That this House proposes, in response to the Prime Minister's invitation to put forward alternative proposals for financing hon. Members' additional housing costs, a system that is based on verified and necessary actual expenditure that is set at a higher maximum rate for new hon. Members for their first term of office but for all other hon. Members is reduced in real terms pro rata to their length of office.

That this House proposes, in response to the Prime Minister's invitation to put forward alternative proposals for financing hon. Members' additional housing costs, a system that is based on verified and necessary actual expenditure that is set at a higher maximum rate for new hon. Members for their first term...

That this House welcomes the Government's White Paper, New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future and the recent report of the Independent Commission on Social Mobility commissioned by the Liberal Democrats; further welcomes the recognition by the Conservative Shadow Minister for Innovation, Universities and Skills that selective schools entrench privilege; notes the cross-party political consensus on the importance of equality of access to good schools in improving children's life chances; notes with concern, however, the extent of overt and covert selection still permitted by the School Admissions Code; notes the evidence linking selective school admission policies with growing social segregation; believes that public tests designed to fail the majority of children are incompatible with the spirit and purpose of the Every Child Matters agenda; further believes that the Government's arguments in support of the abolition of Key Stage 3 tests apply equally to Key Stage 2 tests; and therefore calls on the Government to announce its intention to end external KS2 tests and 11 plus tests, thus ensuring that no child starts their secondary school career publicly labelled as a failure.

That this House welcomes the Government's White Paper, New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future and the recent report of the Independent Commission on Social Mobility commissioned by the Liberal Democrats; further welcomes the recognition by the Conservative Shadow Minister for Innovation, Universities and Skills that selective schools entrench privilege;...

That this House congratulates those supermarkets which continue to accommodate post offices within their stores; deplores the decision of those supermarkets which have excluded long-established post offices from their premises, often for purely commercial reasons and without regard for their customers' convenience or for alternative post office provision in the local area; and calls on local planning authorities throughout the country to impose conditions on any new supermarket development that would oblige the applicant to offer to accommodate a post office within any new store and to guarantee an appropriate minimum period during which the post office's tenancy rights would be guaranteed.

That this House congratulates those supermarkets which continue to accommodate post offices within their stores; deplores the decision of those supermarkets which have excluded long-established post offices from their premises, often for purely commercial reasons and without regard for their customers' convenience or for alternative post office provision in the...

That this House congratulates everyone involved in the feature film Slumdog Millionaire for their success in numerous awards ceremonies; notes the vibrancy of such multi-national and multi-ethnic filmmaking which has in this case won five critics' Choice Awards, four Golden Glodes, seven BAFTA awards and 10 Oscar nominations; acknowledges the huge national interest in, and support for, British and British-Indian filmmakers and actors; and further hopes that this magnificent film will go on to win awards at the Oscars.

That this House congratulates everyone involved in the feature film Slumdog Millionaire for their success in numerous awards ceremonies; notes the vibrancy of such multi-national and multi-ethnic filmmaking which has in this case won five critics' Choice Awards, four Golden Glodes, seven BAFTA awards and 10 Oscar nominations; acknowledges the...

That this House notes that the Ugandan main opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye returned from exile in South Africa three years ago on 26 October 2005, and was immediately arrested and charged with rape, terrorism and treason; recalls that he won an impressive 37 per cent. of vote share although he was nominated as a presidential candidate while in prison; notes that the Uganda Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Election Observer Team and the European Union Monitoring Team reported that the presidential elections were conducted outside the law because there was no separation between the ruling party and the state, and because of violence perpetrated by the army against the opposition; also notes that Lieutenant Ramathan Magara, who allegedly shot and killed three of Dr Besigye's supporters at a rally on 15 February 2006, has been set free; regrets that Dr Besigye's treason trial is yet to be finalised; and calls on the Government to use its influence in the Commonwealth and the European Union to ensure not only the expeditious trial of Dr Besigye and Lieutenant Magara, but also the implementation of the recommendations of the European Union and Commonwealth reports on the 2006 elections.

That this House notes that the Ugandan main opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye returned from exile in South Africa three years ago on 26 October 2005, and was immediately arrested and charged with rape, terrorism and treason; recalls that he won an impressive 37 per cent. of vote share although...

That this House welcomes the article, Start Worrying and Learn to Ditch the Bomb, jointly authored by Lord Hurd, Lord Owen, Lord Robertson and the right hon. Member for Kensington and Chelsea, published in The Times on 30th June; notes that their argument reflects the case put by Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn in their recent articles in the Wall Street Journal; congratulates all of these distinguished individuals for both recognising the new dangers of nuclear proliferation and calling for new initiatives to move towards the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons; calls upon the Government to work with the next President of the United States to review the relevance of current US/UK stockpiles and development plans and to support a new international nuclear weapons convention; and further calls on the Government to work with Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) states, such as China, Russia and France and non-NPT states, such as India, Pakistan and Israel, to take practical steps to reduce the risk of proliferation.

That this House welcomes the article, Start Worrying and Learn to Ditch the Bomb, jointly authored by Lord Hurd, Lord Owen, Lord Robertson and the right hon. Member for Kensington and Chelsea, published in The Times on 30th June; notes that their argument reflects the case put by Henry Kissinger,...

