That this House remembers the assurances given by Ministers during the passage of both the Coal Industry Act and the Environment Act that British Coal's responsibilities for minewater control and discharge would pass to other agencies, particularly the Coal Authority; notes that the transfer of these obligations has not been without difficulty; regrets that legal responsibilities have not properly been defined; reflects that the issue of minewater control and discharge remains a ticking time bomb waiting to explode; and calls on all with responsibilities for these matters to ensure that our environment and heritage is maintained unchanged until a new Government has the opportunity to resolve these problems.

That this House remembers the assurances given by Ministers during the passage of both the Coal Industry Act and the Environment Act that British Coal's responsibilities for minewater control and discharge would pass to other agencies, particularly the Coal Authority; notes that the transfer of these obligations has not been...

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 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, concerned that the States of Jersey have suspended Senator Stuart Syvret for drawing attention to the vested interest of former Senator Jeune, President of the Policy and Resources Committee, whose law firm Mourant du Feu and Jeune was promoting a controversial Limited Liability Partnership Bill on behalf of Price Waterhouse and Ernst and Young, and participating in a speeded up passage for it; notes with regret that the States have agreed to a proposal by Senator F H Walker, proprietor of the Jersey newspaper, to force Senator Syvret to withdraw allegations which are essentially true, and to expel him if he refuses, a draconian penalty that would never be used in similar circumstances in this House and which defies the UN Convention on Human Rights, guaranteeing the rights of citizens to take part in public affairs through their freely chosen representatives and the European Convention on Human Rights, specifying that all citizens are entitled to a fair and public hearing which Senator Syvret has not had; further notes that the indictment quotes extracts from Syvret's letters to the Home Office and regrets that the representative of the British Government, the Lieutenant Governor, instead of acting independently, has acted with the Jersey establishment of which he is a part in condemning Syvret; and calls on the States to act with sense, and a due regard for democratic rights by restoring Senator Syvret to full membership and on the Home Secretary to ensure good democratic governance in Jersey.

That this House, concerned that the States of Jersey have suspended Senator Stuart Syvret for drawing attention to the vested interest of former Senator Jeune, President of the Policy and Resources Committee, whose law firm Mourant du Feu and Jeune was promoting a controversial Limited Liability Partnership Bill on behalf...

That this House congratulates the Right Honourable Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup on his forthright and admirable endorsement of a national minimum wage, the Social Chapter and devolution for Scotland and Wales, on which he has been consistent for so many years; and commends his views to the Party he once led as Prime Minister.

That this House congratulates the Right Honourable Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup on his forthright and admirable endorsement of a national minimum wage, the Social Chapter and devolution for Scotland and Wales, on which he has been consistent for so many years; and commends his views to the Party...

That this House congratulates NASA and astronauts Steven Smith and Mark Lee on the successful completion of the second refurbishment mission for the Hubble Space Telescope during a seven hour space walk on 14th February; notes that the European Space Agency is a partner with NASA in the HST supplying the telescope's solar panel (built in Britain) and the faint object camera, and the sixteen major research proposals from United Kingdom astronomers have been accepted by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; recognises the United Kingdom strength in space science as demonstrated by our key involvement in major ESA projects which are already generating valuable information; and believes that while the prime objective of United Kingdom space plicy must be to encourage the development of a truly competitive space industry meeting user needs in fields such as satellite communications, navigation and Earth observation, achievements in space science are fundamental to understanding our environment and are a source of inspiration to young people to take up careers in science and technology on which the future of the nation depends.

That this House congratulates NASA and astronauts Steven Smith and Mark Lee on the successful completion of the second refurbishment mission for the Hubble Space Telescope during a seven hour space walk on 14th February; notes that the European Space Agency is a partner with NASA in the HST supplying...

That this House notes the award of the new independent radio licence in the FM (VHF) waveband for Greater London to X FM Ltd., and that Choice FM's bid has been passed over for a third time; notes the Radio Authority Chairman's statement that making this award was among the Authority's most difficult tasks; regrets the inability of the Radio Authority to promote true diversity in local radio broadcasting, due to the unsatisfactory provisions of the Broadcasting Acts; is mindful of the great variety of styles of music developed by this country's successful music industry; wishes to stimulate the further development of music and broadcasting talent for cultural, social and economic reasons; welcomes the benefits of ethnic and cultural diversity and recognises the need to further promote this country's diverse heritage and culture; notes in particular that the British phonographic industry's classifications of dance, soul and reggae music appeal to young people, and other listeners from a wide range of backgrounds, not simply black youth; notes with concern the inevitable tendency amongst regulators to go for the safe option offered by the big battalions rather than taking decisions which would promote the interests of small and medium firms which are the seedbed of innovation in broadcasting and many other business and cultural activities; and calls upon the Secretary of State for National Heritage to review the provisions of the Broadcasting Acts, in particular section 105 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 so that the radio spectrum is used to the full in promoting diversity in all its forms.

