That this House notes that access to the facilities of the House has been granted to four Members who refuse to take the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance; believes that the individuals concerned should be required to place an entry in the Register of Members' Interests and be subject to the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to lay a Resolution before the House to rectify matters immediately.

That this House notes that access to the facilities of the House has been granted to four Members who refuse to take the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance; believes that the individuals concerned should be required to place an entry in the Register of Members' Interests and be subject to...

That this House condemns the views of Professor Brice Dickson, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, who has called for an end to the use of plastic bullets by the RUC; shares the astonishment of RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan at Professor Dickson's lack of rigour and his references to the example of English police forces, when the chief constables of the English constabularies concerned have expressed support for Sir Ronnie Flanagan and the Royal Ulster Constabulary; supports Mr Flanagan's authoritative view that plastic bullets are not used as a method of crowd control by RUC officers, but as a means of curbing the actions of individuals who are posing a serious risk to life and property; and calls on Professor Dickson to withdraw his naive and ill-informed words with immediate effect.

That this House condemns the views of Professor Brice Dickson, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, who has called for an end to the use of plastic bullets by the RUC; shares the astonishment of RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan at Professor Dickson's lack of rigour and...

That this House regrets that the Amsterdam Treaty provides for the further transfer of the powers of democratically elected national parliaments to EU bureaucrats at a time when people throughout Europe are demanding more open government; and commends the 36 MEPs of different national backgrounds who have put forward the SOS Democracy Campaign document which advocates a more democratic and open approach to European co-operation.

That this House regrets that the Amsterdam Treaty provides for the further transfer of the powers of democratically elected national parliaments to EU bureaucrats at a time when people throughout Europe are demanding more open government; and commends the 36 MEPs of different national backgrounds who have put forward the...

That this House notes the new OECD figures for 1996, published this month, which show that the GDP of the Irish Republic, at $18,745 per capita, has overtaken that of the United Kingdom, which stands at $18,494 per capita; and congratulates the Irish Republic on its economic achievement.

That this House notes the new OECD figures for 1996, published this month, which show that the GDP of the Irish Republic, at $18,745 per capita, has overtaken that of the United Kingdom, which stands at $18,494 per capita; and congratulates the Irish Republic on its economic achievement.

That this House supports the Northern Ireland Forum in passing resolutions, without dissent, in opposition to (1) the introduction into Northern Ireland of the jobseekers allowance, (2) the privatisation of the Northern Ireland Water Executive, (3) the transfer of Northern Ireland's public sector housing provision to a mixed funding housing project before the next General Election and (4) the Government's failure to safeguard the beef industry in Northern Ireland; and further praises its support, without dissent for 'effective legislation to outlaw the discrimination against people with disabilities' and the setting up of a body with powers to 'to enforce such legislation and to champion the rights of people with disabilities'.

That this House supports the Northern Ireland Forum in passing resolutions, without dissent, in opposition to (1) the introduction into Northern Ireland of the jobseekers allowance, (2) the privatisation of the Northern Ireland Water Executive, (3) the transfer of Northern Ireland's public sector housing provision to a mixed funding housing...

That this House welcomes the finding of the opinion poll published in the Belfast Telegraph on 16th January 1996 which shows that 60 per cent. of all the people in Northern Ireland think that paramilitary organisations should decommission all weapons before talks and that a further 23 per cent. think that some weapons should be decommissioned before talks; notes that in total 83 per cent. of the people of Northern Ir eland support the insistence on a beginning of a process of decommissioning before talks; welcomes in particular the finding that 40 per cent. of SDLP supporters favour total decommissioning and a further 34 per cent. some decommissioning before talks; further notes that these results are in line with a poll in the Republic of Ireland published on 10th December 1995 in which 45 per cent. of the respondents supported total decommissioning and a further 31 per cent. supported some decommissioning before talks; regrets that the SDLP and the Irish government are so out of line with the thinking of people; and calls upon them to join the insistence that all paramilitary organisations establish their commitment to exclusively peaceful methods and the democratic process so that they can in due course enter fully into political dialogue.

That this House welcomes the finding of the opinion poll published in the Belfast Telegraph on 16th January 1996 which shows that 60 per cent. of all the people in Northern Ireland think that paramilitary organisations should decommission all weapons before talks and that a further 23 per cent. think...