That this House welcomes the Homes Set for Digital scheme which was launched on 24th January by Digital UK, the organisation leading the process of digital television switchover in the UK; congratulates those housing organisations which have demonstrated that they are committed to providing quality homes and services by preparing their homes in advance of digital television switchover; and calls on other housing organisations from both the private and public sector, including housing providers, as well as managers of residential accommodation to engage with the scheme by registering and applying.

That this House welcomes the Homes Set for Digital scheme which was launched on 24th January by Digital UK, the organisation leading the process of digital television switchover in the UK; congratulates those housing organisations which have demonstrated that they are committed to providing quality homes and services by preparing...

That this House notes with concern the decision taken by a number of energy companies to increase prices by in the region of 15 per cent.; further notes that energy companies continue to make huge profits with British Gas announcing profits in excess of ??500 million for the past year; recognises that while energy companies satisfy shareholders the consumer is left to suffer, in particular those on low incomes and fixed incomes; and calls on the Government to impose a windfall levy on the privatised energy companies and use the money to increase the winter fuel payment payable to pensioners.

That this House notes with concern the decision taken by a number of energy companies to increase prices by in the region of 15 per cent.; further notes that energy companies continue to make huge profits with British Gas announcing profits in excess of ??500 million for the past year;...

That this House expresses its concern that the aboliton of the 10 per cent. tax band introduced in the 2007 Budget will have a detrimental impact on a number of low income groups, particularly pensioners aged between 60 and 64 years; notes that those who have retired on medical grounds under 60 years will suffer disproportionately as they will only have accrued small pensions; further notes that women are disproportionately affected by these changes and that 0.6 million women aged between 60 and 64 years will see their income decreased by ??1.95 a week on average; and calls on the Government to take the needs of this small, low-income group into account in the forthcoming Budget.

That this House expresses its concern that the aboliton of the 10 per cent. tax band introduced in the 2007 Budget will have a detrimental impact on a number of low income groups, particularly pensioners aged between 60 and 64 years; notes that those who have retired on medical grounds...

That this House welcomes the Government's concessionary travel scheme for the over 60s and disabled passengers; notes the potential of the scheme to increase the use of public transport, improve accessibility and reduce social exclusion; further welcomes the campaign launched by the Chair of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority for a similar scheme for young people; believes that the scheme should initially provide for a maximum 50p fare and ultimately be extended to offer free travel; further believes that such a scheme would deliver significant long-term benefits in respect of road safety and social mobility together with reduced traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emissions; and calls on the Government to develop such a national scheme of concessionary travel for under 21s participating in approved education and training programmes, in the context of its future programme of action on climate change.

That this House welcomes the Government's concessionary travel scheme for the over 60s and disabled passengers; notes the potential of the scheme to increase the use of public transport, improve accessibility and reduce social exclusion; further welcomes the campaign launched by the Chair of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority...

That this House notes the latest of the frequent promotions by Ryanair offering five million free seats to over 70 European destinations; recognises the contribution of Ryanair to the facilitation of travel within the European Union and the strengthening of the European economy and cultural understanding; is deeply concerned, however, about the increasingly strident outbursts of climate change denial from the Chief Executive of Ryanair; regrets his opposition to air passenger duty on ticket prices at or close to zero; notes that all other major European airlines now fully accept the significant and growing contribution of aviation to global carbon dioxide emissions; welcomes the inclusion of aviation into Phase Two of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and urges all hon. Members, where choice exists, to choose airlines that fully acknowledge their environmental responsibilities in respect of climate change.

That this House notes the latest of the frequent promotions by Ryanair offering five million free seats to over 70 European destinations; recognises the contribution of Ryanair to the facilitation of travel within the European Union and the strengthening of the European economy and cultural understanding; is deeply concerned, however,...

That this House welcomes the statement by Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, William Perry and George Schultz on the urgency of the need for a new global initiative to build a framework for a world free of the nuclear threat; agrees with their analysis that the end of the Cold War has rendered irrelevant the concept of mutually assured destruction; further agrees that reliance on nuclear weapons for the purposes of deterrence is increasingly hazardous and decreasingly effective; welcomes their proposals for a US led international programme of nuclear stockpile reduction and other non-proliferation measures; believes that this proposal provides a unique opportunity for the UK Government to work jointly with the US administration in the cause of greater global security; and recommends that, pending the development of such an initiative, any decision on the renewal of the Trident fleet of nuclear submarines should be deferred.

That this House welcomes the statement by Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, William Perry and George Schultz on the urgency of the need for a new global initiative to build a framework for a world free of the nuclear threat; agrees with their analysis that the end of the Cold War...

That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to a free vote on the composition of Parliament's revising chamber; believes that the House of Lords should be replaced by a chamber which is wholly or predominantly elected; notes that this idea has been supported by leading members of both Houses of Parliament; and therefore calls on all hon. Members to vote to achieve that result at the appropriate time.

That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to a free vote on the composition of Parliament's revising chamber; believes that the House of Lords should be replaced by a chamber which is wholly or predominantly elected; notes that this idea has been supported by leading members of both Houses of...

