That this House welcomes the launch of Enable Scotland's new campaign, #BeTheChange, and supports its core aim to challenge bullying and eliminate offensive language about people with a learning disability; notes that Enable Scotland is a member-led charity of and for people with a learning disability, who told Enable Scotland it was time to challenge this hateful language experienced by 90 per cent of them; recognises the need for a campaign specifically focusing on anti-bullying measures for people with a learning disability; understands that the #BeTheChange campaign will encompass two main strands, a school resource for teachers to raise awareness and promote positive attitudes to learning disability and a public awareness campaign to tackle abusive language in wider society; acknowledges that the #BeTheChange campaign is the culmination of two years of Enable's work towards developing a learning disability-specific anti-bullying campaign with support from other key partners; and encourages people to take the #BeTheChange challenge and declare that they will help to end the use of abusive language towards people with learning disabilities.

That this House welcomes the launch of Enable Scotland's new campaign, #BeTheChange, and supports its core aim to challenge bullying and eliminate offensive language about people with a learning disability; notes that Enable Scotland is a member-led charity of and for people with a learning disability, who told Enable Scotland...

That this House notes that 21 June 2014 marks International Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Day which seeks to improve public understanding of MND, a progressive and terminal disease that attacks motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord; recognises the important work that MND Scotland and the MND Association do to raise awareness and to assist those affected by the disease, including those who care for people with MND; further notes that MND has no cure or known cause, with half of those diagnosed dying within 14 months; and calls on the Government to invest in research into MND and to improve support for those affected.

That this House notes that 21 June 2014 marks International Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Day which seeks to improve public understanding of MND, a progressive and terminal disease that attacks motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord; recognises the important work that MND Scotland and the MND Association...

That this House notes that 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Israeli non-governmental organisation, Breaking the Silence, established by veteran Israeli Defence Force soldiers to raise awareness about the reality of life for soldiers and civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; welcomes the important work that Breaking the Silence does to provide a unique and credible voice amidst ongoing tension and conflict in the region; recognises the courage and contribution of those involved in this work; further notes the importance of their engagement with the International Development Committee during its visit to Hebron as part of an inquiry into the Department for International Development's work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; expresses concern at the UK Government's decision to discontinue funding for Breaking the Silence's public education programmes; and calls on the Government to reverse that decision.

That this House notes that 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Israeli non-governmental organisation, Breaking the Silence, established by veteran Israeli Defence Force soldiers to raise awareness about the reality of life for soldiers and civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; welcomes the important work that Breaking the Silence...

That this House welcomes the tenth annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on 17 May 2014; supports those local authorities, police, health authorities and voluntary organisations who will mark this day with events, campaigns and statements of support; commends the World Health Organisation on reviewing classification of being transgender as a mental illness; and calls on the Government to urge the World Health Organisation to bring forward the debate on declassification of being transgender as a mental illness to 2014 as opposed to 2015.

That this House welcomes the tenth annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on 17 May 2014; supports those local authorities, police, health authorities and voluntary organisations who will mark this day with events, campaigns and statements of support; commends the World Health Organisation on reviewing classification of being transgender...

That this House regrets that every day 10 children and young people in the UK hear the shocking news that they have cancer; notes that although survival rates are now around 75 per cent, cancer remains the largest cause of death from disease in children and young people in the UK; recognises that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the impact of childhood cancer on children and families; urges the Government to support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) to raise awareness of the challenges children with cancer face, how charities help them and why it is vital to raise funds to improve support provided; supports the change of month of UK CCAM, which aims to raise awareness of the impact of childhood cancer and the need for more support for children and their families, to September; commends the work of Julie Yates and others who have campaigned to change the date of CCAM to September; acknowledges that this move brings the whole of the UK's CCAM activities into line with other countries; welcomes the work of charities such as CLIC Sargent, Childhood Cancer and Leukaemia Group, Cancer Research UK, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and others who work with children with cancer which have announced that they will join together in September this year to take part in the month and raise awareness for more support; and further recognises plans to adopt the gold ribbon as the symbol for childhood cancer awareness throughout the UK.

That this House regrets that every day 10 children and young people in the UK hear the shocking news that they have cancer; notes that although survival rates are now around 75 per cent, cancer remains the largest cause of death from disease in children and young people in the...