That this House welcomes the opinion poll published in the Sunday Tribune on 10th December 1995 which indicates that 45 per cent. of people in the Republic of Ireland think that the Irish Republican Army should decommission all of its arms before talks and that a further 31 per cent. think that the Irish Republican Army should decommission some of its arms before talks; notes that in total 76 per cent. of the people of the Irish Republic do not support either Sinn Fein/Irish Republican Army of the Dublin political establishment which have both taken issue with Her Majesty's Goverment insistence on the beginning of a process of decommissioning before talks; and further notes with regret that support for the Sinn Fein/Irish Republican Army position is highest among supporters of the Irish Labour Party led by Mr Dick Spring.

That this House welcomes the opinion poll published in the Sunday Tribune on 10th December 1995 which indicates that 45 per cent. of people in the Republic of Ireland think that the Irish Republican Army should decommission all of its arms before talks and that a further 31 per cent....

That this House welcomes the release of the last batch of UN hostages by the Bosnian Serbs; acknowledges the important role played in the negotiations by Karolos Papoulias, Foreign Minister of Greece, and the Greek Defence Minister, Gerasimos Arsenis; welcomes their initiative, together with the recently achieved detente with Albania and multilateral exercises with Albania, Bulgaria and Romania, as a clear demonstration of the important part which Greece can play in defusing the crisis in the Balkans and in establishing conditions of peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region; and urges Her Majesty's Government to work to the full with its Greek counterparts to exploit the uniquely catalytic role which Greece can play in the Balkans.

That this House welcomes the release of the last batch of UN hostages by the Bosnian Serbs; acknowledges the important role played in the negotiations by Karolos Papoulias, Foreign Minister of Greece, and the Greek Defence Minister, Gerasimos Arsenis; welcomes their initiative, together with the recently achieved detente with Albania...

That this House recalls that on the occasion of his last visit to Washington the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland advised President Clinton against meeting and shaking the hand of Mr Gerard Adams of Sinn Fein/IRA because of the failure of the IRA to 'decommission' its arsenal of guns and explosives; notes with dismay press reports that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is seeking to arrange, on the occasion of his visit to Washington in the week of 22nd May, an opportunity to meet Mr Adams and shake his hand despite the absence of any discernable progress on 'decommissioning'; and calls on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to clarify his position.

That this House recalls that on the occasion of his last visit to Washington the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland advised President Clinton against meeting and shaking the hand of Mr Gerard Adams of Sinn Fein/IRA because of the failure of the IRA to 'decommission' its arsenal of guns...

That this House deplores the fact that the following significant aspects of British history are not prescribed in the national curriculum for history, namely stone age, bronze age and iron age (Celtic) Britain, Boadicea, conversion of Anglo-Saxons by Roman and Celtic christians, Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon/Viking kings, Richard the Lionheart and the Crusades, Simon de Montfort and the origins of Parliament, Agincourt, Joan of Arc, Battle of Bosworth, Wars of the Roses, Mary Queen of Scots, Gunpowder Plot, King James's Bible, Pilgrim Fathers, Great Plague, Great Fire of London, Newton, Marlborough, Blenheim, Act of Settlement, American colonies, Treaty of Utrecht, growth of Empire, Jacobites, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Clive of India, General Wolfe and Quebec, Wilberforce and slavery, American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars (Nelson and Trafalgar, Wellington and Waterloo), Queen Victoria, Crimean War, Florence Nightingale, Livingstone, Gordon, Zulu/Boer Wars, Berlin Congress, political leaders, Roman Empire, Crusades, Reformation, French Revolution, Russian Revolution, the development of British democracy since 1900, e.g. extension of the franchise, parliamentary reform, change in the political party system, distinguishing features of British democracy, changing role of the state, e.g. welfare state, Ireland within the United Kingdom, Act of Union (1801), famine, home rule movement, partition, Northern Ireland and the career of Winston Churchill; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Education to further review and amend the national curriculum history to give greater emphasis to the above and to rectify the exclusion of any reference to Northern Ireland in the national history curriculum.

That this House deplores the fact that the following significant aspects of British history are not prescribed in the national curriculum for history, namely stone age, bronze age and iron age (Celtic) Britain, Boadicea, conversion of Anglo-Saxons by Roman and Celtic christians, Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon/Viking kings, Richard the Lionheart...

