That this House notes that despite record planned Government investment in rail, the South and West franchise holder, First Great Western (FGW), appears to be taking a backward approach to passenger services, safety and employee relations as new rolling stock will not include buffet cars, future staffing levels on trains will be reduced and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) rail union has been told that it will no longer represent managerial grades along that route; believes that this will reduce passenger safety and service as well as good industrial relations; and calls on FGW to undertake urgent discussions with the TSSA, other unions and stakeholders, to ensure that the introduction of any new trains will not mean a worsening of conditions for both passengers and staff.

That this House notes that despite record planned Government investment in rail, the South and West franchise holder, First Great Western (FGW), appears to be taking a backward approach to passenger services, safety and employee relations as new rolling stock will not include buffet cars, future staffing levels on trains...

That this House notes that public service firefighters and police officers who retired in a period from 1998 to 2006 were significantly and knowingly disadvantaged by the failure by the Government Actuary's Department, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office to secure up-to-date actuarial valuations in respect of pension entitlements surrendered on retirement; further notes that maladministration in this matter was established in 2008; further notes that since then the Government Actuary's Department has acted in bad faith by adopting delaying tactics, including a dubious and failed legal challenge to the authority of the Pensions Ombudsman, thereby causing lengthy and unnecessary delay to the resolution of this matter and occasioning a situation whereby many of those affected have not or will not live sufficiently long to see this injustice corrected; and calls on the named departments to accept the imminent ruling by the Pensions Ombudsman and take immediate steps to pay any recommended awards.

That this House notes that public service firefighters and police officers who retired in a period from 1998 to 2006 were significantly and knowingly disadvantaged by the failure by the Government Actuary's Department, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office to secure up-to-date actuarial valuations in...

That this House condemns the Government's unfair cuts to local authorities; notes that between 2010-11 and 2015-16 the councils covering the 10 most deprived areas of England as measured by the index of multiple deprivation are losing £782 on average per household while the councils covering the least deprived areas are losing on average £48; further notes that the Audit Commission has confirmed that councils in the most deprived areas have seen substantially greater reductions in Government funding as a share of revenue expenditure than councils in less deprived areas; and calls on the Government to introduce a fairer funding system for local government in the next local government finance settlement.

That this House condemns the Government's unfair cuts to local authorities; notes that between 2010-11 and 2015-16 the councils covering the 10 most deprived areas of England as measured by the index of multiple deprivation are losing £782 on average per household while the councils covering the least deprived areas...

That this House welcomes the Department for Education's review of paediatric first aid training for nursery staff across England following the tragic case of Millie Thompson, who passed away aged nine months after a choking incident at a nursery school in Cheadle; notes that Millie's case has exposed loopholes in current regulation; further notes that over 100,000 people signed an e-petition requesting a change to the law; pays tribute to Joanne and Dan Thompson and all their supporters for setting up Millie's Trust and campaigning for a positive legacy; and calls on the Government to introduce a requirement for all relevant pre-school and nursery staff to receive paediatric first aid training.

That this House welcomes the Department for Education's review of paediatric first aid training for nursery staff across England following the tragic case of Millie Thompson, who passed away aged nine months after a choking incident at a nursery school in Cheadle; notes that Millie's case has exposed loopholes in...

That this House notes that on 27 January 2015 the UK will observe Holocaust Memorial Day, the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where an estimated 1.1 million people were murdered; commemorates the six million victims of the Holocaust; further notes that the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2015 is Keeping the Memory Alive; further notes the significance of 2015 as it marks 70 years since the end of the Holocaust and the liberation of the concentration camps; pays tribute to the commitment of Holocaust survivors who share their experiences with young people across the country; acknowledges the importance of the Holocaust Educational Trust's work in schools across the UK and in particular the Lessons from Auschwitz project, which has so far given over 25,000 students and teachers the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau; also pays tribute to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust for organising the 2015 national Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration; further notes that a Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment will be placed in the corridor between the Members' Cloakroom and Members' Staircase; and urges all right hon. and hon. Members to sign that Book and observe the day, so that the appalling events of the Holocaust are always understood by future generations.

That this House notes that on 27 January 2015 the UK will observe Holocaust Memorial Day, the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where an estimated 1.1 million people were murdered; commemorates the six million victims of the Holocaust; further notes that the...

