That this House notes that the next EU Commissioner to be nominated by the UK will have an important role, not only in the particular policy area where they will have the lead, but also more generally in promoting the UK's national interest and vision for reform in Europe; further notes that Parliament currently has not had the opportunity to scrutinise the Government's candidate before their nomination is confirmed; and calls on the Government to ensure that such pre-appointment scrutiny takes place before the nomination of the next EU Commissioner by the UK.

That this House notes that the next EU Commissioner to be nominated by the UK will have an important role, not only in the particular policy area where they will have the lead, but also more generally in promoting the UK's national interest and vision for reform in Europe; further...

That this House expresses serious concern at the anti-trade union behaviour of INEOS at its petrochemical plant in Grangemouth where it has dismissed Mark Lyon, the UK Vice-President of Unite The Union for carrying out his responsibilities as the elected convener of Unite The Union at the Grangemouth complex; notes that INEOS refuses to accept the Unite shops stewards elected by the workforce to represent them and is acting against the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work 1998, particularly ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise 1948, and ILO Convention 98 on The Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949; further notes that INEOS is acting in contravention of the rights set out by the UK Government on the gov.uk website sections on Trade union membership: your employment rights and the role of your trade union rep; is concerned that INEOS is in line to receive £9 million in grants from the Scottish Government and has applied for loan guarantee fund support from the UK Government of £150 million; calls on the Government to make it clear to INEOS that actions in breach of ILO conventions and in contradiction of UK law on the rights of employees to be represented by a trade union and to take part in trade union activities is not acceptable in the UK in the 21st century; and further calls for the reinstatement of Mark Lyon and a negotiated settlement of points of difference between INEOS and trades unionists in its employment.

That this House expresses serious concern at the anti-trade union behaviour of INEOS at its petrochemical plant in Grangemouth where it has dismissed Mark Lyon, the UK Vice-President of Unite The Union for carrying out his responsibilities as the elected convener of Unite The Union at the Grangemouth complex; notes...

That this House is concerned that in early May 2013, 26 elephants, including four babies, were massacred by rebels in the Central African Republic's world famous bai in Dzanga Sangha National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site and that in early 2012 over 300 elephants in Cameroon's Bouba Ndjida National Park were slaughtered by Sudanese rebels; notes that 60 per cent of the Congo Basin's elephant population is estimated to have been lost in the past decade; is further concerned that in China it is still fashionable to adorn one's house or person with elephant body parts; and calls on the Government to do all it can to press for the necessary governance to be put in place in Africa and China to stop the slaughter and trade in elephant parts so that the species does not become extinct.

That this House is concerned that in early May 2013, 26 elephants, including four babies, were massacred by rebels in the Central African Republic's world famous bai in Dzanga Sangha National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site and that in early 2012 over 300 elephants in Cameroon's Bouba Ndjida National...

That this House is concerned at the spread of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in betting shops and that £40 billion a year is now gambled and re-gambled on them; notes that most money is paid into machines in poorer areas of the country, accounting for 50 per cent of the profits of betting shops; is disappointed that the present Government scrapped the British Gambling Prevalence Survey set up as part of the Gambling Act 2005; and calls on the Government to restore a national gambling survey, funded by the gambling industry, to monitor and combat addiction, to strengthen local authority control over planning consent for betting shops by introducing a separate use class for them, to reduce the limits on the number of FOBTs and to reduce the maximum permitted individual stake that can be gambled on them.

That this House is concerned at the spread of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in betting shops and that £40 billion a year is now gambled and re-gambled on them; notes that most money is paid into machines in poorer areas of the country, accounting for 50 per cent of...

That this House notes the scale of tax avoidance through travel and subsistence expenses schemes, often operated by temporary labour providers, which artificially classify part of a worker's pay as expenses, allowing the employer to save on tax, while failing to provide the worker with the benefit; is concerned that such schemes are often not lawful, can lead to a worker's taxable pay falling below the level of the national minimum wage and are estimated by HM Revenue and Customs to be costing the Exchequer 650 million in the financial year 2012-13; and calls on the Government to investigate systematically and in depth all companies known to be using these schemes, to grant HM Revenue and Customs the power and resources to enforce current legislation and to commit to amending legislation to ensure travel and subsistence tax avoidance schemes are not used in the future.

