That this House expresses profound sadness at the death of Corin Redgrave; recalls his life as a brilliant actor, peace campaigner, supporter of the downtrodden and man of enormous principle and generous character; and offers its condolences to all his family and many friends at the loss of such a fine man.

That this House expresses profound sadness at the death of Corin Redgrave; recalls his life as a brilliant actor, peace campaigner, supporter of the downtrodden and man of enormous principle and generous character; and offers its condolences to all his family and many friends at the loss of such a...

That this House notes the success of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, introduced by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer in April 2001 as an interim measure pending review by the European Community of a directive covering rates of value added tax; further notes that whilst that work continues, the current scheme is due to end in March 2011; and requests that consideration is given early in the next Parliament to the continuation of reliefs on value added tax which the scheme provides for repairs, maintenance and professional fees to repair fixtures such as bells and organs to buildings of valuable heritage and community value in order to maintain them for future generations.

That this House notes the success of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, introduced by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer in April 2001 as an interim measure pending review by the European Community of a directive covering rates of value added tax; further notes that whilst that work...

That this House notes that in 1993 the Stockton-on-Tees Sea Cadet Unit accepted a five-year loan agreement with the Ministry of Defence for the use of the former HMS Kellington as a headquarters, that in 1998 the Ministry sought to reclaim the vessel at the end of the five-year loan period but failed as the Tees Barrage had been built downstream, that consequently the Ministry proposed the transfer of ownership to the Sea Cadet Unit on the payment of ??2,000 and this became effective in 1999, that the Sea Cadet Unit did not exercise due diligence and the Ministry, which knew of the hazardous contaminants and radioactive materials, chose to offload its liability onto a youth organisation working to foster interest in the Navy, that the introduction of health and safety legislation rendered the vessel unfit for purpose, that the vessel was repeatedly vandalised and became a serious environmental hazard and a danger to passers-by, that the vessel was dismantled and removed by the efforts of Stockton Borough Council, Able UK, and the Marine Society and Sea Cadets at a total cost exceeding ??350,000, and that the Ministry knew full well the difficulties and potential shelf-life from centuries of vessel disposal but failed in its duty of care and legal obligation to exercise due diligence; and asserts that the Ministry, having been so negligent in its sale to a unit it knew to be woefully unequal to the task, should redeem itself by agreeing to enter into negotiations to defray the heavy cost heaped so unfairly on a struggling community.

That this House notes that in 1993 the Stockton-on-Tees Sea Cadet Unit accepted a five-year loan agreement with the Ministry of Defence for the use of the former HMS Kellington as a headquarters, that in 1998 the Ministry sought to reclaim the vessel at the end of the five-year loan...

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 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 regrets the actions taken by the hon. Member for Christchurch in objecting to further proceedings on the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill; notes that a majority of hon. Members, the Government, the Official Opposition and the Liberal Democrats have declared support for the Bill; and calls on the hon. Member to withdraw his opposition to the Bill.

That this House regrets the actions taken by the hon. Member for Christchurch in objecting to further proceedings on the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill; notes that a majority of hon. Members, the Government, the Official Opposition and the Liberal Democrats have declared support for the Bill; and calls...

That this House agrees with the trenchant comments on bankers made by Lord Myners, Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury in his article in The Guardian newspaper on 9 March 2010; supports particularly the assessment that in the past implicit support of the financial industry has probably represented the most expensive public subsidy provided to any industry, and his view that there is no reason why taxpayers should continue to provide subsidy to the cost of capital for the banking system; contrasts these sensible policy conclusions with the indefensible actions of the remuneration committee of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), supported by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI Ltd), to award nine senior bankers nearly 10,000,000 in bonuses, including 15.5 million RBS shares worth 5,900,000 given to John Hourican, head of the RBS investment arm, and 792,000 shares to Paul Geddes, head of RBS insurance arm, despite the dramatic drop in its profits; remains unconvinced that huge bonuses are needed to retain the services of top bankers; believes that no bonuses should be paid to senior bankers at RBS, which was saved from bankruptcy in 2008 by 54,000,000,000 of taxpayers' money and is currently 84 per cent. owned by taxpayers; and calls on the Chancellor to instruct UKFI Ltd, as Treasury agents for the private banks in receipt of taxpayer support, to halt these grotesquely generous, unacceptable bonus payments.

That this House agrees with the trenchant comments on bankers made by Lord Myners, Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury in his article in The Guardian newspaper on 9 March 2010; supports particularly the assessment that in the past implicit support of the financial industry has probably represented the most expensive public...

That this House acknowledges the right of the citizen to express lawful views about the unlawful acts of others at peaceful demonstrations; notes the disproportionate and unusually harsh sentences imposed on many young Muslims, most of exemplary character, who demonstrated against the Israeli attack on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009; and calls for an independent inquiry into the conduct of the police and public and the unwarranted collective conduct of the courts relevant to these demonstrations.

That this House acknowledges the right of the citizen to express lawful views about the unlawful acts of others at peaceful demonstrations; notes the disproportionate and unusually harsh sentences imposed on many young Muslims, most of exemplary character, who demonstrated against the Israeli attack on Gaza in December 2008 and...

