That this House recognises the fundamental importance of the right to non-violent protest to the democratic process; believes that the freedom of citizens to exercise this right has, in recent years, been undermined by oppressive Government legislation, including the Public Order Act 2023; is concerned by the recommendations of Lord Walney’s recent report on Protecting Our Democracy from Coercion, which, if enacted, would further circumscribe the ability of citizens to hold governments and corporations to account; highlights, in particular, the proposed reforms to the Public Order Act 2023 outlined in recommendations 14 and 20 as well as recommendations 29, 30, and 31, which would create unreasonable and oppressive obstacles to citizens wanting to organise or participate in nonviolent protests and direct actions; notes that, cumulatively, Lord Walney’s recommendations would have a chilling effect on our democracy; further notes that Lord Walney is employed by Rud Pederson Group and Purpose Business Coalition, which are reported to count amongst their clients BP and the defence company Leonardo, and which might reasonably be construed as being legitimate targets for non-violent direct action by campaigners against the arms trade and climate protestors; calls on the Government to reject Lord Walney's recommendations; and recommends that he be immediately removed from his position of Independent Advisor on Political Violence and Disruption.

That this House recognises the fundamental importance of the right to non-violent protest to the democratic process; believes that the freedom of citizens to exercise this right has, in recent years, been undermined by oppressive Government legislation, including the Public Order Act 2023; is concerned by the recommendations of Lord...

That this House expresses its deep concerns regarding the Israeli offensive on Rafah, which it believes will seriously worsen what is already one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises; reiterates its calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire; further expresses its frustration at the Government’s continued refusal to suspend arms exports to Israel; echoes the warnings issued by Lady Hale and over six hundred distinguished members of the legal profession in their correspondence to the Prime Minister of 3 April 2024 that the provision of military assistance and material to Israel may render the UK complicit in genocide as well as in serious breaches of International Humanitarian Law; notes that, as a result of his not having a seat in the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has been unable to participate in departmental questions in the House and that Members have been restricted in their ability to scrutinise his work and that of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, particularly in relation to arms licences to Israel; believes that the moral imperative of ending arms exports to Israel is now so great as to warrant the House taking exceptional measures; and therefore calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to work with the Speaker to make necessary preparations for the Secretary of State to answer questions on this and other matters from hon. Members from the Bar of the House of Commons as soon as possible.

That this House expresses its deep concerns regarding the Israeli offensive on Rafah, which it believes will seriously worsen what is already one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises; reiterates its calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire; further expresses its frustration at the Government’s continued refusal to suspend...

That this House notes that 11 September 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean coup d’état; honours the heroic sacrifices of all those who resisted the murderous dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990 and remembers the three thousand Chileans murdered by state security forces in that time; notes that, at the direction of the dictatorship, Chile was subject to a radical neoliberal experiment that came at enormous and lasting cost to the lives and standards of living of millions of working-class Chileans; condemns the longstanding diplomatic and political support given to the Pinochet regime by successive British and American governments; commends by contrast the solidarity demonstrated by the British trade union movement and those civic society groups which assisted approximately three thousand Chilean exiles in seeking asylum in the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the coup; believes that the overthrow of the democratically-elected government of Chile offers vital lessons for the modern-day when democracy around the globe is again threatened by authoritarianism, racism, and the self-interest of global capital; and restates its commitment to championing democracy, peace, and equality, taking as its inspiration President Allende’s final broadcast to the Chilean people, in which he said history is ours and people make history, and that much sooner than later, the great avenues will again be opened through which will pass free men to construct a better society.

That this House notes that 11 September 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean coup d’état; honours the heroic sacrifices of all those who resisted the murderous dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990 and remembers the three thousand Chileans murdered by state security forces in that...

