That this House disagrees with the Government's decision that the Forensic Science Service (FSS) site at Chorley is to close; views the announcement as a retrograde step in light of the Prime Minister's speech to the Labour Party conference in September 2009 in which he linked Home Office cuts and the ability to process vital DNA evidence directly to an increase in violent crime; notes that Chorley FSS serves the largest crime region in the country; and calls for this decision to be reversed or at the very least put on hold until a full and thorough impact assessment has been carried out across the FSS.

That this House disagrees with the Government's decision that the Forensic Science Service (FSS) site at Chorley is to close; views the announcement as a retrograde step in light of the Prime Minister's speech to the Labour Party conference in September 2009 in which he linked Home Office cuts and...

That this House recognises that the closure or the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) on 31 March 2009, mid-way through the Government's consultation into the future regulation of forensic practitioners, has left a hiatus in regulation; further recognises the important role that forensic scientists play in providing expert witness in the criminal and civil courts; is concerned that the 3,000 practitioners, covering 29 specialties of forensic science, who are registered with the CRFP are no longer regulated; and believes that as the Government looks to design a new regulatory model that a robust and thorough debate around the future of the sector is required.

That this House recognises that the closure or the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) on 31 March 2009, mid-way through the Government's consultation into the future regulation of forensic practitioners, has left a hiatus in regulation; further recognises the important role that forensic scientists play in providing...

That this House acknowledges the magnificent contribution to science made by Greenock-born inventor James Watt; notes that since 1889 his surname has been used internationally to denote a unit of power; is therefore dismayed at moves by the European Union to replace the traditional Watt measurement with the Lumen; is concerned that this may lead to confusion among consumers; believes that this runs contrary to recent moves to celebrate the achievement of British scientists; and calls on the Government to block this proposal and ensure that the Watt remains a common unit of power.

That this House acknowledges the magnificent contribution to science made by Greenock-born inventor James Watt; notes that since 1889 his surname has been used internationally to denote a unit of power; is therefore dismayed at moves by the European Union to replace the traditional Watt measurement with the Lumen; is...

That this House notes with concern that the number of school students choosing to study physical science subjects post-16 has fallen over the last 25 years; recognises the significant contribution that outdoor learning makes to increasing students' enthusiasm for science and helping them on their way to becoming the new scientists of the future; notes with concern that there are currently a number of barriers to improving fieldwork, including Initial Teacher Training which is not working effectively enough to help produce sufficient numbers of high quality teachers with confidence, competence and commitment to teach outdoor science to the next generation of children and young people; further notes with concern that Qualified Teacher Status standard 30 only requires that trainee teachers should be able to identify opportunities for out-of-school learning, with no requirement for trainees to plan, organise, take part in, and lead outdoor learning activities; congratulates the Field Studies Council (FSC), an environmental education charity committed to helping people understand and be inspired by the natural world, on its campaign to improve teacher training; and calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support the FSC's campaign to introduce minimum standards in Initial Teacher Training and urgently to review Qualified Teacher Status standard 30.

That this House notes with concern that the number of school students choosing to study physical science subjects post-16 has fallen over the last 25 years; recognises the significant contribution that outdoor learning makes to increasing students' enthusiasm for science and helping them on their way to becoming the new...

That this House notes with concern the announcement made by the Forensic Science Service of a restructuring of the business which will lead to redundancies with an estimated 30 to 40 per cent. of the workforce due to lose their jobs; recognises the first class service provided by the Forensic Science Service which is the market leader in the supply of forensic services to police forces in England and Wales and which has a global reputation for excellence in the developement and deployment of new and advanced techniques; further notes that the Forensic Science Service provides world class training services which all help to provide a comprehensive service, from crime scene to court room, and analyses more than 120,000 cases each year; believes that large job losses will damage this service and result in a loss of valuable skills; and calls on the Government to enter discussions immediately with the Forensic Science Service in order to avoid unnecessary job losses and maintain the skill base which ensure the Forensic Science Service is a world leader.

That this House notes with concern the announcement made by the Forensic Science Service of a restructuring of the business which will lead to redundancies with an estimated 30 to 40 per cent. of the workforce due to lose their jobs; recognises the first class service provided by the Forensic...

That this House congratulates all of the competitors in the 2009 British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) and hopes that those selected to travel to Mexico to compete in the International Olympiad are able to do so safely; praises the BPhO's excellent efforts in inspiring young people to further study in physics; recognises the importance of these efforts at a time when six out of 10 science, technology, engineering and mathematics employers state that they are having difficulty recruiting; regrets that the Department for Children, Schools and Families has decided to discontinue funding for the UK team to travel to the international competition; and calls on the Government to reinstate this funding.

That this House congratulates all of the competitors in the 2009 British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) and hopes that those selected to travel to Mexico to compete in the International Olympiad are able to do so safely; praises the BPhO's excellent efforts in inspiring young people to further study in physics;...

That this House recognises the importance of research by higher education institutions into robotics to the scientific community and the UK as a whole; congratulates Professor Ross King of Aberystwyth University and the team of scientists from Aberystwyth and Cambridge led by him on their development of what they believe is the first robotic system, Adam, that can independently discover new scientific knowledge, developing its own hypotheses and testing these through experiments; welcomes the important practical applications this research could have for scientists across many different fields to allow them to carry out research more efficiently; acknowledges the wide coverage and respect that this work has generated for Aberystwyth University globally; further recognises the quality of the university's Computer Science department and the contribution that the department makes to the University's reputation, both nationally and internationally; and looks forward to the next phase of this work, which hopes through the project's second robotic system, Eve, to be able to assist scientists in the search for new drugs to combat diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis.

