That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention to enable proper parliamentary scrutiny and debate of National Policy Statements (NPSs); is concerned therefore that the current scrutiny process does not appear to adhere fully to the Government's commitments made earlier this year during debate on the Planning Bill; regrets that the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee's simultaneous scrutiny of all five NPSs has been compressed into an inordinately limited timescale that overlaps with the public consultation period; believes that NPSs and their legitimacy would be considerably strengthened by ensuring a process of select committee scrutiny for each individual National Policy Statement and by allowing the public consultation process to be completed before the parliamentary scrutiny process commences; considers that the public should be given meaningful opportunities to provide evidence or bring expert witness to bear particularly on site-specific NPSs; and calls on the Government to reconsider whether the current process provides the full and proper parliamentary scrutiny process to which such crucial documents should be subjected.

That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention to enable proper parliamentary scrutiny and debate of National Policy Statements (NPSs); is concerned therefore that the current scrutiny process does not appear to adhere fully to the Government's commitments made earlier this year during debate on the Planning Bill; regrets that...

That this House praises the unanimous decision by all parties to the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority to back the Quality Bus Contract Scheme, producing the kind of franchised bus network in West Yorkshire that people in London have enjoyed for years; welcomes Quality Contracts as a way to ensure that the people of West Yorkshire have the high quality and reliable bus service they deserve; calls on bus operators to avoid unjustified cuts to services, particularly given the hedged prices for fuel; calls on the West Yorkshire Metro to specify and regularise the frequency, routes and fares of buses; and looks forward to the introduction of complementary measures for buses such as additional bus priorities on roads, more high-quality shelters, real-time information systems, on-bus CCTV and eco-driving initiatives.

That this House praises the unanimous decision by all parties to the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority to back the Quality Bus Contract Scheme, producing the kind of franchised bus network in West Yorkshire that people in London have enjoyed for years; welcomes Quality Contracts as a way to ensure...

That this House has no confidence in the credibility or community awareness of Post Office Ltd senior management in respect of the Post Office closure process.

That this House has no confidence in the credibility or community awareness of Post Office Ltd senior management in respect of the Post Office closure process.

That this House welcomes National Epilepsy Week from 18th to 24th May; notes the findings of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Epilepsy that 400 lives are lost each year owing to failures to deliver good quality services to people with epilepsy, that 69,000 people with epilepsy are suffering unnecessary seizures, that 74,000 people are taking powerful drugs they do not need, and that ??189 million could be saved each year by improving the service; and calls upon the Government to set review dates for the 2003 Action Plan for Epilepsy and the 2005 National Service Framework for Long-Term Neurological Conditions.

That this House welcomes National Epilepsy Week from 18th to 24th May; notes the findings of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Epilepsy that 400 lives are lost each year owing to failures to deliver good quality services to people with epilepsy, that 69,000 people with epilepsy are suffering unnecessary seizures,...

That this House welcomes the Government's aim of streamlining the planning process in respect of Major Infrastructure Projects (MIPs); expresses serious concern, however, that whereas planning applications determined under the Town and Country Planning Act will retain a strong local democratic component with major projects requiring a Ministerial decision, the Planning Bill would put decisions on MIPs entirely in the hands of the proposed Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC); believes the proposed powers of the IPC as presently contained in the Planning Bill, including the ability to amend legislation, are inordinate and unprecedented; and calls on the Government to restore the Ministerial role in deciding major planning project applications, if necessary drawing on the advice of the IPC or any body ultimately identified for discharging such an advisory duty.

That this House welcomes the Government's aim of streamlining the planning process in respect of Major Infrastructure Projects (MIPs); expresses serious concern, however, that whereas planning applications determined under the Town and Country Planning Act will retain a strong local democratic component with major projects requiring a Ministerial decision, the...

That this House welcomes the proposals for National Policy Statements (NPSs) contained in the Planning Bill; expresses concern however that existing policy documents such as the Air Transport White Paper may be designated as NPSs; considers that such documents were produced for a different purpose and before requirements under the strategic environmental assessment directive or the habitats directive; believes that this process would also afford those policy documents far greater status in the planning system than the public could reasonably have assumed at the time of the original consultation; and calls on the Government to ensure all NPSs are subjected to a full process of parliamentary and public consultation and scrutiny.

That this House welcomes the proposals for National Policy Statements (NPSs) contained in the Planning Bill; expresses concern however that existing policy documents such as the Air Transport White Paper may be designated as NPSs; considers that such documents were produced for a different purpose and before requirements under the...

That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention of improving public involvement in the Major Infrastructure Projects (MIPs) planning process; believes that the Planning Bill and the legitimacy of MIP decisions would be considerably strengthened if they retained the existing public right to appear at inquiries and meaningfully scrutinise proposals; considers that this right should also be extended to the public consultation process on National Policy Statements; regrets the value of pre-application public consultation by applicants as limited unless it is backed by a clearly defined and binding guidance and a requirement to report on issues raised during consultation and action taken on them; and calls on the Government to strengthen the provision for public involvement by ensuring impartial and transparent framework for consultation and by encouraging active measures to encourage participation.

