That this House welcomes the Small Scale Renewable Energy Developments (Permitted Development) Bill introduced into the House by a cross-party group of honourable Members; notes that the Bill will grant permitted development status to such developments and therefore enable people to install them far more easily; notes too that the Bill promotes safeguards to ensure that visual, environmental and noise effects of such developments will be minimal; and believes that microgeneration is an exciting new way of combating climate change and of engaging people in achieving this objective.

That this House welcomes the Small Scale Renewable Energy Developments (Permitted Development) Bill introduced into the House by a cross-party group of honourable Members; notes that the Bill will grant permitted development status to such developments and therefore enable people to install them far more easily; notes too that the...

That this House notes with considerable concern that communities up and down the United Kingdom are becoming bombarded with mobile phone mast applications, often repeatedly so; further notes that the 10 point guidance by the industry to regulate and regularise such applications is more honoured in the breach than the observance; further notes that it is now almost five years since the Stewart Report dealt with health-related issues and, because concerns are increasing and scientific understanding has moved on and the output of such masts have increased, calls upon the Government urgently to look again at planning guidance in relation to mast applications and to recall the Stewart Committee in order that health aspects of mast applications can be reassessed.

That this House notes with considerable concern that communities up and down the United Kingdom are becoming bombarded with mobile phone mast applications, often repeatedly so; further notes that the 10 point guidance by the industry to regulate and regularise such applications is more honoured in the breach than the...

That this House supports the Consensus Statement in response to the recently published National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on the Diagnosis and Management of Epilepsy, produced by a group of expert clinical epileptologists and representatives of the epilepsy voluntary sector, supported by over 100 epilepsy clinicians and voluntary sector organisations; and calls on the Government to put in place a national plan to increase the number of epilepsy specialist nurses from 140 to 600 across adult, paediatric and learning difficulties epilepsy disciplines within two years and to introduce a national plan of epilepsy training for general practitioners, accident and emergency doctors, and other general paediatricians and clinicians to increase their epilepsy knowledge to a level appropriate for them to fulfil their respective roles.

That this House supports the Consensus Statement in response to the recently published National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on the Diagnosis and Management of Epilepsy, produced by a group of expert clinical epileptologists and representatives of the epilepsy voluntary sector, supported by over 100 epilepsy clinicians and voluntary sector...

That this House recognises the invaluable contribution made by House of Commons cleaners towards ensuring the smooth running of this House; is dismayed with the poor pay and working conditions of the cleaners who are paid a miserly ??4.85 per hour with only 12 days' paid holiday per annum, statutory sick pay only and no company pension; finds these employment terms and conditions shameful and totally unacceptable in 21st century Britain; wholeheartedly supports the claim made by the Transport and General Workers Union, who represent cleaners in the House, for better wages and improved working conditions; believes that the cleaners' claim should not be ignored or their work continued to be taken for granted; and urges the House authorities and the contractors that employ the cleaners to accept their claim for ??6.70 per hour, 20 days' paid holiday per annum, company sick pay and a company pension to ensure they receive a fair deal.

That this House recognises the invaluable contribution made by House of Commons cleaners towards ensuring the smooth running of this House; is dismayed with the poor pay and working conditions of the cleaners who are paid a miserly ??4.85 per hour with only 12 days' paid holiday per annum, statutory...

That this House recognises the success of the franchised bus network in London, which has improved service quality and resulted in much greater use of services; notes the decline in bus patronage and continuing reductions in socially necessary services since the industry was deregulated outside London; and therefore calls upon the Government to change the current legislative framework in order to make it easier and quicker for local authorities and passenger transport executives outside London to introduce franchising in circumstances where the industry has failed to provide a socially inclusive service and deliver the quality necessary to achieve patronage growth in line with national targets.

That this House recognises the success of the franchised bus network in London, which has improved service quality and resulted in much greater use of services; notes the decline in bus patronage and continuing reductions in socially necessary services since the industry was deregulated outside London; and therefore calls upon...

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 (S.I., 2004, No. 3372), dated 17th December 2004, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22nd December, be annulled.

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 (S.I., 2004, No. 3372), dated 17th December 2004, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22nd December, be annulled.