That this House recognises the importance of research by higher education institutions into robotics to the scientific community and the UK as a whole; congratulates Professor Ross King of Aberystwyth University and the team of scientists from Aberystwyth and Cambridge led by him on their development of what they believe...

That this House notes the extraordinary achievements of Charles Darwin; notes that 2009 marks both the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species; welcomes proposals for the creation of a Darwin Day in recognition of the ground-breaking work of the British scientist responsible for the theory of evolution by natural selection; and calls for Darwin's birthday, 12 February, to be designated a public holiday in honour of one of the fathers of modern science and one of Britain's greatest, if not the greatest, scientific minds.

That this House notes the extraordinary achievements of Charles Darwin; notes that 2009 marks both the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species; welcomes proposals for the creation of a Darwin Day in recognition of the ground-breaking work of...

That this House welcomes the unveiling of a statue to the great Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell, taking place in George Street, Edinburgh on 25th November 2008; recognises that Clerk Maxwell is one of the most influential scientists of all time, his discovery of the nature of electromagnetic waves paving the way for radio, television, radar and the mobile telephone; congratulates the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the many donors who made the monument possible; believes it is right there should be public recognition of the achievements of Clerk Maxwell in the city of his birth; and hopes that wider appreciation of the works of great Scottish scientists and engineers will inspire new generations to seek to follow in their footsteps.

That this House welcomes the unveiling of a statue to the great Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell, taking place in George Street, Edinburgh on 25th November 2008; recognises that Clerk Maxwell is one of the most influential scientists of all time, his discovery of the nature of electromagnetic waves paving...

That this House welcomes plans for The Big Bang, the first annual UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair on 4th to 6th March 2009 which will include the finals of the new National Science Competition; looks forward to this event that will bring together young people from across the country to celebrate their achievements and highlight the contributions of science and engineering to the United Kingdom as a whole; applauds its key objectives to raise the profile of young people's innovation and achievement and to encourage a new generation of talented scientists and engineers; and hopes that many more young people will discover the huge range of opportunities that exist for them in science and engineering in the UK.

That this House welcomes plans for The Big Bang, the first annual UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair on 4th to 6th March 2009 which will include the finals of the new National Science Competition; looks forward to this event that will bring together young people from across the country...

That this House congratulates The Royal Society of Chemistry on holding its Parliamentary Links Day on Tuesday 24th June on the theme of Science and an Uncertain World; welcomes the Society's commitment to serve the public interest by improving the access of all hon. Members to scientific information and a better understanding of science; notes the Keynote Address by the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills; further notes that other speakers include Professor Jim Feast, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Lord Browne of Madingley, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor Rosemary Hails of the Institute of Biology, Dr Bob Crawford of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Professor Sir David King of the Institute of Physics, Professor Lynne Frostick of the Geological Society and Lord Krebs, Vice President of the Royal Society; notes the participation of the hon. Member for Havant, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the hon. Member for Harrogate, Chair of the Select Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills, and Professor Robert Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser of Defra; further notes that Parliamentary Links Day is an established and respected event on the annual Parliamentary calendar; further notes that the Royal Society of Chemistry's pioneering Parliamentary Link Scheme, pairing scientists with hon. Members, is open to right hon. and hon. Members on all sides of the House; and welcomes the continuing contribution that Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengthening the dialogue between Parliament and the science and engineering community.

That this House congratulates The Royal Society of Chemistry on holding its Parliamentary Links Day on Tuesday 24th June on the theme of Science and an Uncertain World; welcomes the Society's commitment to serve the public interest by improving the access of all hon. Members to scientific information and a...

That this House commemorates the 150th anniversary on 16th June 2008 of the death of the great Victorian, Dr John Snow, who was a pioneer of both epidemiology and anaesthesiology and whose great contribution to human and public health is best exemplified by his breakthrough discovery, decisively demonstrated during the 1854 cholera outbreak in London, that cholera was spread in particular through contaminated water; notes that a special Royal Society of Chemistry National Chemical Landmark blue plaque was unveiled today by the Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Alan Johnson, MP, at the John Snow Public House which is situated by the very water pump in Broadwick Street, Soho, that John Snow identified as the source of the cholera outbreak, and whose handle he removed to prove his theory by forcing people to use other uncontaminated water pumps further away; notes that those taking part in today's unveiling ceremony included Professor Jim Feast, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Jeremy Pelczer, Chair of the charity WaterAid, and Dr Ros Stanwell-Smith of the John Snow Society; notes further the organisational contributions of Pauline Meakins, Brian Emsley, Richard Porte, Jonathan Edwards, Sheena Elliott, and the publicans Nick and Christine Taylor; and applauds the Royal Society of Chemistry for its role in highlighting, by means of the Chemical Landmark programme, the crucial contributions of science to the history of the United Kingdom.

That this House commemorates the 150th anniversary on 16th June 2008 of the death of the great Victorian, Dr John Snow, who was a pioneer of both epidemiology and anaesthesiology and whose great contribution to human and public health is best exemplified by his breakthrough discovery, decisively demonstrated during the...