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 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 draws attention to the investigation by The Sunday Times and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds into the alarming growth in the export of bull-finches, green-finches, linnets and other British birds to the continent; notes with utter disgust that many of these finches are used for cooking and that the export has increased since deregulation by Her Majesty's Government in 1993; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to ban the export of British garden birds immediately and to inform the Maltese authorities that unless action is taken to end the mass slaughter of migratory song birds and other species by gun-happy hunters, Malta will never gain admittance to the European Union.

That this House draws attention to the investigation by The Sunday Times and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds into the alarming growth in the export of bull-finches, green-finches, linnets and other British birds to the continent; notes with utter disgust that many of these finches are used...

That this House offers its unqualified congratulations to writer/director Mark Herman and all the cast involved in the production of the film Brassed Off in winning this year's Peter Sellers Award for Comedy at the Evening Standards Film Awards; and notes that the film truly encapsulates the fighting spirit of the British mining communities in the wake of the Government's 1992 pit closure programme, which completely devastated whole communities and their former way of life.

That this House offers its unqualified congratulations to writer/director Mark Herman and all the cast involved in the production of the film Brassed Off in winning this year's Peter Sellers Award for Comedy at the Evening Standards Film Awards; and notes that the film truly encapsulates the fighting spirit of...

That this House notes that, as a consequence of industrial action in Greece, British lorry drivers were detained at Patras, Greece; observes that a number of horses were held for eight days in lorries where their condition was pitiful; commends the work of the Horse Reserve Fund in offering prompt assistance and in ascertaining whether the horses has been watered; and deplores the fact that the horses then had to undergo further journeys of up to 1,500 miles prior to their slaughter.

That this House notes that, as a consequence of industrial action in Greece, British lorry drivers were detained at Patras, Greece; observes that a number of horses were held for eight days in lorries where their condition was pitiful; commends the work of the Horse Reserve Fund in offering prompt...

That this House expresses its total disgust at the recent export of over 700 live piglets under nine weeks old from Dover to Spain; notes that the haulier Mr C.M.J. Matthews from Midsomer Norton, Somerset is due to carry a further 700 piglets to Spain from Dover on Thursday 30th January on a journey that will take over 15 hours; reminds all those who enjoyed the film 'Babe' that the treatment of most piglets is cruel and barbaric; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to take immediate action to prevent Mr C.M.J. Matthews and the MAFF vet Mr Whyte from continuing this vile and probably illegal trade in sentient creatures.

That this House expresses its total disgust at the recent export of over 700 live piglets under nine weeks old from Dover to Spain; notes that the haulier Mr C.M.J. Matthews from Midsomer Norton, Somerset is due to carry a further 700 piglets to Spain from Dover on Thursday 30th...

That this House deplores the 5,000 extra deaths resulting from the cold weather this winter as reported by the Office of National Statistics, most of which are the direct result of the scandalously inadequate energy conservation in the United Kingdom housing stock revealed in the much delayed Energy Conservation Report of the 1991 English House Condition Survey; and calls on the Government to take urgent measures to improve this situation in order to avoid the annual unnecessary loss of life due to cold spells.

That this House deplores the 5,000 extra deaths resulting from the cold weather this winter as reported by the Office of National Statistics, most of which are the direct result of the scandalously inadequate energy conservation in the United Kingdom housing stock revealed in the much delayed Energy Conservation Report...

That this House, noting that anti-personnel land mines have killed or severely injured at least one million people in the last 20 years, many of them children, applauds the calls made by Diana, Princess of Wales, for a world-wide ban on the manufacture, stock-piling or export of anti-personnel mines; and urges Her Majesty's Government to campaign for a world-wide ban.

That this House, noting that anti-personnel land mines have killed or severely injured at least one million people in the last 20 years, many of them children, applauds the calls made by Diana, Princess of Wales, for a world-wide ban on the manufacture, stock-piling or export of anti-personnel mines; and...

