That this House notes the success of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, introduced by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer in April 2001 as an interim measure pending review by the European Community of a directive covering rates of value added tax; further notes that whilst that work continues, the current scheme is due to end in March 2011; and requests that consideration is given early in the next Parliament to the continuation of reliefs on value added tax which the scheme provides for repairs, maintenance and professional fees to repair fixtures such as bells and organs to buildings of valuable heritage and community value in order to maintain them for future generations.

That this House notes the success of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, introduced by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer in April 2001 as an interim measure pending review by the European Community of a directive covering rates of value added tax; further notes that whilst that work...

That this House acknowledges the excellent work done by the Forced Marriage Unit, the police and local authorities across the country to combat forced marriage and to protect victims of honour-based violence; recognises and welcomes the legal precedent set by Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, yet regretfully notes the complete lack of prosecutions of perpetrators under this Act; further recognises that forced marriage is present across many faiths and cultures and is a growing issue in the United Kingdom; finds it disgraceful that there is no specific criminal offence in England and Wales of forcing someone to marry; and urges the Government to introduce legislation that will criminalise the act of forcing a British citizen into a marriage against their will or without their explicit and freely-given consent.

That this House acknowledges the excellent work done by the Forced Marriage Unit, the police and local authorities across the country to combat forced marriage and to protect victims of honour-based violence; recognises and welcomes the legal precedent set by Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, yet...

That this House notes the proposal by the Executive of Kings College London as part of its budget review process to abolish the Chair of Palaeography, the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom; further notes the fundamental importance of palaeography to a broad and interdisciplinary scholarly community; considers that without the development of palaeographic skills, millions of documents would be rendered inaccessible, thus depriving the nation of its full historical legacy; and therefore urges Kings College London to consider very carefully any proposals in respect to this prestigious and important Chair.

That this House notes the proposal by the Executive of Kings College London as part of its budget review process to abolish the Chair of Palaeography, the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom; further notes the fundamental importance of palaeography to a broad and interdisciplinary scholarly community;...

That this House mourns with great sadness the untimely passing of Dr Ashok Kumar, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and formerly Langbaurgh; acknowledges the immensely high regard in which he was held in his beloved constituency and in both Houses of Parliament, across political divides; recognises the warmth he radiated to all he met; remembers the modesty he exhibited despite his formidable and highly impressive scientific record both in industry and academia; holds in awe his unsurpassed credentials in local campaigning; and notes that hon. Members and constituents will remember Ashok as a man of honour and integrity, and as someone motivated solely by a strong sense of duty and public service, who will be missed on the Commons benches but never forgotten.

That this House mourns with great sadness the untimely passing of Dr Ashok Kumar, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and formerly Langbaurgh; acknowledges the immensely high regard in which he was held in his beloved constituency and in both Houses of Parliament, across political divides; recognises...

That this House deplores the prospect of the international moratorium on commercial whaling being nullified by so-called compromise proposals being drafted for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Conference in Agadir, Morocco in June 2010; notes with alarm that under the guise of reductions in whale slaughter through quotas, observers and DNA databases, two IWC working groups are proposing to legitimise the commercial whaling activities of the three countries who have persisted in hunting whales in defiance of the existing ban established by the IWC in 1986, in Japan, Norway and Iceland, and to allow whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary; notes with anxiety that the proposed quotas are being negotiated towards a final revision of the draft proposals due in late April when Parliament may be dissolved; welcomes the concerns voiced by UK Government ministers about the worrying drafts now on the table which claim that `the moratorium shall remain in place'; stands by the environmental movement's landmark achievement of the whaling moratorium agreed in 1982 and introduced in 1986; and abhors the possible setback for wildlife protection at Agadir in June which could follow the failures on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009.

That this House deplores the prospect of the international moratorium on commercial whaling being nullified by so-called compromise proposals being drafted for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Conference in Agadir, Morocco in June 2010; notes with alarm that under the guise of reductions in whale slaughter through quotas, observers and...

