That this House recognises the fundamental importance of the right to non-violent protest to the democratic process; believes that the freedom of citizens to exercise this right has, in recent years, been undermined by oppressive Government legislation, including the Public Order Act 2023; is concerned by the recommendations of Lord Walney’s recent report on Protecting Our Democracy from Coercion, which, if enacted, would further circumscribe the ability of citizens to hold governments and corporations to account; highlights, in particular, the proposed reforms to the Public Order Act 2023 outlined in recommendations 14 and 20 as well as recommendations 29, 30, and 31, which would create unreasonable and oppressive obstacles to citizens wanting to organise or participate in nonviolent protests and direct actions; notes that, cumulatively, Lord Walney’s recommendations would have a chilling effect on our democracy; further notes that Lord Walney is employed by Rud Pederson Group and Purpose Business Coalition, which are reported to count amongst their clients BP and the defence company Leonardo, and which might reasonably be construed as being legitimate targets for non-violent direct action by campaigners against the arms trade and climate protestors; calls on the Government to reject Lord Walney's recommendations; and recommends that he be immediately removed from his position of Independent Advisor on Political Violence and Disruption.

That this House recognises the fundamental importance of the right to non-violent protest to the democratic process; believes that the freedom of citizens to exercise this right has, in recent years, been undermined by oppressive Government legislation, including the Public Order Act 2023; is concerned by the recommendations of Lord...

That this House notes the imposition of a below inflation pay settlement for merchant seafarers in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) in 2023-24; expresses concern that RFA seafarers’ pay has fallen thirty-six per cent behind inflation, alongside cuts to pensions, wider employment conditions and crewing levels since 2009-10; highlights the findings of the RFA’s own private consultants that the RFA pays lower than the market average in the ferries, deep sea, cruise and workboat sectors; notes that RFA seafarers work four-month tours at sea but are not entitled to leave parity like the majority of the shipping sector, and is concerned by RFA seafarers’ work-life balance; further notes that RFA crew carry out 67% of Royal Navy (RN) tasking on top of their own work; understands that RFA seafarers are certified to Maritime and Coastguard Agency standards, which provides the RN with greater operational flexibility; believes the RFA does not have enough civilian seafarers should the RN’s operational needs require full deployment of the RFA fleet; supports the trade union rights of civilian merchant seafarers in the RFA organised by the RMT and Nautilus who have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action in a pay dispute with the RFA; and calls on the Government to intervene to assist in settling the RFA pay dispute and to tackle seafarer recruitment and retention problems in the RFA and in the RN.

That this House notes the imposition of a below inflation pay settlement for merchant seafarers in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) in 2023-24; expresses concern that RFA seafarers’ pay has fallen thirty-six per cent behind inflation, alongside cuts to pensions, wider employment conditions and crewing levels since 2009-10; highlights the...

That this House is alarmed by reports that Imperial War Museums plans to derecognise the Public and Commercial Services union and the First Division Association for the purposes of collective representation and bargaining; is concerned that derecognising these trade unions would undermine the collective bargaining power of staff, leaving them vulnerable to arbitrary decisions by management, with limited recourse for addressing grievances or negotiating fair terms of employment; warns that derecognising any union undermines the principles of democracy and representation in the workplace, and could have significant negative effects on equality by exacerbating wage disparities, reducing job security and access to benefits, worsening working conditions, diminishing workers’ voice and representation, limiting training and advancement opportunities, and weakening legal protections for workers; and calls on the Government to intervene to help resolve this dispute by ensuring that these unions remain recognised by Imperial War Museums.

That this House is alarmed by reports that Imperial War Museums plans to derecognise the Public and Commercial Services union and the First Division Association for the purposes of collective representation and bargaining; is concerned that derecognising these trade unions would undermine the collective bargaining power of staff, leaving them...

That this House expresses its deep concerns regarding the Israeli offensive on Rafah, which it believes will seriously worsen what is already one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises; reiterates its calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire; further expresses its frustration at the Government’s continued refusal to suspend arms exports to Israel; echoes the warnings issued by Lady Hale and over six hundred distinguished members of the legal profession in their correspondence to the Prime Minister of 3 April 2024 that the provision of military assistance and material to Israel may render the UK complicit in genocide as well as in serious breaches of International Humanitarian Law; notes that, as a result of his not having a seat in the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has been unable to participate in departmental questions in the House and that Members have been restricted in their ability to scrutinise his work and that of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, particularly in relation to arms licences to Israel; believes that the moral imperative of ending arms exports to Israel is now so great as to warrant the House taking exceptional measures; and therefore calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to work with the Speaker to make necessary preparations for the Secretary of State to answer questions on this and other matters from hon. Members from the Bar of the House of Commons as soon as possible.