That this House notes the deep concern expressed by pensioner organisations representing members of public sector schemes, at the treatment of the oldest and most vulnerable scheme members; agrees with the Civil Service Pensioners' Alliance that, in the Civil Service Pension Scheme, there is a clear disparity between 'classic' scheme provision and the improved provision available to newer pensioners; is concerned that the 'classic' scheme does not allow a pension for life for scheme members' widows and provides little or no income for widows of post-retirement marriages; acknowledges that this pension scheme now consists of a two-tier system that unfairly exludes some widows and widowers already on low incomes from the protections now deemed adequate and necessary for new scheme members and their spouses; further notes that the Government has published consultations on the future of other public sector pension schemes; and calls on the Government to protect the rights of pensioners in public sector pension schemes and to ensure that the oldest scheme members and their spouses are guaranteed a financially secure retirement.

That this House notes the deep concern expressed by pensioner organisations representing members of public sector schemes, at the treatment of the oldest and most vulnerable scheme members; agrees with the Civil Service Pensioners' Alliance that, in the Civil Service Pension Scheme, there is a clear disparity between 'classic' scheme...

That this House is concerned that the continuing failure of self-regulation of complaints against solicitors by the Law Society has still not been adequately addressed by Government, whose only action so far has been the half measure of appointing a Legal Services Complaints Commissioner who is also the full-time Legal Services Ombudsman, whose power to fine has already been reduced from a suggested five million pounds to one million after consultation with the Law Society, and whose work has been made dependent on milestones or targets determined by the Society despite the fact that the law Society has consistently failed to achieve its own target; is further concerned that the review of the regulatory framework on legal services in England and Wales, due to report in December, has been compromised by its close meetings with and sympathetic responses to a Law Society still fighting vigorously to retain the maximum degree of self-regulation, despite the huge weight of evidence showing that it has already failed; and therefore calls on the Government to stop deferring to the Law Society and taking hesitant half measures and instead to set up a fully independent, full-time, external system of regulation of complaints against solicitors with power to fine and award compensation.

That this House is concerned that the continuing failure of self-regulation of complaints against solicitors by the Law Society has still not been adequately addressed by Government, whose only action so far has been the half measure of appointing a Legal Services Complaints Commissioner who is also the full-time Legal...

That this House is dismayed by Health and Safety Commission figures which show that in 2003-04, as a consequence of work-related accidents, 235 workers and 371 members of the public were killed and 129,143 workers and 13,575 members of the public suffered non-fatal injuries; notes that 11 people were killed in construction accidents alone in November 2004; further notes research by the Health and Safety Executive showing that 70 per cent. of workplace fatalities are as a result of management failures; is concerned that, while UK law imposes health and safety obligations on employees and members of the public, it places no positive health and safety duties on company directors; believes that the absence of statutory directors' duties on health and safety hinders the prevention of accidents, injuries and fatalities and makes it more difficult to secure justice for the victims of health and safety breaches by negligent companies and directors; endorses the view of the Work and Pensions Select Committee that statutory health and safety duties for company directors would have a positive impact on the current levels of preventable workplace deaths and injuries; and therefore supports the Work and Pensions Select Committee's call for legislation on this issue and believes that the introduction of statutory health and safety duties on company directors will ensure safety in the workplace and responsibility in the boardroom.

That this House is dismayed by Health and Safety Commission figures which show that in 2003-04, as a consequence of work-related accidents, 235 workers and 371 members of the public were killed and 129,143 workers and 13,575 members of the public suffered non-fatal injuries; notes that 11 people were killed...

That this House expresses concern at current proposals to define a pint of beer as not less than 95 per cent. liquid; notes that the Campaign for Real Ale, the Trading Standards Institute and the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services believe that this proposal will result in the proposed 5 per cent. tolerance being added to the existing deficiency threshold normally applied by enforcement agencies before considering prosecution action, which will result in licensees being able to serve pints of substantially less than 95 per cent. liquid; further notes that short measure costs consumers over ??400 million annually, HM Treasury over ??54 million annually in lost excise revenues and brewers ??133 million in lost beer sales; and therefore calls on the Government to bring forward legislation to protect consumers from short beer measures by defining a pint of beer as 100 per cent. liquid.

That this House expresses concern at current proposals to define a pint of beer as not less than 95 per cent. liquid; notes that the Campaign for Real Ale, the Trading Standards Institute and the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services believe that this proposal will result in the proposed...