That this House notes the reference in the Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to a Channel 4 programme 'Dispatches' which alleged the existence of an inner force of RUC officers who colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries and the statement by the Chief Constable that the participants in the programme were interviewed and that they admitted fabricating the stories which were broadcast; and calls on Channel 4 to make a complete statement about this false programme, which the then commissioning editor for Channel 4, Liz Forgan, said at the time had been fully investigated by Channel 4 and for whose veracity she then vouched.

That this House notes the reference in the Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to a Channel 4 programme 'Dispatches' which alleged the existence of an inner force of RUC officers who colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries and the statement by the Chief Constable that the...

That this House notes the statement by the New Statesman and Society in its issue of 11th March 1994, while endeavouring to exculpate the Monklands Labour Party, that 'even the jobs-for-the-boys allegations are hardly outrageous. Private firms and publicly owned companies make a habit of employing from within families and through personal recommendations'; and inquires whether the Labour Party supports these recruitment practices and whether New Statesman and Society and the Labour Party would urge the Fair Employment Commission in Northern Ireland to regard these practices as acceptable.

That this House notes the statement by the New Statesman and Society in its issue of 11th March 1994, while endeavouring to exculpate the Monklands Labour Party, that 'even the jobs-for-the-boys allegations are hardly outrageous. Private firms and publicly owned companies make a habit of employing from within families and...

That this House notes the report published by Amnesty International on political killings by all sides in the civil conflict in Northern Ireland; notes the claim of collusion between Government forces and groups such as the Ulster Defence Association; and supports Amnesty's call for a wide-ranging independent inquiry to examine the wider issue of collusion and for the Government to make every effort to show equal concern for all members of the Northern Ireland population, by guaranteeing equal protection.

That this House notes the report published by Amnesty International on political killings by all sides in the civil conflict in Northern Ireland; notes the claim of collusion between Government forces and groups such as the Ulster Defence Association; and supports Amnesty's call for a wide-ranging independent inquiry to examine...

That this House regrets the decision by President Clinton to facilitate a publicity coup by the political spokesman of the IRA, Mr Gerard Adams; notes that this foolish decision was influenced by Irish-American United Ireland sympathisers, including Senators Moynihan and Kennedy and the latter's sister, the US ambassador in Dublin; congratulates Speaker Foley for his consistent opposition to Irish terrorism; deplores the crawling behaviour of United States media towards this political spokesman for terrorism; and, noting that Sinn Fein and the IRA has the support of only 7 per cent. of the Electorate in Northern Ireland and the deliberate exclusion of the leader of the Northern Ireland Alliance Party from American media, calls upon the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to present with vigour, in the United States of America and elsewhere, the democratic wishes of the people of Northern Ireland as expressed through the ballot box.

That this House regrets the decision by President Clinton to facilitate a publicity coup by the political spokesman of the IRA, Mr Gerard Adams; notes that this foolish decision was influenced by Irish-American United Ireland sympathisers, including Senators Moynihan and Kennedy and the latter's sister, the US ambassador in Dublin;...

That this House notes that the word Aye is recognised throughout Scotland as a clear alternative to Yes; further notes it is the only word accepted as an affirmative vote in the House of Commons; and accordingly asserts that its use should be universally accepted in courts in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom.

That this House notes that the word Aye is recognised throughout Scotland as a clear alternative to Yes; further notes it is the only word accepted as an affirmative vote in the House of Commons; and accordingly asserts that its use should be universally accepted in courts in Scotland and...

That this House welcomes the 45th Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights; calls upon Her Majesty's Government to use its influence for the protection of human rights in Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, the USA and Europe; and fully supports the campaigns of international bodies including Amnesty Internaional, the Refugee Council and the United Nations to secure the dignity of all people throughout the world and help to secure peace on earth.

That this House welcomes the 45th Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights; calls upon Her Majesty's Government to use its influence for the protection of human rights in Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, the USA and Europe; and fully supports the campaigns of international...

