That this House welcomes the remarks by Professor Stiglitz, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, in his recent interview with The Independent newspaper, in which he warns against severe cuts being the response to the recession `because cutting back means the economy goes into a downturn...[and] will trigger another recession or depression'; believes the lessons from Ireland, where the government has undertaken a savage cuts agenda that has deepened the recession with an approach that mirrors much of what is said by the Conservative Party in the UK, are clear; supports Professor Stiglitz's comments that governments should not be held to ransom by credit agencies and that investment and economic benefits will result from the public spending undertaken in response to the recession; and further believes that a programme of government investment would restore economic growth and in turn reduce government debt meaning that ordinary people such as nurses, teachers and pensioners who did not cause the recession would not have to pay for the failings of unrestrained free-market capitalism.

That this House welcomes the remarks by Professor Stiglitz, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, in his recent interview with The Independent newspaper, in which he warns against severe cuts being the response to the recession `because cutting back means the economy goes into a downturn...[and] will trigger another...

That this House recognises that the reformed Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) introduced for all existing and new members in April 2008, and April 2009 in Scotland and Northern Ireland, is an affordable and sustainable scheme for the long-term provision of pension saving for those working in local government and allied employment; notes that discussions on the mechanism to meet future cost fluctuations of the new LGPS between Government, employers and unions are ongoing through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Policy Review Group; and therefore calls on HM Treasury to acknowledge that any proposal to cap increases in employer contributions to a funded pension scheme such as the LGPS outlined in the Pre-Budget Report is within the context of the existing policy framework, not a substitute for open and transparent agreement between the scheme's stakeholders.

That this House recognises that the reformed Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) introduced for all existing and new members in April 2008, and April 2009 in Scotland and Northern Ireland, is an affordable and sustainable scheme for the long-term provision of pension saving for those working in local government and...

That this House congratulates the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, on his emphatic victory in the presidential elections on 6 December 2009; notes that he received more than 60 per cent. of the vote compared with the 54 per cent. he won in the 2005 elections; further notes that the Movimiento al Socialismo has greatly increased its presence in the new legislative assembly to nearly two-thirds of the seats; recognises that these elections mark a significant and welcome defeat for the extreme right based in the eastern lowlands area; and views the extremely high voter participation as indicating the growing mass support for the anti neo-liberal policies pursued by President Morales.

That this House congratulates the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, on his emphatic victory in the presidential elections on 6 December 2009; notes that he received more than 60 per cent. of the vote compared with the 54 per cent. he won in the 2005 elections; further notes that the...

That this House congratulates the Leeds refuse workers who, after three months on strike, have defeated the plans of the Liberal Democrat and Conservative controlled Leeds City Council to impose pay cuts of up to 30 per cent. on this group of low paid workers; notes that the public of Leeds refused to be mobilised against the workers despite the frantic efforts of the council's public relations machine and the aggressive approach of the Liberal Democrats led by Councillor Richard Brett; is concerned that although the justice, fairness and dignity of the refuse workers' case was evident from day one, the Liberal Democrat leadership of the council, along with their Conservative allies, has taken three months to recognise it, thus ensuring unnecessary disruption for the citizens of Leeds; calls for a full audit of the cost of the dispute to be published; and pays tribute to the tremendous solidarity of those GMB and Unison members who refused to submit to the provocative behaviour of the council and who went on to achieve a great victory.

That this House congratulates the Leeds refuse workers who, after three months on strike, have defeated the plans of the Liberal Democrat and Conservative controlled Leeds City Council to impose pay cuts of up to 30 per cent. on this group of low paid workers; notes that the public of...

That this House congratulates the City of Leeds, the City of Louisville in Kentucky, Leeds Metropolitan University, Nazareth College in Rochester, New York State and West Yorkshire Playhouse for commemorating the 150th anniversary of the speech given by Frederick Douglass to the people of Leeds on the eve of the American Civil War; notes that in this bicentennial year of the birth of Abraham Lincoln the people of the United States have elected their first ever President of African descent, Barack Obama; and acknowledges the contribution made by those British people who supported the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

That this House congratulates the City of Leeds, the City of Louisville in Kentucky, Leeds Metropolitan University, Nazareth College in Rochester, New York State and West Yorkshire Playhouse for commemorating the 150th anniversary of the speech given by Frederick Douglass to the people of Leeds on the eve of the...

