That this House notes the recent national poll of 65,000 young people leading to the debate and vote by Members of the UK Youth Parliament at their sitting in the House of Commons on 4 November 2011; welcomes the campaign chosen by Members of the UK Youth Parliament for 2011-12 on Public transport: better, cheaper and accessible; recognises the importance of listening to young people; and therefore calls on the Government formally to respond to the issues raised within the campaign.

That this House notes the recent national poll of 65,000 young people leading to the debate and vote by Members of the UK Youth Parliament at their sitting in the House of Commons on 4 November 2011; welcomes the campaign chosen by Members of the UK Youth Parliament for 2011-12...

That this House notes the bankruptcy of Allied Steel Wire (ASW) in 2002 and the deficits of its company pension schemes; recognises the dedicated campaign of John Benson, Denis Kelleher and others aimed at restoring the pensions of ASW members; welcomes the expert advice and support they have received from Dr Ros Altman; and calls on the Government to negotiate with insurers to investigate the unwinding of the annuities of existing ASW pensioners to release additional funds, examine the case for allowing ASW employees to restore their contracted-out rights through deemed buyback and examine the case for raising the indexation cap within the Financial Assistance Scheme to bring to a close the long-running financial insecurity of the former ASW employees.

That this House notes the bankruptcy of Allied Steel Wire (ASW) in 2002 and the deficits of its company pension schemes; recognises the dedicated campaign of John Benson, Denis Kelleher and others aimed at restoring the pensions of ASW members; welcomes the expert advice and support they have received from...

That this House notes that the Free Trade Agreement currently being negotiated between India and the EU is nearing finalisation; further notes that the EU is pushing for the inclusion of a number of harmful provisions in the agreement that would undermine India's role as the main provider of affordable vital medicines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS in the developing world; and calls on the Government to ensure that the agreement does not endanger Indian production of affordable medicines by demanding that data exclusivity and other harmful provisions are excluded from the agreement.

That this House notes that the Free Trade Agreement currently being negotiated between India and the EU is nearing finalisation; further notes that the EU is pushing for the inclusion of a number of harmful provisions in the agreement that would undermine India's role as the main provider of affordable...

That this House believes that the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Scheme 2010, which was laid before this House on 5 February 2010, does not properly reflect schemes available to other public sector workers, particularly with regard to the rights of workers made redundant within five years of being eligible for the state pension; is nevertheless concerned by the decision by the Public and Commercial Services Union to hold strike action; and calls on the Government to reconsider these proposals in discussion with the relevant unions.

That this House believes that the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Scheme 2010, which was laid before this House on 5 February 2010, does not properly reflect schemes available to other public sector workers, particularly with regard to the rights of workers made redundant within five years of being eligible...

That this House notes the pressure on all Government departments to find solutions to redesign and reshape public services and increase their focus on how they can improve public sector productivity; acknowledges that around 300,000 people are currently employed in the public sector at executive officer, administrative officer and administrative assistant level; notes the vital role those staff play in delivering many of the smaller, often more clerical and operational, but nonetheless important tasks; agrees that to date the way these staff are managed has often been overlooked as an area that can increase productivity significantly; further acknowledges the need for operations management in the public sector to be identified as a professional concept in its own right and as a profession that requires the necessary qualifications to deliver productivity and efficiency gains; and encourages all Government departments to look at ways in which methods such as Active Operations Management can help improve productivity and reduce stress and pressure on managers and staff who are often delivering challenging organisational targets and in the context of meeting the efficiency challenge.

That this House notes the pressure on all Government departments to find solutions to redesign and reshape public services and increase their focus on how they can improve public sector productivity; acknowledges that around 300,000 people are currently employed in the public sector at executive officer, administrative officer and administrative...

