That this House urges the Government to set up forthwith an interest-free loan fund to help those rural businesses associated with agriculture and tourism which are in danger of closure because of a cash-flow crisis arising from the foot and mouth restrictions.

That this House urges the Government to set up forthwith an interest-free loan fund to help those rural businesses associated with agriculture and tourism which are in danger of closure because of a cash-flow crisis arising from the foot and mouth restrictions.

That this House recognises the grave situation caused by the foot and mouth epidemic; expresses immense concern at the devastating effects this crisis is having on tourism-related and agriculture-related businesses; believes that the whole undivided attention of government should be given to dealing with this crisis; asserts that it would be seen as an incomprehensible dereliction of duty for a General Election to be called in the middle of such a crisis; and calls on the Prime Minister to announce that no election will be called earlier than May 2002 unless and until at least four weeks after the last confirmed case of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom, and that the county elections in England shall be rescheduled to May 2002.

That this House recognises the grave situation caused by the foot and mouth epidemic; expresses immense concern at the devastating effects this crisis is having on tourism-related and agriculture-related businesses; believes that the whole undivided attention of government should be given to dealing with this crisis; asserts that it would...

That this House notes with dismay that despite recent efforts made to improve the effectiveness of HM Customs and Excise, smuggling of tobacco products into the United Kingdom continues at such a seriously high level that one third of all cigarettes purchased in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have entered the country illegally; further notes that the influx of cheap contraband tobacco products has led to an increase in smoking, in particular among young people, while at the same time threatening jobs of workers in the British tobacco manufacturing industry and depriving Her Majesty's Treasury of ??3 billion worth of revenue; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to accept that this alarming situation is caused by the ever widening gap between British and continental tobacco taxation and therefore to reduce or at least freeze the duty on tobacco in the Chancellor's Budget.

That this House notes with dismay that despite recent efforts made to improve the effectiveness of HM Customs and Excise, smuggling of tobacco products into the United Kingdom continues at such a seriously high level that one third of all cigarettes purchased in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have entered...

That this House, in the event of the Prime Minister failing to persuade Corus to reconsider their steel closure proposals, calls on the Government to introduce legislation to take steel back into public ownership, with the industry to be operated at arms length from government.

That this House, in the event of the Prime Minister failing to persuade Corus to reconsider their steel closure proposals, calls on the Government to introduce legislation to take steel back into public ownership, with the industry to be operated at arms length from government.

That this House regrets that charges of ??10 per check are to be made on adults working in voluntary organisations with children; and, while recognising that such checks need to be made, calls on the Home Secretary to use his powers under Part V of the Police Act 1997 to waive charges for voluntary organisations which are required to make such checks.

That this House regrets that charges of ??10 per check are to be made on adults working in voluntary organisations with children; and, while recognising that such checks need to be made, calls on the Home Secretary to use his powers under Part V of the Police Act 1997 to...

That this House calls on the Government to reconsider social security regulations which interpret a national income as accruing from capital over the ??3,000 threshold capital rule; believes that the discrepancy between the actual income and the notional income leads to either an income lower than the minimum provided by income support regulations, or to an inevitable diminution of capital to subsidise living costs; and calls for early action to remedy this anomaly.

That this House calls on the Government to reconsider social security regulations which interpret a national income as accruing from capital over the ??3,000 threshold capital rule; believes that the discrepancy between the actual income and the notional income leads to either an income lower than the minimum provided by...

That this House notes with concern that, notwithstanding the Autumn Statement, the pump price of diesel has increased by a further penny per litre since that statement, causing a further devastating erosion of the viability and competitiveness of hauliers and other businesses; notes that the present price of diesel at 86 pence per litre in France, 54 pence per litre in Belgium and 48 pence per litre in Luxembourg; and calls on the Government to pursue with urgency within the European Union initiatives to establish a common level of duty and tax on diesel and petrol so as to achieve a level playing field for UK business and in the meantime to introduce a regulatory regime to control the pump prices of diesel by use of a variable rate of duty, thereby holding the pump price to 1999 levels for the next 12 months.

That this House notes with concern that, notwithstanding the Autumn Statement, the pump price of diesel has increased by a further penny per litre since that statement, causing a further devastating erosion of the viability and competitiveness of hauliers and other businesses; notes that the present price of diesel at...

