That this House condemns the proliferation of betting shops in inner city London boroughs; notes that deprived boroughs such as Hackney, Islington, Haringey and Tottenham have disproportionately high numbers of such establishments; further notes that the gambling industry is targeting these deprived areas of high unemployment; is concerned that such establishments are responsible for increases in crime and anti-social behaviour in surrounding areas; and believes more needs to be done to give local councils the power to refuse licensing applications by means of a tightening of the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005.

That this House condemns the proliferation of betting shops in inner city London boroughs; notes that deprived boroughs such as Hackney, Islington, Haringey and Tottenham have disproportionately high numbers of such establishments; further notes that the gambling industry is targeting these deprived areas of high unemployment; is concerned that such...

That this House notes that the whaling moratorium was introduced in 1986 in order to combat the fact that many populations of the great whales had been drastically reduced by over-hunting, and that whaling itself, based on the firing of explosive harpoons into large and intelligent animals, was cruel; is concerned by the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) proposal to legitimise the commercial whaling activities of Japan, Norway and Iceland; understands that the proposal seeks to set official IWC quotas for whales that they may hunt, in all the places where they currently hunt them in defiance of the moratorium, including the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, for the first time in 25 years; believes that such a proposal represents a conservational disaster; further believes that the proposal represents no guarantee of a significant reduction in the number of whales killed in the short term; and calls on the Government to oppose any proposal that condones or endorses commercial whaling if the issue is raised and voted on at the IWC conference in Agadir, Morocco, in June.

That this House notes that the whaling moratorium was introduced in 1986 in order to combat the fact that many populations of the great whales had been drastically reduced by over-hunting, and that whaling itself, based on the firing of explosive harpoons into large and intelligent animals, was cruel; is...

That this House rejects the proposal of Camelot to mix gambling with the cash payment of utility and other bills at the same terminals in local shops; notes that it seeks to exploit the fact that those who typically make cash bill payments, or top-up pre-payment gas and electricity meters are predominantly from social groups C2, D and E; considers that this is part of an ongoing and perverse campaign of income distribution whereby some of the poorest are coaxed into paying more and more for the entertainment and recreation of higher income groups; and asks the Government to send an early and unequivocal signal to the National Lottery Commission that Parliament will not passively accept this further exploitation of low-income groups.

That this House rejects the proposal of Camelot to mix gambling with the cash payment of utility and other bills at the same terminals in local shops; notes that it seeks to exploit the fact that those who typically make cash bill payments, or top-up pre-payment gas and electricity meters...

That this House supports the Unheard Voices - Women Can't Wait campaign by Concern Worldwide aimed at sending a clear message to the UN Summit in September 2010 to discuss progress on the Millennium Development Goals; notes the case made that of over one billion people now going to bed hungry every night at least 60 per cent. are women, despite the fact that they produce the majority of food in developing countries; further notes that women work two-thirds of the world's working hours, produce more than half of the world's food but only earn 10 per cent. of the world's income; agrees that women play a vital but unrecognised role in the fight against hunger; recognises the need for the UN and world leaders to act now to deliver support to poor women in the fight against hunger; and calls on them to do so, by listening to poor women's voices, developing gender-sensitive policy and programmes and by ensuring that funding and other support measures reach them.

That this House supports the Unheard Voices - Women Can't Wait campaign by Concern Worldwide aimed at sending a clear message to the UN Summit in September 2010 to discuss progress on the Millennium Development Goals; notes the case made that of over one billion people now going to bed...

That this House is concerned by recent reports of the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons; notes that 343 Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons at the end of February 2010; further notes that Israel routinely prosecutes children as young as 12; also notes the recent report by Defence for Children International which argues that ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children is widespread, systemic and institutionalised; and calls on the Government to recognise the seriousness of this and to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to uphold the human rights of Palestinian children.

That this House is concerned by recent reports of the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons; notes that 343 Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons at the end of February 2010; further notes that Israel routinely prosecutes children as young as 12; also notes the recent report...