That this House notes the award of the new independent radio licence in the FM (VHF) waveband for Greater London to X FM Ltd., and that Choice FM's bid has been passed over for a third time; notes the Radio Authority Chairman's statement that making this award was among the...

That this House is appalled at the policy of the management of the Northern Rock Building Society who, since the announcement of their intention to float on the Stock Market, have held both their borrowers and investors to ransom by charging above average interest rates on investment accounts safe in the knowledge that huge numbers of their customers are trapped in their respective accounts in fear of missing out on conversion shares; furthermore notes that they doubled the Government's one quarter point base rate rise to their borrowers on 1st January, which they have now reversed by a cut of one fifth of a point, which has resulted in a cost to the typical Northern Rock borrower of ??30, which should be repaid; and is not surprised that the Northern Rock has one of the worst reputations in the industry.

That this House is appalled at the policy of the management of the Northern Rock Building Society who, since the announcement of their intention to float on the Stock Market, have held both their borrowers and investors to ransom by charging above average interest rates on investment accounts safe in...

That this House seeks the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to a permanent home in the North of England; notes that the Gospels date from 698 AD and represent the first great religious and cultural achievement which combines the Roman, Celtic and Saxon traditions; notes that they were prepared for the shrine of St. Cuthbert on the island of Lindisfarne, now known as Holy Island, off the North East coast of the then Kingdom of Northumbria; notes that the permanent home of the shrine of St. Cuthbert and the Gospels was, from 995 AD to the Reformation, the great Cathedral of Durham; notes that the brief 1987 and 1996 return of the Gospels to Durham and to Newcastle resulted in large attendances of local people; and therefore calls upon the Secretary of State for National Heritage and the trustees of the British Museum to arrange for the permanent return of the Gospels to the North.

That this House seeks the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to a permanent home in the North of England; notes that the Gospels date from 698 AD and represent the first great religious and cultural achievement which combines the Roman, Celtic and Saxon traditions; notes that they were prepared for...

That this House calls upon the Home Secretary to take immediate action to ban the sale of the computer game comic Armageddon, Murder on the Streets; expresses deep concern that the company SCJ based in Battersea, should wish to have been involved in the sale and distribution of a game in which the player drives a car and is awarded points based on the number of pedestrians he or she can kill or maim; and urges the Home Secretary not only to ban the game but to introduce legislation preventing games of such an offensive and nauseating nature being made.

That this House calls upon the Home Secretary to take immediate action to ban the sale of the computer game comic Armageddon, Murder on the Streets; expresses deep concern that the company SCJ based in Battersea, should wish to have been involved in the sale and distribution of a game...

That this House is amazed that, although new electoral registers came into operation on 16th February and that this is an age of fax machines, computers and other forms of modern technology, the Office of National Statistics is unable to publish, until April, even in a provisional form, the total number of people who are on the new electoral registers in England and Wales; and further contrasts this with the touch-button technology used by the National Lottery.

That this House is amazed that, although new electoral registers came into operation on 16th February and that this is an age of fax machines, computers and other forms of modern technology, the Office of National Statistics is unable to publish, until April, even in a provisional form, the total...

That this House expresses its extreme concern at the Camelot dossier revealed by the Daily Mirror; believes that Camelot has now become a law unto itself, that the Secretary of State for National Heritage has abandoned her responsibilities in respect of the National Lottery and that Peter Davies, the Director General of OFLOT, is nothing more than a toothless and gumless watchdog whose relationship with Camelot calls into question his independence; and demands that before any further developments take place in the National Lottery, such as additional weekly draws, overseas participation and possible deals with BSkyB and Bass, there must be a full examination by the House into both the current activities of Camelot and that organisation's future plans.

That this House expresses its extreme concern at the Camelot dossier revealed by the Daily Mirror; believes that Camelot has now become a law unto itself, that the Secretary of State for National Heritage has abandoned her responsibilities in respect of the National Lottery and that Peter Davies, the Director...

That this House congratulates Mr Duncan Campbell and the Guardian newspaper on successfully resisting the libel action brought against them by the Police Federation; believes that their courageous stand is a landmark victory both for responsible journalism and for the maintenance of public confidence in the police; and hopes that in future the Police Federation will devote more of its resources to defending the interests of the overwhelming majority of honest police officers and less to trying to intimidate into silence responsible critics of that small minority of police officers who are corrupt.

That this House congratulates Mr Duncan Campbell and the Guardian newspaper on successfully resisting the libel action brought against them by the Police Federation; believes that their courageous stand is a landmark victory both for responsible journalism and for the maintenance of public confidence in the police; and hopes that...

That this House notes that there is at present, no permanent and effective mechanism which allows those individuals violating international humanitarian law to be made accountable for their crimes; believes that the only way to maintain international peace is to focus the rule of law on individual lawbreakers and make international law more effective through the establishment of a permanent international criminal court; and strongly urges Her Majesty's Government to support the Preparatory Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court created by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1995.

