and public services sector has the fastest growing energy use apart from aviation, and that its use of electricity, which has a particularly high carbon footprint, is projected to increase by nearly 45 per cent. from 1990 to 2020; notes with concern that,...

That this House welcomes the TUC-organised Speak up for Public Services lobby on 23rd January 2007, whose purpose is to draw attention to concerns surrounding the future of the public sector, including resources and the involvement of the private sector, and as an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and dedication of public servants throughout the country; recognises that many public servants feel that the distinctive public service ethos is too often undervalued and unappreciated, particularly in proposals to privatise or introduce market mechanisms into the public sector; urges hon. Members to support the European Trade Union Congress online petition calling on the Commission to propose European legislation on public services designed to give priority to the general interest embodied in public services, to ensure that everyone has access to public services, to strengthen public services in order to guarantee citizens' fundamental rights, to guarantee more legal security so as to allow the development of sustainable public service missions and to give public services a firm legal basis and thus immunity from ideologically motivated attacks; and recognises that, while many public services can be improved, this should be done in partnership with the public service staff and users and that reforms should be evidence-based.

That this House welcomes the TUC-organised Speak up for Public Services lobby on 23rd January 2007, whose purpose is to draw attention to concerns surrounding the future of the public sector, including resources and the involvement of the private sector, and as an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and...

That this House expresses concern at the increasing trend in Government for the privatisation of public services, including the promotion of contestability and outsourcing, which puts at risk the accountable and effective delivery of a wide range of public services and a large number of public sector jobs in health, education, the Civil Service, prisons and probation, postal services, public service broadcasting, defence, transport, fire safety and community services; and welcomes the launch of the Public Services Not Private Profit campaign, which brings together trade unions across the public sector, calling upon the Government to introduce a moratorium on privatisation and to engage in a constructive dialogue over how Government, local communities and the trade unions can work together to provide the high quality public services this country needs.

That this House expresses concern at the increasing trend in Government for the privatisation of public services, including the promotion of contestability and outsourcing, which puts at risk the accountable and effective delivery of a wide range of public services and a large number of public sector jobs in health,...