That this House expresses its deep concerns regarding the Israeli offensive on Rafah, which it believes will seriously worsen what is already one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises; reiterates its calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire; further expresses its frustration at the Government’s continued refusal to suspend...

That this House recognises the harm caused to both human health and the environment by the use of pesticides such as glyphosate in our villages, towns, cities and public spaces; notes that glyphosate was designated as probably carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organisation in 2015, is increasingly being linked to Parkinson’s, and can be toxic to wildlife including bees; further notes that overuse of pesticides in towns and cities is destroying areas that wildlife, including birds, insects, bees and hedgehogs, rely on for food and shelter, and that pesticides run off hard surfaces such as pavements, thereby contaminating water courses and harming aquatic life; commends the more than 100 local authorities across the UK that have either ended their use of pesticides or taken significant steps towards doing so despite limited funds and resources, including by pursuing manual methods such as hand weeding and strimming, new technologies like hot foam and mechanical brushes, and by embracing greener public spaces which benefit both human wellbeing and wildlife; further recognises the importance of ensuring that infrastructure and public spaces remain accessible to all users, including those with accessibility needs; therefore urges local authorities to consult with local disability stakeholders regarding their transition to non-chemical alternatives for weed control; and calls for legislation to be introduced to implement a national phase-out of all pesticide use in public areas under local authority control as has been done in France and Luxembourg.

That this House recognises the harm caused to both human health and the environment by the use of pesticides such as glyphosate in our villages, towns, cities and public spaces; notes that glyphosate was designated as probably carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organisation in 2015, is increasingly being...

That this House condemns the mismanagement and underinvestment which led to untreated sewage being discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023; notes that water companies in England have incurred debts of more than £64 billion and paid out £78 billion in dividends since they were privatised debt-free in 1989; further notes that water companies paid out £1.4 billion in dividends in 2022, even as 11 of them were fined in the same year for missing performance targets; recognises that climate change is making flooding and droughts more frequent and more severe, necessitating changes to the way we manage our water system in order to build resilience; believes that a Government bailout of Thames Water would send a dangerous signal to other utility companies that reckless decisions carry no private risk; urges Ofwat to reject Thames Water’s request to be allowed to increase bills and limit fines to protect its finances, which would reward mismanagement at the expense of customers and the public; further believes that private for-profit ownership is not an appropriate model for water, as an essential utility where no meaningful competition is possible; calls on the Government to put Thames Water into special administration and to transfer its assets and functions to a publicly-owned company; and further calls for all the English water companies to be brought into public ownership so that our water network can be managed for the benefit of all citizens.

That this House condemns the mismanagement and underinvestment which led to untreated sewage being discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023; notes that water companies in England have incurred debts of more than £64 billion and paid out £78 billion in dividends since they were...

That this House notes that on 24 April 2024 the Armenian community commemorated the Medz Yaghern (Great Crime) of the Armenian Genocide that saw the massacre and starvation of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottomans; further notes the significance of recognising the Armenian genocide and engaging in commemorative actions in paying tribute to the victims and supporting the Armenian community; pays tribute to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, including many who share their testimony day in, day out, to ensure the horrors of the past are never forgotten; thanks all of those who work to educate every person from every background in the UK about the Armenian Genocide, its contemporary relevance, and why we must acknowledge this crime as having happened; urges all Rt hon. and hon. Members to observe this day and to pledge to speak out against the denial of the Armenian Genocide; and calls on the Government to formally recognise the Armenian Genocide.

That this House notes that on 24 April 2024 the Armenian community commemorated the Medz Yaghern (Great Crime) of the Armenian Genocide that saw the massacre and starvation of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottomans; further notes the significance of recognising the Armenian genocide and engaging in commemorative actions in...

That this House expresses support and solidarity to members of the PCS union taking industrial action against their employer, Border Force, at Heathrow Airport; notes that on 29 April around 250 staff are being forced out of their current jobs on passport control as the Home Office have indicated they will no longer accommodate their contractual flexible working arrangements, reasonable adjustments or ‘legacy’ contractual terms on a new fixed teams based roster; believes that the proposed new roster will not effectively deal with the issues which the Home Office claims it is intended to address and that, on the contrary, the inflexibility of the roster will see many staff come off the roster or leave the service; and therefore calls on the Home Office to address staff concerns and agree to shift from its current entrenched position so that further industrial action might be averted.

That this House expresses support and solidarity to members of the PCS union taking industrial action against their employer, Border Force, at Heathrow Airport; notes that on 29 April around 250 staff are being forced out of their current jobs on passport control as the Home Office have indicated they...

That this House recognises the new research from the End Child Poverty Coalition which highlights the extent to which the two-child limit impacts single parents and families with disabled children; notes that 20% of all households impacted by the two-child limit are families with at least one disabled child, which is just over 87,500 households; further notes that 25% of all families impacted by the two-child limit are single-parent households, with a child under 3; expresses incredulity that no assessment of the potential correlation between the proportion of children living in households affected by the two-child limit and levels of child poverty has been made by the Department for Work and Pensions; and calls for the two-child limit to be reconsidered.