That this House congratulates all those refuse workers, members of the GMB and Unison, at Leeds City Council who have been solidly on strike since 7th September; recognises that their action is fully justified in the face of the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalitions determination to reduce wages in some cases by up to one third prior to privatisation of the service; notes that the public of Leeds have been overwhelmingly supportive of the men and women who carry out their work efficiently in all kinds of weather; calls on the current leader of the council, Liberal Democrat Councillor Richard Brett, to acknowledge his aggressive approach to the refuse workers has proved counter-productive; and further calls for a settlement to the dispute which acknowledges the justice, fairness and dignity of the refuse workers' case.

That this House congratulates all those refuse workers, members of the GMB and Unison, at Leeds City Council who have been solidly on strike since 7th September; recognises that their action is fully justified in the face of the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalitions determination to reduce wages in some cases by...

That this House welcomes the democratic victory of Hugo Chavez in a national constitutional referendum on 15 February 2009, won with 55 per cent. support and with a 70 per cent. turnout; notes that international electoral observers, the Venezuelan opposition and the US administration, have recognised the results; further notes that this was the 13th electoral victory by Chavez and his coalition of supporters in the past decade; and congratulates the Venezuelan government on its strong democratic record and progressive and popular policies that have included free healthcare being made available to millions of people for the first time, the eradication of illiteracy to UNESCO standards and the halving of extreme poverty.

That this House welcomes the democratic victory of Hugo Chavez in a national constitutional referendum on 15 February 2009, won with 55 per cent. support and with a 70 per cent. turnout; notes that international electoral observers, the Venezuelan opposition and the US administration, have recognised the results; further notes...

That this House welcomes the victory of Evo Morales in winning the Bolivian constitutional referendum in Bolivia with the support of around 60 per cent. of the electorate; notes that the new constitution provides for a more equal distribution of Bolivia's natural resources and land and also addresses the centuries-long discrimination faced by the majority indigenous population; and calls on the right-wing opposition who have engaged in sustained violence to subvert the democratic process to now accept the expressed will of the Bolivian people.

That this House welcomes the victory of Evo Morales in winning the Bolivian constitutional referendum in Bolivia with the support of around 60 per cent. of the electorate; notes that the new constitution provides for a more equal distribution of Bolivia's natural resources and land and also addresses the centuries-long...

That this House condemns the decision by Carlsberg Tetley to close the historic Tetley Brewery in Leeds that employs 170 staff; welcomes the Yorkshire Evening Post's campaign to persuade Carlsberg to keep Tetley's as a locally brewed brand; and calls on everyone who wishes to retain a beer that has been brewed in the city since 1822 to back the campaign.

That this House condemns the decision by Carlsberg Tetley to close the historic Tetley Brewery in Leeds that employs 170 staff; welcomes the Yorkshire Evening Post's campaign to persuade Carlsberg to keep Tetley's as a locally brewed brand; and calls on everyone who wishes to retain a beer that has...

That this House welcomes the 28th October rally in Parliament, organised by GMB and supported by UNITE, UCATT, UNISON and other trades unions in support of people suffering with pleural plaques; further welcomes the ongoing Government consultation which seeks to address the recent ruling by the House of Lords meaning that pleural plaques are no longer a compensatable illness; and calls on the Government to reach a prompt conclusion which will help the thousands of people suffering from this serious condition in Britain today.

That this House welcomes the 28th October rally in Parliament, organised by GMB and supported by UNITE, UCATT, UNISON and other trades unions in support of people suffering with pleural plaques; further welcomes the ongoing Government consultation which seeks to address the recent ruling by the House of Lords meaning...

That this House notes that the UK Government currently spends only 0.9 per cent. of GDP on higher education, 24th out of the 30 OECD nations; backs the call by Leeds University Union for the Government to raise higher education spending to a level of 1.1 per cent. of GDP in order to meet the OECD average; notes that 65 per cent. of UK students currently expect to graduate owing more than ??10,000, according to a recent Times Higher Education Supplement survey; and believes that increased funding must be in place to match the Government's commitment to a world class higher education system and to reduce current excessive levels of graduate debt.

