That this House welcomes the Government's Christmas campaign to reduce accidents caused by drink-driving; and calls upon the brewing and licensing trade to adopt a voluntary code of practice to use pint glasses with a 'Don't Drink and Drive' logo, details of which have already been sent to many honourable Members, in all licensed premises for a period of at least two years, so that accurate statistical evidence can be evaluated as to their impact.

That this House welcomes the Government's Christmas campaign to reduce accidents caused by drink-driving; and calls upon the brewing and licensing trade to adopt a voluntary code of practice to use pint glasses with a 'Don't Drink and Drive' logo, details of which have already been sent to many honourable...

That this House congratulates the 163 children from 27 South London primary schools on their contributions to New Faces for Old Masters, an exhibition previously exhibited in the Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan, and in particular the children of Heber Primary School, Woodhill Primary School, Dulwich Infants School, Dulwich Hamlet Primary School, Rosendale Junior School and Ashmead Primary School, whose artwork is currently displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall; encourages all Right honourable and honourable Members to visit the exhibition, which celebrates the imagination and talents of our young people; and thanks Dulwich Picture Gallery for organising the exhibition and for its work in stimulating the creativity of these youngsters as part of its excellent education programme.

That this House congratulates the 163 children from 27 South London primary schools on their contributions to New Faces for Old Masters, an exhibition previously exhibited in the Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan, and in particular the children of Heber Primary School, Woodhill Primary School, Dulwich Infants School, Dulwich Hamlet...

That this House is alarmed by the growth of trafficking in Khat, a drug illegal in America, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Ireland amongst others; recognises that the discrepancy in British law with that of other countries has led to the convictions and imprisonment of British subjects abroad for importation and possession of Khat; is concerned about the health problems associated with Khat, notably paranoid psychosis and hypomania and about the increasing social problems caused by this substance in some communities; and therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government to make Khat a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

That this House is alarmed by the growth of trafficking in Khat, a drug illegal in America, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Ireland amongst others; recognises that the discrepancy in British law with that of other countries has led to the convictions and imprisonment of British subjects abroad for importation and...

That this House condemns the Department for Education and Employment's privatisation programme of competitive tendering for the Careers Service which, following GrandMet's withdrawal, has severely jeopardised the provision of careers guidance in South London from 1st April 1996; further condemns the preferred bidder status allocated to GrandMet by the Department for Education and Employment despite irregularities revealing the highly inadequate nature of GrandMet's bid; notes with concern that the Department for Education and Employment imposed significantly less stringent guidelines and expectations on the private bid than on the bid made by the consortium of the four London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark and Lambeth together with Sainsburys and The Woolwich Building Society; further notes that the GrandMet fiasco raises concerns about the other private companies running careers services with no relevant experience; reaffirms the critical economic and social importance of the Careers Service as a mechanism for preventing skills shortages and enhancing employee potential; urges the Government to take immediate steps to rectify the chaos caused to the Careers Service by its privatisation programme; and further urges the Government to recognise the professional nature of the consortium bid in South London and grant it preferred bidder status forthwith.

That this House condemns the Department for Education and Employment's privatisation programme of competitive tendering for the Careers Service which, following GrandMet's withdrawal, has severely jeopardised the provision of careers guidance in South London from 1st April 1996; further condemns the preferred bidder status allocated to GrandMet by the Department...

That this House views with concern the serious shortfall of ??9 million between the local authority finance settlement for 1996-97 and what the Chief Fire Officer and the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority consider to be necessary to mai ntain current levels of service; agrees with the former Chief Fire Officer that the service has already been cut to the bone and that there is no more room for cuts; consequently believes that cuts of ??25 million over the next three years will endanger lives in London and that the possible closure of four fire stations and a further 22 engines across London is to be resisted; and calls on the Secretary of State for the Environment to redetermine the standing spending assessment for the fire service in London so that Londoners can remain confident in a fire service of the highest quality.

That this House views with concern the serious shortfall of ??9 million between the local authority finance settlement for 1996-97 and what the Chief Fire Officer and the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority consider to be necessary to mai ntain current levels of service; agrees with the former Chief...