That this House welcomes two initiatives of the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) to encourage employers and organisations to stimulate and develop initiatives to support and retain women; believes that women play a vital part in the SET sector, but regrets that to date women only make up 15.5 per cent. of SET professionals in the UK and still only make up less than seven per cent. of the UK's engineering professionals; welcomes the launch of the SET Fair Standard, an award that recognises and rewards good practice in gender equality across all SET sectors, and the Athena Swan Charter, the equivalent award for universities which is jointly managed by the UKRC and the Equality Challenge Unit; believes that these two initiatives will further enhance the position of women in science, engineering and technology and their contribution to the UK's economy; considers that these awards should be a key accreditation for any forward-looking employer; and congratulates UKRC on its launch in the week commencing 22 March 2010 of the Women of Outstanding Achievement in a SET photographic exhibition at the Royal Academy of Engineering.

That this House welcomes two initiatives of the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) to encourage employers and organisations to stimulate and develop initiatives to support and retain women; believes that women play a vital part in the SET sector, but regrets that to...

That this House notes the Department for Energy and Climate Change's 2007 figure of approximately four million households in fuel poverty, meaning that they spend more than 10 per cent. of their income on maintaining an adequate level of heating; believes that the situation could be helped by consumers having more information about accessing the best tariff for their pattern of energy use, but notes the confusion caused by the existence of around 4,000 different tariffs; notes the Government's recent commitment to require energy companies to publish information on their standard direct debit tariff only applies to annual statements and not to all energy bills; believes that this disadvantages actively-switching consumers who would benefit from this information more than once a year and who may never receive an annual statement; praises Scottish and Southern Energy's pledge to go above the beyond the Government's requirement and to publish such information on all energy bills; and calls on the Government to extend the requirement to apply to all energy bills in addition to annual statements.

That this House notes the Department for Energy and Climate Change's 2007 figure of approximately four million households in fuel poverty, meaning that they spend more than 10 per cent. of their income on maintaining an adequate level of heating; believes that the situation could be helped by consumers having...

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical extremists, including the bombing of churches and the assassination of Iraqi Christians; further notes that there has been illegal expropriation of Assyrian-Chaldean land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain in northern Iraq; recognises that Iraqi Christians are a major force for moderation, who can act as a significant buffer against the spread of extremism in Iraq; calls on the British and Iraqi governments urgently to encourage and support the creation of self-governing province in Iraq for the Assyrian-Chaldeans, linked to the central government in Baghdad, situated in and around the Nineveh Plain and including Tel Kaif, Al-Hamdaniya and Al-Shikhan districts, and governed by the Assyrian-Chaldeans and other ethnic groups living in that area, as these lands form part of the ancestral homeland of the Assyrian-Chaldeans and are still heavily populated by them; and urges the UK and Iraqi governments to support financially the reconstruction of the region, to end the political marginalisation of the democratically elected Assyrian-Chaldean representatives in Iraq, to assist the Assyrian-Chaldeans in reclaiming their land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain, and to financially support internally displaced Assyrian-Chaldeans and the return and resettlement of Assyrian-Chaldean refugees.

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical...

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008 stated that on 17 October 2008 Iraqi security forces arrested six men in connection with the killings of Christians in Mosul and found that four of them had links with Kurdish Regional militia, not al-Qa'ida; further notes that the Kurdish Regional Government and its militia are dominated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party and that on 29 October 2008, Gulf News reported that investigations had been completed, and proved the involvement of Kurdish militias in the displacement and killing of Christians, a claim which was re-stated by Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri Al Maliki during a discussion with Iraqi lawmakers, according to Osama Al Nojaifi, a deputy in the Iraqi pariament; and, in view of such serious and widespread allegations, urges Her Majesty's Government to press the Iraqi government to fully investigate these allegations and publicly to announce all the investigation's conclusions.

