That this House believes that people in financial difficulties who contact their creditors, seek advice and pay what they can objectively afford should be protected against further collection or enforcement action; is concerned that at present people who try to take responsibility for their debts can find themselves at the mercy of unhelpful, aggressive and unscrupulous practices and face spiralling debts; and joins Citizens Advice, UNISON Welfare and the Institute of Money Advisers in calling on the Government urgently to introduce long-overdue statutory regulation as set out as Option 3 of the Ministry of Justice consultation document on debt management schemes in order to provide essential protection for vulnerable people.

That this House believes that people in financial difficulties who contact their creditors, seek advice and pay what they can objectively afford should be protected against further collection or enforcement action; is concerned that at present people who try to take responsibility for their debts can find themselves at the...

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 3226), dated 8 December 2009, a copy of which was laid before this House on 8 December, be annulled.

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 3226), dated 8 December 2009, a copy of which was laid before this House on 8 December, be annulled.

That this House notes that almost every bank based in the United Kingdom required liquidity and other support from the British authorities in 2008 and, in addition, a number required public ownership or capital support; further notes the public concern about the contrast between this welfare dependency of the British financial sector and the recent return to big bonus payouts; calls on the Government to introduce a citizen's charge or people's dividend on the growth of the bonus pools and dividend payouts in the institutions that receive public support; and believes that this citizen's charge should start in the 2009-10 financial year.

That this House notes that almost every bank based in the United Kingdom required liquidity and other support from the British authorities in 2008 and, in addition, a number required public ownership or capital support; further notes the public concern about the contrast between this welfare dependency of the British...

That this House notes that almost every bank based in the United Kingdom required liquidity and other support from the Government in 2008 and, in addition, a number required public ownership or capital support; further notes public concern about the contrast between the welfare dependency of the UK financial sector and the recent return to big bonus payouts; calls on the Government to introduce a citizen's charge or people's dividend on the growth of bonus pools and dividend payouts in those financial institutions which received public support; and believes that this citizen's charge should start in the 2009-10 financial year.

That this House notes that almost every bank based in the United Kingdom required liquidity and other support from the Government in 2008 and, in addition, a number required public ownership or capital support; further notes public concern about the contrast between the welfare dependency of the UK financial sector...

That this House believes that the roll out of the smart meters programme offers a unique opportunity to improve consumer understanding of energy consumption and encourage more energy efficient behaviour; notes that the projected energy savings for consumers from smart meters require good quality immediate feedback on energy consumption; further believes that this will require linking smart meters to dedicated, stand-alone real-time in-home displays; further believes that in-home displays should have minimum standards in order to make sure they are easy to use; and calls on the Government to stand by its preferred position of requiring smart meters to be accompanied by dedicated stand-alone in-home visual displays which will ensure all consumers regardless of income, or technological skills, will have access to high-quality information on their energy use.

That this House believes that the roll out of the smart meters programme offers a unique opportunity to improve consumer understanding of energy consumption and encourage more energy efficient behaviour; notes that the projected energy savings for consumers from smart meters require good quality immediate feedback on energy consumption; further...

That this House congratulates the Energy Saving Trust for organising its 13th annual Energy Saving Week from 19 to 25 October; notes that in the current financial climate its theme of cutting down on waste is especially relevant; supports the key objective of the campaign to make people recognise that by changing their wasteful behaviour they can make substantial financial savings; and recognises the role that the Energy Saving Trust can play in helping people to meet their 10:10 commitment and encourages everyone to take action to reduce their carbon footprint by 10 per cent. by 2010.

That this House congratulates the Energy Saving Trust for organising its 13th annual Energy Saving Week from 19 to 25 October; notes that in the current financial climate its theme of cutting down on waste is especially relevant; supports the key objective of the campaign to make people recognise that...

That this House is gravely concerned that a termination of the One East Coast Main Line rail franchise by the operator, National Express, could leave a billion pound plus hole in Government finances, since under the franchise National Express was due to pay the Government ??1.4 billion in premium payments up to 2015; recognises that privatisation has failed the East Coast Main Line for a second time after the previous collapse of the GNER franchise; notes that a publicly-funded modernisation of the East Coast Main Line was followed by years of public subsidy to support private operators; is appalled that the National Express Group paid out nearly ??60 million in dividends to shareholders in 2008 and attempted to protect revenue by increasing fares and slashing jobs to protect profit margins; believes there must be no renegotiation of rail franchises and that if franchise commitments cannot be met they should be taken into public ownership; urges the Government to prevent a defaulting operator holding any other franchises or bidding for other rail contracts; and calls on the Government to hold an urgent debate on the future of rail franchises and whether a publicly-owned railway would offer a better deal to taxpayers and passengers alike.

That this House is gravely concerned that a termination of the One East Coast Main Line rail franchise by the operator, National Express, could leave a billion pound plus hole in Government finances, since under the franchise National Express was due to pay the Government ??1.4 billion in premium payments...

