That this House deplores the actions by Indian Prime Minister Modi and his BJP Government to revoke article 370 which guaranteed Jammu and Kashmir special status within the Indian Union; records that this article dates back to 1949 and was promised to the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir when he led his majority Muslim state into the Indian Union; notes that the revoking of article 370 was a unilateral decision by the BJP Government which undermines the traditional position of the United Kingdom Government which is that the future of Jammu and Kashmir was a matter to be resolved by bilateral decisions between India and Pakistan; and believes that no UK government should, therefore, support any future application by India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council until it has facilitated a final settlement of this disputed region in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the line of control.

That this House deplores the actions by Indian Prime Minister Modi and his BJP Government to revoke article 370 which guaranteed Jammu and Kashmir special status within the Indian Union; records that this article dates back to 1949 and was promised to the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir when...

That this House expresses sadness that Bury Football Club, a member of the Football League for 125 years, has been expelled because the owner had not provided proof he has the money to finance the club and its debts or to conclude a sale; notes that the current owner bought the club for £1 in December 2018 from the previous owner who had financed the club through a convoluted series of loans, many of which were with companies registered off-shore and in tax havens; believes that this is a result of the English Football League failing lamentably in this case, and others, to enforce its own rules that owners of clubs should satisfy a fit and proper person criteria and provide adequate proof of financial resources; and further believes that legislation is needed to protect members of the English Football League from predator owners who are only interested in maximising profit from ownership of professional football clubs and not in acting as custodians of these community assets which are at the heart of local communities.

That this House expresses sadness that Bury Football Club, a member of the Football League for 125 years, has been expelled because the owner had not provided proof he has the money to finance the club and its debts or to conclude a sale; notes that the current owner bought...

That this House is shocked and saddened by the demolition of the 16th century temple of Guru Ravidass and its surrounding complex on Saturday 10 August 2019 by the Indian Government; and expresses solidarity and support for the Ravidassia community in the UK and India who are seeking assurances that the temple will be rebuilt and all the land is given back to the Ravidassia community as was the intention when the land was originally registered in Guru Ravidass Ji's name.

That this House is shocked and saddened by the demolition of the 16th century temple of Guru Ravidass and its surrounding complex on Saturday 10 August 2019 by the Indian Government; and expresses solidarity and support for the Ravidassia community in the UK and India who are seeking assurances that...

That this House condemns the months of chaos and bloodshed in Sudan, which have replaced the peaceful protests and jubilation following the removal of President Omar al-Bashir and his three-decade dictatorship in April; acknowledges the serious human rights violations that have arisen in recent weeks during violent clashes between protestors and Sudan’s military regime, including the murder of women, children, and young people as well reports of sexual violence; urges a peaceful transfer to democratic rule; stands by the people of Sudan; and pledges support on behalf of the UK and of the Sudanese community in Birmingham and other parts of the country.

That this House condemns the months of chaos and bloodshed in Sudan, which have replaced the peaceful protests and jubilation following the removal of President Omar al-Bashir and his three-decade dictatorship in April; acknowledges the serious human rights violations that have arisen in recent weeks during violent clashes between protestors...

That this House acknowledges the vital contribution that Birmingham’s black cab drivers make to providing safe and accessible transport, including for the city’s 98,000 disabled people; notes that black cab drivers are undertaking go-slow protests in the city centre as a consequence of being forced to pay the City Council’s Clean Air Zone Charge while simultaneously carrying the bulk of the costs associated with ensuring that their cabs meet the City Council’s clean air objectives; recognises that taxi drivers do not oppose either the Clean Air Zone or the council’s air quality objectives but have asked for more resources and more time to introduce such changes in recognition of the impact on their livelihoods; supports the RMT union’s view that the Council’s current programme is flawed, with inadequate financial support to fund the costs of converting vehicles, only one outlet authorised to conduct the work and an unrealistic deadline for compliance of the end of this year; further notes the contrast between Birmingham City Council’s approach to the concerns of taxi drivers and that in London, whereby taxis are exempted from the Ultra Low Emission Zone; and supports RMT’s call for Birmingham City Council to negotiate a support package and a timetable that will help the Council achieve its clean air objectives without causing unnecessary damage to the livelihoods of its black cab drivers.

That this House acknowledges the vital contribution that Birmingham’s black cab drivers make to providing safe and accessible transport, including for the city’s 98,000 disabled people; notes that black cab drivers are undertaking go-slow protests in the city centre as a consequence of being forced to pay the City Council’s...