That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention of improving public involvement in the Major Infrastructure Projects (MIPs) planning process; believes that the Planning Bill and the legitimacy of MIP decisions would be considerably strengthened if they retained the existing public right to appear at inquiries and meaningfully scrutinise proposals;...

That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention to integrate planning policy with the crucial commitment to address climate change; notes that the Planning Bill imposes a duty on local authorities to produce policy that contributes to the mitigation of climate change; strongly believes that this duty should be strengthened and imposed on Ministers when drawing up National Policy Statements (NPSs) and on the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC); further considers that the Committee on Climate Change should be a statutory consultee in NPSs and Major Infrastructure Projects processes; and urges that mechanisms are put in place to monitor and report on the discharge of this duty.

That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention to integrate planning policy with the crucial commitment to address climate change; notes that the Planning Bill imposes a duty on local authorities to produce policy that contributes to the mitigation of climate change; strongly believes that this duty should be strengthened...

That this House views with grave concern proposals by the Leeds Conservative Group, backed in most cases by its Liberal Democrat allies, to remove polling stations and merge polling districts in a way that would make it more difficult for the overwhelming majority of those electors in the affected areas to cast their votes; welcomes the fact that council officers evaluating such proposals against the appropriate accessibility tests have refused to support them; notes that council officers have endorsed proposals from all parties that genuinely attempt to improve access to polling places; expresses concern that despite this objective scrutiny by officers it still remains open for the controlling coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to use their majority to vote their proposals through the council; and calls on the Electoral Commission to monitor closely the review of polling districts and polling places in Leeds to ensure that voting is not made more difficult and that the objectivity of council officers is maintained.

That this House views with grave concern proposals by the Leeds Conservative Group, backed in most cases by its Liberal Democrat allies, to remove polling stations and merge polling districts in a way that would make it more difficult for the overwhelming majority of those electors in the affected areas...

That this House expresses grave concern at the criminal exploitation of accommodation addresses and mail forwarding services by individuals and organisations involved in activities such as terrorism, serious organised crime, identity theft, mail scams, tax evasion, financial swindles and benefit fraud; shares the concerns voiced by organisations such as the police, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Trading Standards Insitutute, Office of Fair Trading and Government departments and agencies regarding the need for regulation of these services; notes that legislation will soon be operating in the capital under the London Local Authorities Act 2007 that requires those running accommodation and mail forwarding services to register their businesses, keep records and to exercise due care in confirming the identities and contact details of those who use their services; and calls upon the Government to extend this legislation to the rest of the country.

That this House expresses grave concern at the criminal exploitation of accommodation addresses and mail forwarding services by individuals and organisations involved in activities such as terrorism, serious organised crime, identity theft, mail scams, tax evasion, financial swindles and benefit fraud; shares the concerns voiced by organisations such as the...

That this House strongly rejects the market-led approach to the future of land use planning set out in the July 2006 interim report by Kate Barker; and calls upon the Government to reinforce its commitment to promote proper democratic accountability and active local community participation as a means of delivering genuinely sustainable development.

That this House strongly rejects the market-led approach to the future of land use planning set out in the July 2006 interim report by Kate Barker; and calls upon the Government to reinforce its commitment to promote proper democratic accountability and active local community participation as a means of delivering...

That this House recognises the success of NatWest Cricket Force 2006, which took place between 7th and 9th April at over 1,000 community cricket clubs across the country, bringing in ??25 million of investment to rejuvenate the nation's cricket facilities and prepare clubs for the coming season; notes the contribution of the 70,000 volunteers who participated, and in particular the vital role they play in cricket at grass roots level; further notes that the event built on the success of Cricket Force 2005, with almost twice as many clubs involved this year; calls on the Government to regard such volunteering schemes in future as a way of engaging people with their local communities; and hopes that the weekend will mark the beginning of another successful cricket season for all those involved in the game.

That this House recognises the success of NatWest Cricket Force 2006, which took place between 7th and 9th April at over 1,000 community cricket clubs across the country, bringing in ??25 million of investment to rejuvenate the nation's cricket facilities and prepare clubs for the coming season; notes the contribution...

That this House regrets the retirement of Richie Benaud from cricket commentating on British television; applauds his principle of being a free to air broadcaster; thanks him for his 42 years of authoritative, lucid, witty and unobtrusive commentating on BBC and Channel 4; wishes him continued success in his life and work; and looks forward to his resuming his commentating career in the UK when live cricket returns to a terrestrial channel.

That this House regrets the retirement of Richie Benaud from cricket commentating on British television; applauds his principle of being a free to air broadcaster; thanks him for his 42 years of authoritative, lucid, witty and unobtrusive commentating on BBC and Channel 4; wishes him continued success in his life...

