That this House believes that decent, affordable, secure and accountable council housing must continue to be provided and expanded; calls on the Government to invest in council housing to build new homes to meet housing need, to carry out repairs and improvements to existing council homes and estates and to ensure good quality housing services guaranteeing secure jobs with training and supports the manifesto for Council Housing promoted by the unions UNISON, GMBATU, UCATT, TAROE, Daylight Robbery Campaign and Defend Council Housing.

That this House believes that decent, affordable, secure and accountable council housing must continue to be provided and expanded; calls on the Government to invest in council housing to build new homes to meet housing need, to carry out repairs and improvements to existing council homes and estates and to...

That this House congratulates the Disability Rights Commission on a successful first year of activity to 25th April 2001; supports its vision of a society in which all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens; notes that it has established a range of high quality services, such as handling over 50,000 calls to its helpline, including 150 a week from employers and service providers, supporting over 2,000 individual disabled people to resolve issues relating to disability discrimination and arranging or providing representation for 41 disabled people to take cases under the Disability Discrimination Act 1994; and further notes its valuable advice to the Government on major policy and legislative issues.

That this House congratulates the Disability Rights Commission on a successful first year of activity to 25th April 2001; supports its vision of a society in which all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens; notes that it has established a range of high quality services, such as handling...

That this House notes that some 50,000 people rely on British Sign Language as their working language; recognises that deaf people still suffer a range of problems from social isolation to outright discrimination; applauds the many people, both deaf and hearing, from Greater Manchester and nationwide who are actively involved in the national campaign for recognition of British Sign Language; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to give a sympathetic response to this legitimate demand.

That this House notes that some 50,000 people rely on British Sign Language as their working language; recognises that deaf people still suffer a range of problems from social isolation to outright discrimination; applauds the many people, both deaf and hearing, from Greater Manchester and nationwide who are actively involved...

That this House applauds the Government's commitment to retaining prescription charge exemptions for many people suffering from permanent fistula, forms of hypo adrenalin, diabetes, hypoparathyroidism, myasthenia gravis, myxoedema, epilepsy and confining physical disablity; recognises that these exemptions prevent an additional financial burden being imposed on people as a result of their medical conditions; is concerned, however, that other people with a long-term requirement for prescribed medication, such as transplant patients, do not qualify for exemption certificates; and calls on the Government to review the prescription charge exemption list to ensure that it includes all conditions requiring long-term medication.

That this House applauds the Government's commitment to retaining prescription charge exemptions for many people suffering from permanent fistula, forms of hypo adrenalin, diabetes, hypoparathyroidism, myasthenia gravis, myxoedema, epilepsy and confining physical disablity; recognises that these exemptions prevent an additional financial burden being imposed on people as a result of...

That this House is concerned at the high number of preventable deaths from bowel cancer, and is particularly concerned that a disproportionate number of men die from bowel cancer; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to take measures during National Bowel Cancer Awareness Month to encourage men to seek treatment as soon as symptoms appear, and to be aware that embarrassment can kill.

That this House is concerned at the high number of preventable deaths from bowel cancer, and is particularly concerned that a disproportionate number of men die from bowel cancer; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to take measures during National Bowel Cancer Awareness Month to encourage men to seek treatment...

That this House is appalled by the tragedy of asbestos-related disease around the world and recognises that nowhere has the human cost been greater than in South Africa, where Cape plc, a British company, mined and milled asbestos until 1979; welcomes the decision by the House of Lords in July 2000 that the case for compensation brought by South African mineworkers should be heard in Britain but deplores Cape's delaying tactics; calls for the case which now includes more than 5,000 claimants to be settled as soon as possible; and urges the main institutional shareholders in the company, such as Norwich Union and Equitable Life, to use all their influence with the company to ensure it settles all these claims fairly and expeditiously.