That this House notes the scale of tax avoidance through travel and subsistence expenses schemes, often operated by temporary labour providers, which artificially classify part of a worker's pay as expenses, allowing the employer to save on tax, while failing to provide the worker with the benefit; is concerned that...

That this House congratulates Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), which licenses recorded music played in public and broadcast on radio, television and the internet, on fulfilling its fundamental role in looking after the rights and interests of individual performers and record companies; commends this not-for-profit organisation for its commitment to ensuring that those who invest their time, talent and money in their creative endeavours are fairly rewarded for the work they create; understands that the income streams gathered and distributed by PPL are becoming increasingly important to musicians, singers and other performers; and recognises that many of these artists are small businesses that contribute to both the culture and economy of the UK.

That this House congratulates Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), which licenses recorded music played in public and broadcast on radio, television and the internet, on fulfilling its fundamental role in looking after the rights and interests of individual performers and record companies; commends this not-for-profit organisation for its commitment to ensuring...

That this House expresses concern at the continued lack of visitation rights granted to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez to visit their husbands Gerardo Hernandez and Rene Gonzalez, two of the Miami Five, five Cubans currently detained in the US; notes that Amnesty International `believes that denying the men visits from their wives is unnecessarily punitive and contrary to standards for humane treatment of prisoners and states' obligations to protect family life'; and calls on the USadministration to make a humanitarian gesture and grant visitation rights to their wives.

That this House expresses concern at the continued lack of visitation rights granted to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez to visit their husbands Gerardo Hernandez and Rene Gonzalez, two of the Miami Five, five Cubans currently detained in the US; notes that Amnesty International `believes that denying the men visits...

That this House supports the League Against Cruel Sports in its aim to end the suffering of game birds being shot for sport and other species being killed to preserve such birds, as shown in the League's recent documentary Gunsmoke and Mirrors; and calls on the Government to ensure that animals are protected from such senseless destruction.

That this House supports the League Against Cruel Sports in its aim to end the suffering of game birds being shot for sport and other species being killed to preserve such birds, as shown in the League's recent documentary Gunsmoke and Mirrors; and calls on the Government to ensure that...

That this House congratulates staff working in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contact centres on increasing the positive answering rate to 71 per cent. of calls to date in 2011-12; notes the correlation between this contact rate and HMRC's decision to recruit over 1,000 extra call centre staff in the last year, albeit with over 80 per cent. on temporary contracts; acknowledges that staff representatives have proposed flexible staff transfer arrangements to respond to the substantial fluctuations in call numbers to HMRC contact centres; is deeply concerned by HMRC's award of two contracts to private sector suppliers, Sitel and Teleperformance, to conduct 12 month trials of their telephony advice services, based in HMRC's contact centres at Bathgate, Scotland and Lilyhall, Cumbria threatening the 1,300 permanent HMRC jobs in those locations; further notes that HMRC contact centres were targeted in the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review for 18 per cent. staff cuts in 2010-11; shares the Public and Commercial Services Union's opposition to any further privatisation of HMRC work; and calls on the Government to retain some of the planned 10,000 HMRC job cuts over the next three years so they can be re-deployed in HMRC contact centres in line with demand and to end the tendering for private telephony advice services in HMRC contact centres.

That this House congratulates staff working in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contact centres on increasing the positive answering rate to 71 per cent. of calls to date in 2011-12; notes the correlation between this contact rate and HMRC's decision to recruit over 1,000 extra call centre staff in the...

That this House calls on the Turkish government to release Ragip Zarakolu immediately from detention as well as the many other scholars, academics, researchers, writers, journalists and human rights activists who are imprisoned in Turkey for expressing their thoughts; and believes that these detentions undermine the Turkish state's claims of democratic progress and respect for human rights.