That this House recognises the decades of service of Japan’s Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, as he abdicates the throne after a 30-year reign; notes his dedication to his public duties as a symbol of the state; commends his efforts to ease the painful memories of war and the aftermath of several natural disasters while bringing the Japanese monarchy closer to its people during the Heisei era, meaning achieving peace; wishes Prince Naruhito, who will become Japan's 126th emperor every success as he leads the country into the new Reiwa, meaning beautiful harmony, era.

That this House recognises the decades of service of Japan’s Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, as he abdicates the throne after a 30-year reign; notes his dedication to his public duties as a symbol of the state; commends his efforts to ease the painful memories of war and...

That this House is extremely concerned that Warwickshire and Solihull Bloodbikes, a charity which provided its services free of charge, 365 days a year, delivering blood products around the West Midlands, was excluded from the tendering process initiated by the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) and that the contract has now been awarded to a profit-driven company; notes that Warwickshire and Solihull Bloodbikes (WSBB) have completed over 7000 calls in all weather conditions since they were founded in 2012 and have saved UHCW nearly £700,000 during this time by utilising unpaid volunteers, paid for by public donations, to run this service and to invest in five vehicles; points out that WSBB has supported the Air Ambulance Service where blood is transferred on a daily basis for use in trauma situations; and condemns the decision of the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire to waste desperately needed money on giving the contract to a profit-driven private company rather than using a tried and tested voluntary charity.

That this House is extremely concerned that Warwickshire and Solihull Bloodbikes, a charity which provided its services free of charge, 365 days a year, delivering blood products around the West Midlands, was excluded from the tendering process initiated by the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) and that the...

That this House notes the report of the administrators on the affairs of London Capital and Finance, which went into administration in January owing more than £230 million to more than 11,000 bondholders; further notes that the Serious Fraud Office and other crime agencies are investigating what the administrators described as highly suspicious transactions, which have resulted in much of the bondholders money being in the possession of or under the control of just four people, and that four people have subsequently been arrested; expresses alarm that documentary evidence has come to light which shows that the FCA was alerted to the activities of London Capital and Finance back in November 2015, but the FCA still went ahead and gave the firm a FCA-regulated accreditation on 7 June 2016, albeit for only the promotion part of their activities, which enabled London Capital and Finance to raise money from bondholders by marketing themselves as FCA-regulated in their promotional literature; believes that the Financial Conduct Authority has a major responsibility in allowing London Capital and Finance to raise more than £230 million from more than 11,000 people, many of whom are elderly and invested their life savings in the bonds; and believes that, as London Capital and Finance was an FCA-regulated company, the chief executive of the FCA should resign for presiding over the biggest financial scandal of recent years, which is likely, according to the administrators, to result in more than 11,000 bondholders losing all or most of their money.

That this House notes the report of the administrators on the affairs of London Capital and Finance, which went into administration in January owing more than £230 million to more than 11,000 bondholders; further notes that the Serious Fraud Office and other crime agencies are investigating what the administrators described...

That this House expresses its deep concern regarding the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir; is extremely alarmed by the use of military action by India across Pakistani airspace and the subsequent air strikes from Pakistan; recognises that further violence and force could cause growing instability across both countries and the region, as well as an increase in violence within Kashmir; calls on the Governments of India and Pakistan to defuse the rising escalation and cease violence to avoid further conflict; and further calls on both Governments to recognise that the kingdom of Kashmir belongs to the people of Kashmir and only they can determine their future.

That this House expresses its deep concern regarding the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir; is extremely alarmed by the use of military action by India across Pakistani airspace and the subsequent air strikes from Pakistan; recognises that further violence and force could cause growing instability across both...

That this House notes the annual wealth check released by Oxfam to mark the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which shows that the 26 richest billionaires in the world own as many assets as the poorest half of the planet's population; records that such inequality of wealth is not only morally indefensible but a major contributory factor in the rise of authoritarian and populist regimes in many parts of the world; and further notes that unless steps are taken by wealthy countries such as the United Kingdom to address inequality in this county and abroad the whole concept of liberal democracy will be at risk.

That this House notes the annual wealth check released by Oxfam to mark the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which shows that the 26 richest billionaires in the world own as many assets as the poorest half of the planet's population; records that such inequality of...