That this House congratulates RNIB Multiple Disability Services on their campaign to increase access to eye care for adults with learning difficulties; welcomes the recent launch of RNIB's Right to Sight Video and Resource Pack for staff and information booklets for service users; notes that only a minority of people with learning difficulties have regular eye tests, yet 30 per cent. have serious eye problems; regrets that people with learning difficulties experience prejudice and environmental and other barriers to receiving quality eye care resulting in some being denied eye tests, glasses or eye surgery and even losing their sight unnecessarily; believes that undetected or unaddressed eye problems can reduce a person's autonomy and independence and that earlier detection and treatment would improve people's quality of life and be a more effective use of resources; and calls on the Government to review the arrangements for the funding, provision and quality assurance of eye tests for people with learning difficulties to ensure that their rights under the Patient's Charter become a reality.

That this House congratulates RNIB Multiple Disability Services on their campaign to increase access to eye care for adults with learning difficulties; welcomes the recent launch of RNIB's Right to Sight Video and Resource Pack for staff and information booklets for service users; notes that only a minority of people...

That this House notes that a four year consultation process was carried out by the Statistical Directorate of the National Assembly for Wales (formerly the Welsh Office) between 1995 and 1999 before production of the 2001 census forms for Wales; further notes that regular liaison meetings were held during that period between the Statistical Directorate and the Welsh Language Board to discuss census issues in Wales and that the Chairman of the Welsh Language Board during that period was Lord Elis Thomas of Nant Conwy who is now Welsh Assembly Member for Merionnydd Nant Conwy and the Presiding Officer of the NAW; furthermore, deplores this failure by the Welsh Language Board Chairman to recognise the genuine wishes of the people of Wales to express their ethnicity in the 2001 census form; and calls upon the Government to provide a supplementary means to allow the people of Wales to indicate their ethnicity as well as their place of birth.

That this House notes that a four year consultation process was carried out by the Statistical Directorate of the National Assembly for Wales (formerly the Welsh Office) between 1995 and 1999 before production of the 2001 census forms for Wales; further notes that regular liaison meetings were held during that...

That this House calls on the Government to make beta-interferon available on the National Health Service to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis; recognises the clinical judgement which deems it to be potentially beneficial; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to hold discussions with the National Assembly for Wales on how a similar intiative can be implemented in Wales.

That this House calls on the Government to make beta-interferon available on the National Health Service to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis; recognises the clinical judgement which deems it to be potentially beneficial; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to hold discussions with the National Assembly for Wales on how...

That this House expresses its deep concern at the Government's determination to use the provisions under section 2(5) of the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991, thereby denying teachers the opportunity of consultation on a significant and fundamental change, by introducing a requirement which will put all teachers in the invidious position of having to provide external assessors with information on collegues who have applied for the threshold assessment; believes that this requirement will create an atmosphere of suspicion in schools and destroy the professional teamwork and co-operation so essential to high quality teaching and learning; expresses its concern at the Government's unnecessary inclusion of a power enabling the Secretary of State to determine without consultation or reference the definition of the criteria for crossing the pay threshold; and calls on the Government to listen seriously to the concerns of teachers and of honourable Members of this House and to rethink its proposals accordingly.

That this House expresses its deep concern at the Government's determination to use the provisions under section 2(5) of the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991, thereby denying teachers the opportunity of consultation on a significant and fundamental change, by introducing a requirement which will put all teachers in the...

That this House regrets that Barclays Bank is pursuing a programme of closure of banks in small towns and in rural areas; notes with dismay that Cricieth - the home town of David Lloyd George MP, one of Britain's greatest Chancellors - will be a Barclays-free area; believes that maintaining an adequate infrastructure of banking facilities is essential to serve the tourists and associated service industries, as well as the indigenous population, in a town such as Cricieth; and calls on Barclays Bank to withdrawn the closure threat against their branch in Cricieth.

That this House regrets that Barclays Bank is pursuing a programme of closure of banks in small towns and in rural areas; notes with dismay that Cricieth - the home town of David Lloyd George MP, one of Britain's greatest Chancellors - will be a Barclays-free area; believes that maintaining...

That this House notes that the deadline for the Government to submit this year's claim for agrimonetary compensation is the end of April; recognises that agriculture is going through a very difficult period, not least because of the high value of sterling against the euro; sees agrimonetary compensation as a directly relevant way of ameliorating this problem; notes that all EU states, with the exception of the UK, have over recent years claimed the EU-funded share of agrimonetary compensation; and calls on the Government to submit a full claim before the end of April.

That this House notes that the deadline for the Government to submit this year's claim for agrimonetary compensation is the end of April; recognises that agriculture is going through a very difficult period, not least because of the high value of sterling against the euro; sees agrimonetary compensation as a...

That this House regrets that, despite promises to the contrary, the Government is still not making adequate resources available to the NHS to fund much-needed new capital expenditure projects; and calls on the Chancellor to refrain from reducing direct taxation in the forthcoming Budget and to use part of the money thus retained, to ensure adequate capital funding of the NHS and in particular to build new community hospitals where such new facilities are identified as necessary.

