That this House believes that, for the good of our parliamentary system and in the public interest, this House should not Prorogue on 21st March in order to allow the Committee on Standards and Privileges to receive and publish the report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on allegations referred to by Madam Speaker in her Statement to the House on 14th October 1996.

That this House believes that, for the good of our parliamentary system and in the public interest, this House should not Prorogue on 21st March in order to allow the Committee on Standards and Privileges to receive and publish the report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on allegations referred...

That this House deplores the attempt by asset-strippers, hiding behind brass plates in Monte Carlo, the West Indies and the Channel Islands, to seize the assets of the Co-operative Movement which for more than a century has served the best interests of Britain's consumers; and urges the Department of Trade and Industry, the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange to halt this charade before another financial scandal in the City emerges.

That this House deplores the attempt by asset-strippers, hiding behind brass plates in Monte Carlo, the West Indies and the Channel Islands, to seize the assets of the Co-operative Movement which for more than a century has served the best interests of Britain's consumers; and urges the Department of Trade...

That this House welcomes the Third Report of the Social Security Committee into the Uprating of State Retirement Pensions payable to People Resident Abroad (HC 143) of Session 1996-97) and strongly supports its concluding recommendation: That there should be a free vote at prime time to allow honourable Members to express their opinion on the principle of whether the Government should pay upratings to some or all of those pensioners living in countries where upratings are not paid at present.

That this House welcomes the Third Report of the Social Security Committee into the Uprating of State Retirement Pensions payable to People Resident Abroad (HC 143) of Session 1996-97) and strongly supports its concluding recommendation: That there should be a free vote at prime time to allow honourable Members to...

That this House records its deep appreciation of the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe's long and distinguished services to all Right honourable and honourable Members, past and present, as Chairman both of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund and the House of Commons Members' Fund; notes with admiration his work and achievements in improving provision for the widows and other dependants of former honourable Members who have died; and expresses its appreciation also of the services of those of his fellow managing trustees who, like the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, will be retiring from the House at the General Election.

That this House records its deep appreciation of the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe's long and distinguished services to all Right honourable and honourable Members, past and present, as Chairman both of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund and the House of Commons Members' Fund; notes with admiration his work...

That this House welcomes the Third Report of the Social Security Committee into the Uprating of State Retirement Pensions Payable to People Resident Abroad (HC 143 of Session 1996-97) and strongly supports its concluding recommendation: That there should be a free vote at prime time to allow honourable Members to express their opinion on the principle of whether the Government should pay upratings to some or all of those pensioners living in countries where upratings are not paid at present.

That this House welcomes the Third Report of the Social Security Committee into the Uprating of State Retirement Pensions Payable to People Resident Abroad (HC 143 of Session 1996-97) and strongly supports its concluding recommendation: That there should be a free vote at prime time to allow honourable Members to...

That this House notes with disgust that the end of February marks the Waterloo Cup hare coursing finals, despite the fact that 20 years ago this House voted by a large majority for the abolition of hare coursing only to see supporters of bloodsports block the Bill in another place; is equally disgusted that the Waterloo Cup event continues to take place more than 40 years after the Government Committee of Enquiry into Cruelty to Wild Animals (Scott-Henderson Committee) condemned the event as cruel; is outraged that this persecution of hares continues despite the recent announcement by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee that the United Kingdom hare population has declined by 80 per cent during this century; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to introduce legislation for a greater protection of hares, including an opportunity for a free vote of this House on a bill to outlaw hare coursing.

That this House notes with disgust that the end of February marks the Waterloo Cup hare coursing finals, despite the fact that 20 years ago this House voted by a large majority for the abolition of hare coursing only to see supporters of bloodsports block the Bill in another place;...

That this House is concerned at the revelations reported by the BBC Frontline Scotland investigative team on the behaviour of a Lanarkshire Mining Company, Law Mining; notes the admission of the company's Managing Director that they employ private detectives to investigate the private lives of individuals who petition against their planning applications to develop opencast mining sites in Lanarkshire; finds such a practice to be alarming and infringing on peoples' democratic rights; notes that the Managing Director of Law Mining is a former Conservative Councillor and parliamentary candidate; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to investigate this company's conduct and report to Lord Nolan's Committee if honourable Members or other politicians are involved directly or indirectly in advising this company to behave in the manner described by the BBC Frontline programme.