That this House expresses its sadness on the untimely passing of Paul O’Grady; celebrates the life of a much-loved entertainer, writer, actor, and comedian; recognises the great pride that the people of Birkenhead have taken over many years in the continued success of their favourite son; commends the trailblazing work that he did to introduce drag to a wider, mainstream audience in the persona of Lily Savage; applauds his extensive support for a number of charitable causes, most notably in the field of animal welfare but also as fundraiser for HIV AIDs research, amongst others; remembers him also as a man of great political principle and as a sometimes trenchant critic of Government policy, including the Thatcher Government’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights and cuts to frontline services implemented by the Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition; and extends heartfelt sympathies to his husband Andre, family, friends and many fans.

That this House expresses its sadness on the untimely passing of Paul O’Grady; celebrates the life of a much-loved entertainer, writer, actor, and comedian; recognises the great pride that the people of Birkenhead have taken over many years in the continued success of their favourite son; commends the trailblazing work...

That this House is concerned by industrial relations at offshore wind multinational Ørsted, which is majority-owned by the Danish Government; notes that a 3.5 per cent consolidated pay increase has been rejected by RMT members working out of Birkenhead, Brightlingsea, Grimsby and Barrow on Ørsted’s operational offshore wind farms powering UK homes, schools, hospitals and businesses; further notes that the RPI inflation rate, used for pay negotiations, stands at 12.6 per cent, which is accelerating the cost of living crisis; regrets that Ørsted is refusing to discuss this pay dispute with trade union representatives from RMT; further notes that Ørsted recorded a profit of £644 million in the first quarter of 2022, a staggering 257 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier; applauds the hard work of Ørsted’s workers in the UK in delivering this increased profitability in safe and sustainable working conditions; is alarmed by RMT reports that a union member is being victimised for raising genuine health and safety concerns with this employer; fully supports a worker-led safety culture in the offshore renewables sector; and calls on the Government to ensure that the safety and employment rights of offshore wind workers at Ørsted and at renewable energy companies across the UK Exclusive Economic Zone are fully respected.

That this House is concerned by industrial relations at offshore wind multinational Ørsted, which is majority-owned by the Danish Government; notes that a 3.5 per cent consolidated pay increase has been rejected by RMT members working out of Birkenhead, Brightlingsea, Grimsby and Barrow on Ørsted’s operational offshore wind farms powering...

That this House reaffirms its belief in the fundamental right to a warm home; recognises that millions of households are grappling with soaring energy prices; acknowledges the recent findings of the trade association Energy UK that prices could rise by between 45 to 50 per cent. by spring 2022; notes with concern National Energy Action’s warning that a further two million households could, as a result, slip into fuel poverty, bringing the total number of people living in fuel poverty to the highest levels since records began; recognises that rising energy prices are contributing to a spiralling cost of living crisis; believes that Government interventions to date have failed to address the scale of this challenge or give essential protections to those most at risk; calls for urgent action to address this crisis in the short-term, including removing the 5 per cent. VAT rate on energy bills and greater financial assistance for low-income households; is convinced of the necessity of wholescale reform of the energy sector; believes that in the long-term public ownership has an essential role to play in building a fairer, greener sector as well as in reducing foreign energy dependence; further notes that the nationalisation of the energy system commands broad public support; and calls upon the Government to bring the energy sector into public hands.

That this House reaffirms its belief in the fundamental right to a warm home; recognises that millions of households are grappling with soaring energy prices; acknowledges the recent findings of the trade association Energy UK that prices could rise by between 45 to 50 per cent. by spring 2022; notes...

That this House welcomes the news that Trodelvy, a new treatment for women living with incurable metastatic triple negative breast cancer, has been licensed through Project Orbis for use in Great Britain; expresses concern that women now face a delay before they can access the drug and potentially miss out on extra months to live; further welcomes Breast Cancer Now’s Time for Trodelvy campaign, which is supported by over 200,000 people; and urges Gilead, the drug’s owner, to reach an agreement with NHS England to ensure all eligible women can access the drug immediately ahead of a NICE decision.

