That this House welcomes the success of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) through its work in averting the deaths of five million people since 2000 including the vaccination of an additional 233 million children against hepatitis B, sponsoring the development of a better value for money market in vaccines and tapping into effective financing in the capital markets through the World Bank and the International Finance Facility for Immunisation; supports the call for US$ 2.6 billion in additional funding for GAVI projects such that GAVI can save 4.2 million more lives in developing countries, preventing deaths from diseases such as hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and Haemophilus influenzae type B, but mainly from pneumonia and diarrhoea which kill up to 1.5 million children every year in developing countries; and is encouraged by the long-term agreements made by pharmaceutical firms to supply new, affordable vaccines against pneumococcal disease to the world's poorest countries.

That this House welcomes the success of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) through its work in averting the deaths of five million people since 2000 including the vaccination of an additional 233 million children against hepatitis B, sponsoring the development of a better value for money market...

That this House notes that the UK has just recently experienced one of the coldest winter periods of the past century; is therefore alarmed by reports of the plight of local council tenants in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, many of whom are elderly, who were left without either heating or hot water in their homes during this period; finds it totally unacceptable that the local authority, Mansfield District Council, both failed to correct the latest breakdown to its district heating system and has since refused to supply relevant information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to local tenants who on advice wish to consider challenging the local authority's failure to perform its statutory duty fully to maintain the system at least once every four years; and calls on the Minister responsible immediately to take the action necessary to require Mansfield District Council to explain its failures and to release the information requested to its tenants forthwith.

That this House notes that the UK has just recently experienced one of the coldest winter periods of the past century; is therefore alarmed by reports of the plight of local council tenants in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, many of whom are elderly, who were left without either heating or hot water...

That this House condemns the long distance transport of horses for slaughter at abattoirs in other EU countries; notes it is estimated that more than 100,000 horses are fattened at farms before being transported in appalling conditions with little food and water for days at a time to slaughterhouses in Italy, the capital of Europe's horsemeat trade; believes that such practice risks spreading diseases to animals in other EU countries and has implications for human health; calls on the Government to seek to strengthen the existing minimum values legislation which prevents the export of live horses from the UK for such purposes to ensure that it is not vulnerable to challenge; and urges UK members of the European Parliament to be vocal in their support for the EU to enforce a carcass-only trade.

That this House condemns the long distance transport of horses for slaughter at abattoirs in other EU countries; notes it is estimated that more than 100,000 horses are fattened at farms before being transported in appalling conditions with little food and water for days at a time to slaughterhouses in...

That this House notes that the 2009 Poppy Appeal raised a total of ??31,940,348; congratulates the Royal British Legion on another successful annual poppy appeal; commends the nation for its annual expression of support for the Legion's work and for armed forces veterans and current personnel; and thanks all those who wore a poppy for remembrance.

That this House notes that the 2009 Poppy Appeal raised a total of ??31,940,348; congratulates the Royal British Legion on another successful annual poppy appeal; commends the nation for its annual expression of support for the Legion's work and for armed forces veterans and current personnel; and thanks all those...

That this House notes the importance of the Thameslink Programme to the improvement of passenger rail services crossing London from towns and cities north and south of the capital; congratulates the Government on its decision to fund this scheme following long delays caused in part by the privatisation of the railways; recognises that many hundreds of construction workers are currently employed by Network Rail on the project; looks forward to the enhanced travel opportunities and the economic and environmental benefits which will flow from the completed network; welcomes the news that the existing Thameslink train fleet will be refurbished and redeployed to provide improved electric rail services in the North West of England and elsewhere; and calls on the Government to announce before the Easter adjournment, the winner of the order for new Thameslink trains, whilst ensuring that these are manufactured in the United Kingdom.

That this House notes the importance of the Thameslink Programme to the improvement of passenger rail services crossing London from towns and cities north and south of the capital; congratulates the Government on its decision to fund this scheme following long delays caused in part by the privatisation of the...

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 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 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 action taken by the UK Scout Association in response to a Private Members' Bill tabled in the Ugandan Parliament by David Bahati MP; notes the immediate response of the UK Scouts to raise the matter with the World Organisation of the Scout Movement which has responsibility for co-ordinating scouting on a global level; recognises the clear and unequivocal equal opportunities policy and practices maintained by the UK Scout Association; and supports UK Scouts in the action they take on the matter.

That this House acknowledges the action taken by the UK Scout Association in response to a Private Members' Bill tabled in the Ugandan Parliament by David Bahati MP; notes the immediate response of the UK Scouts to raise the matter with the World Organisation of the Scout Movement which has...

That this House recalls the continued interest of hon. Members on all sides of the House in this and previous Parliaments in the neglect and dereliction of Varosha, the sealed-off section of Famagusta; notes the more recent interest of the European Parliament in this situation through a visit to the area by its Petitions Committee which concluded among other things that with the return of Varosha to its original and lawful inhabitants it could become a laboratory of development and a symbol of the future of Cyprus; concurs with this judgement; believes also that the project of reconstructing and regenerating Varosha would deliver an unparalleled stimulus to the economy in the north as well as in the south of Cyprus; further believes that this would build the confidence which would underpin the successful future of a reunited Cyprus; and calls on the Government through all means available to it to promote and support such an initiative.

