That this House is dismayed at the conduct of the Conservative-led cabinet of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council in again writing-off, behind closed doors, business rates owed by companies connected to former Councillor Peter Whieldon; believes it has again failed to show leadership by not making public comment about Mr Whieldon and his associates' continuing shameless conduct; notes that this is the fourth time in four years it has written off, in secret, debts owed by their insolvent companies; further notes that the ??22,608 and ??9,248 written off in respect of Stones Entertainment Limited (The Albion Inn) and T1V Limited (Union, former Bull's Vaults) brings to ??91,128 the rates their collapsed companies have avoided paying in Newcastle; further notes that total bad debts left behind by their trail of insolvencies in North Staffordshire now tops ??1.6 million, including over ??250,000 to HM Revenue and Customs; further notes that honest traders in town, who pay their dues, are appalled by this conduct and the council's lack of courage; calls on Companies Investigation Branch and the Registrar of Companies to swiftly conclude enquiries into directors' and shadow directors' conduct at the 13 companies which have serially collapsed; and further calls on the Leader of Newcastle Council and members of its cabinet to join the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme in asking HM Revenue and Customs to review the tax affairs of those involved and for Staffordshire Police, in co-operation with all agencies, to investigate prima facie evidence of a long-running conspiracy to defraud creditors.

That this House is dismayed at the conduct of the Conservative-led cabinet of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council in again writing-off, behind closed doors, business rates owed by companies connected to former Councillor Peter Whieldon; believes it has again failed to show leadership by not making public comment about Mr Whieldon and...

That this House mourns with great sadness the untimely passing of Dr Ashok Kumar, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and formerly Langbaurgh; acknowledges the immensely high regard in which he was held in his beloved constituency and in both Houses of Parliament, across political divides; recognises the warmth he radiated to all he met; remembers the modesty he exhibited despite his formidable and highly impressive scientific record both in industry and academia; holds in awe his unsurpassed credentials in local campaigning; and notes that hon. Members and constituents will remember Ashok as a man of honour and integrity, and as someone motivated solely by a strong sense of duty and public service, who will be missed on the Commons benches but never forgotten.

That this House mourns with great sadness the untimely passing of Dr Ashok Kumar, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and formerly Langbaurgh; acknowledges the immensely high regard in which he was held in his beloved constituency and in both Houses of Parliament, across political divides; recognises...

That this House welcomes the second annual National Cask Ale Week, 29 March to 5 April 2010; also welcomes the opportunity for brewers and pubs alike to remind the British public why cask ale is the UK's national drink; congratulates the success that the cask ale industry has enjoyed in the last 12 months with 71 new breweries opening in the UK, taking the total up to 660; notes the suggestion for pubs to host a number of exciting events up and down the country including beer festivals, food and ale appreciation evenings, tasting tips and try before you buy promotions; praises the Independent newspaper for its plan to publish a 16 page supplement on 27 March 2010 in support of Cask Ale Week; and encourages hon. Members to support their local pubs during Cask Ale Week 2010.

That this House welcomes the second annual National Cask Ale Week, 29 March to 5 April 2010; also welcomes the opportunity for brewers and pubs alike to remind the British public why cask ale is the UK's national drink; congratulates the success that the cask ale industry has enjoyed in...

That this House notes that Birmingham - city of Tolkien and Sir Simon Rattle, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and UB40 - is and always has been a great city of culture; and believes that it should be recognised as such when the UK's first official City of Culture is announced later this year.

That this House notes that Birmingham - city of Tolkien and Sir Simon Rattle, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and UB40 - is and always has been a great city of culture; and believes that it should be recognised as such when the UK's first official City of Culture is announced...

That this House welcomes the Government's announcement recommending that the threshold for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme be raised from the ??25,000 to ??100,000 which will ensure that many more people, including thousands of students, will be protected from rogue landlords wrongly withholding deposits; celebrates the success of the campaign for such a change, which was supported by the National Union of Students, Unipol and The Sun newspaper; notes that the Use Class Order consultation calls on the Government to ensure that the results of this consultation become law as quickly as possible; expresses concern that the Government has not set a date or a timescale for introducing this important change; and, with the general election imminent, urges the Government to do so before Parliament is dissolved.