That this House notes that there is at present, no permanent and effective mechanism which allows those individuals violating international humanitarian law to be made accountable for their crimes; believes that the only way to maintain international peace is to focus the rule of law on individual lawbreakers and make...

That this House is concerned about proposals to remove the possibility of backdating claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit, where good cause exists beyond the proposed general three month backdating facility; is alarmedthat such a change will affect around 450,000 people most of whom do not have the knowledge or experience to know their rights on such complex matters; reminds the House that industrial injuries disablement benefit is compensation for injury or illnesses suffered in the course of employment, not to compensate for loss; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to scrap all plans to alter the current basis of qualification for this benefit and by doing so protect victims' rights.

That this House is concerned about proposals to remove the possibility of backdating claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit, where good cause exists beyond the proposed general three month backdating facility; is alarmedthat such a change will affect around 450,000 people most of whom do not have the knowledge or...

That this House notes the inconvenience caused to passengers by the cancellation of services by South West Trains; calls for the firmest possible action by the Franchise Director for the company's breaches of its franchise agreement; notes that the Minister of State, the honourable Member for Slough, has described the company as inept; but also notes that it is privatisation which has led to an inept company being paid to run rail services.

That this House notes the inconvenience caused to passengers by the cancellation of services by South West Trains; calls for the firmest possible action by the Franchise Director for the company's breaches of its franchise agreement; notes that the Minister of State, the honourable Member for Slough, has described the...

That this House deplores attempts by managers of Dial-a-Ride to prevent disabled people from attending a lobby of Parliament on 19th February which has been called to protest about the worsening service to users and attacks on the wages and conditions of staff resulting from the cost-cutting measures dictated by the Department of Transport; is appalled that, despite a policy of encouraging group bookings, management has issued a memo to staff instructing them to refuse all requests for transport to the lobby; considers this to be an outrageous attempt to deny disabled people the opportunity to participate in the democratic process of lobbying their honourable Members; and calls for an investigation of the action of those managers responsible and for adequate transport to be made available to enable disabled people to attend the lobby.

That this House deplores attempts by managers of Dial-a-Ride to prevent disabled people from attending a lobby of Parliament on 19th February which has been called to protest about the worsening service to users and attacks on the wages and conditions of staff resulting from the cost-cutting measures dictated by...

That this House, mindful of the delicate balance between legal rights and press freedom, supports the views expressed in the Daily Mail editorial of 15th February, that 'this was an extraordinary situation and demanded an extraordinary response. The Lawrence case threatens to damage race relations and the reputation of British Justice'; and believes that following court cases newspapers do have a right to question the outcome and that this is different to prejudicial reporting during a trial.

That this House, mindful of the delicate balance between legal rights and press freedom, supports the views expressed in the Daily Mail editorial of 15th February, that 'this was an extraordinary situation and demanded an extraordinary response. The Lawrence case threatens to damage race relations and the reputation of British...

That this House welcomes the decision of the Court of Appeal on 17th February, which notes the special circumstances which make asylum seekers eligible for food and shelter under the National Assistance Act 1948; and calls on the Government to accept the Court's decision, fully compensate local authorities for the costs involved in discharging their duties to asylum seekers under the Act and work constructively with these authorities to ensure that an adequate and consistent level of support is provided to enable them to live decently while pursuing their applications.

That this House welcomes the decision of the Court of Appeal on 17th February, which notes the special circumstances which make asylum seekers eligible for food and shelter under the National Assistance Act 1948; and calls on the Government to accept the Court's decision, fully compensate local authorities for the...

That this House acknowledges the important contribution made by the Overseas Adoption Helpline in assisting would-be parents and others concerned with the adoption of children from abroad; believes that the difficult and complicated procedures to be followed by those wishing to adopt from abroad demand that there be an up-to-date, dedicated source of independent advice and information both for would-be adopters and professionals; is fearful that the proposed closure of the Helpline would leave prospective parents and children at risk; does not believe that the Department of Health and local authorities can themselves provide such an independent service therefore calls on the Government to review its decision to cease funding a service which has helped 14,000 callers over the past five years; and fully supports similar calls from the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering, together with the Adoption Forum, the Association of County Councils, the Association of Directors of Social Services, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, the Association of Families who have Adopted from Abroad, the Bridge Child Care Development Service, the British Association of Social Workers, the Campaign for Intercountry Adoption, Childlink, International Social Services, the National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations, the Overseas Adoption Helpline Steering Board and Parent to Parent Information on Adoption Services.

That this House acknowledges the important contribution made by the Overseas Adoption Helpline in assisting would-be parents and others concerned with the adoption of children from abroad; believes that the difficult and complicated procedures to be followed by those wishing to adopt from abroad demand that there be an up-to-date,...