That this House celebrates Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey’s starring role in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey; recognises Culbin Forest and Burghead Harbour’s important role as filming locations used in the North-East of Scotland to bring the story to screen; further recognises the impact of both screen production and screen tourism on Scotland’s economic growth, worth over £700 million and £130 million respectively; and notes the important role of Screen Scotland and the funding it receives from both the Scottish Government and The National Lottery in developing and growing Scotland’s screen sector and developing Scotland’s reputation as a destination for international productions.

That this House celebrates Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey’s starring role in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey; recognises Culbin Forest and Burghead Harbour’s important role as filming locations used in the North-East of Scotland to bring the story to screen; further recognises the impact of both screen production and screen...

That this House recognises 18 July as Nelson Mandela Day, established by the United Nations to honour the life, legacy and values of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela; notes with pride that Nelson Mandela was awarded the Freedom of the City of Glasgow in 1981 in recognition of his courageous opposition to apartheid, years before his release from prison, reflecting Glasgow's long-standing commitment to justice and equality; celebrates his unwavering dedication to freedom, democracy, reconciliation and human dignity; acknowledges his leadership in the struggle against apartheid and his enduring contribution to peace and human rights across the world; further notes that Nelson Mandela Day encourages people everywhere to devote time to serving their communities in the spirit of solidarity and compassion; believes that Mandela's example continues to inspire efforts to challenge injustice, promote equality and foster peaceful dialogue; and calls on hon. and Rt hon. Members to mark Nelson Mandela Day by reaffirming their commitment to the values of human rights, equality, justice and service to others that Nelson Mandela embodied throughout his life.

That this House recognises 18 July as Nelson Mandela Day, established by the United Nations to honour the life, legacy and values of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela; notes with pride that Nelson Mandela was awarded the Freedom of the City of Glasgow in 1981 in recognition of his courageous opposition to...

That this House recognises the vital role post offices play in supporting rural communities by providing access to banking, cash withdrawals and deposits, parcel services and essential retail facilities; notes that, following widespread high street bank closures, post offices have become the primary point of access to in-person banking for many residents, particularly older or digitally excluded people in rural economies such as West Dorset; further notes with concern that changes by banks to services available through post offices risk undermining their long-term viability and reducing access to essential services; further recognises the dedication of postal workers serving rural communities despite the challenges of longer delivery routes and dispersed populations; expresses concern that postal delivery performance remains well below target, with first-class mail delivery at 79.2% in the Dorchester postcode area against a 93% target; also notes persistent parcel delivery failures in rural areas from delivery companies like EVRI, including missed deliveries, inaccurate tracking, incorrect delivery locations and inadequate customer support; believes rural consumers deserve reliable and transparent postal and parcel services; and calls on the Government to support the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network, work with Royal Mail to improve rural delivery performance, strengthen Ofcom's oversight of parcel delivery operators, require retailers to inform customers at the point of purchase which courier will be used, and work with the Post Office, banks and other stakeholders to safeguard banking services, ensure key financial services remain available through post offices, and secure their future at the heart of communities.

That this House recognises the vital role post offices play in supporting rural communities by providing access to banking, cash withdrawals and deposits, parcel services and essential retail facilities; notes that, following widespread high street bank closures, post offices have become the primary point of access to in-person banking for...

That this House celebrates Richard Pengelly and his 37 years of dedicated service to the House of Commons; notes that he began his parliamentary career in the Pugin Room before becoming one of the best-known and best-loved faces behind the bar in the Strangers’ Bar; recognises that his warmth, kindness, humour, quick wit and ever-present smile have brightened the days of countless Members, staff and visitors over the years; further recognises that, whether serving a drink or sharing a joke, Richard has been a constant source of good cheer and embodies the very best of the parliamentary community; applauds his legendary enthusiasm for the Eurovision Song Contest, which has brought much enjoyment to colleagues over the years; thanks him for the friendships he has forged and the memories he has helped create over nearly four decades; and concludes by awarding him the parliamentary equivalent of douze points for a truly outstanding career, with every good wish for the future.

That this House celebrates Richard Pengelly and his 37 years of dedicated service to the House of Commons; notes that he began his parliamentary career in the Pugin Room before becoming one of the best-known and best-loved faces behind the bar in the Strangers’ Bar; recognises that his warmth, kindness,...