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 condemns the appalling conditions, frequently witnessed by RSPCA inspectors, in which dogs are bred in some commercial breeding establishments; is concerned at the number of puppies from puppy farms which develop serious health or behaviourial problems; supports the recommendations of a report commissioned by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare which called for legislative changes to stamp out the unlicensed breeding of dogs and to ensure high welfare standards at all licensed premises; and urges the Government to support the Breeding and Sale of Dogs Bill which contains measures to achieve these objectives and which is supported by local authorities and animal welfare organisations.

That this House condemns the appalling conditions, frequently witnessed by RSPCA inspectors, in which dogs are bred in some commercial breeding establishments; is concerned at the number of puppies from puppy farms which develop serious health or behaviourial problems; supports the recommendations of a report commissioned by the All Party...

That this House is concerned with the sale within the EU of cosmetic products tested on animals; and believes that there are already adequately validated alternatives for certain cosmetics safety tests, that these should come under the proposals to amend the Cosmetics Directive currently under discussion that the European Commission should establish a framework for the time period to 2000, when the legislation will be reviewed again, to ensure that there is proper co-ordination between all the relevant European bodies and that the aim of replacing animals used in all cosmetics safety tests can be fulfilled as quickly as possible.

That this House is concerned with the sale within the EU of cosmetic products tested on animals; and believes that there are already adequately validated alternatives for certain cosmetics safety tests, that these should come under the proposals to amend the Cosmetics Directive currently under discussion that the European Commission...

That this House congratulates the Portman Group and British Telecom on producing one million phonecards combining festive greetings with the message 'If You Drink, Let Others Drive', admirably demonstrating the industry's commitment to social responsibility and complementing the Department of Transport's anti-drink drive campaign.

That this House congratulates the Portman Group and British Telecom on producing one million phonecards combining festive greetings with the message 'If You Drink, Let Others Drive', admirably demonstrating the industry's commitment to social responsibility and complementing the Department of Transport's anti-drink drive campaign.

That this House regrets the difficulties encountered by disabled people who lobbied Parliament on 2nd December 1996; recognises that meetings are an important part of the lobbying process; does not believe that a platform lift to enable access to a meeting in the Grand Committee Room was an adequate alternative to the use of a public address system in Westminster Hall; and therefore calls on the House authorities to allow public address systems to be used in Westminster Hall for future lobbies by disabled people.

That this House regrets the difficulties encountered by disabled people who lobbied Parliament on 2nd December 1996; recognises that meetings are an important part of the lobbying process; does not believe that a platform lift to enable access to a meeting in the Grand Committee Room was an adequate alternative...

That this House notes with concern that the Department of Health's recent inquiry report shows that to meet the existing demand for residential places for people with a mental handicap an additional 20,000 to 25,000 places are now required representing an increase of over 40 per cent., yet answers to Parliamentary questions reveal that many thousands of places have been lost mainly through closure of NHS hospitals and units; and therefore urges the Government to advise local health and social service authorities to rapidly reverse these adverse trends by urgently reviewing their closure and sell off plans and acting on demands by relatives locally, to allow suitable existing hospital sites to evolve into residential village communities for people with mental handicap.

That this House notes with concern that the Department of Health's recent inquiry report shows that to meet the existing demand for residential places for people with a mental handicap an additional 20,000 to 25,000 places are now required representing an increase of over 40 per cent., yet answers to...

That this House notes the determination of the Pensions Ombudsman dated 6th September 1996, which stated that an amendment to the winding-up clause of the BEST Pension Fund, which transferred a surplus of ??168 million to the Department of Transport, was 'obtained through a breach of the company's duty of good faith and through a threat to commit a fraud on a power' and his direction that the New Trustee should take 'without delay, all practicable steps to obtain the return of the monies with interest at an equitable rate'; further notes that this raiding of the pension fund surplus has effectively deprived the former employees of the National Bus Company of much-needed improvements to the pensions to which they contributed during their working lives; is deeply concerned that the Secretary of State for Transport is unwilling to comply with the Trustee's request to return their money without the Trustee, a civil servant in the Department of Transport, taking the matter to the High Court; is aware that this action is just one example of the Government raiding pension fund surpluses during the privatisation of former public utilities; and calls on the Government to comply with the spirit of the Ombudsman's direction in respect of the BEST Pension Fund forthwith.