That this House opposes the increased demonisation of Muslims in sections of the media; expresses its deep concern at the recent visit to the House of Lords by the far-right politician Geert Wilders; condemns the English Defence League demonstration outside Parliament in support of Geert Wilders and its slogans and placards inciting hatred, such as its demand for the closure of the East London Mosque, that will only lead to a climate of fear, division and disharmony; welcomes the participation and contribution of Muslims in British society, including in politics; and believes that the full participation of all communities in the forthcoming general election is in the interests of democracy.

That this House opposes the increased demonisation of Muslims in sections of the media; expresses its deep concern at the recent visit to the House of Lords by the far-right politician Geert Wilders; condemns the English Defence League demonstration outside Parliament in support of Geert Wilders and its slogans and...

That this House welcomes the Local Planning Authorities (Protection of Local Services) Bill introduced by a cross-party group of hon. Members in the last session; notes that the Bill made provision for local planning authorities to require planning permission prior to the demolition or change of use of any or all premises or land used or most recently used as a local service; further notes that this would help protect community amenities such as pubs and post offices; and therefore supports the provisions proposed in that Bill.

That this House welcomes the Local Planning Authorities (Protection of Local Services) Bill introduced by a cross-party group of hon. Members in the last session; notes that the Bill made provision for local planning authorities to require planning permission prior to the demolition or change of use of any or...

That this House is firmly opposed to the proposed dairy unit in Lincolnshire housing up to 8,100 cows that will be kept indoors for most of the year; notes that the cows are likely to produce extremely high milk yields; further notes that the key finding of a 2009 scientific opinion by the European Food Safety Authority is that breeding for high milk yield is the major factor causing poor welfare to cows; believes that cows should be farmed in pasture-based systems as these enable them to express natural behaviours and are associated with lower levels of lameness; further believes that the proposed unit is taking UK dairy farming in the wrong direction and that the way forward lies in the use of healthy robust herds with lower milk yields but higher net margins for farmers due to lower culling rates, lower heifer replacement costs and higher sale prices for their calves and cull cows; and urges retailers and producers of dairy products not to source milk from such large-scale intensive dairy units where cows receive only minimal grazing.

That this House is firmly opposed to the proposed dairy unit in Lincolnshire housing up to 8,100 cows that will be kept indoors for most of the year; notes that the cows are likely to produce extremely high milk yields; further notes that the key finding of a 2009 scientific...

That this House recognises the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of members of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq; applauds the recent review and enhancement of the Armed Forces' Compensation Scheme; and calls on the Government to amend the qualifying date of 6 April 2005 to 1 January 2001, which marks the beginning of the war on terror, that ensures equality of treatment for personnel injured in Iraq and Afghanistan and thereby honours its duty of care to this loyal and dignified group of service men and women and their families.

That this House recognises the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of members of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq; applauds the recent review and enhancement of the Armed Forces' Compensation Scheme; and calls on the Government to amend the qualifying date of 6 April 2005 to 1 January 2001, which...

That this House calls for the removal of the constraints on surgeons' working hours to a maximum of 48 hours per week imposed by the European Working Time Directive; notes the findings of a recent survey by the Royal College of Surgeons which shows that with current staffing levels it is impossible to implement a 48 hour working week and maintain good service delivery and that the new hours have led to an increase in handovers with doctors unable to follow their patient throughout surgical treatment and that the shift system for a 48 hour working week is significantly more tiring than the on-call system it replaced; and calls for an opt-out of the European Working Time Directive for surgeons and for surgeons in training to allow them to extend their working hours to a maximum of 65 hours per week, with appropriate rest breaks, so that hospitals are safely staffed to provide high quality care and continuity of care for all patients.

That this House calls for the removal of the constraints on surgeons' working hours to a maximum of 48 hours per week imposed by the European Working Time Directive; notes the findings of a recent survey by the Royal College of Surgeons which shows that with current staffing levels it...

That this House congratulates the local authorities responsible for the 199 proposals made under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 which have now been put forward by the Local Government Association to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for consideration; notes the high number of innovative proposals that focus on empowering communities and supporting further local engagement in the political process; recognises the key importance of encouraging public participation at the local level; and urges the Government to make an immediate commitment to publish the Action Plan required under section 4 of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 before the Easter adjournment.

That this House congratulates the local authorities responsible for the 199 proposals made under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 which have now been put forward by the Local Government Association to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for consideration; notes the high number of innovative proposals that...

That this House remembers with fondness and admiration the life, political leadership, authorship, trades unionism, journalism and unrivalled oratory of Michael Foot as one of the world's greatest socialists; fully supports his lifelong backing of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the necessity of a world without nuclear weapons; recalls that Michael Foot was proud to call himself an inveterate peacemonger; further recalls the sense set out in the Labour Party Manifesto for the 1983 General Election that was prescient and before its time in calling for the nationalisation of the banks; believes, had this sensible strategy by the then hon. Member for Ebbw Vale been supported, then the current economic crisis, arising from reckless and selfish behaviour of senior bankers, could have been avoided; further believes Michael Foot was a great internationalist and fighter for justice for the poor and dispossessed; and further believes that this nation would have been much better served if Michael Foot had led this country from 1983.