That this House notes that the South Thames Training and Enterprise Council, after repeated warnings to the Department of Employment that it was in financial difficulties, was put into receivership on 23rd December 1994; further notes, with the utmost concern, the plight of the many employees, trainees, and training providers, associated with the Agency, who have been devastated by its collapse; condemns the lack of positive practical action on the part of the Department of Employment since the collapse of the Agency, the Department's refusal to honour the debts of the Agency leading to financial crises among the many creditors, and the decision by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to farm out the training provision for the South Thames area to agencies with no geographical or training links with the area; demands that the Department of Employment lives up to its responsibilities, by underwriting the debts of South Thames Training and Enterprise Council, by securing the jobs of the Agency's staff, by guaranteeing the provision for present and future trainees in the South Thames area, and by re-establishing a unitary training authority to serve the boroughs of Lewisham, Lambeth, Greenwich and Southwark.

That this House notes that the South Thames Training and Enterprise Council, after repeated warnings to the Department of Employment that it was in financial difficulties, was put into receivership on 23rd December 1994; further notes, with the utmost concern, the plight of the many employees, trainees, and training providers,...

That this House is disturbed to learn that Mrs Pike of Catford, South London, was told by the consultant at Guy's Hospital that no vein operations were performed on people over fifty five and that she was, therefore, too old to have an operation for which she had been referred to Guy's; calls on the Secretary of State for Health to investigate whether there is an age discrimination policy at Guy's Hospital; and reminds the Prime Minister that patients who are subject to such experiences in the two tier health service which she has created cannot be accused of peddling untruths.

That this House is disturbed to learn that Mrs Pike of Catford, South London, was told by the consultant at Guy's Hospital that no vein operations were performed on people over fifty five and that she was, therefore, too old to have an operation for which she had been referred...

That this House demands the Govenment keeps its promise to introduce commonhold at the earliest possible opportunity; calls for the provision of balanced advice to council tenants considering buying their homes; believes legislation needs to be introduced as soon as possible to prevent unscrupulous door to door canvassing; further believes building societies should not be able to refuse a mortgage on property that they previously considered mortgageable all other things being equal, unless the condition of the property has deteriorated markedly; calls on the Council of Mortgage Lenders to develop a joint code of practice with local authorities on resales of former local authority property; and believes local authorities should have the discretion and resources to buy back former council property.

That this House demands the Govenment keeps its promise to introduce commonhold at the earliest possible opportunity; calls for the provision of balanced advice to council tenants considering buying their homes; believes legislation needs to be introduced as soon as possible to prevent unscrupulous door to door canvassing; further believes...

That this House calls for the extension of leasehold enfranchisement to leaseholders paying higher ground rent, living over shops or with leases under 21 years; believes changes in legislation are needed to ensure valuations are based on market value of the freehold only and that this should apply to leasehold extensions; further believes that local authorities and housing associations should be able to offer advice and assistance to anyone considering exercising their right to leasehold enfranchisement; considers the Secretary of State should ensure that any code of conduct is based on the principle that the leaseholder should have easy redress against problems they face from freeholders and that that code of conduct is accessible and comprehensible to those without legal or technical knowledge; and demands that the Government provides adequate support to agencies such as the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service and should make leaseholders aware of their existing rights and simplify the process of enforcing such rights to make them more accessible to more people.

That this House calls for the extension of leasehold enfranchisement to leaseholders paying higher ground rent, living over shops or with leases under 21 years; believes changes in legislation are needed to ensure valuations are based on market value of the freehold only and that this should apply to leasehold...

That this House recognises that Labour councils have an unbeatable record in providing quality and value for money services which meet the needs of the communities they were elected to serve; that they have led the way in improving service delivery and ensuring their services are customer oriented and publicly accountable; records with pride that the London Borough of Lewisham's direct labour organisation, DIRECTeam, this year has achieved its goal of becoming 'the best public service provider in the country' by being awarded the Investors in People accreditation; congratulates Lewisham Council for DIRECTeam's becoming the first public organisation in the country to gain BS5750 Quality Assurance for refuse and cleansing, street management, carparking, passenger service and support services, as well as gaining a Charter Mark for the refuse and street cleansing service; notes that it was DIRECTeam which pioneered the cash-back guarantees for the non-delivery of services long before similar ideas were adopted by the present Government; and demands recognition that Labour councils are attaining standards unmatched by local authorities controlled by other parties.