That this House is concerned at the revelations reported by the BBC Frontline Scotland investigative team on the behaviour of a Lanarkshire Mining Company, Law Mining; notes the admission of the company's Managing Director that they employ private detectives to investigate the private lives of individuals who petition against their...

That this House applauds the decision by Ted Whybrew, the Certification Officer for Trade Unions and Employers Associations, not to grant a certificate of independence to the Government Communications Staff Federation; welcomes the vindication of the views of those trade unions and workers who for so long have opposed the ban on trade unions at GCHQ; notes and supports those counts on which the GCSF's application foundered, namely that the officers of the GCSF are subject to disciplinary and other decisions by its management, are not free to affiliate, merge with or recruit from elsewhere and contest their conditions of service without risking expulsion, have limited access to industrial tribunals with industrial action being effectively banned and finally that the GCSF's continuation as a representative functioning body is 80 per cent. reliant upon funding by management; and calls on the Government finally to accept that the ban is in contravention of ILO Convention 87, contrary to natural justice and, as such, fundamentally wrong, to admit their error and make immediate amends by restoring in full Trade Union rights to GCHQ employees and to reinstate those workers previously unjustly dismissed from their employment.

That this House applauds the decision by Ted Whybrew, the Certification Officer for Trade Unions and Employers Associations, not to grant a certificate of independence to the Government Communications Staff Federation; welcomes the vindication of the views of those trade unions and workers who for so long have opposed the...

That this House notes that Chris Griffiths, Banqueting Manager of the Refreshment Department, is leaving the House of Commons at the end of 1996 after 27 years of service; and thanks him for his loyalty and unfailing kindness to honourable Members of this House and wishes him well in any venture he undertakes in the future.

That this House notes that Chris Griffiths, Banqueting Manager of the Refreshment Department, is leaving the House of Commons at the end of 1996 after 27 years of service; and thanks him for his loyalty and unfailing kindness to honourable Members of this House and wishes him well in any...

That this House notes that caring for patients in mixed sex hospital accommodation causes considerable distress as well as undermining patients' dignity and privacy; recognises that there is huge variation across the United Kingdom in the provision of single sex wards; further notes that the Patient's Charter in England and Wales states that preference for single sex wards should be respected wherever possible but that no similar standard is specified in Scotland or Northern Ireland; congratulates the Royal College of Nursing which has been consistently campaigning for patients to be nursed in single sex wards; welcomes the call in their National Health Manifesto for a legal right for patients to choose to be cared for in single sex accommodation; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Health to require NHS managers to take prompt action to make available single sex accommodation for all patients who choose it.

That this House notes that caring for patients in mixed sex hospital accommodation causes considerable distress as well as undermining patients' dignity and privacy; recognises that there is huge variation across the United Kingdom in the provision of single sex wards; further notes that the Patient's Charter in England and...

That this House is concerned that increases in road traffic will cause more atmospheric pollution and emission of more greenhouse gases, as well as being damaging to communities and the countryside; notes the similar concerns expressed in the recent reports by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the Houses's own Transport Committee; notes, too, that the Government in its recent Air Quality Strategy accepts that 'changes in planning and transport policies which would reduce the need to travel and reliance on the car', could be needed in order to ensure that air quality targets can be met; also notes that the CBI has estimated that traffic congestion is costing British industry ??19 billion per year; and welcomes the introduction of the Road Traffic Reduction Bill by a cross-party group of honourable Members led by the honourable Member for Bath, the honourable Member for Stoke on Trent North, the honourable Member for Eltham and the honourable Member for Ceredigion and Pembroke North, which requires local authorities to draw up local road traffic reduction plans in order to reduce traffic in their areas in ways that they consider appropriate to their circumstances, and which requires the Secretary of State to draw up and implement a national road traffic reduction plan requiring a reduction of traffic miles by five per cent. on 1990 levels by 2005 and a reduction of 10 per cent. by 2010.

That this House is concerned that increases in road traffic will cause more atmospheric pollution and emission of more greenhouse gases, as well as being damaging to communities and the countryside; notes the similar concerns expressed in the recent reports by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the Houses's...