That this House notes the recent research published by the Competition Commission that found more than a third of payday loan customers repay their debt late and incur default fees; further notes previous research estimating that a million UK households a month are using payday loans; welcomes the Which? Clean Up Credit campaign on excessive default fees charged by payday lenders; supports the campaign's call for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to clamp down on excessive charges and irresponsible lending, and to make sure borrowers are being treated fairly whatever form of credit they are using; and calls on the FCA to take urgent action in response to this growing problem.

That this House notes the recent research published by the Competition Commission that found more than a third of payday loan customers repay their debt late and incur default fees; further notes previous research estimating that a million UK households a month are using payday loans; welcomes the Which? Clean...

That this House notes that March 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the 1984-85 miners' strike; further notes that strike's devastating impact on coalfield communities throughout the UK, including those in the Lothians; commends the many thousands of people across the UK who showed solidarity with the striking miners in their local communities; regrets that nearly 30 years after the strike ended, there are still men who were wrongly arrested or convicted during the dispute, who have never received justice; and welcomes plans to commemorate the strike's anniversary in East Lothian and in other communities across the UK.

That this House notes that March 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the 1984-85 miners' strike; further notes that strike's devastating impact on coalfield communities throughout the UK, including those in the Lothians; commends the many thousands of people across the UK who showed solidarity with the...

That this House welcomes the fourth annual Trustees' Week between 4 and 10 November 2013 as an opportunity to recruit new trustees and to celebrate the work of nearly one million charity trustees across the UK and the vital contribution they make to civil society; notes the importance of the role good trustees and good governance play in successful charities across the UK; encourages everyone to think about the difference they could make to the community by becoming a trustee and to look at the Trustee's Week website for more information; urges hon. Members to attend the Trustees' Week reception at the Cabinet Office on 5 November 2013; and thanks the Charity Commission, OSCR, the Small Charities Coalition, Charity Finance Group, NCVO, SCVO, and Reach Volunteering for having had the foresight to establish Trustees' Week as an annual event, alongside a host of additional partners.

That this House welcomes the fourth annual Trustees' Week between 4 and 10 November 2013 as an opportunity to recruit new trustees and to celebrate the work of nearly one million charity trustees across the UK and the vital contribution they make to civil society; notes the importance of the...

That this House congratulates East Lothian Council for producing a series of innovative mini-dramas on the Government's welfare reforms and making them widely available on social media outlets as part of its support for local residents affected by the reforms; believes that the four mini-dramas on debt crisis, fear of the future, downsizing and rent arrears, are an innovative and creative approach to communicating important messages to members of the public who are dealing with these difficult problems; commends the non-professional actors from East Lothian Tenants and Residents Association and Bridges Project, professional actors and council staff involved in making the films; and hopes that other local authorities can learn from this approach.

That this House congratulates East Lothian Council for producing a series of innovative mini-dramas on the Government's welfare reforms and making them widely available on social media outlets as part of its support for local residents affected by the reforms; believes that the four mini-dramas on debt crisis, fear of...

That this House congratulates Scotland's Teacher of the Year, Jenny McAllister, on her success in being the first teacher ever to be awarded that prestigious title who teaches outside of the conventional classroom; acknowledges the exceptional work being undertaken in outdoor learning centres across Scotland, including the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick where Jenny is based; believes that her recognition is, at least in part, a testimonial to the important part in education played by learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom; and wishes her well as she competes on Scotland's behalf in the UK awards ceremony in London on 20 October 2013.

That this House congratulates Scotland's Teacher of the Year, Jenny McAllister, on her success in being the first teacher ever to be awarded that prestigious title who teaches outside of the conventional classroom; acknowledges the exceptional work being undertaken in outdoor learning centres across Scotland, including the Scottish Seabird Centre...

That this House notes the recent closure of Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian as part of a pre-agreed decommissioning programme with National Grid; acknowledges its huge contribution to the local economy and the UK's electricity output over its 45 years of operation, during which it powered on average approximately one million homes across the UK per year; commends the estimated 10,000 staff involved in its construction and operation over the station's lifetime, and welcomes the fact that many of its current approximately 100 staff will move to other power stations or business areas with Scottish Power; looks forward to the continued legacy of the site of Cockenzie Power Station on the Forth Estuary and East Lothian, including through recycling of parts of the plant as it is stripped and put to use in other stations, and also as part of its natural surroundings which is a diverse habitat of meadows, wetlands, woodland and a site of special scientific interest; further notes that there is already consent for a 1,000MW CCGT gas-fired power station on the site; and calls on the Government to provide the clarity sought by investors in the market to enable a decision on the site's future to be taken as soon as possible.