That this House congratulates everyone associated with the Tyne and Wear Metro which has ensured that the Metro is the UK's most punctual railway; believes that a contributory factor to this success is that the Metro is an integrated publicly-owned and accountable railway; is therefore extremely concerned that the Nexus passenger transport executive and Government have embarked on an unnecessary tendering process that could fragment the Metro and privatise the Metro's operations and some of the Metro's infrastructure; further notes that this is against the original proposal from Metro management who made the case that in order to provide best value there should be a vertically integrated railway within the whole of the Metro; notes with concern a single contract tendering process worth over a billion pounds in which the shortlist is dominated by a rail operator from Hong Kong and the national rail operators of the Netherlands and Germany; and believes that the tendering process can play no useful purpose and that the best interests of passengers will be served by the Metro remaining as a unified railway in the public sector, where every penny of funds invested is spent on improving passenger services.

That this House congratulates everyone associated with the Tyne and Wear Metro which has ensured that the Metro is the UK's most punctual railway; believes that a contributory factor to this success is that the Metro is an integrated publicly-owned and accountable railway; is therefore extremely concerned that the Nexus...

That this House notes the Tyne and Wear Metro is a successful integrated publicly-owned and publicly accountable railway achieving record levels of punctuality and passenger numbers and welcomes the vital role that the Metro plays in delivering high quality passenger services to the North East; further notes that the Metro's infrastructure and operations require significant investment and welcomes the Government's commitment to provide funds; is deeply concerned however that this funding may be dependent on fragmenting the Metro and privatising the Metro's operations and some of the Metro's infrastructure; notes that this is against the original proposal from Metro management who made the case that in order to provide best value there should be a vertically integrated railway within the whole of the Metro; believes that the best interests of passengers will be served by the Metro remaining as a unified railway in the public sector where every penny of funds invested is spent on improving passenger services; and fully supports the in-house bids that would keep the Tyne and Wear Metro in the public sector.

That this House notes the Tyne and Wear Metro is a successful integrated publicly-owned and publicly accountable railway achieving record levels of punctuality and passenger numbers and welcomes the vital role that the Metro plays in delivering high quality passenger services to the North East; further notes that the Metro's...

That this House congratulates the Government on the introduction of a free national bus pass for all people over 60 years living in England; believes that this will enhance the lives of many older people by enabling them to stay active and get out and about in their communities; notes the finding of the Government's national travel survey that 45 per cent. of people over 70 years have difficulty walking and using the bus; further believes that alternative concessions such as dial-a-ride, community transport and travel tokens are vital lifelines to people who cannot use buses, making the difference between maintaining a good quality of life and becoming isolated; and calls on central Government to take every measure possible to encourage local authorities to provide flexible alternative concessions to the bus pass, so that all older people can access a travel concession they can use.

That this House congratulates the Government on the introduction of a free national bus pass for all people over 60 years living in England; believes that this will enhance the lives of many older people by enabling them to stay active and get out and about in their communities; notes...

That this House regrets the rushed introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) in 2007 without adequate piloting; is concerned at the events surrounding last year's recruitment to medical training; urges the Government to recognise the pressing need for significant additional training opportunities for experienced junior doctors to ensure they are not artificially disbarred from career progression by the introduction of MMC and that patients can continue to benefit from a motivated medical workforce whose members have been treated fairly; notes that each junior doctor has cost the tax payer ??250,000 to train; and commends the ongoing work of Remedy UK in providing a voice for the concerns and aspirations of grassroots doctors.

That this House regrets the rushed introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) in 2007 without adequate piloting; is concerned at the events surrounding last year's recruitment to medical training; urges the Government to recognise the pressing need for significant additional training opportunities for experienced junior doctors to ensure they are...

That this House welcomes the nomination of the Antonine Wall for UNESCO World Heritage Site status; notes the historical significance of the Wall as denoting the true north-western frontier of the Roman Empire; further notes that the Wall's distance slabs form one of the most important groups of preserved Roman military sculptures; further notes the importance both of preserving the Wall and educating the public about its historical significance; and supports the ongoing work in other countries to denote more extensively the borders of the Roman Empire as World Heritage sites.

That this House welcomes the nomination of the Antonine Wall for UNESCO World Heritage Site status; notes the historical significance of the Wall as denoting the true north-western frontier of the Roman Empire; further notes that the Wall's distance slabs form one of the most important groups of preserved Roman...

That this House notes that the Department of Transport has decided to re-let the East Coast Mainline franchise and place the operator GNER on a fixed management contract; further notes that the Transport Select Committee press release accompanying its recent Passenger Rail Franchising report described the franchising process as `a complex, fragmented and costly muddle'; believes that GNER services should not be re-let to a private operator; and therefore calls on the Department of Transport to protect services and jobs by returning operations on the East Coast Mainline to the public sector.