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 warmly welcomes the statement by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the debate on global security and non-proliferation on 4 March 2010 that `This is the year when the world can. . .demonstrate its seriousness on creating a nuclear-free world'; believes that 2010 could be seen historically as the moment when the international community decided to go firmly down the disarmament route; and further believes that the credibility of UK attempts to secure from other signatory states the long-term compliance with the requirements of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at its quinquennial review conference at the United Nations in New York in May 2010 would be robustly enhanced if Ministers took the bold decision to announce in advance, or as part of UK submissions to the conference, that further work on the replacement for Trident which will have cost ??23.8 million by April 2010 for the replacement of the nuclear warhead design alone, will be frozen and that the UK will concentrate on developing verifiable nuclear weapons decommissioning and dismantling procedures to assist agreement on a global regime of nuclear disarmament.

That this House warmly welcomes the statement by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the debate on global security and non-proliferation on 4 March 2010 that `This is the year when the world can. . .demonstrate its seriousness on creating a nuclear-free world'; believes that 2010 could...

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 notes with concern the decision of the UK Border Agency to deny visas to three Palestinian farmers, Lina Mahmoud, Nahed Beshariah and Belal Eid, who were hoping to visit the UK to mark Fairtrade Fortnight; congratulates these three individuals for their hard work in being involved in the production of the first ever Fairtrade product from the occupied territories; supports the excellent work of Zaytoun in exporting Fairtrade olive oil from the West Bank to the UK; further notes that in 2009 the Prime Minister expressed himself as being delighted with the initiative; and therefore urges the Government to intervene and allow these farmers entry into the UK.

That this House notes with concern the decision of the UK Border Agency to deny visas to three Palestinian farmers, Lina Mahmoud, Nahed Beshariah and Belal Eid, who were hoping to visit the UK to mark Fairtrade Fortnight; congratulates these three individuals for their hard work in being involved in...

That this House believes that asylum seekers looking for sanctuary in the UK should be granted the right to work from the day of arrival; further believes that this would afford such vulnerable people dignity as well as the ability to support themselves financially; and notes that this would also reduce the burden on the taxpayer.

That this House believes that asylum seekers looking for sanctuary in the UK should be granted the right to work from the day of arrival; further believes that this would afford such vulnerable people dignity as well as the ability to support themselves financially; and notes that this would also...

That this House commends the work of Albanian societies in the United Kingdom for organising teaching of the Albanian language; notes that the Asset Languages Scheme is a voluntary assessment scheme for the language ladder introduced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and provides accreditation for the skills of language learners of all ages and abilities from primary through to further, higher and adult education; calls on the Department and the contractor who run the scheme Cambridge Assessment to consider adding the Albanian language to the Asset Language programme; and urges the five examination boards AQA, CCEA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC to consider carefully the case for adding Albanian to the list of languages which can be studied to GCSE level.

That this House commends the work of Albanian societies in the United Kingdom for organising teaching of the Albanian language; notes that the Asset Languages Scheme is a voluntary assessment scheme for the language ladder introduced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and provides accreditation for the skills...

That this House welcomes the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and major mobile telephone companies to make it free to call DWP 0800 numbers, including the crisis loans service, which had been costing 9,000,000 callers per year up to 40 pence per minute from a mobile telephone; congratulates the staff of Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau for their campaigning and research on behalf of claimants pressing for free telephone calls; notes that this will make a tremendous difference to the 12 per cent. of UK households, many of them amongst the poorest in Britain, who only have access to a mobile telephone and do not have a landline; and urges other Government departments, particularly HM Revenue and Customs, to take action to end the current situation, where people in the most urgent need of a financial safety net face a bill of up to ??12 for a half hour call to 08 numbered Government helplines.

That this House welcomes the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and major mobile telephone companies to make it free to call DWP 0800 numbers, including the crisis loans service, which had been costing 9,000,000 callers per year up to 40 pence per minute from a mobile...

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 supports the proposals in the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill to stop vulture funds profiteering from the debts of heavily indebted poor countries; and calls for Government time to be allocated for the remaining stages of the Bill on 18 March 2010.

That this House supports the proposals in the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill to stop vulture funds profiteering from the debts of heavily indebted poor countries; and calls for Government time to be allocated for the remaining stages of the Bill on 18 March 2010.