That this House recalls the continued interest of hon. Members on all sides of the House in this and previous Parliaments in the neglect and dereliction of Varosha, the sealed-off section of Famagusta; notes the more recent interest of the European Parliament in this situation through a visit to the...

That this House is concerned by recent reports of the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons; notes that 343 Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons at the end of February 2010; further notes that Israel routinely prosecutes children as young as 12; also notes the recent report by Defence for Children International which argues that ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children is widespread, systemic and institutionalised; and calls on the Government to recognise the seriousness of this and to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to uphold the human rights of Palestinian children.

That this House is concerned by recent reports of the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons; notes that 343 Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons at the end of February 2010; further notes that Israel routinely prosecutes children as young as 12; also notes the recent report...

That this House is concerned that the drug mephedrone, also known as 4-MMC, Meow Meow, and M-cat, is legal in the UK and readily available on the internet; notes that the drug is being increasingly used by young people, has been linked to the death of teenagers and has known side-effects such as headaches, palpitations, nausea, high blood pressure, a burning throat, nose bleeds and purple joints, weight loss and insomnia; further notes it is banned in some European countries; and therefore calls on the Government urgently to bring forward the review of this drug, to make it a controlled substance and to better educate youngsters about the dangers from using so-called recreational drugs.

That this House is concerned that the drug mephedrone, also known as 4-MMC, Meow Meow, and M-cat, is legal in the UK and readily available on the internet; notes that the drug is being increasingly used by young people, has been linked to the death of teenagers and has known...

That this House congratulates the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen, and the Minister for Communities, the hon. Member for Stevenage, for their wholehearted support for the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill; notes that the Bill had the support of the Official Opposition and the Liberal Democrats; hopes that the Bill will pass through this House in this Session; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that the Bill is brought before this House before the end of this Parliament and, if necessary, included in negotiations over wash-up arrangements.

That this House congratulates the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen, and the Minister for Communities, the hon. Member for Stevenage, for their wholehearted support for the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill; notes that the Bill had the support of...

That this House warmly welcomes the statement by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the debate on global security and non-proliferation on 4 March 2010 that `This is the year when the world can. . .demonstrate its seriousness on creating a nuclear-free world'; believes that 2010 could be seen historically as the moment when the international community decided to go firmly down the disarmament route; and further believes that the credibility of UK attempts to secure from other signatory states the long-term compliance with the requirements of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at its quinquennial review conference at the United Nations in New York in May 2010 would be robustly enhanced if Ministers took the bold decision to announce in advance, or as part of UK submissions to the conference, that further work on the replacement for Trident which will have cost ??23.8 million by April 2010 for the replacement of the nuclear warhead design alone, will be frozen and that the UK will concentrate on developing verifiable nuclear weapons decommissioning and dismantling procedures to assist agreement on a global regime of nuclear disarmament.

That this House warmly welcomes the statement by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the debate on global security and non-proliferation on 4 March 2010 that `This is the year when the world can. . .demonstrate its seriousness on creating a nuclear-free world'; believes that 2010 could...

That this House notes with concern the decision of the UK Border Agency to deny visas to three Palestinian farmers, Lina Mahmoud, Nahed Beshariah and Belal Eid, who were hoping to visit the UK to mark Fairtrade Fortnight; congratulates these three individuals for their hard work in being involved in the production of the first ever Fairtrade product from the occupied territories; supports the excellent work of Zaytoun in exporting Fairtrade olive oil from the West Bank to the UK; further notes that in 2009 the Prime Minister expressed himself as being delighted with the initiative; and therefore urges the Government to intervene and allow these farmers entry into the UK.

That this House notes with concern the decision of the UK Border Agency to deny visas to three Palestinian farmers, Lina Mahmoud, Nahed Beshariah and Belal Eid, who were hoping to visit the UK to mark Fairtrade Fortnight; congratulates these three individuals for their hard work in being involved in...

That this House is alarmed by proposals of edubusinesses to run state schools for profit along the lines of the Swedish system supported by the Conservative Party; and while recognising the important role business can play in supporting schools, deplores the notion that the educational needs of present and future generations should be exploited for profit by companies, organisations or individuals.

That this House is alarmed by proposals of edubusinesses to run state schools for profit along the lines of the Swedish system supported by the Conservative Party; and while recognising the important role business can play in supporting schools, deplores the notion that the educational needs of present and future...

That this House welcomes the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and major mobile telephone companies to make it free to call DWP 0800 numbers, including the crisis loans service, which had been costing 9,000,000 callers per year up to 40 pence per minute from a mobile telephone; congratulates the staff of Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau for their campaigning and research on behalf of claimants pressing for free telephone calls; notes that this will make a tremendous difference to the 12 per cent. of UK households, many of them amongst the poorest in Britain, who only have access to a mobile telephone and do not have a landline; and urges other Government departments, particularly HM Revenue and Customs, to take action to end the current situation, where people in the most urgent need of a financial safety net face a bill of up to ??12 for a half hour call to 08 numbered Government helplines.

That this House welcomes the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and major mobile telephone companies to make it free to call DWP 0800 numbers, including the crisis loans service, which had been costing 9,000,000 callers per year up to 40 pence per minute from a mobile...