That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the employment practices of Newcross Healthcare, one of the country's biggest providers of agency health workers, where it is reported that managers are pressured to fine employees £50 for phoning in sick or cancelling shifts within 24 hours' notice; notes that this kind of behaviour by a healthcare agency is unacceptable and that staff should not be financially penalised for illness calls; is appalled that Newcross Healthcare not only issues fines for absences but fails to provide sick pay to care workers and nurses; further notes that the policy forces staff to choose between coming into work when they are injured or unwell, and losing pay; is also concerned that care homes are forced to send home sick agency staff who had turned up because they are afraid of being docked wages, putting at risk the people receiving care; and calls on Newcross Healthcare to immediately stop fining their staff for sick calls and cancelling shifts and to change its employment practices and pay sick pay to its employees.

That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the employment practices of Newcross Healthcare, one of the country's biggest providers of agency health workers, where it is reported that managers are pressured to fine employees £50 for phoning in sick or cancelling shifts within 24 hours' notice; notes that...

That this House recognises that many people on low incomes, or in receipt of benefits, often have financial difficulties in spreading their income over a whole month, and are forced to use credit card companies or pay day lenders at very high rates of interest; expresses concern at the large number of people who end up needing to use food banks or payday lenders because they do not receive sufficient income to cover their essential costs; believes that all work should pay the real Living Wage and provide enough income to live with security and dignity; further believes that benefits paid to people who are looking for work or too ill to work should also provide sufficient income to live with dignity and without being in poverty, or needing to rely on food aid; further notes that monthly payment of benefits may be difficult for some recipients, who would find it easier to manage their finances if they could be paid weekly or fortnightly; notes that having the option to be paid at shorter timescales can be useful to people on low incomes; calls on the Department for Work and Pensions to automatically agree to every request to have benefits paid weekly or fortnightly, rather than monthly, and to make it clear to all recipients of universal credit that they have the right to request this; and calls for employers, particularly of staff on low incomes, to give their employees the option of being paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

That this House recognises that many people on low incomes, or in receipt of benefits, often have financial difficulties in spreading their income over a whole month, and are forced to use credit card companies or pay day lenders at very high rates of interest; expresses concern at the large...

That this House expresses concern at the continuing lack of justice for victims and survivors of the Marikana Massacre in South Africa in August 2012 and at the involvement of Lonmin, a London-based and listed company, in that massacre; urges the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to call on the Government of the Republic of South Africa to release the miners who are in prison as a result of the Massacre, to review the Farlam Commission and prosecute those responsible for the Massacre, and to compel Lonmin to fulfill its obligations under its Social and Labour Plan; further calls on the UK Government to ask Lonmin to publish in full the results of the audit of its Marikana operations by its primary customer BASF, and to enter into a social covenant with specific timeframes with the entire mining community, to include an apology to the South African nation and to the families of the mineworkers murdered, injured or arrested, reparations to the affected parties, including all dependents of the deceased mineworkers and the injured and arrested workers who survived the massacre, taking public responsibility for the environmental destruction at Marikana, and ensuring that people in the communities around the mine have sufficient water, proper sanitation and electricity; and calls on the Government to insist that when Lonmin is sold, any new owners must continue to fulfil this social covenant and that this is reflected in the purchase contract.

That this House expresses concern at the continuing lack of justice for victims and survivors of the Marikana Massacre in South Africa in August 2012 and at the involvement of Lonmin, a London-based and listed company, in that massacre; urges the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to call on the Government...

That this House welcomes the commitment given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that no further private finance initiatives (PFI) and public private partnerships (PPP) contracts will be entered into by the current Government; records that PFI and PPP was devised by the Treasury as an accounting mechanism to keep the capital costs of public projects off the Treasury balance sheet; recalls that this sleight of hand was embraced by the Major Government and, regrettably, continued by the Blair and Brown Governments, despite mounting evidence that it offered extremely poor value for money for taxpayers; notes that the senior Treasury official credited with devising PFI and PPP was Stephen Robson, who was rewarded with a knighthood for efforts and who, on leaving the Treasury in 2001, served as a director of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS); and further notes that Robson was a director of RBS during the time when the Bank imploded due to mismanagement, and the taxpayer had to provide more than £45 billionn to bailout RBS's gambling debts.

That this House welcomes the commitment given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that no further private finance initiatives (PFI) and public private partnerships (PPP) contracts will be entered into by the current Government; records that PFI and PPP was devised by the Treasury as an accounting mechanism to keep...