That this House is alarmed at the manner in which the Department of Health and Monitor are applying International Accounting Standard 27, which will come into effect from April 2010, to NHS charities; notes the serious concern amongst the Association of NHS Charities and the Charity Commission that this could lead to the consolidation of NHS charities' funds, worth over ??300 million annually, and assets, worth over ??2 billion, into the public accounts of their parent NHS bodies; believes this would seriously undermine the independence of those charities and damage their level of income from donations; further believes that the manner in which these accounting standards are being applied is entirely inappropriate for NHS charities; and calls on HM Treasury and the Office of the Third Sector to take action to ensure that the existing independence of NHS charities from public sector bodies is maintained.

That this House is alarmed at the manner in which the Department of Health and Monitor are applying International Accounting Standard 27, which will come into effect from April 2010, to NHS charities; notes the serious concern amongst the Association of NHS Charities and the Charity Commission that this could...

That this House is deeply concerned at the impact that the toll on crossing the Severn Bridges has on the economies on both sides of the estuary; notes that the annual increase in the tolls on crossings over the Severn Bridges in line with inflation is usually announced in December of the preceding year; is further deeply concerned at the impact this further price rise on the Severn Bridge toll crossings would have for the accessibility of businesses, commuters and visitors across the estuary; further notes that permission was not granted to increase the Humber Bridge toll during the summer of 2009; and calls on the Secretary of State for Transport to use his powers under the Severn Bridges Act 1992 not to implement the annual inflationary increase in the toll for crossings over the Severn Bridges.

That this House is deeply concerned at the impact that the toll on crossing the Severn Bridges has on the economies on both sides of the estuary; notes that the annual increase in the tolls on crossings over the Severn Bridges in line with inflation is usually announced in December...

That this House is deeply concerned that fuel poverty now affects 320,000 Welsh households, 90,000 more than last year; is shocked that the number of excess winter deaths in Wales rose by 67 per cent. between 2007-08 and 2008-09; notes that the target to eradicate fuel poverty amongst vulnerable groups will be missed; believes that the target to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales by 2018 will be missed unless efforts are substantially improved; fully supports the Fuel Poverty Charter for Wales; and calls on the Assembly and Westminster Government to implement the Charter's proposals in full so that Wales can be set on the path to eradicate fuel poverty once and for all.

That this House is deeply concerned that fuel poverty now affects 320,000 Welsh households, 90,000 more than last year; is shocked that the number of excess winter deaths in Wales rose by 67 per cent. between 2007-08 and 2008-09; notes that the target to eradicate fuel poverty amongst vulnerable groups...

That this House is deeply concerned by the decision by the Office for the Third Sector to divert ??750,000 from the Campaigning Research Programme to top up the Hardship Fund; notes that the Campaigning Research Programme was for organisations with a turnover of less than ??150,000 and that the Hardship Fund is for those over ??200,000; is alarmed that this decision has been made despite the fact that grants to 32 small charities from the Programme's fund had already been approved, and that it was made without any effort to consult those charities affected or the sector more broadly; is concerned that this runs counter to the terms of the Compact for charities and sets a poor example to other public bodies; and calls on the Government to reinstate the funding for the Programme without delay.

That this House is deeply concerned by the decision by the Office for the Third Sector to divert ??750,000 from the Campaigning Research Programme to top up the Hardship Fund; notes that the Campaigning Research Programme was for organisations with a turnover of less than ??150,000 and that the Hardship...

That this House is deeply concerned that the current system for funding Welsh police forces is leaving them seriously underfunded; calls on the Home Office to reform the central government grant funding system so that all Welsh police forces receive a fair grant based on their respective policing needs; and calls on the Home Secretary, Welsh Secretary and Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that the costs of both the extra duties involved in policing the Welsh capital city, and the large, sparsely populated rural areas of Wales are properly covered.

That this House is deeply concerned that the current system for funding Welsh police forces is leaving them seriously underfunded; calls on the Home Office to reform the central government grant funding system so that all Welsh police forces receive a fair grant based on their respective policing needs; and...