That this House is appalled by the tragedy of asbestos-related disease around the world and recognises that nowhere has the human cost been greater than in South Africa, where Cape plc, a British company, mined and milled asbestos until 1979; welcomes the decision by the House of Lords in July...

That this House welcomes and supports plans to celebrate the 16th annual UK Volunteers' Week from 1st to 7th June in the year designated by the UN as International Year of the Volunteer 2001; welcomes this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that some 22 million volunteers in Britain make a significant contribution to active citizenship, democratic participation and community wellbeing; endorses and supports the links between Parliament and the voluntary sector which are being greatly strengthened by the Parliamentary Hearings on Volunteering (which have been undertaken for the All Party Group on Charities and the Voluntary Sector in conjunction with the United Kingdom Volunteering Forum), by the Volunteers' Week VIP Challenge and by the celebration of the work of older volunteers, organised by the IYV Committee on Older Volunteering, with which so many MPs have agreed to be associated; congratulates the National Centre for Volunteering, the National Association for Volunteer Bureaux, the Volunteer Development Agency (Northern Ireland), Volunteer Development Scotland and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action for their work in marking this week; and urges the Government to work with these organisations to identify and address the barriers which hinder many people from reaping the benefits that volunteering offers.

That this House welcomes and supports plans to celebrate the 16th annual UK Volunteers' Week from 1st to 7th June in the year designated by the UN as International Year of the Volunteer 2001; welcomes this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that some 22 million volunteers in Britain...

That this House notes Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week 2001 between 22nd to 29th April; notes that this includes the launch of a campaign entitled Specialist Nursing in MS - the Way Forward: Key Elements for Developing MS Specialist Nurse Services in the United Kingdom, which will seek to end the inadequate provision of care with people with multiple sclerosis and to highlight the rights and interests of people with multiple sclerosis; further notes that a minimum of 300 MS specialist nurses in the United Kingdom rather than the current 80 are needed to provide an effective service to people suffering from MS; recognises that MS specialist nurses can reduce the need for hospital admissions, outpatient appointments and general practitioner consultations, as well as improve clinical outcomes and patient well-being; and calls upon the Government to recognise this guidance for commissioners, National Health Service managers and neurologists to improve the lives of 85,000 people who are suffering from this debilitating disease.

That this House notes Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week 2001 between 22nd to 29th April; notes that this includes the launch of a campaign entitled Specialist Nursing in MS - the Way Forward: Key Elements for Developing MS Specialist Nurse Services in the United Kingdom, which will seek to end the...

That this House applauds the work of the Friends of War Memorials, the Royal Naval Association and survivors' associations in raising attention to the growing problem of invasive diving on maritime war graves and welcomes the present Government review; notes that because they were not designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 these graves lack the necessary legal protection; welcomes efforts which are now being made by the sports diver-training agencies to, where necessary, change sports divers' attitudes towards war graves; believes that in order to protect maritime war graves from the minority of irresponsible divers who plunder them the Government should invoke the 1986 Act in its entirety, designating first as controlled sites all known British and foreign naval vessels lying within British territorial waters which contain or are thought to contain human remains as controlled sites with restricted access for at least 100 years from the date of the loss of the vessel; and exhorts all sports divers to abide by the conditions of these designations whilst providing for controlled diving under the direction of licensed individuals for survey purposes so as to identify fresh damage and unauthorised diving and thus render unnecessary the need for further legislation.

That this House applauds the work of the Friends of War Memorials, the Royal Naval Association and survivors' associations in raising attention to the growing problem of invasive diving on maritime war graves and welcomes the present Government review; notes that because they were not designated under the Protection of...