That this House notes the most recent report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights which is severely critical of sections of the Mental Capacity Bill; notes in particular the criticism of those sections dealing with the withholding and withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment and of assisted food and fluids; further notes the conclusion that the presumption in favour of life-sustaining treatment in relation to the withdrawal of assisted food and fluids is not sufficiently strong in the Bill to satisfy the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 2, 3 and 8); believes that it would be disastrous if the Bill, which has the laudable aim of seeking to transform the lives of mentally incapacitated individuals and their carers, were to become a vehicle for the introduction of euthanasia; regrets that, despite Government assurances, the declaratory provision in Clause 58 that nothing in the Bill is to be taken to affect the law relating to murder, manslaughter and suicide is not sufficient to rule out the threat of euthanasia by omission posed by the Bill; and calls upon the Government to take note of the report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights and to amend the Mental Capacity Bill to make it clear that it gives no statutory authority to any decision made with a purpose of bringing about the death of the person about whose personal welfare the decision is made.

That this House notes the most recent report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights which is severely critical of sections of the Mental Capacity Bill; notes in particular the criticism of those sections dealing with the withholding and withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment and of assisted food and fluids; further...

That this House welcomes the United Kingdom Government's commitment to tackling African poverty in 2005; notes that changes in trade rules to ensure trade justice are vital to achieving poverty reduction in developing countries, particularly in Africa; notes with concern that current proposals by the European Commission for free trade areas with Africa through economic partnership agreements could lead to the liberalisation of 90 per cent. of African trade over 12 years, including agricultural products; further notes with concern that the European Commission is refusing to talk about its own Common Agricultural Policy in these talks; further notes that economic partnership agreements may undermine Africa's own regional trade integration; further notes that Europe is including issues in these talks that have been rejected by those African countries at the World Trade Organisation; and calls on the United Kingdom Government to lead the way for changes in the Commission's negotiating mandate to take account of these concerns and take an important step towards trade justice by fulfilling its own commitments to provide alternative forms of market access into the EU to those African countries which do not want to sign up to economic partnership agreements.

That this House welcomes the United Kingdom Government's commitment to tackling African poverty in 2005; notes that changes in trade rules to ensure trade justice are vital to achieving poverty reduction in developing countries, particularly in Africa; notes with concern that current proposals by the European Commission for free trade...

That this House welcomes the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel's separation barrier (9th July 2004); notes its conclusion that the barrier is illegal and that Israel has a legal obligation to dismantle the barrier where it is built on occupied land; welcomes the UN General Assembly resolution (20th July 2004) supported by 150 states that demands Israel comply with the ICJ's advisory opinion; and calls upon the British Government to urge Israel to dismantle the barrier where built on occupied land and to ensure Israel's full compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention in respect of the occupied territories.

That this House welcomes the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel's separation barrier (9th July 2004); notes its conclusion that the barrier is illegal and that Israel has a legal obligation to dismantle the barrier where it is built on occupied land; welcomes the UN General...

That this House recognises that the question of self-determination for the people of Kashmir remains unresolved more than 50 years after the creation of India and Pakistan as independent states; wholeheartedly welcomes the new approach being taken by the governments of India and Pakistan to bring a peaceful solution to one of the world's longest running disputes; calls upon all groups to cease human rights violations and allow the free movement of local people and leaders; and reaffirms its belief that Her Majesty's Government should continue vigorously to support the right of the Kasmiri people to determine their own future.

That this House recognises that the question of self-determination for the people of Kashmir remains unresolved more than 50 years after the creation of India and Pakistan as independent states; wholeheartedly welcomes the new approach being taken by the governments of India and Pakistan to bring a peaceful solution to...

That this House is extremely concerned about the unfair nature of the Disabled Facilities Grant means test, particularly for families with disabled children; notes that many families who need to make vital adaptations to their home are often forced into massive debt by having to pay for the full cost of adaptations themselves or are unable to carry out the work, leaving their home inaccessible for their child; believes this situation is unacceptable; welcomes the ODPM's current review of the Disabled Families Grant and urges the Government to follow the recent decision to abolish the means test in Northern Ireland; and further believes that such a move would greatly improve the quality of life for many disabled children and their families.