That this House welcomes the legal challenge by Rights of Women on the lawfulness of the Government's changes to access to legal aid which prevents victims of domestic abuse from accessing legal aid for family cases, even where there has been violence or ongoing risk of violence; notes that legal aid is a lifeline for victims of domestic abuse; further notes that legal aid enables victims to escape abusive relationships, protect their children and manage their financial situations; further notes that two women are killed each week as a result of domestic abuse; and calls on the Government to enable victims of domestic abuse to access legal remedies so they can safely leave violent relationships.

That this House welcomes the legal challenge by Rights of Women on the lawfulness of the Government's changes to access to legal aid which prevents victims of domestic abuse from accessing legal aid for family cases, even where there has been violence or ongoing risk of violence; notes that legal...

That this House recognises the incredible sacrifice and service of the Maratha Infantry during the First and Second World Wars; notes the awards for gallantry made to soldiers from these Infantry battalions who served whilst India was under British rule; and applauds their service and wishes them and their relatives well in the future.

That this House recognises the incredible sacrifice and service of the Maratha Infantry during the First and Second World Wars; notes the awards for gallantry made to soldiers from these Infantry battalions who served whilst India was under British rule; and applauds their service and wishes them and their relatives...

That this House recognises that the UK globally has the highest diesel price, third highest petrol price and in the Western world has the highest fuel duty; believes that with the global price of oil dropping rapidly to $50 a barrel, prices at the pumps should be decreasing in line with the fall however this is not the case; further believes that an investigation into domestic fuel prices is needed; notes the increasing discrepancy between petrol and diesel prices and calls on the Government and the Competition and Markets Authority to launch an inquiry both into the disparity between petrol and diesel prices as well as how the retail price is set; acknowledges the hard work that FairFuelUK has done on this issue and recognises that its campaign now has one million supporters; and hopes that such an inquiry will identify who profits from oil prices, who determines the price of oil at the pumps and why the price of fuel at the pumps does not reflect the global oil price.

That this House recognises that the UK globally has the highest diesel price, third highest petrol price and in the Western world has the highest fuel duty; believes that with the global price of oil dropping rapidly to $50 a barrel, prices at the pumps should be decreasing in line...

That this House notes the recent report by Professor Peter Walton on the likely impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 on insolvency litigation; further notes that Professor Walton's empirical evidence shows that from April 2015 the Act will have a negative impact on creditors, including the taxpayer and businesses, as well as the public interest; notes concerns from business groups representing creditors, including the Institute of Credit Management and the British Property Federation; is concerned that more than £160 million owed to businesses and the taxpayer each year could remain with directors or third parties that have wrongly, negligently or fraudulently taken money out of a business as a result of the Act; and calls on the Government to review the legislation before it comes into force in April 2015.

That this House notes the recent report by Professor Peter Walton on the likely impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 on insolvency litigation; further notes that Professor Walton's empirical evidence shows that from April 2015 the Act will have a negative impact on creditors,...

That this House expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the families of those journalists, police and others who were assassinated or injured at the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on 7 January 2015; notes that this attack took place on press day, thereby increasing the casualty list and the potential damage to press freedom; considers that the perpetrators of this heinous crime must swiftly be brought to justice; further notes the bravery of individuals who work in this field despite many of them coming under attack previously, and that in carrying out their jobs they uphold the invaluable and historical right to free speech and freedom of expression which are both integral elements of democracies; acknowledges the solidarity that is being shown around the world on behalf of the victims and their colleagues in standing together in defence of civil liberties at this time; and offers its support to the NUJ in the UK and the International Federation of Journalists for their work in defending the rights of all journalists to do their job without fear of threats, intimidation and brutal murder.

That this House expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the families of those journalists, police and others who were assassinated or injured at the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on 7 January 2015; notes that this attack took place on press day, thereby increasing the casualty list and...

That this House believes that it is unacceptable to shut accident and emergency (A&E) departments when patients have nowhere else to seek treatment; notes that NHS walk-in centres played a major role in reducing the numbers of patients attending A&E; and calls on the Government to encourage clinical commissioning groups right across the country to reintroduce walk-in centres.

That this House believes that it is unacceptable to shut accident and emergency (A&E) departments when patients have nowhere else to seek treatment; notes that NHS walk-in centres played a major role in reducing the numbers of patients attending A&E; and calls on the Government to encourage clinical commissioning groups...