That this House notes that the UK Government currently spends only 0.9 per cent. of GDP on higher education, 24th out of the 30 OECD nations; backs the call by Leeds University Union for the Government to raise higher education spending to a level of 1.1 per cent. of GDP...

That this House congratulates Leeds Rhinos on retaining the Super League Championship and St Helens for their contribution to a magnificent game in front of 68,000 fans which showed rugby league at its best; notes that eight of the Rhinos team are Leeds-born and a further three players have progressed through the club's junior system, including Kevin Sinfield, the outstanding Rhinos' captain; further notes the continued growth of rugby league at a grassroots level throughout the country; and calls on Sport England to reclassify rugby league as a Class A sport.

That this House congratulates Leeds Rhinos on retaining the Super League Championship and St Helens for their contribution to a magnificent game in front of 68,000 fans which showed rugby league at its best; notes that eight of the Rhinos team are Leeds-born and a further three players have progressed...

That this House welcomes the statement made by Venezuelan President Hugo Ch??vez on 8th June calling on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to pursue their objectives through exclusively peaceful means and to unilaterally release all the captives they hold; welcomes the attempts that President Ch??vez has made to mediate in Colombia's ongoing internal conflict, that has so far seen the release of six FARC-held hostages, including five former members of the Colombian Congress and a former vice-presidential candidate; believes that President Ch??vez's latest proposals could be a positive step towards beginning an inclusive dialogue and moving towards a peace process and peaceful settlement in Colombia; further believes that this would also require the disarmament of right-wing Colombian paramilitary forces and a fundamental change in the approach of the Colombian government away from its dependence on military solutions; and calls on the British Government to engage positively with the government of Hugo Ch??vez, and others in Latin America, in working towards a peaceful resolution in Colombia.

That this House welcomes the statement made by Venezuelan President Hugo Ch??vez on 8th June calling on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to pursue their objectives through exclusively peaceful means and to unilaterally release all the captives they hold; welcomes the attempts that President Ch??vez has made to...

That this House notes the Government's vision document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, which includes provisions allowing private sector management to take over NHS trusts that are deemed to have failed by the NHS Chief Executive; does not believe that NHS performance will be improved by diverting money out of the NHS into corporate profits; deplores the apparent underlying assumption that the private sector is always superior; observes that the current global economic crisis was caused by the greed and incompetence displayed in equal measure by many of the world's largest private sector institutions; hopes the level of management expertise that brought Northern Rock to its knees and Terminal Five to a standstill will not now be unleashed on our hospitals; urges the Government to reaffirm the value of the public sector ethos; and hopes that Ministers will improve their own performance by ditching their apparent knee-jerk impulse to privatise whenever faced with a policy decision.

That this House notes the Government's vision document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, which includes provisions allowing private sector management to take over NHS trusts that are deemed to have failed by the NHS Chief Executive; does not believe that NHS performance will be improved by diverting money out of...

That this House notes with concern that right-wing forces in the Santa Cruz department of Bolivia are insisting on holding a referendum on regional autonomy on 4th May; considers that this referendum violates the Bolivian constitution; notes that the Bolivian National Electoral Court has refused to endorse it; further notes that the Organisation of American States and the European Union have refused to send international observers to legitimise the referendum; is concerned that violent extremist right-wing groups such as the Santa Cruz Youth Union will be involved in intimidation of voters; and believes that the aim of the referendum is to undermine the democratically-elected government of Evo Morales, the first ever indigenous leader of Bolivia, whose aim is to create a more just and inclusive society for all Bolivians including the previously marginalised indigenous majority of that country.

That this House notes with concern that right-wing forces in the Santa Cruz department of Bolivia are insisting on holding a referendum on regional autonomy on 4th May; considers that this referendum violates the Bolivian constitution; notes that the Bolivian National Electoral Court has refused to endorse it; further notes...

That this House warmly congratulates Fernando Lugo and the Patriotic Alliance for Change on their election victory in Paraguay ending 60 years of the conservative Colorado Party rule; recognises the victory as part of the continued shift to the left across Latin America as often impoverished citizens seek political alternatives to neo-liberal economic policies imposed upon them by domestic oligarchic elites and North American business interests; and calls upon the Government fully to respect and engage meaningfully with the democratic choice and popular governance of administrations led by Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (Argentina) and Tabar?? V??zquez (Uruguay) who seek to prove that another world is possible.