That this House congratulates the England women's cricket team on their momentous achievement of winning the Ashes for the first time in 42 years and for their outstanding performances in the one-day NatWest series, which they failed to win by the narrowest of margins, and in which they recorded their first limited overs victories against Australia since 1993.

That this House congratulates the England women's cricket team on their momentous achievement of winning the Ashes for the first time in 42 years and for their outstanding performances in the one-day NatWest series, which they failed to win by the narrowest of margins, and in which they recorded their...

That this House congratulates the England women's cricket team on their success in winning their last four consecutive one-day series against South Africa and New Zealand; welcomes the recognition now given to women cricketers; calls for further funding and support of the women's game; and wishes Clare Connor and her England team success at the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa.

That this House congratulates the England women's cricket team on their success in winning their last four consecutive one-day series against South Africa and New Zealand; welcomes the recognition now given to women cricketers; calls for further funding and support of the women's game; and wishes Clare Connor and her...

That this House believes that communities and individuals, particularly older citizens, require far greater protection from distraction burglars and bogus and exploitative property repairers, welcomes the Government's current consultation on a range of possible measures to combat these and other activities involving cold calling; notes that these include a ban on doorstep cold calling for the purposes of offering property services; and urges the Government to introduce this specific measure at the earliest opportunity.

That this House believes that communities and individuals, particularly older citizens, require far greater protection from distraction burglars and bogus and exploitative property repairers, welcomes the Government's current consultation on a range of possible measures to combat these and other activities involving cold calling; notes that these include a ban...

That this House is appalled by crimes committed particularly against older people by doorstep callers offering property maintenance and improvement services; condemns high pressure sales tactics employed by some doorstep callers; resulting in vulnerable people parting with extortionate sums of money for unnecessary, shoddy or grossly overpriced work; and calls for legislation to prohibit unsolicited doorstep calls for the purpose of offering property maintenance and improvement and for a national campaign to raise awareness of the dangers.

That this House is appalled by crimes committed particularly against older people by doorstep callers offering property maintenance and improvement services; condemns high pressure sales tactics employed by some doorstep callers; resulting in vulnerable people parting with extortionate sums of money for unnecessary, shoddy or grossly overpriced work; and calls...

That this House acknowledges the value of caring for people with learning disabilities in supported housing; notes that until the present time, many occupants of such accommodation have held individual assured tenancies, and have consequently been entitled to housing benefit; views with grave concern the decision of the National Care Standards Commission to register some of these establishments as care homes, thereby removing the occupants' status as tenants and depriving them of their entitlement to housing benefit, reducing their disposable income from around ??60 to ??15 per week; firmly believes that this represents a retrogressive and unintended development in the care of people with learning disabilities that runs contrary to the Government's Valuing People initiative; notes that local authorities and independent sector providers have lodged appeals against these decisions; and urges the Government to institute immediate action to rectify this anomaly.

That this House acknowledges the value of caring for people with learning disabilities in supported housing; notes that until the present time, many occupants of such accommodation have held individual assured tenancies, and have consequently been entitled to housing benefit; views with grave concern the decision of the National Care...

That this House recognises that postcodes have ceased to be solely a mechanism of organising postal deliveries; acknowledges that they play in increasingly important role in statistical monitoring and the delivery and planning of services by a number of public and private agencies; is concerned that postcode anomalies can lead to serious problems in accessing key services; believes that communities should be able to request that their postcode is harmonised with their geographical or local government area where there are cogent reasons for this; and calls for the setting up of an independent process for considering such requests, which is able to consider all relevant factors in reaching a decision.

That this House recognises that postcodes have ceased to be solely a mechanism of organising postal deliveries; acknowledges that they play in increasingly important role in statistical monitoring and the delivery and planning of services by a number of public and private agencies; is concerned that postcode anomalies can lead...

That this House supports the campaign for a new single-site dedicated maternity and children's hospital in Yorkshire and the Humber; congratulates the Yorkshire Post for its Healthy Futures campaign and the Yorkshire children's cancer charity Candlelighters on the launch of its own campaign for such a dedicated hospital in the region; welcomes the feasibility study currently underway among health bodies in Yorkshire and Humberside to examine which services are best provided in local district hospitals and which are more effectively provided in a major regional children's hospital; believes that notwithstanding the first-class professionalism of staff at both the Leeds General Infirmary and St. James Hospital in Leeds under the current arrangements, care for sick children right across the region would be vastly improved by the creation of a new single-site facility; salutes the excellent work done by Sheffield Children's Hospital and notes that a single-site hospital elsewhere in the region would work in partnership with this existing facility; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to consider favourably the case for a new single-site maternity and children's hospital for Yorkshire and the Humber once it is submitted by health bodies in the region.

That this House supports the campaign for a new single-site dedicated maternity and children's hospital in Yorkshire and the Humber; congratulates the Yorkshire Post for its Healthy Futures campaign and the Yorkshire children's cancer charity Candlelighters on the launch of its own campaign for such a dedicated hospital in the...