That this House welcomes the news that Trodelvy, a new treatment for women living with incurable metastatic triple negative breast cancer, has been licensed through Project Orbis for use in Great Britain; expresses concern that women now face a delay before they can access the drug and potentially miss out...

That this House restates its commitment to the National Health Service as a universal service free at the point of delivery and its belief that access to medication is a fundamental right; recognises the devastating impact that covid-19 has had on access to health services; is deeply concerned that increased waiting times could leave people with long-term conditions relying on medication to manage their pain and health conditions; considers the implications of the Government’s consultation on aligning prescription charges with the state pension age as being deeply dangerous and likely to disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities and widen existing health inequalities; fears that such a move would leave many older patients struggling to fund their medication; believes that those proposals would further increase pressure on NHS services through expensive hospital admissions; expresses its concern that more patients will have to make health choices based on their ability to pay for prescriptions; and calls on the Government to follow the devolved administrations in ending prescription charges for people with long-term health conditions in England and to set out a medium to long-term strategy for the scrapping of prescription charges altogether.

That this House restates its commitment to the National Health Service as a universal service free at the point of delivery and its belief that access to medication is a fundamental right; recognises the devastating impact that covid-19 has had on access to health services; is deeply concerned that increased...

That this House notes that we breathe in, drink and eat plastic particles every day; recognises that little research has been conducted to fully establish what risk that poses to human health; further notes that when plastic gets into the body it can spread; understands that particles emitted from plastic prosthetic implants have been found in human organs like the liver, spleen and placenta; believes that new clinical research on plastic and health is urgently required but is chronically underfunded; notes that in 2021 Whitehall announced its commitment to making Britain a world leader in research and development across health, life sciences and manufacturing, with some £15 billion invested into research and development for 2021-22; asserts that part of that budget must be ringfenced to urgently understand how increasing exposure to plastic particles affects human health; and endorses social enterprise Common Seas’ calls for the Government to rapidly introduce a new £15 million National Plastic Health Impact Research Fund.

That this House notes that we breathe in, drink and eat plastic particles every day; recognises that little research has been conducted to fully establish what risk that poses to human health; further notes that when plastic gets into the body it can spread; understands that particles emitted from plastic...

That this House notes the Government’s decision to commission a £200 million National Flagship to replace HMY Britannia, which was decommissioned in 1997; understands that this has caused considerable public consternation at a time when many people are experiencing immense economic hardship; recognises, however, that the project has the potential to create much-needed work and investment in British shipbuilding; calls on the Government to make a cast-iron guarantee to design and build the flagship in the UK; welcomes the recent announcement that Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead is willing and able to deliver the project on-time and on-budget; recognises that the construction of the National Flagship at said shipyard would secure and expand the number of jobs and range of training opportunities available to local people, and create economic growth in one of the country’s most left-behind towns; recommends that Cammell Laird be chosen to construct the flagship; and further recognises that the commissioning of this vessel is no substitute for a long-term and well-funded shipbuilding strategy that secures the viability of the industry for generations to come and establishes the UK as a world-leader in green maritime technology.

That this House notes the Government’s decision to commission a £200 million National Flagship to replace HMY Britannia, which was decommissioned in 1997; understands that this has caused considerable public consternation at a time when many people are experiencing immense economic hardship; recognises, however, that the project has the potential...

That this House warmly welcomes the victory of the Shrewsbury Twenty Four campaign in its decades long quest for justice; recognises that there are hundreds of other trade unionists and protestors who have been the victims of unjust and politically motivated punishments, including thirty-seven workers imprisoned in the Category A prison HMP Walton for their participation in the occupation of the Cammell Laird shipyards in 1984; understands that those imprisoned workers endured immense suffering and economic hardship as a result of their month-long detention and the blacklisting and loss of redundancy and pension rights that followed that imprisonment; condemns that gross miscarriage of justice and regrets that many of those who were so imprisoned have tragically not lived to see their names cleared; applauds the surviving members of that thirty-seven for their unwavering commitment to seeing that wrong righted and the GMB Union for its support of those members; notes that the Government has failed to honour its commitment to exploring the merits of holding a public inquiry into that historic injustice; further notes that in 2014, the European Parliament’s Commission on Petitions stated its belief that the authorities’ response to that dispute was an overreaction and that an apology should be considered; and calls on the Government to launch an inquiry and put into the public domain any and all documentation, including cabinet papers, from that period that may shed fresh light on those events.