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008 stated that on...

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 acknowledges the National Farmers' Union manifesto for farming; recognises the depth of the challenge facing British farmers to maintain productivity levels, comply with environmental pressures and to sustain their businesses; and calls on the Government to pledge its support to the British farming industry by taking the seven policy statements in the manifesto into account when formulating the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs objectives.

That this House acknowledges the National Farmers' Union manifesto for farming; recognises the depth of the challenge facing British farmers to maintain productivity levels, comply with environmental pressures and to sustain their businesses; and calls on the Government to pledge its support to the British farming industry by taking the...

That this House welcomes the Finnish government's call for the UK and the European Union to legislate for fire safety standards in cigarettes; is concerned that someone dies in a house fire caused by a cigarette every three days in the UK; recalls that in 2005 the last year for which figures are available there were 82 deaths and 1,064 injuries, and that 3,000 fires were caused by smoking materials in the home; observes that reduced ignition propensity, or fire safer, cigarettes utilise ultra thin concentric bands in the cigarette paper to restrict oxygen to the burning end of the cigarette; regards fire safer cigarettes as an appropriate response to the persistent fire safety threat posed by conventional cigarettes; congratulates the RIP Coalition and the Fire Brigades Union for their existing work on fire safer cigarettes; and calls on the Government to take action to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and properties damaged from cigarettes through legislation on fire safety in cigarette design.

That this House welcomes the Finnish government's call for the UK and the European Union to legislate for fire safety standards in cigarettes; is concerned that someone dies in a house fire caused by a cigarette every three days in the UK; recalls that in 2005 the last year for...

That this House notes that in its recent investigation the Electoral Commission satisfied itself that Bearwood Corporate Services carried on some trade in the UK and is registered in the UK and is, therefore, a permissible donor; further notes the Commission's view that there is nothing in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 which requires donations to a political party to be generated from a company's own trading; observes that the millions donated by Bearwood to the Conservative Party did not come from profits generated in the UK from trading but originated overseas; and calls for the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 to be amended to close this loophole.

That this House notes that in its recent investigation the Electoral Commission satisfied itself that Bearwood Corporate Services carried on some trade in the UK and is registered in the UK and is, therefore, a permissible donor; further notes the Commission's view that there is nothing in the Political Parties,...

That this House notes with concern the current tendering requirements for endoscopy products; acknowledges that the framework contract for endoscopy products, established by NHS Supply Chain in early 2008, allows trusts to draw from the limited list of suppliers of endoscopy products through mini-competitions, thus significantly reducing procurement times and ensuring value for money for the NHS; regrets that partly because of the preference of some NHS staff for endoscopy products from more established brands of the same quality, many NHS trusts fail to call off such mini-competitions and instead opt to apply the terms of the framework itself without making a thorough value for money assessment; believes that NHS trusts should follow the Department of Health's guidance and ensure that competition is enforced in tenders in accordance with its commercial operating model; and calls on the Department of Health, NHS Supply Chain and strategic health authorities to ensure that NHS trusts are encouraged to always run mini-competitions when tendering for endoscopy products, thus ensuring proper value for money for the NHS and the taxpayer.

That this House notes with concern the current tendering requirements for endoscopy products; acknowledges that the framework contract for endoscopy products, established by NHS Supply Chain in early 2008, allows trusts to draw from the limited list of suppliers of endoscopy products through mini-competitions, thus significantly reducing procurement times and...

That this House commends the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' manifesto for UK engineering; recognises that engineering is integral to the UK's national economy and environment; urges the Government to take note of the proposals in the manifesto; and calls on the Government to put a regenerated UK manufacturing sector at the heart of its agenda.

That this House commends the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' manifesto for UK engineering; recognises that engineering is integral to the UK's national economy and environment; urges the Government to take note of the proposals in the manifesto; and calls on the Government to put a regenerated UK manufacturing sector at...