That this House notes the determination of the Pensions Ombudsman dated 6th September 1996, which stated that an amendment to the winding-up clause of the BEST Pension Fund, which transferred a surplus of ??168 million to the Department of Transport, was 'obtained through a breach of the company's duty of...

That this House notes the High Court decision that the Secretary of State for Education and Employment acted outside the law when she gave grant maintained status to Stockingford primary and middle schools in Warwickshire; congratulates Warwickshire County Council on their victory; notes that, although misleading information had been given to parents and the proper process had not been carried out, the Secretary of State chose to ignore her own Department's guidance on procedure for grant maintained status ballots and awarded the schools grant maintained status; notes that the judge found her decision irrational; and agrees with the judge.

That this House notes the High Court decision that the Secretary of State for Education and Employment acted outside the law when she gave grant maintained status to Stockingford primary and middle schools in Warwickshire; congratulates Warwickshire County Council on their victory; notes that, although misleading information had been given...

That this House is opposed to plans by the Independent Tribunal Service to close facilities for tribunal hearings in Chesterfield; notes that 1,000 social security, disability and child support tribunals will be held in Chesterfield in 1996 and that transfers of future cases will lead to increased costs, inconvenience, disincentives for claimants to attend their own appeals and difficulties for organisations seeking to represent claimants; further notes that the closure of the Chesterfield venue follows on from closures earlier this year of facilities at Bridgend, Merthy Tydfil, Pontypridd, Gloucester, Yeovil, Huddersfield, Scunthorpe; Paisley and Mansfield, which is situated 12 miles from Chesterfield; and condemns the proposed closure of the Chesterfield venue as being contrary to the promise made to the honourable Member for Newport West in column 386 of the Official Report of 4th November 1996 by the honourable Member for Monmouth that the 'independent tribunal service has no plans to close any other venues' on top of the nine listed above.

That this House is opposed to plans by the Independent Tribunal Service to close facilities for tribunal hearings in Chesterfield; notes that 1,000 social security, disability and child support tribunals will be held in Chesterfield in 1996 and that transfers of future cases will lead to increased costs, inconvenience, disincentives...

That this House whilst noting the persistent and consistent pro-Labour bias as shown in regular news bulletins broadcast by Classic FM, expresses its astonishment at the statement made last Friday morning, 13th December 1996, that the Barnsley East by-election result was a Conservativedefeat; and urges the radio station to adopt an impartial line, to report the facts not opinion and to drop 'Labour-speak' forthwith.

That this House whilst noting the persistent and consistent pro-Labour bias as shown in regular news bulletins broadcast by Classic FM, expresses its astonishment at the statement made last Friday morning, 13th December 1996, that the Barnsley East by-election result was a Conservativedefeat; and urges the radio station to adopt...

That this House deplores attempts by the Secretary of State for Education to play party politics with the education of the children at The Ridings School; notes that, in spite of the anti-local authority rhetoric, the Secretary of State has broadly accepted the local education authority plan; congratulates the headteacher, OFSTED, the local education authority and the governors for working in partnership in the best interests of children at The Ridings; is appalled that on the very day the Secretary of State criticised Calderdale Council, the Government turned down an SRB bid of ??7 million aimed at helping the area where The Ridings is situated; and contrasts the Secretary of State's destructive approach to the very positive measures for failing schools proposed today by the Leader of the Opposition.

That this House deplores attempts by the Secretary of State for Education to play party politics with the education of the children at The Ridings School; notes that, in spite of the anti-local authority rhetoric, the Secretary of State has broadly accepted the local education authority plan; congratulates the headteacher,...