That this House deplores the treatment by Merck & Co of hundreds of British citizens whose health was seriously damaged as a result of taking Vioxx, a drug manufactured by the company; welcomes the Under-Secretary of State for Health's assurances in the House on 17 June 2008, that the Department of Health will put pressure on Merck & Co to compensate British victims in the same way it is now compensating those in the United States; welcomes the meeting between the Department and Merck & Co directors on 10 July 2008 to discuss compensation for British Vioxx victims; is disappointed at the lack of any further action taken by the Department; recognises that the Department spends more than ??400 million a year on Merck products; and calls on the Department to use this financial leverage to apply pressure on Merck & Co to offer fair compensation to British Vioxx victims.

That this House deplores the treatment by Merck & Co of hundreds of British citizens whose health was seriously damaged as a result of taking Vioxx, a drug manufactured by the company; welcomes the Under-Secretary of State for Health's assurances in the House on 17 June 2008, that the Department...

That this House warmly welcomes the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; believes that the financial benefits of the Games should be shared across the whole of the UK; is concerned that a disproportionately low number of private contracts have been awarded by the Olympic Development Agency to companies based outside London and the South East; notes that over ??2 billion out of the ??6 billion worth of private contracts have already been awarded; recommends that all businesses look at the 2012 website for potential opportunities; and urges the bodies responsible for awarding Olympic contracts to do everything possible to ensure a more equitable sharing across all the nations and regions of the UK.

That this House warmly welcomes the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; believes that the financial benefits of the Games should be shared across the whole of the UK; is concerned that a disproportionately low number of private contracts have been awarded by the Olympic Development Agency to companies based...

That this House notes the last census in 2001 put the total figure of carers at 5.2 million in England, 480,000 in Scotland and 306,000 in Wales, numbers which are likely to be increasing as the population ages; further notes that one million carers provide more than 50 hours of care a week; that research by Carers UK estimates the value to the UK of this support at ??82 billion a year, each carer thus saving the taxpayer over ??15,000 annually; further acknowledges that the Saga/Populus Panel 2008 survey shows first, that two-thirds of these carers receive no benefits or financial support for providing care and only 12 per cent. claim carer's allowance and second, that 46 per cent. of carers have not taken a holiday away from their caring responsibilities in the last year, while 24 per cent. have never taken such a holiday (this figure rising to 31 per cent. for longer term carers); believes that this relentless work inevitably takes a toll on the carer's health; and therefore welcomes the launch on 10th June of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust which seeks first, to highlight this issue and in particular to raise the profile of the need for respite breaks and second, to fund free respite breaks for people over 50 caring for a family member.

That this House notes the last census in 2001 put the total figure of carers at 5.2 million in England, 480,000 in Scotland and 306,000 in Wales, numbers which are likely to be increasing as the population ages; further notes that one million carers provide more than 50 hours of...

That this House warmly welcomes the Government's announcement, set out in a written statement on 17th December, to guarantee assistance under the Financial Assistance Scheme for 90 per cent. of people's pensions; applauds the work of everyone involved in the fight for pensions justice, especially the Pensions Action Group; and urges the Government to bring forward the new measures without delay and to ensure that they are implemented efficiently so that eligible members can start to receive their new entitlements as soon as possible.

That this House warmly welcomes the Government's announcement, set out in a written statement on 17th December, to guarantee assistance under the Financial Assistance Scheme for 90 per cent. of people's pensions; applauds the work of everyone involved in the fight for pensions justice, especially the Pensions Action Group; and...

That this House expresses concern that the millions of customers using prepayment meters to pay for their energy use are paying an average of ??195 per year more than those who have signed up for suppliers' online tariffs, and that in some parts of Britain this can mean as much as ??304 under npower tariffs, which is more than the higher level of the winter fuel payment; notes that prepayment meter users are three times more likely to be fuel poor, one-third of households do not have internet access at home whilst one in 11 do not have a bank account and are unable to take advantage of cheaper online deals; further notes that many prepayment customers are prevented from switching supplier because they have a debt; and welcomes the campaign from consumer watchdog Energywatch to address this exploitation of the poorest in society.