That this House notes the recent closure of Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian as part of a pre-agreed decommissioning programme with National Grid; acknowledges its huge contribution to the local economy and the UK's electricity output over its 45 years of operation, during which it powered on average approximately...

That this House welcomes the decision by HMV and their administrators to reconsider their position on accepting gift cards and vouchers; notes that experts believe consumers would probably have lost at least 100 million in HMV gift cards and vouchers if the original decision not to accept them had not been reversed; agrees with the recent comments of consumer experts and campaigners that this situation has again highlighted the need for better legal protection for consumers; and urges the Government to explore how it can change the law to increase protection for consumers when companies go into administration, including honouring gift cards and vouchers.

That this House welcomes the decision by HMV and their administrators to reconsider their position on accepting gift cards and vouchers; notes that experts believe consumers would probably have lost at least 100 million in HMV gift cards and vouchers if the original decision not to accept them had not...

That this House welcomes the launch of the Citizens Advice Scotland campaign Payday Loans: your rights, their responsibilities which aims to ensure short-term, high cost credit, known as payday lending, is fair and responsible and people are informed about their rights when taking out a payday loan; notes that Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) have been very concerned about unacceptable marketing, lending and debt collection practices of payday lenders in their local communities; welcomes Citizens Advice Scotland's campaign, which will monitor local lenders' implementation and adherence to the new Good Practice charter for payday lenders, which includes providing clear information and credit vetting; remains concerned that research shows payday loans are increasingly used to pay for essentials such as rent and bills and not for emergencies or luxuries; encourages anyone who believes they have been unfairly treated by a lender, or who has problems with debt, to seek advice from their local CAB; and calls on the Government to introduce a cap on the total cost of credit charged by payday lenders.

That this House welcomes the launch of the Citizens Advice Scotland campaign Payday Loans: your rights, their responsibilities which aims to ensure short-term, high cost credit, known as payday lending, is fair and responsible and people are informed about their rights when taking out a payday loan; notes that Citizens...

That this House congratulates Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh on winning the Outstanding Leadership and Management Team category, the top accolade of The Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2012; notes that this award recognises the transformation of Queen Margaret from a university facing many challenges in terms of its finances, strategy and organisational culture to one with a clear and widely understood mission, vision and strategy, with healthy finances and greatly improved key performance indicators; and further notes the role of the strong leadership, clear decision-making and staff engagement at Queen Margaret University in achieving this result.

That this House congratulates Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh on winning the Outstanding Leadership and Management Team category, the top accolade of The Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2012; notes that this award recognises the transformation of Queen Margaret from a university facing many challenges in terms of its...

That this House recognises that disability living allowance (DLA) is crucial for the disabled adults and children to cover the additional cost of living with a disability; believes that any reforms to DLA and the reassessment of all working age DLA claimants will result in a reduction in the amount of benefit paid to disabled people; notes that the Government's own figures predict that by 2014-15 using the Consumer Prices Index for the annual uprating of benefits will reduce the amount spent on benefits by £5 billion; further believes this will lead to increased numbers of disabled people living in poverty; notes that disabled people experience extra barriers to finding suitable homes, for example the need for ground floor access, space for specialist equipment and wider entranceways to allow for wheelchair access; further believes that any cap or reduction in local housing allowance risks leaving many disabled people unable to afford suitable accommodation; and calls on the Government to complete a full and comprehensive equality impact assessment detailing how the changes announced in the Budget will impact on disabled people.

That this House recognises that disability living allowance (DLA) is crucial for the disabled adults and children to cover the additional cost of living with a disability; believes that any reforms to DLA and the reassessment of all working age DLA claimants will result in a reduction in the amount...

That this House regrets the decision to close Leuchie House in North Berwick; notes that Leuchie House is the only respite home for sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS) operating in Scotland and northern England, and is one of a total of only four across the UK; recognises that the level of care given at Leuchie House is exceptional and that the facility has achieved maximum scores in every area of the Care Commission's inspection; further recognises that Leuchie House is much-valued by service users and the closure of such a specialised facility will cause a strain on families and other services, such as the NHS, as they struggle to cope with the needs of MS patients; and calls on the Government to work with the Scottish Government and the MS Society to ensure the continuation of the facility.

That this House regrets the decision to close Leuchie House in North Berwick; notes that Leuchie House is the only respite home for sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS) operating in Scotland and northern England, and is one of a total of only four across the UK; recognises that the level...