That this House regrets that, despite promises to the contrary, the Government is still not making adequate resources available to the NHS to fund much-needed new capital expenditure projects; and calls on the Chancellor to refrain from reducing direct taxation in the forthcoming Budget and to use part of the...

That this House regrets the complacency of DTI Ministers concerning the effect which the high parity of the pound is having on the future viability of the UK steel industry, as manifested at DTI questions on 2nd March; notes that the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe dismissed worries at Llanwern and Ebbw Vale as being no more than press speculation; and calls on the Government, in the context of the forthcoming budget, to introduce the necessary fiscal policy changes to reduce the parity of the pound to a level which gives a fairer opportunity to the steel industry to compete on a level playing field.

That this House regrets the complacency of DTI Ministers concerning the effect which the high parity of the pound is having on the future viability of the UK steel industry, as manifested at DTI questions on 2nd March; notes that the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe dismissed worries...

That this House expresses its dismay and concern at the continuing collapse of the price received by dairy farmers for their milk; notes that the price per litre has dropped from 25 pence in 1996 to 17 pence this year, which in real terms reflects a price reduction of almost 40 per cent.; expresses horror at the expectation that prices will fall a further 1.5 pence per litre during the coming year and could be as low a 12 pence per litre by June; in these desperate circumstances, calls on the Government to make available the full permissible amount of agri-monetary compensation to the dairy sector forthwith; and urges a fundamental review of the effects of an over-valued pound on the UK productive economy.

That this House expresses its dismay and concern at the continuing collapse of the price received by dairy farmers for their milk; notes that the price per litre has dropped from 25 pence in 1996 to 17 pence this year, which in real terms reflects a price reduction of almost...

That this House congratulates the Scottish Executive on its proposals to abolish tuition fees for all Scottish full-time higher and further education students in Scotland from autumn 2000, a year earlier than the Cubie Committee recommended; notes that this is as a result of the Liberal Democrat insistence that tuition fees should be abolished; and urges the United Kingdom Government to abolish tuition fees for all United Kingdom full-time higher and further education students.

That this House congratulates the Scottish Executive on its proposals to abolish tuition fees for all Scottish full-time higher and further education students in Scotland from autumn 2000, a year earlier than the Cubie Committee recommended; notes that this is as a result of the Liberal Democrat insistence that tuition...

That this House notes with dismay the Answer of the Secretary of State for Wales of 20th January, Official Report, column 590W, confirming that no additional cash will be made available to the National Assembly of Wales out of Objective One money granted by the EU to Wales for 2000-01, and that consequently all such expenditure in Wales - by way of the European component and the matchfunding component - will have to come out of the Welsh block which was first determined prior to Wales being granted Objective One status, regrets that this will take up finance which would otherwise be available for health, education and local services; and notes with contempt that the Treasury's interpretation of 'Looking after Wales' is to pocket all EU money itself for the year 2000-01 and to deny Wales even a brass farthing of EU resources.

That this House notes with dismay the Answer of the Secretary of State for Wales of 20th January, Official Report, column 590W, confirming that no additional cash will be made available to the National Assembly of Wales out of Objective One money granted by the EU to Wales for 2000-01,...

That this House, in the millennium year, welcomes the proposal to celebrate the Millennial National Arts Day on 24th June, Midsummer Day, as an exciting opportunity to draw attention to artistic activity across the country; believes that in the age of globalisation an annual day of celebration will give wider publicity to the nation's cultural achievements indelibly rooted here; considers that these achievements are worthy of greater recognition and investment; acknowledges that the arts reflect the country's traditions, values and multi-cultural way of life and have earned the admiration of the world in addition; points out that they are also a potent antidote to violence, hopelessness, social division and alienation by cutting across human divides; further believes that a National Arts Day would demonstrate that the arts do not belong on the periphery of daily life but at its centre, where they can contribute significantly to the Nation's well-being and quality of life; and urges the Minister of Culture, Media and Sport and the government to give their endorsement and support to the Millennial National Arts Day.

That this House, in the millennium year, welcomes the proposal to celebrate the Millennial National Arts Day on 24th June, Midsummer Day, as an exciting opportunity to draw attention to artistic activity across the country; believes that in the age of globalisation an annual day of celebration will give wider...

That this House congratulates Helen Clark on becoming Prime Minister of New Zealand, and wishes every success to her Labour-led Coalition Government.

That this House congratulates Helen Clark on becoming Prime Minister of New Zealand, and wishes every success to her Labour-led Coalition Government.