That this House calls on the Turkish government to release Ragip Zarakolu immediately from detention as well as the many other scholars, academics, researchers, writers, journalists and human rights activists who are imprisoned in Turkey for expressing their thoughts; and believes that these detentions undermine the Turkish state's claims of...

That this House condemns the conviction of Marzieh Vafamehr, an Iranian actress who has been sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in jail for her role in starring in the film My Tehran for Sale, an Australian film about an actress whose theatre work is banned in Iran; notes that Marzieh Vafamehr is not the only member of the Iranian film industry who has been arrested in recent years; further notes that Pegah Ahangarani, a popular Iranian actor was released from jail in July 2011, Jafar Panahi, an Iranian director received a six year prison sentence and a 20 year ban from film-making in 2010 and Ramin Parchami, an actor who voiced support for the Iranian opposition, remains in jail; believes that it is completely unacceptable that Marzieh Vafamehr and other members of the Iranian film industry are being imprisoned for their artistic activities; and calls on the Government to make representations to the Iranian authorities so that Marzieh and other Iranian actors and directors are released from prison immediately.

That this House condemns the conviction of Marzieh Vafamehr, an Iranian actress who has been sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in jail for her role in starring in the film My Tehran for Sale, an Australian film about an actress whose theatre work is banned in Iran; notes...

That this House pays tribute to the Waverley Steam Navigation Company, a registered charity, for its work in maintaining and operating Paddle Steamer Waverley, the world's last sea-going paddle steamer, a core part of the National Register of Historic Vessels and one of Britain's best loved tourist attractions which has carried over five million passengers from over 70 ports around the UK since being saved for the nation in 1975; is concerned that rising costs, particularly of fuel, now threaten the future of the Waverley; welcomes the Waverley Appeal to raise 350,000; and calls on the Government to consider ways in which it can support this unique national maritime heritage and tourism asset.

That this House pays tribute to the Waverley Steam Navigation Company, a registered charity, for its work in maintaining and operating Paddle Steamer Waverley, the world's last sea-going paddle steamer, a core part of the National Register of Historic Vessels and one of Britain's best loved tourist attractions which has...

That this House condemns the imprisonment of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas, but is appalled by the cruel and inhumane treatment suffered by the 7,000 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, involving denial of medicines and basic healthcare, denial of education and reading materials, refusal of family visits, excessive fines, repeated night searches of cells and the long-term isolation of elected members of the Palestinian legislative council; believes that Israel's practice of holding Palestinians for unspecified periods of time without charge, including children, journalists and 21 Palestinian MPs is unacceptable; further believes that all this amounts to the collective punishment of Palestinian prisoners for the imprisonment of soldier Shalit; and calls on the Government to increase pressure on Israel to end its immoral and uncivilised treatment of prisoners.

That this House condemns the imprisonment of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas, but is appalled by the cruel and inhumane treatment suffered by the 7,000 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, involving denial of medicines and basic healthcare, denial of education and reading materials, refusal of family visits, excessive fines,...

That this House congratulates Combat Stress onits ongoing work to support ex-service personnel throughits organisations in Scotland and England and on marking World Mental Health Day 2011 with the launch of its campaign to overcome the stigma of mental health disorders that prevent many armed forces veterans from seeking help; notes with concern the recent survey carried out by Combat Stress which found that 81 per cent. of veterans who responded felt ashamed or embarrassed about their mental ill health; and urges the Government to respond positively to the Combat Stress campaign.

That this House congratulates Combat Stress onits ongoing work to support ex-service personnel throughits organisations in Scotland and England and on marking World Mental Health Day 2011 with the launch of its campaign to overcome the stigma of mental health disorders that prevent many armed forces veterans from seeking help;...

That this Housewelcomes the extension of musicians' copyright term from 50 to 70 years agreed by the EU on 12 September 2011; believes that this will bring a fairer reward to many thousands of recording artists, including session musicians, backing singers and orchestral players, who will benefit from a longer copyright term, a substantial new fund for session musicians from record company revenues, a requirement for labels to make sure all recordings are made available through original recording labels, or for release by the musicians independently, and the writing off of any unrecovered advances so that musicians receive full royalties in the extended term; and thanks the 38,000 musicians across Europe (including 6,000 in the UK) who signed the petition which helped to secure this successful outcome to a campaign supported by PPL, the Musicians Union and by a number of Members of both Houses of Parliament on an all-party basis.