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 notes that the Arts Council for Northern Ireland has been asked to plan for a budget cut of approximately ??1.1 million in 2010-11 and that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, which is the Arts Council's parent department, is itself set to lose ??25.9 million, making it in proportional terms the second hardest hit of Northern Ireland's government departments; is concerned that the anticipated financial cuts will cause irreparable damage to the sector, and consequently to the region's prosperity as a whole; regrets that as a direct result of decades of chronic under-funding, the arts infrastructure in Northern Ireland is extremely fragile and that the arts continue to be significantly under-funded on a per capita basis in Northern Ireland when compared with other regions of the United Kingdom; believes that the arts have an important role to play in building a new Northern Ireland and are part of a wider process of social, political and economic change; and therefore urges the Government to maintain essential funding for the arts as part of the broader agenda to strengthen the whole of the UK's competitive advantage in the creative industries.

That this House notes that the Arts Council for Northern Ireland has been asked to plan for a budget cut of approximately ??1.1 million in 2010-11 and that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, which is the Arts Council's parent department, is itself set to lose ??25.9 million, making...

That this House recognises the importance of World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March 2010; notes with concern the continued rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases globally, resulting in nearly 5,000 deaths a day and the increase of TB in the UK, particularly among vulnerable, marginalised populations; further notes that TB-HIV co-infection and TB drug resistance is fuelling the epidemic; and calls on the Government to ensure the maximum effectiveness is achieved through its efforts in the UK and overseas to combat this preventable and curable disease.

That this House recognises the importance of World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March 2010; notes with concern the continued rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases globally, resulting in nearly 5,000 deaths a day and the increase of TB in the UK, particularly among vulnerable, marginalised populations; further notes that TB-HIV co-infection...

That this House, convinced that the courage and devotion to duty of members of the British armed forces who are killed while on active service for their country should be recognised and rewarded in every possible way, particularly by the pensions and help given to the families they leave behind, recommends that the Ministry of Defence's rule providing that pensions on promotion are payable only after the role for the new rank has been held for a year should be revoked for those killed in the service of their country, so that their families are paid the rate appropriate to the rank held at the time of death; and considers that the family of Sergeant Matthew Telford of Grimsby, promoted to the rank in June 2009 but killed by an assassin in Afghanistan in November of that year, along with Guardsman Jimmy Major of Cleethorpes and three other soldiers, should be paid the full pension appropriate to the rank he was proud to honour at the time of his death.

That this House, convinced that the courage and devotion to duty of members of the British armed forces who are killed while on active service for their country should be recognised and rewarded in every possible way, particularly by the pensions and help given to the families they leave behind,...

That this House is aware that the younger the child, the more vulnerable their health to the effects of poor quality food and nutrition; is alarmed that more than one in every five children starts school already overweight or obese and that this makes them more likely to suffer from serious health problems later in life; notes that existing regulation for food served in early years daycare is inadequate and does not prohibit the serving of foods high in salt, fat, sugar and artificial additives that are prohibited or restricted in primary and secondary schools; is concerned that nursery catering staff are not required to undertake training in nutrition; and calls on the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to follow the Soil Association's Better Nursery Food Now campaign recommendations to implement mandatory standards for the quality of food served in all nurseries.

That this House is aware that the younger the child, the more vulnerable their health to the effects of poor quality food and nutrition; is alarmed that more than one in every five children starts school already overweight or obese and that this makes them more likely to suffer from...

That this House supports WWF's Earth Hour 2010; notes the event's record of persuading one billion people worldwide to sign up to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on 27 March 2010; congratulates those individuals, organisations, businesses and local authorities which have already pledged to take part; further notes that many British landmarks, including Canary Wharf, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and the London Eye will switch their lights off; and calls on the House authorities to ensure that the Palace of Westminster and all other buildings on the Parliamentary estate take part by switching off external floodlights and non-essential internal lighting.

That this House supports WWF's Earth Hour 2010; notes the event's record of persuading one billion people worldwide to sign up to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on 27 March 2010; congratulates those individuals, organisations, businesses and local authorities which have already pledged to take...