That this House recognises that Labour councils have an unbeatable record in providing quality and value for money services which meet the needs of the communities they were elected to serve; that they have led the way in improving service delivery and ensuring their services are customer oriented and publicly...

That this House expresses its grave concern that the Home Secretary intends to replace the current Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme without consultation, that the proposed replacement would offer only a financial expression of sympathy, rather than compensation, to the victims of violent crime and that the proposed replacement would involve limits on the expertise used to decide awards, and the appeals systems available to victims; and therefore calls on the Home Secretary fully to consult victims and their representatives before making any changes to the current scheme.

That this House expresses its grave concern that the Home Secretary intends to replace the current Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme without consultation, that the proposed replacement would offer only a financial expression of sympathy, rather than compensation, to the victims of violent crime and that the proposed replacement would involve...

That this House is concerned that the cuts in the future funding of the Arts Council will perpetuate the crises in arts funding as a whole and will have dire consequences for the high standards of British classical musicians and cultural life; believes financial investment in the Arts to be an essential prerequisite for the continuation of high cultural standards in Britain; recognises the importance of eliminating waste and increasing efficiency within the Arts Council but believes the present Government initiated reviews to be motivated by a desire to cut Treasury costs rather than a commitment to maximising public funds to support art forms at their highest level of excellence; condemns the situation where three of the four internationally renowned London orchestras are forced to compete for one Arts Council grant and the subsequent threat this poses to programmes, performances and jobs as well as the future of two of the losers; and deems such a withdrawal of Arts Council funding to be contrary to the Council's stated commitment to maintain quality, access to the widest audience and cultural diversity and contrary to the Government's own commitment to maintain support for the Arts at the last General Election.

That this House is concerned that the cuts in the future funding of the Arts Council will perpetuate the crises in arts funding as a whole and will have dire consequences for the high standards of British classical musicians and cultural life; believes financial investment in the Arts to be...

That this House is not in the least surprised at the report in The Times of the political gerrymandering by Dame Shirley Porter and the Conservative Group on Westminster City Council and the loss of at least ??10 million of public money including the cost of promoting this social cleansing scandal and accommodating homeless people in temporary accommodation who would otherwise have moved into the council properties; condemns this deliberate attempt to drive council tenants out of the borough; calls on the Housing Minister and the Prime Minister to dissociate themselves from the people involved; is concerned about the number of times the report's publication has been delayed; and urges the District Auditor to publish his provisional findings and arrange for public hearings forthwith.

That this House is not in the least surprised at the report in The Times of the political gerrymandering by Dame Shirley Porter and the Conservative Group on Westminster City Council and the loss of at least ??10 million of public money including the cost of promoting this social cleansing...

That this House congratulates the electorate of Millbank Ward in Westminster on returning a Labour Councillor in their recent by-election with an eight per cent. swing to Labour and spurning the far right policies of the Conservative Group and Conservative Government; further congratulates Simon Winters, born and bred in Millbank Ward, in winning the seat; and wishes him a long and successful career on the Council implementing policies which will benefit the people of Millbank Ward and Westminster which clearly is not happening under the present Conservative leadership.

That this House congratulates the electorate of Millbank Ward in Westminster on returning a Labour Councillor in their recent by-election with an eight per cent. swing to Labour and spurning the far right policies of the Conservative Group and Conservative Government; further congratulates Simon Winters, born and bred in Millbank...

That this House condemns the practice of back to back sales of repossessed houses where unscrupulous spectators buy such properties cheaply and sell them on to innocent buyers at higher prices; congratulates the Woolwich Building Society for investigating this practice and its willingness to see the instigators prosecuted, especially those involved in dubious deals in their Lewisham office; and calls upon the Serious Fraud Office to conduct an immediate, detailed investigation of this activity and in particular the actions of the property speculator, Forum UK.