That this House notes that the British Museum still holds about half of the Parthenon Sculptures, controversially removed from Athens by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1812, during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, and that they remain on display in the British Museum to which they were transferred by an Act of Parliament in 1816; considers it unacceptable for these sculptures to be held and displayed in the UK, not least because the sculptures have been damaged whilst in the museum’s possession; further notes that those Parthenon Sculptures remaining in Athens have been well displayed since 2009 in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum close to the Parthenon; is encouraged by reports of stronger and developing partnerships between the British and Acropolis Museums, and reports that British Museum Chair, George Osborne, has indicated his support for this to include the return of the sculptures; also notes that opinion polls have shown a majority also support the return; and therefore calls on the Government to do all that is necessary to cooperate with the trustees of the British Museum, to agree a gracious act to reunite the Parthenon Sculptures with those in Athens and to finally put right this enduring wrong.

That this House notes that the British Museum still holds about half of the Parthenon Sculptures, controversially removed from Athens by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1812, during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, and that they remain on display in the British Museum to which they were transferred by an...

That this House believes Royal Mail’s continuing poor postal delivery performance, is effectively enabled by OFCOM's regulatory failings; further believes that this is adversely affecting residents and businesses, with consequent missed medical appointments, missed court decisions, fines for non-payment of bills and numerous other significant impacts; also believes that Royal Mail has not met its quarterly service targets, reflecting a growing national crisis in postal reliability, in spite of OFCOM fining Royal Mail £21 million this year, following fines in previous years; is concerned Royal Mail continues to seek to lower the standards of the Universal Service Obligation; believes these problems do not reflect on the hard-working front-line postal delivery staff who have been let down by an over-centralised management structure and profit-before-service orientated owners; and therefore calls on the Government to intervene to insist that OFCOM pressures Royal Mail to meet it's operational targets, ensure that Royal Mail takes immediate remedial action to restore service reliability and to address staffing shortages and morale, and for OFCOM to fully utilise its enforcement powers, and to ensure the Universal Service Obligation is protected.

That this House believes Royal Mail’s continuing poor postal delivery performance, is effectively enabled by OFCOM's regulatory failings; further believes that this is adversely affecting residents and businesses, with consequent missed medical appointments, missed court decisions, fines for non-payment of bills and numerous other significant impacts; also believes that Royal...

That this House believes high street bank closures have a detrimental impact on small enterprises, local business resilience, charities, vulnerable customers and the digitally excluded and adds to the vulnerability of UK financial services, especially to cyber threat from rogue actors; remembers the Government injected £137 billion in loans and capital when banks needed bailing out during the financial crisis, and that this cost the public £23 billion overall; further believes that digital banking cannot be a full substitute for the comprehensive services provided through face-to-face services in bank branches, and that many complex and essential transactions are either very difficult or cannot be simply completed online; is concerned that these closures risk breaching the Financial Conduct Authority’s guidance on fair treatment of vulnerable customers and may breach Equality Act 2010 standards; notes LINK’s regulatory responsibilities in assessing access to cash, but believes these assessments are far too narrowly focussed and do not consider the full range of services required by customers and small businesses; is further concerned that high street banks often do not conduct sufficient social or equality impact assessments, nor engaged in any substantive consultation prior to closures; and calls the Government to review current regulations in this regard and to introduce a duty on banks to consult local communities before any further branch closure announcements.

That this House believes high street bank closures have a detrimental impact on small enterprises, local business resilience, charities, vulnerable customers and the digitally excluded and adds to the vulnerability of UK financial services, especially to cyber threat from rogue actors; remembers the Government injected £137 billion in loans and...

That this House commends the team behind Effi o Blaenau, a Welsh-language drama film by filmmaker Marc Evans that has been screened at the Glasgow Film Festival and recently had its UK-wide release to huge critical acclaim; notes that the film has become the most successful Welsh-language film ever released in the UK, breaking box office records on its opening weekend; further notes that the film is an adaptation of the 2015 one-woman play Iphigenia in Splott by Welsh dramatist Gary Owen and follows a young woman from Blaenau Ffestiniog whose life is changed forever after a chance encounter; highlights the film’s powerful and unflinching depiction of the impact of austerity in communities; acknowledges that the film’s success demonstrates the strength of creative talent in Wales and the growing appetite for stories rooted in Wales; and congratulates the cast and crew for this important cultural milestone for Welsh-language film.

That this House commends the team behind Effi o Blaenau, a Welsh-language drama film by filmmaker Marc Evans that has been screened at the Glasgow Film Festival and recently had its UK-wide release to huge critical acclaim; notes that the film has become the most successful Welsh-language film ever released...