That this House welcomes the Government's announcement recommending that the threshold for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme be raised from the ??25,000 to ??100,000 which will ensure that many more people, including thousands of students, will be protected from rogue landlords wrongly withholding deposits; celebrates the success of the campaign for...

That this House deplores the prospect of the international moratorium on commercial whaling being nullified by so-called compromise proposals being drafted for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Conference in Agadir, Morocco in June 2010; notes with alarm that under the guise of reductions in whale slaughter through quotas, observers and DNA databases, two IWC working groups are proposing to legitimise the commercial whaling activities of the three countries who have persisted in hunting whales in defiance of the existing ban established by the IWC in 1986, in Japan, Norway and Iceland, and to allow whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary; notes with anxiety that the proposed quotas are being negotiated towards a final revision of the draft proposals due in late April when Parliament may be dissolved; welcomes the concerns voiced by UK Government ministers about the worrying drafts now on the table which claim that `the moratorium shall remain in place'; stands by the environmental movement's landmark achievement of the whaling moratorium agreed in 1982 and introduced in 1986; and abhors the possible setback for wildlife protection at Agadir in June which could follow the failures on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009.

That this House deplores the prospect of the international moratorium on commercial whaling being nullified by so-called compromise proposals being drafted for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Conference in Agadir, Morocco in June 2010; notes with alarm that under the guise of reductions in whale slaughter through quotas, observers and...

That this House welcomes two initiatives of the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) to encourage employers and organisations to stimulate and develop initiatives to support and retain women; believes that women play a vital part in the SET sector, but regrets that to date women only make up 15.5 per cent. of SET professionals in the UK and still only make up less than seven per cent. of the UK's engineering professionals; welcomes the launch of the SET Fair Standard, an award that recognises and rewards good practice in gender equality across all SET sectors, and the Athena Swan Charter, the equivalent award for universities which is jointly managed by the UKRC and the Equality Challenge Unit; believes that these two initiatives will further enhance the position of women in science, engineering and technology and their contribution to the UK's economy; considers that these awards should be a key accreditation for any forward-looking employer; and congratulates UKRC on its launch in the week commencing 22 March 2010 of the Women of Outstanding Achievement in a SET photographic exhibition at the Royal Academy of Engineering.

That this House welcomes two initiatives of the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) to encourage employers and organisations to stimulate and develop initiatives to support and retain women; believes that women play a vital part in the SET sector, but regrets that to...

That this House urges a greater sourcing of goods and services which will help boost local economies and local businesses as well as protecting existing jobs and creating new ones in local communities; notes that the Government has already done some good work in this area but recognises that many local organisations, such as local authorities, currently tender products from outside their areas rather than encouraging a local sourcing of goods and services; further recognises that millions of pounds could be brought into local economies if key local agencies sourced locally; calls on all contracts at local authority level to include a clause to say the council expects a condition of acceptance of any contract to state that goods and services will be sourced locally and that this is checked and verified before work is commenced; and urges greater co-ordination between central and local government to ensure greater levels of local sourcing are established.

That this House urges a greater sourcing of goods and services which will help boost local economies and local businesses as well as protecting existing jobs and creating new ones in local communities; notes that the Government has already done some good work in this area but recognises that many...

That this House recognises the hard work of Home Office and UK Border Agency (UKBA) staff set out in the Chief Inspector's report into asylum within UKBA; is deeply concerned that the targets for dealing with new asylum claims within six months and clearing the backlog of 450,000 legacy cases are deemed unachievable with the current staffing levels; considers that plans to reduce the staffing complement across UKBA, including caseworkers dealing with the legacy backlog will be a massive blow to the proper running of UKBA; and therefore calls for a halt to the job cuts at UKBA and for investment in staff resources and training as the best way to achieve the targets set.

That this House recognises the hard work of Home Office and UK Border Agency (UKBA) staff set out in the Chief Inspector's report into asylum within UKBA; is deeply concerned that the targets for dealing with new asylum claims within six months and clearing the backlog of 450,000 legacy cases...