That this House condemns the practice of back to back sales of repossessed houses where unscrupulous spectators buy such properties cheaply and sell them on to innocent buyers at higher prices; congratulates the Woolwich Building Society for investigating this practice and its willingness to see the instigators prosecuted, especially those...

That this House is not in the least surprised at the report in The Times of the political gerrymandering by Dame Shirley Porter and the Conservative Group on Westminster City Council and the loss of at least ??10 million of public money including the cost of promoting this social cleansing scandal and accommodating homeless people in temporary accommodation who would otherwise have moved into the council properties; condemns this deliberate attempt to drive council tenants out of the borough; calls on the House Minister and the Prime Minister to dissociate themselves from the people involved; is concerned about the number of times the report's publication has been delayed; and urges the District Auditor to publish his provisional findings and arrange for public hearings forthwith.

That this House is not in the least surprised at the report in The Times of the political gerrymandering by Dame Shirley Porter and the Conservative Group on Westminster City Council and the loss of at least ??10 million of public money including the cost of promoting this social cleansing...

That this House congratulates the electorate of Millbank Ward in Westminster on returning a Labour Councillor in their recent by-election with an 8 per cent. swing to Labour and spurning the far right policies of the Conservative Group and Conservative Government; further congratulates Simon Winters, born and bred in Millbank Ward, in winning the seat; and wishes him a long and successful career on the Council implementing policies which will benefit the people of Millbank Ward and Westminster which clearly is not happening under the present Conservative leadership.

That this House congratulates the electorate of Millbank Ward in Westminster on returning a Labour Councillor in their recent by-election with an 8 per cent. swing to Labour and spurning the far right policies of the Conservative Group and Conservative Government; further congratulates Simon Winters, born and bred in Millbank...

That this House condemns the practice of back to back sales of repossessed houses where unscrupulous speculators buy such properties cheaply and sell them on to innocent buyers at higher prices; congratulates the Woolwich Building Society for investigating this practice and its willingness to see the instigators prosecuted, especially those involved in dubious deals in their Lewisham office; and calls upon the Serious Fraud Office to conduct an immediate, detailed investigation of this activity and in particular the actions of the property speculator, Forum UK.

That this House condemns the practice of back to back sales of repossessed houses where unscrupulous speculators buy such properties cheaply and sell them on to innocent buyers at higher prices; congratulates the Woolwich Building Society for investigating this practice and its willingness to see the instigators prosecuted, especially those...

That this House notes the importance of EC and government subsidies in the provision by local education authorities of subsidised milk schemes and low priced dairy products to young school pupils and outward bound centres; recognises that such schemes serve as crucial nutritional safeguards against poor diet amongst shcool children, especially during this harsh economic climate and subsequent restrictions on parental resources; deplores the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at Easter of this year to cut its contribution to the subsidy of cheese, resulting in the loss of the low-priced cheese benefit to Lewisham school children rhis summer term; ands therefore urges the Government to accept the importance of such schemes and to resist any cut in EC subsidy which would render free milk provision by local authorities financially untendable.

That this House notes the importance of EC and government subsidies in the provision by local education authorities of subsidised milk schemes and low priced dairy products to young school pupils and outward bound centres; recognises that such schemes serve as crucial nutritional safeguards against poor diet amongst shcool children,...

That this House congratulates the GMB Trade Union and, in particular, Fulham No. 1 Branch, on its community spirit and excellent initiative in sponsoring Fulham Football Club; wishes the campaign launched by Fulham 2000 every success; and hopes that the Club's long term future will be secure at Craven Cottage, its home for almost 100 years.

That this House congratulates the GMB Trade Union and, in particular, Fulham No. 1 Branch, on its community spirit and excellent initiative in sponsoring Fulham Football Club; wishes the campaign launched by Fulham 2000 every success; and hopes that the Club's long term future will be secure at Craven Cottage,...