That this Housewelcomes the extension of musicians' copyright term from 50 to 70 years agreed by the EU on 12 September 2011; believes that this will bring a fairer reward to many thousands of recording artists, including session musicians, backing singers and orchestral players, who will benefit from a longer...

That this House is deeply concerned at continuing reports of the large-scale murder of Urdu-speaking Mohajir people in Karachi and Sind region in Pakistan, including shootings in broad daylight (such as five staff and engineers of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board on 22 August 2011), kidnapping from buses and burning of property; is alarmed at the apparent lack of response from the police and the Pakistan government; and calls on the UK Government to raise concerns about such alleged ethnic cleansing with the government of Pakistan at the highest level as a matter of urgency.

That this House is deeply concerned at continuing reports of the large-scale murder of Urdu-speaking Mohajir people in Karachi and Sind region in Pakistan, including shootings in broad daylight (such as five staff and engineers of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board on 22 August 2011), kidnapping from buses and...

That this House believes that domestic workers should be treated fairly; welcomes the efforts of the International Labour Organisation to set proper standards for domestic workers and its recent adoption of an International Convention on Domestic Workers; is concerned by the opposition of the Government to domestic workers' rights in relation to working time, occupational health and safety and employment agencies; and calls on the Government to abandon its isolated objection and join other countries in supporting fullythe Convention and subsequent Recommendation as part of the international effort to combat slavery and human trafficking.

That this House believes that domestic workers should be treated fairly; welcomes the efforts of the International Labour Organisation to set proper standards for domestic workers and its recent adoption of an International Convention on Domestic Workers; is concerned by the opposition of the Government to domestic workers' rights in...

That this House is concerned at the decision by Orange Mobile to offshore its night shift customer services work from Darlington to the Philippines, withoutconsultation and with staff being told they face redundancy, lower pay or an unrealistic relocation to the other side of the world; believes that such a move will not be welcomed by customers; and calls on the Government to consider the impact on employment in the North East and to take action to secure the future of the three large call centres owned by Orange and T Mobile, following the merger of these companies and the failure of Orange to honour previous commitments to keep jobs in the UK.

That this House is concerned at the decision by Orange Mobile to offshore its night shift customer services work from Darlington to the Philippines, withoutconsultation and with staff being told they face redundancy, lower pay or an unrealistic relocation to the other side of the world; believes that such a...

That this House recognises the importance for employment and the national economy of the UK's oil refineries; is concerned about the impact of any further reduction in the number of oil refineries in the UK; notes that of the eight remaining refineries, two are up for sale; further recognises that the industry supports 150,000 jobs across the country and operates to the highest environmental standards in the world; and calls on the Government to take steps to ensure continued investment in UK oil refining to maintain security of supply of all fuels produced.

That this House recognises the importance for employment and the national economy of the UK's oil refineries; is concerned about the impact of any further reduction in the number of oil refineries in the UK; notes that of the eight remaining refineries, two are up for sale; further recognises that...

That this House is concerned that the Government's simplification proposals for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme impacts unfairly on ports, particularly in relation to landlord and tenant responsibilities; believes that the scheme is being used as a tax on ports rather than acting as a carbon abatement device; notes that landlord provisions relating to Northern Ireland civil service buildings are being amended; and calls on the Government to consider fullythe concerns of Britain's port companies, including landlord-tenant relationships and responsibilities, in the forthcoming simplification review of the scheme to ensure that it encourages reduction in energy use rather than imposing a tax on ports.

That this House is concerned that the Government's simplification proposals for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme impacts unfairly on ports, particularly in relation to landlord and tenant responsibilities; believes that the scheme is being used as a tax on ports rather than acting as a carbon abatement device; notes that...