That this House notes with concern the publication by the Institute for Public Policy Research, an independent left wing think tank, of another proposal to expel the people of Northern Ireland from their present position within the United Kingdom and create a so-called shared or joint sovereignty with the Republic of Ireland over Northern Ireland, which joint sovereignty would be imposed on the people of Northern Ireland irrespective of their wishes in defiance of the principle of consent; considers that the fact that the authors include the honourable Member for Leicester South, a former research officer for and an academic who is believed to be currently a close adviser to the present Labour spokesman on Northern Ireland, the honourable Member for Kingston upon Hull North, makes it even more necessary for the leadership of the Labour Party to define its position in relationship to these ideas which constantly issue from within the Labour movement; further considers that there is an obligation on the honourable Member for Kingston upon Hull North, the honourable Member for Redcar, the honourable Member for Normanton, the honourable Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, the honourable Member for Hammersmith and the honourable Member for Wigan, the assistance of whom is acknowledged in this publication, to state precisely where they stand in relation to its proposals.

That this House notes with concern the publication by the Institute for Public Policy Research, an independent left wing think tank, of another proposal to expel the people of Northern Ireland from their present position within the United Kingdom and create a so-called shared or joint sovereignty with the Republic...

That this House welcomes the Report of the Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process entitled Making the Law; endorses its conclusion that there needs to be a re-think of the way in which statute law is made; and would welcome an early opportunity to discuss its recommendations that (a) consultation by Government be more thorough and open, (b) Parliament should play a greater part in pre-legislative inquiry, (c) to secure more effective scrutiny there should be formal time-tabling of legislation by a steering committee chaired by the Speaker and including representatives of the Government, Opposition and back benchers, (d) 'First Reading Committees' should examine complex bills immediately after their presentation and hear representations, (e) after second reading, a bill should normally be committed to a special standing committee, which could also consider more detailed points at report stage and on Lords Amendments, (f) more detailed matters should be left to be delegated legislation with proper Parliamentary scrutiny, (g) notes should be published with Acts to explain their purpose and intended effect, (h) the operation of Acts should be reviewed by select committees, (i) the public should be helped to follow legislation before Parliament, (j) the Government should develop a publicly available statute law database and (k) the Government should have a two-year legislative programme and permit the carry-over of some bills from one session to another.

That this House welcomes the Report of the Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process entitled Making the Law; endorses its conclusion that there needs to be a re-think of the way in which statute law is made; and would welcome an early opportunity to discuss its recommendations that (a)...

That this House notes with concern the crisis in the funding of legal training arising from the virtual collapse of the discretionary award system; recognises that local authorities faced with cuts in their education budget are ceasing to make discretionary awards available for students seeking post-graduate vocational training as lawyers; notes in this regards that by 1992 the level of fee income received by the College of Law from local education authorities had fallen to 22 per cent. from 64 per cent. in 1989; believes that this will still further narrow the base from which the legal profession is drawn, undermining not only equal opportunities in the law, particularly for women and ethnic minorities but also the proper administration of justice; and therefore calls on the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Education to review the basis of the funding and structure of legal training with a view to placing it on a par with other professions, such as architecture, where courses leading to a professional qualification attract a mandatory grant.

That this House notes with concern the crisis in the funding of legal training arising from the virtual collapse of the discretionary award system; recognises that local authorities faced with cuts in their education budget are ceasing to make discretionary awards available for students seeking post-graduate vocational training as lawyers;...

That this House notes that the Conservative Government, which has opted out from the Social Protocol to the Treaty on European Union on the grounds that it would increase the costs of British industry, has handicapped Northern Ireland business and industry by imposing a much greater burden, namely - in the words of the managing director of a substantial chain store - that `we are now required to monitor both religion and sex of all job applicants, all short listings, all successful candidates and reserves, all selections for training, all selection for promotion, all leavers, all selections for redundancy and all deaths in our business'; and notes further that such monitoring involves considerable work and cost and represents ridiculous amount of non-productive effort for employers for which they receive no assistance or compensation, inadequate grants having only been available for initial cost and trainings and no assistance for these ongoing costs, which directly affect the competitiveness of Northern Ireland business against other British and European firms as well as being a disincentive for inward investment.

That this House notes that the Conservative Government, which has opted out from the Social Protocol to the Treaty on European Union on the grounds that it would increase the costs of British industry, has handicapped Northern Ireland business and industry by imposing a much greater burden, namely - in...