That this House notes that the Department of Transport has decided to re-let the East Coast Mainline franchise and place the operator GNER on a fixed management contract; further notes that the Transport Select Committee press release accompanying its recent Passenger Rail Franchising report described the franchising process as `a...

That this House notes with concern that anti-social behaviour is an increasing threat to rail staff and passengers; notes that in the last five years staff assaults have risen on the mainline railway by 106 per cent.; therefore supports the campaign by RMT Northern Rail trade union representatives to reduce anti-social behaviour on Northern Rail services and its key objectives of targeted increases in police and staff resources, the banning of alcohol on some services and the full enforcement of railway by-laws; and therefore urges Northern Rail and the British Transport Police to respond positively to the campaign's objectives.

That this House notes with concern that anti-social behaviour is an increasing threat to rail staff and passengers; notes that in the last five years staff assaults have risen on the mainline railway by 106 per cent.; therefore supports the campaign by RMT Northern Rail trade union representatives to reduce...

That this House notes with concern that anti-social behaviour is an increasing threat to rail staff and passengers; notes that in the last five years staff assaults have risen on the mainline railway by 106 per cent.; therefore supports the campaign by RMT Northern Rail trade union representatives to reduce anti-social behaviour on Northern Rail services and its key objectives of targeted increases in police and staff resources, the banning of alcohol on some services and the full enforcement of railway by-laws; and therefore urges Northern Rail and the British Transport Police to respond positively to the campaign's objectives.

That this House notes with concern that anti-social behaviour is an increasing threat to rail staff and passengers; notes that in the last five years staff assaults have risen on the mainline railway by 106 per cent.; therefore supports the campaign by RMT Northern Rail trade union representatives to reduce...

That this House congratulates the 100,000 people who accessed learning at work last year via their trade union learning rep, and the union learning reps who do such a valuable job of assisting them; further congratulates the Labour Government for the extension of the Union Learning Fund which is providing excellent value for money by enabling unions to reach out to those most in need of acquiring skills; and calls on the Government to investigate ways in which union learning reps can do more to help people with low level skills, particularly in those companies which refuse to work with union learning reps, by looking to make statutory provision for workplace learning committees to ensure that employers work with union learning reps in a similar way to which they work with health and safety reps on statutory health and safety committees.

That this House congratulates the 100,000 people who accessed learning at work last year via their trade union learning rep, and the union learning reps who do such a valuable job of assisting them; further congratulates the Labour Government for the extension of the Union Learning Fund which is providing...

That this House notes that November marks the 10th anniversary of the Heritage Lottery Fund; congratulates the 15,000 projects that have successfully applied for funding and received over ??3 billion from the fund in that time; supports the crucial job that the fund does in funding historic public parks, museums and galleries, industrial, transport and maritime heritage, historic buildings, cultural traditions and natural environment heritage in almost every community of the UK; and wishes the Heritage Lottery Fund every success for the next 10 years.

That this House notes that November marks the 10th anniversary of the Heritage Lottery Fund; congratulates the 15,000 projects that have successfully applied for funding and received over ??3 billion from the fund in that time; supports the crucial job that the fund does in funding historic public parks, museums...

That this House is shocked that the average graduate debt is ??5,286 and notes that with the impact of the introduction of tuition fees beginning to be felt this seems likely to rise to over ??10,000; further notes that the abolition of tuition fees and the reintroduction of grants in Scotland has significantly eased student poverty in Scotland; and therefore calls on Her Majesty's Government to follow the example of the Scottish Executive and scrap tuition fees.

That this House is shocked that the average graduate debt is ??5,286 and notes that with the impact of the introduction of tuition fees beginning to be felt this seems likely to rise to over ??10,000; further notes that the abolition of tuition fees and the reintroduction of grants in...

That this House congratulates the Labour Government on its resolution of the discrimination between the annual earnings of speech and language therapists and their male comparator professions; notes these cases were originally lodged in 1985; and condemns the previous Conservative administration which refused to resolve the issue and sent MSF and the Equal Opportunities Commission back and forth to the European Courts and English tribunal system.

That this House congratulates the Labour Government on its resolution of the discrimination between the annual earnings of speech and language therapists and their male comparator professions; notes these cases were originally lodged in 1985; and condemns the previous Conservative administration which refused to resolve the issue and sent MSF...

That this House, in light of the new Employment Relations Act introduced this month, welcomes the positive result of the voluntary ballot for trades union recognition within NCH Action for Children; congratulates the MSF trades union, UNISON trades union and NCH Action for Children for their proactive approach; and encourages other organisations in the charitable and not-for-profit sector to follow this example of good employment relations.

That this House, in light of the new Employment Relations Act introduced this month, welcomes the positive result of the voluntary ballot for trades union recognition within NCH Action for Children; congratulates the MSF trades union, UNISON trades union and NCH Action for Children for their proactive approach; and encourages...