That this House notes the EU commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010; believes that biodiversity enriches lives and provides vital services on which humans depend; recognises a duty to conserve wildlife and leave a country rich in biodiversity for future generations; and therefore urges the Government to prioritise specific goals within existing departmental budgets, namely, working with landowners and managers to reduce the decline in biodiversity action plan species and habitats, protecting and managing the finest wildlife sites on land and sea, reversing the decline in the wildlife of farmland, woodland, grassland, rivers and other habitats and recognising the importance of providing school children with experience of the natural world through out-of-classroom learning as an integral part of school education.

That this House notes the EU commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010; believes that biodiversity enriches lives and provides vital services on which humans depend; recognises a duty to conserve wildlife and leave a country rich in biodiversity for future generations; and therefore urges the Government to prioritise specific...

That this House notes the growing concern about the impact of low turnouts at national and municipal elections, the decreasing membership of political parties and the alienation of many younger citizens from the political process; believes that there is an urgent need for all political parties to renew their policies on democratic renewal; considers that further devolution and decentralisation of power, combined with greater use of different forms of grass roots democracy, will be essential to this process; and congratulates Charter 88 and the Politics Network on their decision further to integrate their work, under the banner of Unlock Democracy, to enable them to campaign jointly on these issues.

That this House notes the growing concern about the impact of low turnouts at national and municipal elections, the decreasing membership of political parties and the alienation of many younger citizens from the political process; believes that there is an urgent need for all political parties to renew their policies...

That this House agrees that school students have the right to be consulted on all matters affecting them and that meaningful participation in decision-making helps to prevent and combat disaffection and can encourage positive behaviour; and calls on the Government to use the Education and Inspections Bill to promote participation in schools by introducing a statutory duty requiring local education authorities and school governing bodies to have due regard to the ascertainable views of children and young people in all matters affecting them in line with article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

That this House agrees that school students have the right to be consulted on all matters affecting them and that meaningful participation in decision-making helps to prevent and combat disaffection and can encourage positive behaviour; and calls on the Government to use the Education and Inspections Bill to promote participation...

That this House welcomes the Government's decision to launch a public debate on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons; recognises the significantly changed international circumstances from those in which the current Trident missile system was conceived, designed and constructed; is aware that there are a number of options available to the Government in considering replacements for the current system; and, therefore, calls on the Government to publish a consultation paper setting out the issues, including threat assessments, estimated costs and all nuclear and non-nuclear options, as a basis for the public debate.

That this House welcomes the Government's decision to launch a public debate on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons; recognises the significantly changed international circumstances from those in which the current Trident missile system was conceived, designed and constructed; is aware that there are a number of options...

That this House notes that domestic appliances left in standby mode are responsible for approximately 10 per cent. of the energy consumption of each domestic property in the United Kingdom; further notes that switching off domestic appliances when not in use could save one megatonne a year of carbon; welcomes the initiative of some manufacturers in developing appliances with low standby power consumption; further welcomes the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Market Transformation Programme as a valuable means by which such products can be encouraged; and urges the Government to consider the feasibility of establishing a statutory one watt maximum standby power requirement for all electrical appliances sold in the United Kingdom.

That this House notes that domestic appliances left in standby mode are responsible for approximately 10 per cent. of the energy consumption of each domestic property in the United Kingdom; further notes that switching off domestic appliances when not in use could save one megatonne a year of carbon; welcomes...

That this House believes that the essence of democracy is the sovereignty of the people, and that the people are entitled to choose how that sovereignty is ceded to Government on their behalf; and, therefore, supports the provisions of the Electoral Choice Bill, introduced by a cross party group of honourable Members on 15th November, which would enable citizens, via a petition signed by five per cent. of the relevant electorate, to call a referendum on the voting system for this House and for each individual local authority.

That this House believes that the essence of democracy is the sovereignty of the people, and that the people are entitled to choose how that sovereignty is ceded to Government on their behalf; and, therefore, supports the provisions of the Electoral Choice Bill, introduced by a cross party group of...

That this House notes with concern recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics showing that the number of excess winter deaths in England and Wales are at their highest for five years; expresses great concern that deaths amongst older people have increased by 35 per cent. in just one year; further notes that excess winter deaths dropped in Scotland in the same period; further notes new research from the British Gas Help the Aged Partnership which shows that 1.5 million older households live without proper heating and insulation and that one in three households containing someone over 85 years live in homes that are sub-standard in terms of their thermal efficiency; expresses further concern about the risk of cold-related illness and mortality amongst older people this winter; welcomes the positive contribution that both the Government's Warm Front and energy supplier energy efficiency schemes have made to help meet Government targets to eradicate fuel poverty amongst vulnerable groups by 2010 and amongst all groups by 2016; and calls on the Government to increase investment in measures to reduce fuel poverty at this important time and to end means-testing of its Warm Front scheme so that all older households are supplied with central heating and insulation.

That this House notes with concern recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics showing that the number of excess winter deaths in England and Wales are at their highest for five years; expresses great concern that deaths amongst older people have increased by 35 per cent. in just...