That this House remembers with fondness and admiration the life, political leadership, authorship, trades unionism, journalism and unrivalled oratory of Michael Foot as one of the world's greatest socialists; fully supports his lifelong backing of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the necessity of a world without nuclear weapons; recalls...

That this House notes that, following the introduction of a new motorcycle test on 27 April 2009, Driving Standards Agency figures show that 50,000 fewer people took the motorcycle test in the period to 31 January 2010 than in the same period in 2008; further notes that 45 learners crashed attempting the new test during its first nine weeks, resulting in 12 hospitalisations; further notes that the majority of crashes occurred during the new swerve and stop exercise, which has been combined into one exercise in Module One of the new test; further notes that this is not obligatory under the European directive which prompted the introduction of the new test; further notes that the new test has resulted in a reduction in test centres, requiring longer journeys for inexperienced riders to access test facilities; is concerned that inaction to tackle this lack of test centres and combined swerve and stop exercise could lead to a decline in the overall number of motorcyclists and the motorcycle industry as a whole; congratulates Motorcycle News and the Motorcycle Action Group on their campaign to have these issues addressed; and calls on the Government to consider separating the two elements of the swerve and stop exercise and to investigate how the availability of test centres could be addressed.

That this House notes that, following the introduction of a new motorcycle test on 27 April 2009, Driving Standards Agency figures show that 50,000 fewer people took the motorcycle test in the period to 31 January 2010 than in the same period in 2008; further notes that 45 learners crashed...

That this House notes the forthcoming MS Awareness Week between 26 April and 2 May 2010; acknowledges that about 100,000 people throughout the UK are affected by the condition and that in some regions of the UK, such as the north coast of Northern Ireland, instances are among the highest throughout the country; and pays tribute to branches of the MS Society in Northern Ireland which have been lobbying elected representatives for more access to physiotherapy for people with multiple sclerosis given the benefits such treatment provides for sufferers.

That this House notes the forthcoming MS Awareness Week between 26 April and 2 May 2010; acknowledges that about 100,000 people throughout the UK are affected by the condition and that in some regions of the UK, such as the north coast of Northern Ireland, instances are among the highest...

That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Improving Lives; regrets that more than 2.5 million people in the UK have diabetes; further regrets that up to 500,000 people have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it; notes with concern that one person in the UK is diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes and that by 2025 it is estimated that over four million people will have diabetes; acknowledges that diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today which, including the treatment of serious complications, costs the NHS 10 per cent. of its annual resources; and urges hon. Members seeking re-election in 2010 to support the Improving Lives campaign and the important issues it highlights.

That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Improving Lives; regrets that more than 2.5 million people in the UK have diabetes; further regrets that up to 500,000 people have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it; notes with concern that one person in the UK is diagnosed with...

That this House welcomes Keep Britain Tidy's latest report, This Is Our Home - A manifesto for a cleaner England; recognises that environmental quality is vitally important and underpins society as a whole; further notes that in 2007-08 the total street cleaning bill for England was over ??780 million; deplores the fact that there were more than one million incidences of fly tipping last year alone; congratulates Keep Britain Tidy and their supporters who have collected 62,000 bags of litter as part of their campaign; and calls on the Government to back Keep Britain Tidy's campaign and produce a fresh approach to improving local environments.

That this House welcomes Keep Britain Tidy's latest report, This Is Our Home - A manifesto for a cleaner England; recognises that environmental quality is vitally important and underpins society as a whole; further notes that in 2007-08 the total street cleaning bill for England was over ??780 million; deplores...

That this House condemns the gross violence currently being waged in the Jabel Marra region of Darfur, particularly the town of Deribat, displacing tens of thousands of people and killing hundreds; notes that this military offensive, reportedly including attack from the air, has come after Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir's declaration on 24 February 2010 `that the crisis in Darfur is finished. Darfur is now at peace'; recognises also that the Doha ceasefire deal on 23 February 2010 was with one rebel group only, the Justice and Equality Movement; welcomes any respite to the suffering people of Darfur which any ceasefire can provide but recognises the questions about its durability and scope; calls for the violence in Jabel Marra to end and for Unamid peacekeepers to be allowed the access to Deribat they have been trying to negotiate; supports those aid groups still in that region whose staff have been endangered and who will struggle to cope with the humanitarian hazards engendered by the current fighting; calls on the Government and international agencies to recognise the seriousness of this suffering and to marshall appropriate aid and other interventions; urges the Government and the UN to acknowledge the implications of wider violence in southern Sudan for the national elections due in April 2010, which will be a benchmark test for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between north and south Sudan; and further calls on all relevant agencies to undertake more contingency planning around those elections.

That this House condemns the gross violence currently being waged in the Jabel Marra region of Darfur, particularly the town of Deribat, displacing tens of thousands of people and killing hundreds; notes that this military offensive, reportedly including attack from the air, has come after Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir's declaration...