That this House commends and supports campaigners in their ongoing fight to save the Independent Living Fund (ILF) on which nearly 18,000 disabled people with high-support needs rely to live with choice and control in life instead of going into residential care; notes the failure of the High Court case taken by two ILF recipients to stop the Government closing the ILF in June 2015, while noting the judge's comment that the Minister was made fully aware of the inevitable and considerable adverse effect that closure would have on disabled people; further notes that the judge declined to rule on whether the closure may put the UK in breach of its international obligations to advance disabled people's rights to independent living and equality of opportunity under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and reminds all parliamentarians that, as part of Operation Disabled Vote, manifestos and pledges will be measured against the precepts of international human rights as well as of social justice by 12.2 million disabled voters.

That this House commends and supports campaigners in their ongoing fight to save the Independent Living Fund (ILF) on which nearly 18,000 disabled people with high-support needs rely to live with choice and control in life instead of going into residential care; notes the failure of the High Court case...

That this House recognises that properly qualified supply teachers are an essential resource for schools which wish to deliver the same quality learning experience for pupils when a class's regular teacher is absent; notes that supply teachers are increasingly employed by agencies which siphon off significant amounts of public funding for education into their profits; is concerned that agencies are unable to offer supply teachers membership of the Teachers' Pension Scheme and are driving down their pay, with a recent survey by the National Union of Teachers finding that 40 per cent of supply teachers are getting lower, or significantly lower, pay than three years ago; further notes the uncertainty and disquiet about umbrella companies which increasingly employ supply teachers; and calls on the Government to encourage schools to employ supply teachers directly or through the local authority, rather than using agencies, to ensure supply teachers are paid fairly and have access to pension rights on an equal basis to other teachers.

That this House recognises that properly qualified supply teachers are an essential resource for schools which wish to deliver the same quality learning experience for pupils when a class's regular teacher is absent; notes that supply teachers are increasingly employed by agencies which siphon off significant amounts of public funding...

That this House welcomes the ending of the beer duty escalator and the positive impact of two successive beer duty cuts in the 2013 and 2014 Budgets in supporting the growth of Britain's breweries and underpinning confidence in the UK's pubs; notes that beer duty is now 13 per cent lower than under the tax rises previously planned, a tax reduction that has been popular with pubgoers, leading to an additional 16,000 jobs and in the first six months following the Budget an extra £44 million in investment; and urges the Government to consider a further cut in beer duty in the 2015 Budget which would secure pub jobs, help keep pub pints affordable and support Britain's much-loved pubs.

That this House welcomes the ending of the beer duty escalator and the positive impact of two successive beer duty cuts in the 2013 and 2014 Budgets in supporting the growth of Britain's breweries and underpinning confidence in the UK's pubs; notes that beer duty is now 13 per cent...

That this House notes that the UK has the highest incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the world and that incidence is rising; further notes that there are over 8,000 people diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year in the UK; acknowledges that the survival rate for oesophageal cancer is one of the worst of any cancer, with only 15 per cent survival after five years; further notes that diagnosis for the condition Barrett's oesophagus which can lead to oesophageal cancer is low and that public awareness of the significance of persistent heartburn as a risk factor is very low; welcomes the work of the Oesophageal Cancer Westminster Campaign, a campaign group of patient groups, clinical experts, industry and bereaved families; further welcomes the national Be Clear on Cancer campaign on oesophageal cancer; and calls for the Government and the Department of Health to regard the diagnosis and treatment of Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal cancer as a national priority to save lives.

That this House notes that the UK has the highest incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the world and that incidence is rising; further notes that there are over 8,000 people diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year in the UK; acknowledges that the survival rate for oesophageal cancer is one of...

That this House notes that there are people carrying out vital jobs in Premier League football clubs who are paid less than the living wage; further notes that not one Premier League football club has signed up to become a living wage employer nor collected information on how many people working within their club might be on low pay; further notes that some Premier League football clubs choose to pay their players wages of up to £300,000 per week whilst the cleaners, catering staff and security guards working at the club are not paid enough to live on; believes that the Premier League should accept responsibility for ensuring all staff, either directly employed or outsourced, are paid a living wage; calls on the Premier League to immediately gather information on how many people carrying out jobs in Premier League football clubs are paid less than a living wage; and requests club supporters actively to campaign to that end.