That this House welcomes Parkinson's Awareness Week, 21st to 29th April, and its focus on current research into the cause, treatment and cure of Parkinson's disease; notes that the misdiagnosis rate for Parkinson's may be as high as 30 per cent.; recognises the work undertaken by the Parkinson's Disease Society in drawing attention to this degenerative, debilitating condition; welcomes the society's provision of information and support to those with Parkinson's and their families, particularly through the helpline which receives in excess of 10,000 calls a year; extends its best wishes to Mrs Mary Baker, the society's chief executive, on her forthcoming retirement; and calls on the Government to invest in neurologists and other specialists with an interest in Parkinson's and to introduce national guidelines for GPs for referral for all patients, regardless of age, to a specialist to ensure a quick and accurate diagnosis and initiation of treatment; and further calls on the Government to continue to address the variation in standards and access to services across the country.

That this House welcomes Parkinson's Awareness Week, 21st to 29th April, and its focus on current research into the cause, treatment and cure of Parkinson's disease; notes that the misdiagnosis rate for Parkinson's may be as high as 30 per cent.; recognises the work undertaken by the Parkinson's Disease Society...

That this House salutes the memory of the five Hurricane fighter pilots of No. 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force, who gave their lives defending Ceylon against 125 Japanese naval aircraft on 5th April 1942; celebrates the courage and skill of the British, Canadian, Australian and American pilots of 30 Squadron, 22 of whom scrambled to get airborne while their airfield was already under attack, yet inflicted losses which put the Japanese at a crucial disadvantage in the subsequent battles of the Coral Sea and Midway; and applauds the efforts of the 30 Squadron Association to raise ??8,000 for a 60th anniversary ceremony in 2002 and for a permanent memorial at Ratamala Airfield, Sri Lanka, dedicated to the memory of Sergeant Allan Browne RAFVR (Australian), Pilot Officer Garth Caswell RAAF (Australian), Pilot Officer Donald Geffene RAFVR (American), Flight Sergeant Tony Ovens DFM, RAFVR (British) and Flight Sergeant Thomas Paxton MiD, RAFVR (British).

That this House salutes the memory of the five Hurricane fighter pilots of No. 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force, who gave their lives defending Ceylon against 125 Japanese naval aircraft on 5th April 1942; celebrates the courage and skill of the British, Canadian, Australian and American pilots of 30 Squadron,...

That this House welcomes the creation of the United Kingdom-based charity Bangladesh Medical Relief Foundation; and applauds its achievements in establishing a 150 bed hospital in Beanibazar, Sylhet which is a local point for many surrounding villages, and its aims to create a further 100 beds, to set up other medical centres, mobile medical units, an eye camp, a blood transfusion centre and a family planning centre which will assist local communities to increase their awareness of and access to health facilities and health care programmes.

That this House welcomes the creation of the United Kingdom-based charity Bangladesh Medical Relief Foundation; and applauds its achievements in establishing a 150 bed hospital in Beanibazar, Sylhet which is a local point for many surrounding villages, and its aims to create a further 100 beds, to set up other...

That this House condemns unreservedly the blatant profiteering by United Kingdom Breweries, who have announced beer price increases of up to 10 pence a pint in the same week that the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget froze the duty on beer, a measure which clearly demonstrates a Labour Government's support and commitment to the British consumer.

That this House condemns unreservedly the blatant profiteering by United Kingdom Breweries, who have announced beer price increases of up to 10 pence a pint in the same week that the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget froze the duty on beer, a measure which clearly demonstrates a Labour...

That this House recognises that March 2001 is the 125th anniversary of the founding of Partick Thistle FC, and also the 30th anniversary of their Scottish League Cup win; notes the outstanding contribution the club has made to sport in the City of Glasgow; and congratulates the club both on these important milestones, and on its current run of success.

That this House recognises that March 2001 is the 125th anniversary of the founding of Partick Thistle FC, and also the 30th anniversary of their Scottish League Cup win; notes the outstanding contribution the club has made to sport in the City of Glasgow; and congratulates the club both on...