That this House deplores the fact that newsagents remain under unacceptable pressures as a result of monopolistic practices by wholesalers and publishers resulting in the continued imposition of unjustified carriage charge increases and reduced margins, which is leading to an escalating number of business failures and reductions in the level of service to the public; is further disappointed that, despite the optimistic assurances by the then Minister for Corporate Affairs, who believes that voluntary solutions could be achieved, publishers have refused to participate in intra-industry discussions; is appalled that both the publishers and wholesalers have instead used the time allotted for 'conciliation' by the Director General of Fair Trading to further disadvantage the retailers; and calls upon the President of the Board of Trade and the Minister for Corporate Affairs to refer this matter forthwith to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in order to bring about a structure which will empower newsagents to negotiate terms and conditions on a normal commercial basis.

That this House deplores the fact that newsagents remain under unacceptable pressures as a result of monopolistic practices by wholesalers and publishers resulting in the continued imposition of unjustified carriage charge increases and reduced margins, which is leading to an escalating number of business failures and reductions in the level...

That this House is sad that the 'Land Girls', whose efforts helped to save the nation from starvation between 1940 and 1945, have never received official recognition either by medals or gratuities, even though their counterparts in Australia have recently received honours; notes furthermore, that in the foreword to Nicola Tyrer's book 'They Fought in the Fields', Her Majesty the Queen Mother says 'no matter the weather, in snow, rain, wind or sun, women all over the country worked tirelessly... their inspiring efforts earned our gratitude'; believes that this clearly highlights the injustice; and consequently calls upon the Prime Minister to remedy this unjust situation.

That this House is sad that the 'Land Girls', whose efforts helped to save the nation from starvation between 1940 and 1945, have never received official recognition either by medals or gratuities, even though their counterparts in Australia have recently received honours; notes furthermore, that in the foreword to Nicola...

That this House notes that many severely disabled people who are investors with the Halifax or the Alliance & Leicester building societies and who have their account managed by a third party may not qualify for the free shares that will be issued to members if they vote in favour of the conversion of the building societies from mutual societies to become listed companies next year, that if the third party also holds an account they will have to share any bonus, that disabled people who have changed the third party who runs their savings account within the qualifying time may lose out altogether, and that many severely disabled people who live in residential homes where one member of staff has responsibility for managing all the residents' savings accounts may at best receive only a fraction of the bonus they would be entitled to if they were to run their own affairs; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to ensure that investors, with severe disabilities, whose account is managed by a third party and who are investors of sufficient long standing will receive equal treatment both in terms of their right to vote on the question of conversion and in terms of receiving their full share of any disbribution of shares or benefits.

That this House notes that many severely disabled people who are investors with the Halifax or the Alliance & Leicester building societies and who have their account managed by a third party may not qualify for the free shares that will be issued to members if they vote in favour...

That this House expresses its grave concern at the discrimination practised by Her Majesty's Government against British state pensioners living in certain countries abroad; believes that the denial of pension increases to persons who have paid national insurance contributions is indefensible; and calls on the Government to end without further delay this discrimination against the hero generation who saved the world from Hitler.

That this House expresses its grave concern at the discrimination practised by Her Majesty's Government against British state pensioners living in certain countries abroad; believes that the denial of pension increases to persons who have paid national insurance contributions is indefensible; and calls on the Government to end without further...

That this House believes that organisations of and for people who are retired should have annual use of Westminster Hall to lobby honourable Members of Parliament, so avoiding the need to queue for long periods outside, often in extreme weather conditions; and calls for the Administration Committee to make the necessary administrative and security arrangements no later than 1st May 1997 in consultation with the relevant national pensioner organisations.

That this House believes that organisations of and for people who are retired should have annual use of Westminster Hall to lobby honourable Members of Parliament, so avoiding the need to queue for long periods outside, often in extreme weather conditions; and calls for the Administration Committee to make the...

That this House mindful of the increasing needs of the United Kingdom's ageing ex-Service population and the many problems of younger members of the ex-Service community, in direct consequence of 'Options for Change', considers that there is now a pressing need for an Ex-Service Affairs Unit within an existing Ministry and with a designated Minister to be responsible, as the only fundamental and long-term solution for the care and welfare of ex-Service people and their dependants; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government now to respond positively to the Royal British Legion's urgent call for such a unit to be established.

That this House mindful of the increasing needs of the United Kingdom's ageing ex-Service population and the many problems of younger members of the ex-Service community, in direct consequence of 'Options for Change', considers that there is now a pressing need for an Ex-Service Affairs Unit within an existing Ministry...