That this House notes that there are people carrying out vital jobs in Premier League football clubs who are paid less than the living wage; further notes that not one Premier League football club has signed up to become a living wage employer nor collected information on how many people...

That this House applauds the work of staff in the National Crime Enforcement Service who have continued to improve collection rates of fines and compensation set by the criminal courts despite cuts to staff; welcomes moves to give staff access to data held on defaulters by HM Revenue and Customs to help further improve collection rates; notes that it is not always possible to recover every debt due to insufficient information on the defaulter being available or because of their personal circumstances such as homelessness; is alarmed by reports from Citizens Advice Bureau regarding the behaviour of poorly regulated private bailiffs who fall short of public sector collection rates of 2013 and are only collecting 22.7 per cent of fines arising from distress warrants in full; is concerned that the Government is seeking to use uncollected fines as a reason for privatising this well performing public service; and urges the Government to scrap its plans to privatise under the Compliance and Enforcement Service Project.

That this House applauds the work of staff in the National Crime Enforcement Service who have continued to improve collection rates of fines and compensation set by the criminal courts despite cuts to staff; welcomes moves to give staff access to data held on defaulters by HM Revenue and Customs...

That this House supports humanists and their right to a legal marriage ceremony which reflects their beliefs and is performed by someone who shares them; urges the Government to lay down regulations for legislation of humanist marriage in a timely manner; notes that this would be a modest reform in line with existing marriage laws for Jews and Quakers and not a fundamental change; recalls the Government's pledge to support strong and stable families and its support for the institution of marriage; believes humanist marriage would greatly strengthen families in England and Wales by allowing couples to start their lives together in a deeply meaningful and personal ceremony; further notes the experience of humanist marriage in Scotland where its introduction led to a net increase in marriage in the context of a general decline; and encourages the Government to support humanists' rights to have independent legal wedding ceremonies outside registry offices like those allowed for persons of religious belief.

That this House supports humanists and their right to a legal marriage ceremony which reflects their beliefs and is performed by someone who shares them; urges the Government to lay down regulations for legislation of humanist marriage in a timely manner; notes that this would be a modest reform in...

That this House notes that there are 800,000 people in the UK with dementia and that one in three people over the age of 65 will develop the condition; praises the families and carers of patients with dementia who are vulnerable and can often be distressed and disoriented; further notes an article in The Observer newspaper on 30 November 2014 by Nicci Gerrard whose father, Dr John Gerrard, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in his mid-seventies and died in November 2014; further notes that his family were restricted in the amount of time they were able to spend with him in hospital when he was admitted in February 2014 for a separate condition; further notes that his family were not able to provide a continuation of his normal life when in hospital, such as talking and reading to him and that as a result when he came out of hospital his Alzheimer's had worsened; and calls on the Government to support the same rights for families and carers of dementia sufferers as parents of sick children and allow for family representatives to stay with the patients at any time of the day as dementia sufferers can struggle to understand and communicate with strangers in unusual surroundings.

That this House notes that there are 800,000 people in the UK with dementia and that one in three people over the age of 65 will develop the condition; praises the families and carers of patients with dementia who are vulnerable and can often be distressed and disoriented; further notes...

That this House is appalled by the recent announcement of a further 51 scientist job cuts at Royal Botanical Kew Gardens on 28 November 2014; notes that these job cuts will result in the loss of over 1,000 years of scientific expertise; deeply regrets that staff were told via email that they were no longer required and that, if these scientists are not found other positions, Kew will lose up to 40 per cent of its scientific staff; supports the PCS and Prospect trade unions in their demand that vacancies within the new structure should be filled by existing staff rather than by recruiting external, less experienced candidates and losing hundreds of years' worth of invaluable experience; further notes the hugely detrimental impact such redundancies will have on the vitally important work carried out at Kew on a daily basis; and calls on the Government to urgently halt these further redundancies in order to allow the new structure put in place at Kew to take effect and to fully engage with staff and unions in order to save as many key scientific posts as possible.

That this House is appalled by the recent announcement of a further 51 scientist job cuts at Royal Botanical Kew Gardens on 28 November 2014; notes that these job cuts will result in the loss of over 1,000 years of scientific expertise; deeply regrets that staff were told via email...