That this House expresses concern that the millions of customers using prepayment meters to pay for their energy use are paying an average of ??195 per year more than those who have signed up for suppliers' online tariffs, and that in some parts of Britain this can mean as much...

That this House applauds the work of the ongoing independent public inquiry headed by the Rt. hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell QC into how over 4,800 haemophiliacs were infected with hepatitis C through contaminated NHS blood products, with 1,200 also infected with HIV; notes the inquiry has taken evidence from patients, bereaved dependents, former health ministers and other eminent witnesses; calls on the relevant Government departments and affiliated bodies to offer their full co-operation through providing all relevant material and witnesses requested by the inquiry; and further calls on the Government to respond positively to the inquiry.

That this House applauds the work of the ongoing independent public inquiry headed by the Rt. hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell QC into how over 4,800 haemophiliacs were infected with hepatitis C through contaminated NHS blood products, with 1,200 also infected with HIV; notes the inquiry has taken evidence from...

That this House notes the decision by the Home Office to cease direct funding for the non-emergency 101 number in Cardiff in 2008; notes the significant improvements the 101 number has made to policing in South Wales by cutting down on non-emergency calls to the 999 number, reducing the number of unnecessary and costly immediate police call-outs and improving the co-ordination and efficiency of the police, local authorities and local services; is deeply concerned that these improvements will be lost if the 101 service is forced to close; and calls on the Home Department urgently to reconsider its decision over the future funding of the 101 service.

That this House notes the decision by the Home Office to cease direct funding for the non-emergency 101 number in Cardiff in 2008; notes the significant improvements the 101 number has made to policing in South Wales by cutting down on non-emergency calls to the 999 number, reducing the number...

That this House believes that the payment system on the two Severn bridges is out of date as it requires drivers to pay in cash only at toll booths on both bridges; notes that the London congestion charge can be paid by cash, by credit card, by telephone and on the internet; and urges the Government to amend Regulation 5 of the Severn Bridges Act 1992 to allow the introduction of facilities to pay by card and online.

That this House believes that the payment system on the two Severn bridges is out of date as it requires drivers to pay in cash only at toll booths on both bridges; notes that the London congestion charge can be paid by cash, by credit card, by telephone and on...

That this House notes the potential for tidal power in the Severn Estuary to generate up to five per cent. of the UK's total electricity demand, to improve security of energy supplies and significantly to reduce UK carbon emissions; calls on the Government, with the involvement of the Welsh Assembly, immediately to commission an independent strategic evaluation of all the options for exploiting tidal power in the Severn Estuary, including potential levels of power generation and carbon emission reductions, ecological impacts, business viability, impact on the local area and local communities, compatibility of the different technologies involved and the potential for exporting technologies to international markets; and believes that this should form the basis of a Government decision on a strategic development framework for tidal power in the Severn, and potentially in other UK estuaries.

That this House notes the potential for tidal power in the Severn Estuary to generate up to five per cent. of the UK's total electricity demand, to improve security of energy supplies and significantly to reduce UK carbon emissions; calls on the Government, with the involvement of the Welsh Assembly,...

That this House is deeply concerned at price rises implemented at the beginning of June 2007 at NCP-owned car parks in Cardiff city centre; notes that at the Wood Street car park, prices have more than doubled so that two hours' parking now costs ??6.40 compared to ??2.80 in May 2007; believes that these price rises are extortionate and unaffordable for low income groups; is deeply concerned that these price rises may deter many people from coming into the city centre and, as a result, will have a detrimental effect on local retailers and the city centre as a whole; is alarmed at the apparent lack of cooperation from NCP regarding queries and requests for meetings over their car park price rises, and in providing justifications for the speed and scale of the price rises; and strongly urges NCP to reconsider the price rises at their NCP car parks in Cardiff's city centre.

That this House is deeply concerned at price rises implemented at the beginning of June 2007 at NCP-owned car parks in Cardiff city centre; notes that at the Wood Street car park, prices have more than doubled so that two hours' parking now costs ??6.40 compared to ??2.80 in May...