That this House recognises the new research from the End Child Poverty Coalition which highlights the extent to which the two-child limit impacts single parents and families with disabled children; notes that 20% of all households impacted by the two-child limit are families with at least one disabled child, which...

That this House notes the importance of affordable childcare to enable parents, especially mothers, to work; further notes the important contribution of migrants to the economy; welcomes the intention behind the expansion of childcare support for working parents which is currently being rolled out; also notes however that this support is not available equally to all working parents even where they are working the same hours for the same wages; is concerned about the difficulty this creates for excluded families due to the high costs of childcare; and calls on the Government to amend its support scheme so that all parents working the requisite number of hours and earning the requisite salary can access 30 hours of funded childcare, regardless of their immigration status.

That this House notes the importance of affordable childcare to enable parents, especially mothers, to work; further notes the important contribution of migrants to the economy; welcomes the intention behind the expansion of childcare support for working parents which is currently being rolled out; also notes however that this support...

That this House notes that people with terminal illnesses cannot currently access their State Pension until their retirement age; recognises that this is the case even for individuals who have made full National Insurance contributions; acknowledges that poverty rates are disproportionately high amongst the terminally ill; commends research by Loughborough University showing that granting State Pensions to this group would almost halve the rate of poverty within this cohort while costing only £144 million per year, just 0.1% of the annual State Pension bill; and calls on the Government to allow early access to State Pensions for people diagnosed with a terminal illness.

That this House notes that people with terminal illnesses cannot currently access their State Pension until their retirement age; recognises that this is the case even for individuals who have made full National Insurance contributions; acknowledges that poverty rates are disproportionately high amongst the terminally ill; commends research by Loughborough...

That this House understands the importance of exploring the possibility of a shorter working week, including a four-day week, which trials have shown can benefit workers, employers, the economy, society and the environment; recognises that companies in the world's biggest four-day week trial saw healthy growth, with an average revenue increase of 34.5 per cent compared to a distinct and comparable six month period, which proved that productivity can be increased through better health and wellbeing and lower staff turnover, and that 92 per cent of the companies that took part in the trial continued with the four-day week after the trial period had ended; recognises further the potential benefits to staff, including those with caring responsibilities, such as significantly reduced childcare costs for parents; notes that, during a trial in South Cambridgeshire Council, staff sickness was reduced by 33 per cent; welcomes the PCS union's campaign for a four-day week pilot in the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the constructive engagement that the union is having with the Department; and calls on the Department to follow the lead taken by the Scottish Government enterprise agencies and take steps to implement a pilot for a trial period.

That this House understands the importance of exploring the possibility of a shorter working week, including a four-day week, which trials have shown can benefit workers, employers, the economy, society and the environment; recognises that companies in the world's biggest four-day week trial saw healthy growth, with an average revenue...

That this House expresses support and solidarity with the 1,200 Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) union members working for the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in Newport, Titchfield, London, Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh who are currently balloting for industrial action over mandatory attendance at workplaces; notes that there was no previous requirement to spend a specific amount of time in offices but, in late 2023, workers were told that from January 2024 they would need to spend a minimum of 20% of their working time in the workplace, increasing to 40% from April; agrees with the PCS that the post-pandemic arrangements at the ONS have been an example of best practice in flexible and sustainable ways of working and that no evidence-based business case has been made for disrupting this model; further notes that this sudden change has caused anger among staff, already demoralised by the lack of trust and the need for rapid changes to their childcare and other arrangements; and calls on the Government to engage in meaningful talks with the union to arrive at a sensible way forward that accommodates the legitimate concerns of ONS employees.

That this House expresses support and solidarity with the 1,200 Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) union members working for the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in Newport, Titchfield, London, Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh who are currently balloting for industrial action over mandatory attendance at workplaces; notes that there was...

That this House notes that employers’ contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), of which approximately 58,000 university staff are members, are soon to increase by 5% in England and Wales; further notes, with concern, that while schools and colleges will receive additional funding from the Department for Education (DfE) to cover these increased costs, higher education institutions will not; recognises that many post-1992 university employers who are part of the TPS are facing severe financial difficulties, already resulting in course closures and job cuts; believes this situation will worsen dramatically if the Government refuses to intervene, putting thousands of jobs at risk and harming the reputation of the higher education sector; and therefore strongly urges the DfE to commit to providing additional funding for universities to cover the increase in TPS contributions in order to prevent this crisis.

That this House notes that employers’ contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), of which approximately 58,000 university staff are members, are soon to increase by 5% in England and Wales; further notes, with concern, that while schools and colleges will receive additional funding from the Department for Education (DfE)...