That this House recognises the importance of improving local air quality, reducing vehicle noise and ensuring that the UK plays its full part in combating global warming; welcomes the Green Fuels Challenge; believes that liquefied petroleum gas can be a significant part of the solution to problem areas in the UK's Air Quality Strategy; notes that there are currently some 39,000 vehicles using LPG in the UK, compared to an international total approaching six million, with 1.2 million in Italy, 530,000 in Australia, 325,000 in the Netherlands and 180,000 in France; welcomes the fact that the major automotive LPG suppliers, including Shell, BP, Calor Gas, British Gas, Flogas and Conoco, all members of the LPG Association, are all now investing in the UK's LPG refuelling infrastructure; notes that with adequate fiscal incentives from the UK Government the industry estimates that it will have 250,000 vehicles running on LPG by the end of 2004, which will cut emissions of key target pollutants and greenhouse gases; notes that LPG has considerable environmental advantages over ultra low sulphur petrol and ultra low sulphur diesel; and therefore calls on the Chancellor to recognise in his Budget the powerful case made by the LPG industry.

That this House recognises the importance of improving local air quality, reducing vehicle noise and ensuring that the UK plays its full part in combating global warming; welcomes the Green Fuels Challenge; believes that liquefied petroleum gas can be a significant part of the solution to problem areas in the...

That this House notes the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1996, as amended, which protects as a listed event the entire Football World Cup Finals; believes that this great event of huge national and international importance should continue to be available to all on terrestrial television; views with alarm the attempts of the rights holders to the 2002 and 2006 tournaments, the German media company Kirch, to circumvent the 1996 Act and auction the bulk of the broadcasting rights to subscription TV companies; and urges the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Independent Television Commission to do all in their power to ensure that every game in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup Finals is available free to the whole population.

That this House notes the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1996, as amended, which protects as a listed event the entire Football World Cup Finals; believes that this great event of huge national and international importance should continue to be available to all on terrestrial television; views with alarm the...

That this House reiterates its support for energy conservation as a 'win win' situation for people and the environment and therefore welcomes the Four Steps Forward campaign recently launched by the Association for Conservation of Energy; notes that this calls for the achievement of the 30 per cent. energy targets in the domestic sector supported by all parties in this House when the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 was enacted; and for the improvement of Part L of the Building Regulations which relates to thermal insulation as promised by the Government in 1999 and supported by the Environment, Transport and Regions select committee, and for a scheme to give home buyers a rebate on stamp duty if they carry out certain works to improve the energy efficiency of their homes thus providing a clear incentive for homes buyers to invest in such measures and for the setting of targets for energy conservation in the offices sector, thus tackling the alarming situation whereby energy use in this sector rose between 40 per cent. between 1990 and 1995 and projected annual rates of increase over the next decade are greater than all other sectors put together; and so hopes that speedy action will be taken on these matters so reducing CO2 emissions and creating jobs.

That this House reiterates its support for energy conservation as a 'win win' situation for people and the environment and therefore welcomes the Four Steps Forward campaign recently launched by the Association for Conservation of Energy; notes that this calls for the achievement of the 30 per cent. energy targets...

That this House, believing that airline passengers and the aviation industry can only benefit from greater choice and more competition, urges her Majesty's Government to grant Singapore Airlines' long-standing request to open a transatlantic service from London Heathrow Airport; notes that this request was first made 12 years ago and has the approval of the US Government; that, as recommended by the House of Commons Transport Committee, approval can be given immediately regardless of the status or outcome of the UK-US bilateral negotiations as Singapore Airlines is not party to any agreement between the two countries, that British airlines have exercised rights to fly beyond Singapore for over 30 years but that Singapore Airlines has no rights beyond the UK and that two UK and two US airlines operate 97 per cent. of transatlantic services from Heathrow, thus severely limiting consumer choice; and recognises Singapore Airlines' commitment to providing passengers throughout the UK with services of the highest quality over the last 28 years.

That this House, believing that airline passengers and the aviation industry can only benefit from greater choice and more competition, urges her Majesty's Government to grant Singapore Airlines' long-standing request to open a transatlantic service from London Heathrow Airport; notes that this request was first made 12 years ago and...