That this House notes the Department for Energy and Climate Change's 2007 figure of approximately four million households in fuel poverty, meaning that they spend more than 10 per cent. of their income on maintaining an adequate level of heating; believes that the situation could be helped by consumers having more information about accessing the best tariff for their pattern of energy use, but notes the confusion caused by the existence of around 4,000 different tariffs; notes the Government's recent commitment to require energy companies to publish information on their standard direct debit tariff only applies to annual statements and not to all energy bills; believes that this disadvantages actively-switching consumers who would benefit from this information more than once a year and who may never receive an annual statement; praises Scottish and Southern Energy's pledge to go above the beyond the Government's requirement and to publish such information on all energy bills; and calls on the Government to extend the requirement to apply to all energy bills in addition to annual statements.

That this House notes the Department for Energy and Climate Change's 2007 figure of approximately four million households in fuel poverty, meaning that they spend more than 10 per cent. of their income on maintaining an adequate level of heating; believes that the situation could be helped by consumers having...

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical extremists, including the bombing of churches and the assassination of Iraqi Christians; further notes that there has been illegal expropriation of Assyrian-Chaldean land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain in northern Iraq; recognises that Iraqi Christians are a major force for moderation, who can act as a significant buffer against the spread of extremism in Iraq; calls on the British and Iraqi governments urgently to encourage and support the creation of self-governing province in Iraq for the Assyrian-Chaldeans, linked to the central government in Baghdad, situated in and around the Nineveh Plain and including Tel Kaif, Al-Hamdaniya and Al-Shikhan districts, and governed by the Assyrian-Chaldeans and other ethnic groups living in that area, as these lands form part of the ancestral homeland of the Assyrian-Chaldeans and are still heavily populated by them; and urges the UK and Iraqi governments to support financially the reconstruction of the region, to end the political marginalisation of the democratically elected Assyrian-Chaldean representatives in Iraq, to assist the Assyrian-Chaldeans in reclaiming their land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain, and to financially support internally displaced Assyrian-Chaldeans and the return and resettlement of Assyrian-Chaldean refugees.

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical...

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008 stated that on 17 October 2008 Iraqi security forces arrested six men in connection with the killings of Christians in Mosul and found that four of them had links with Kurdish Regional militia, not al-Qa'ida; further notes that the Kurdish Regional Government and its militia are dominated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party and that on 29 October 2008, Gulf News reported that investigations had been completed, and proved the involvement of Kurdish militias in the displacement and killing of Christians, a claim which was re-stated by Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri Al Maliki during a discussion with Iraqi lawmakers, according to Osama Al Nojaifi, a deputy in the Iraqi pariament; and, in view of such serious and widespread allegations, urges Her Majesty's Government to press the Iraqi government to fully investigate these allegations and publicly to announce all the investigation's conclusions.

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008 stated that on...

That this House supports the principle that the counting of votes following the 2010 general election should take place immediately after the close of polls, recognising that in some remote areas the commencement of the count may be delayed for several hours; is disappointed that in Harrogate and Knaresborough where all ballot boxes can be returned to a central counting area within an hour of the closing of the polls a decision has been taken to delay the count until the next day; believes that election night remains one of the remaining opportunities for mass engagement with the political system; supports the view of the Speaker of the House of Commons that it is important to democracy that counting is not delayed and we have `instant and not slow motion democracy'; was pleased that there was cross-party support for an amendment to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill 2009 to require councils to arrange counts within four hours of the closure of the polls; and calls on Harrogate Borough Council to re-consider its ill-advised decision to break with decades of tradition and agree to hold the 2010 general election count immediately after the polls close.

That this House supports the principle that the counting of votes following the 2010 general election should take place immediately after the close of polls, recognising that in some remote areas the commencement of the count may be delayed for several hours; is disappointed that in Harrogate and Knaresborough where...