That this House warmly welcomes the victory of the Shrewsbury Twenty Four campaign in its decades long quest for justice; recognises that there are hundreds of other trade unionists and protestors who have been the victims of unjust and politically motivated punishments, including thirty-seven workers imprisoned in the Category A...

That this House understands that vaccines are the most potent tool in the fight against covid-19; recognises that the success of the UK’s covid-19 vaccination rollout is a testament to the commitment and hard work of vaccination teams across the country; notes that the Birkenhead Primary Care Network is one of the most successful vaccination teams in the country, with the highest absolute number of covid-19 vaccinations in the region for vaccination cohorts one to five; recognises that healthcare workers in Birkenhead face additional challenges due to some of the highest levels of deprivation and poverty in the country being in that area; commends the dedication of those healthcare workers and believes that their efforts epitomise the founding spirit of the NHS, as a universal service that it is accessible to all, regardless of means; implores the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to make available all necessary resources and funding to speed up the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine; and urges the Government to give all NHS staff a fair and substantial pay rise that recognises the immense sacrifices that they have made over the course of the covid-19 pandemic.

That this House understands that vaccines are the most potent tool in the fight against covid-19; recognises that the success of the UK’s covid-19 vaccination rollout is a testament to the commitment and hard work of vaccination teams across the country; notes that the Birkenhead Primary Care Network is one...

That this House recognises that the Cammell Laird shipyards have for many decades played a central role in the local economy of Birkenhead; notes that the shipyards currently employ approximately seven-hundred people from across the town and the wider region; further notes that approximately five-hundred young people have undertaken apprenticeships at the yards in the last decade, including fifty-one starting in the last year alone; regrets the recent announcement of one hundred and seventy-eight redundancies at the site and extends its support to the workers who have been affected the announcement; believes that Cammell Laird management must work closely with representatives of recognised trade unions with the intention of avoiding and minimising job losses; calls upon the management of Cammell Laird to definitively rule out compulsory redundancies; and urges the Government to act swiftly in ensuring that the contract for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s new Fleet Solid Support Ships and other defence projects are awarded to British shipyards, including Cammell Laird, as a means of saving hundreds of jobs in British shipbuilding and thousands more in the wider supply chain.

That this House recognises that the Cammell Laird shipyards have for many decades played a central role in the local economy of Birkenhead; notes that the shipyards currently employ approximately seven-hundred people from across the town and the wider region; further notes that approximately five-hundred young people have undertaken apprenticeships...

This this House is concerned to learn the important BBC regional programme Inside Out North West is under threat as the corporation seeks to make cuts to programming; understands that regional segments of the Politics North West are similarly threatened; regrets that all filming of these award-winning BBC regional current affairs programmes have been postponed and the programmes look likely to be cancelled following an internal review expected by the end of the month; notes that Inside Out is a unique programme, rooted in the heart of local communities, investigating and holding those in power to account and telling remarkable stories of life across the region; further notes that the programme has helped to bring issues of public concern to national attention, serving a valuable function in the democratic life at local authority and constituency-wide level; and supports the call of the National Union of Journalists for the BBC to rethink the proposals to cut these vital, local current affairs programmes.

This this House is concerned to learn the important BBC regional programme Inside Out North West is under threat as the corporation seeks to make cuts to programming; understands that regional segments of the Politics North West are similarly threatened; regrets that all filming of these award-winning BBC regional current...