That this House warmly congratulates Fernando Lugo and the Patriotic Alliance for Change on their election victory in Paraguay ending 60 years of the conservative Colorado Party rule; recognises the victory as part of the continued shift to the left across Latin America as often impoverished citizens seek political alternatives...

That this House recognises that local radio stations have a key role to play in the communities they serve; regrets that Ken Bates, Chairman of Leeds United, has seen fit to end the contract for Radio Leeds to broadcast live coverage of Leeds United matches; recognises that for nearly 40 years through bad and good times Radio Leeds has provided an excellent service to the people of Leeds and the surrounding area who wish to follow the fortunes of their favourite team on match days; notes that a sizeable number of listeners are pensioners who are unable to attend games and will now have to buy a digital radio to listen to Yorkshire Radio, the creation of Mr Bates, which has now been given the contract to broadcast live matches; recognises that those who listen to car radio will also be disadvantaged by this move; and calls on Mr Bates to reconsider his decision and recognise that it is in the long-term interests of Leeds United to have the greatest possible local radio audiences to stimulate interest in and support for the club.

That this House recognises that local radio stations have a key role to play in the communities they serve; regrets that Ken Bates, Chairman of Leeds United, has seen fit to end the contract for Radio Leeds to broadcast live coverage of Leeds United matches; recognises that for nearly 40...

That this House recalls Article 25 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees everyone the unqualified right to adequate housing irrespective of employment status and welcomes the Government's announcement to build three million new homes; but notes with concern proposals to make the right to access social housing contingent upon the applicant's activities in the labour market; believes that such a policy will place a greater burden on the taxpayer in terms of temporary accommodation costs, increase the already too large number of homeless people, increase poverty among vulnerable groups, and will not tackle barriers that are in place for those trapped in a cycle of unemployment; further notes that such issues as housing benefit regulations act as a barrier for people to access work and that reform is much overdue, that changes in benefit regulation, greater provision of employment advice and support as well as increased low-cost childcare options would help many of those who are currently unemployed enter into the labour market; believes that threatening the tenancies of social housing residents is not an effective solution to tackle unemployment; and calls upon the Government to reject this approach to housing and employment.

That this House recalls Article 25 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees everyone the unqualified right to adequate housing irrespective of employment status and welcomes the Government's announcement to build three million new homes; but notes with concern proposals to make the right to access social housing...

That this House commends the achievements of Fidel Castro in securing first-class free healthcare and education provision for the people of Cuba despite the 44 year illegal US embargo of the Cuban economy; notes the great strides Cuba has taken during this period in many fields such as biotechnology and sport in both of which Cuba is a world leader; acknowledges the esteem in which Castro is held by the people and leaders of Africa, Asia and Latin America for leading the calls for emancipation of the world's poorest people from slavery, hunger and the denial of human rights such as the right to life, the right to shelter, the right to healthcare and basic medicines and the right to education; welcomes the EU statement that constructive engagement with Cuba at this time is the most responsible course of action; and calls upon the Government to respect Cuba's right to self-determination and resist the aggressive forces within the US Administration who are openly planning their own illegal transition in Cuba.

That this House commends the achievements of Fidel Castro in securing first-class free healthcare and education provision for the people of Cuba despite the 44 year illegal US embargo of the Cuban economy; notes the great strides Cuba has taken during this period in many fields such as biotechnology and...

That this House notes with interest the Prison Service internal league tables demonstrating that 10 out of the 11 prisons managed by the private sector are in the bottom quarter of the weighted scorecard used to measure the overall performance of prisons; further notes that prisons run by the public sector consistently and significantly out-perform those that are privately managed, which have a particularly poor record at maintaining order and security; believes that this demonstrates that marketisation is not the route to delivering better services across the public sector; and urges the Government to reaffirm the public service ethos as central to the improvement of public service provision.

That this House notes with interest the Prison Service internal league tables demonstrating that 10 out of the 11 prisons managed by the private sector are in the bottom quarter of the weighted scorecard used to measure the overall performance of prisons; further notes that prisons run by the public...