That this House is gravely concerned that thousands of rail workers continue to be made redundant; believes that the rail industry is haemorrhaging important skilled engineering jobs which will not be replaced; notes with dismay that the 300 rail renewals jobs lost at Babcock Rail is over and above the 1,500 rail maintenance job cuts already announced by Network Rail; further notes that the 69 jobs in train fleet maintenance lost at Bombardier Crewe represents the third wave of redundancies there in a year, with the company continuing to cite the unpredictable nature of the rail market; supports the RMT union's call for a Government-backed, industry-wide strategy to enhance the role of railways in battling climate change, retaining skilled green jobs and reducing the economic impact of the recession; and urges the Government to intervene to safeguard skilled engineering jobs, the loss of which will hinder capacity for future major rail projects including the construction of high speed lines and the maintenance of high speed trains.

That this House is gravely concerned that thousands of rail workers continue to be made redundant; believes that the rail industry is haemorrhaging important skilled engineering jobs which will not be replaced; notes with dismay that the 300 rail renewals jobs lost at Babcock Rail is over and above the...

That this House notes serious concerns raised over how the Medical Board examines applicants for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance; urges for changes to be made to mandate the Medical Board to take oral as well as written evidence from the claimant's general practitioner and relevant specialist; believes that experience leads to the conclusion that more time should be allocated for in-depth consideration of the claimant's evidence and that the examination should also include home visits when appropriate; further believes that decisions should be made on medical evidence and not motivated by the need to reduce the number of claimants or by age discrimination; further believes the claimant process should ensure that the stress, worry and anxiety experienced by the claimant is minimised and no financial burden is imposed as a result of the process; further believes it is important to aim to achieve the right decision first time and to reduce the need for excessive numbers of appeals, thus saving public money; and therefore calls on the Government to review the process of Medical Board examinations for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance.

That this House notes serious concerns raised over how the Medical Board examines applicants for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance; urges for changes to be made to mandate the Medical Board to take oral as well as written evidence from the claimant's general practitioner and relevant specialist; believes...

That this House calls for the establishment of a credit union for small and medium-sized enterprises in local communities to help sustain such businesses as economic recovery begins; notes that such a credit union would help free-up access to borrowing for companies with any cash flow problems; recognises that the aim of this would be to provide a financial instrument that could assist these companies to survive until better times; further calls for the establishment of locally-funded and locally-managed investment banks to spread the risk of each company's cash flow needs; further calls for such a resource to be run and managed in the way that existing credit unions tackle doorstep debt with the aim of protecting jobs; urges the Government to back such an initiative in support of the existing help it has provided for companies like the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and the Capital for Enterprise Fund; and suggests that such a model could be tested out in selected communities including Halifax and if it proves to be successful rolled out to other parts of the country.

That this House calls for the establishment of a credit union for small and medium-sized enterprises in local communities to help sustain such businesses as economic recovery begins; notes that such a credit union would help free-up access to borrowing for companies with any cash flow problems; recognises that the...

That this House notes that the whaling moratorium was introduced in 1986 in order to combat the fact that many populations of the great whales had been drastically reduced by over-hunting, and that whaling itself, based on the firing of explosive harpoons into large and intelligent animals, was cruel; is concerned by the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) proposal to legitimise the commercial whaling activities of Japan, Norway and Iceland; understands that the proposal seeks to set official IWC quotas for whales that they may hunt, in all the places where they currently hunt them in defiance of the moratorium, including the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, for the first time in 25 years; believes that such a proposal represents a conservational disaster; further believes that the proposal represents no guarantee of a significant reduction in the number of whales killed in the short term; and calls on the Government to oppose any proposal that condones or endorses commercial whaling if the issue is raised and voted on at the IWC conference in Agadir, Morocco, in June.

That this House notes that the whaling moratorium was introduced in 1986 in order to combat the fact that many populations of the great whales had been drastically reduced by over-hunting, and that whaling itself, based on the firing of explosive harpoons into large and intelligent animals, was cruel; is...

That this House acknowledges the National Farmers' Union manifesto for farming; recognises the depth of the challenge facing British farmers to maintain productivity levels, comply with environmental pressures and to sustain their businesses; and calls on the Government to pledge its support to the British farming industry by taking the seven policy statements in the manifesto into account when formulating the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs objectives.

That this House acknowledges the National Farmers' Union manifesto for farming; recognises the depth of the challenge facing British farmers to maintain productivity levels, comply with environmental pressures and to sustain their businesses; and calls on the Government to pledge its support to the British farming industry by taking the...