That this House is extremely concerned about the unfair nature of the Disabled Facilities Grant means test, particularly for families with disabled children; notes that many families who need to make vital adaptations to their home are often forced into massive debt by having to pay for the full cost...

That this House expresses its deep concern at the death sentence facing respected Buddhist religious leader, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, in Tibet, that was handed down in an unfair trial on 2nd December 2002 and confirmed in a retrial in January; notes that neither trial conformed to international standards of justice and that Rinpoche has been held incommunicado since then; further notes that this brutally harsh treatment could set back the recent welcome dialogue between the People's Republic of China and representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama; and calls upon the UK Government to put pressure on the Chinese authorities as an act of clemency to remove the death sentence and allow a fair and free retrial in the presence of international impartial observers.

That this House expresses its deep concern at the death sentence facing respected Buddhist religious leader, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, in Tibet, that was handed down in an unfair trial on 2nd December 2002 and confirmed in a retrial in January; notes that neither trial conformed to international standards of justice...

That this House notes that, according to official statistics, over one million children in Britain are homeless or in housing which is either overcrowded or unfit for human habitation; notes that all the available research indicates that this can have devastating effects on their health, education and future prospects; and welcomes Shelter's Million Children campaign, highlighting the plight of these children and supports its call to end bad housing for the next generation of children.

That this House notes that, according to official statistics, over one million children in Britain are homeless or in housing which is either overcrowded or unfit for human habitation; notes that all the available research indicates that this can have devastating effects on their health, education and future prospects; and...

That this House supports the proposal from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee for an investment allowance to create a level playing field for council housing and enable local authorities to finance borrowing under the prudential framework to meet the Decent Homes Standard as an alternative to the Government's three current options of stock transfer, private finance initiative and arm's length management organisations; shares the concerns expressed in the critical reports by the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office on the cost-effectiveness of stock transfer; believes that a fourth option, allowing councils to improve their own stock, can be funded by reinvesting all the income from tenants' rents, capital receipts and savings on expensive set-up costs; notes the broad consensus of support from tenants, the Local Government Association and local authorities, the TUC and trade unions for the fourth option; and welcomes the recognition by the Deputy Prime Minister on 26th September that public financing of housing doesn't treat local authorities on a level playing field and I want to see that changed and I promised to do that and look at an inquiry into it; and urges him to stand by this promise so that tenants can have a real choice, councils can compete on a level playing field and the public housing stock can be repaired, refurbished and expanded to make its contribution to the growing need for public rented housing, instead of wasting millions to give it away.

That this House supports the proposal from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee for an investment allowance to create a level playing field for council housing and enable local authorities to finance borrowing under the prudential framework to meet the Decent Homes Standard as an alternative to...

That this House believes that the Government's targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions require a step-change in the take-up of renewable energy; notes that while Government policies promote renewable electricity generation, little is done to promote the renewable generation of heat through technologies such as biomass, including biogas, solar heating and ground source heat pumps; further notes that energy used for heat is responsible for a third of our carbon emissions, that renewable heat technologies could cut these emissions, help tackle fuel poverty in remote areas of the country, increase fuel security, and provide new markets for the farming and forestry industry; and calls on the Government to extend the renewables obligation to support renewable heat, as recommended by the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution.

That this House believes that the Government's targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions require a step-change in the take-up of renewable energy; notes that while Government policies promote renewable electricity generation, little is done to promote the renewable generation of heat through technologies such as biomass, including biogas, solar heating...

That this House notes the recent ballot held by CATU in which 67 per cent. voted to keep the political fund; further notes that under legislation introduced by the Conservative Government in 1984, trade unions wishing to contribute to political parties or engage in other political activities must establish a political fund; further notes that each union must ballot their members every 10 years on whether to retain this fund; recognises that all individual union members have the right to opt out of paying into a political fund should they so choose; is concerned that this trade union bears an excessive financial burden in order to fulfill their natural role of representing their members' interests; believes that in the light of the CATU members' recent overwhelming vote in favour of retaining the union's political fund the Government should abolish the legislation that puts such excessive burdens on trade unions.

That this House notes the recent ballot held by CATU in which 67 per cent. voted to keep the political fund; further notes that under legislation introduced by the Conservative Government in 1984, trade unions wishing to contribute to political parties or engage in other political activities must establish a...