That this House expresses its concern that renewable energy subsidies for electricity generated from biomass, most of which is generated using imported wood pellets, are resulting in energy bill-payers paying for expensive, high-carbon electricity; notes that burning wood to generate electricity is a high-carbon power source; further notes that burning biomass to generate electricity damages forests and biodiversity, pollutes communities in source countries and at the point of generation and worsens climate change; notes that more than £1 billion in biomass subsidies were paid out in 2017, equivalent to more than £38 per household; notes the recent warning by the IPCC that substantial progress on comprehensive decarbonisation of the economy must be made in just a dozen years if we are to avoid catastrophic damage to the climate; calls on the Government to follow the logic of its recent decision effectively to end new subsidy for large-scale import-dependent biomass under Contracts for Difference, and to remove subsidy for biomass under the Renewable Obligation scheme; and further calls on the Government to instead direct funding towards renewable, low-carbon electricity sources including solar and wind.

That this House expresses its concern that renewable energy subsidies for electricity generated from biomass, most of which is generated using imported wood pellets, are resulting in energy bill-payers paying for expensive, high-carbon electricity; notes that burning wood to generate electricity is a high-carbon power source; further notes that burning...

That this House is mindful of the approach of Bonfire Night on 5 November; calls on the Government to reconsider the current legislation regarding the sale and use of fireworks; expresses concern about distress caused to elderly people, small children and pets by fireworks being set off in residential areas, along with the potential for fireworks to cause injury to people using them or mis-using them; and urges the Government to amend the regulations to ensure that fireworks can only be sold by licenced traders, as defined by the Fireworks Regulations 2004, to licenced organisers of public displays.

That this House is mindful of the approach of Bonfire Night on 5 November; calls on the Government to reconsider the current legislation regarding the sale and use of fireworks; expresses concern about distress caused to elderly people, small children and pets by fireworks being set off in residential areas,...

That this House does not agree with the recent decision by the Department for Education to update its advice to schools to suggest that teachers should not express political views; believes that teachers have a right and even a responsibility to raise concerns about the impact of funding cuts on its ability to provide a high-quality education, and that this is not the same as campaigning for a particular political party; condemns this attempt by the Department to gag teachers and prevent them from speaking out about issues in the UK schools system; takes note of the accounts from schools around the country that they cannot afford basic supplies, essential buildings maintenance or subject choice because of funding cuts, and that this is impacting on the standard of children's education and their chances in life; urges the Government to listen to teachers and parents who protest about the impact of funding cuts on children's education; and suggests that reversing the cuts and providing sufficient funding to schools would allow teachers to get on with the job of teaching without having to waste time implementing endless budget cuts.

That this House does not agree with the recent decision by the Department for Education to update its advice to schools to suggest that teachers should not express political views; believes that teachers have a right and even a responsibility to raise concerns about the impact of funding cuts on...

That this House notes with concern the ongoing huge disparities between the pay and financial support provided to male footballers, and the lack of funding for female footballers; believes that women's football is just as important as men's, and should be recompensed and financed appropriately; condemns the recent decision of Crystal Palace to ask its female reserve players to find their own sponsorship of £250 each, while offering male player Wilfried Zaha a salary of £130,000 per week; congratulates Zaha on his decision to offer a financial contribution towards the women's team, but believes that women's sports should not have to rely on charity from men who are paid many times more than women; warmly congratulates Lewes FC, which is the first and only UK club to pay its men's and women's teams equally and provide equal resources for training; and recognises and condemns the structural misogyny which views women's work as being worth less than that of men.

That this House notes with concern the ongoing huge disparities between the pay and financial support provided to male footballers, and the lack of funding for female footballers; believes that women's football is just as important as men's, and should be recompensed and financed appropriately; condemns the recent decision of...

That this House notes with disgust that TSB's outgoing chief executive, Paul Pester, is leaving with a payoff of almost £1.7m, despite being in charge during an IT disaster which caused chaos and financial problems for many customers; does not see how this aligns with TSB's principle that severance payments are paid in line with the principle off no rewards for failure; further notes that the bank is currently investigating whether Pester will receive even more compensation; believes that this money would be much better spent compensating customers for the inconvenience and stress caused by TSB's failures; calls on TSB to reconsider this payout; and urges the financial sector to cease excessive executive payouts, particularly in cases of poor performance, and to reduce the ratio between highest pay and the salaries of ordinary employees.

That this House notes with disgust that TSB's outgoing chief executive, Paul Pester, is leaving with a payoff of almost £1.7m, despite being in charge during an IT disaster which caused chaos and financial problems for many customers; does not see how this aligns with TSB's principle that severance payments...

That this House views with concern the problems currently experienced by many vulnerable universal credit (UC) applicants, particularly those in hostel accommodation and living with mental health problems, providing acceptable ID to banks for the purposes of establishing a bank account which is a condition of receipt of UC; notes that the Statement available on the universal credit website is proving not to be acceptable for these purposes to banks in a way that historical legacy proof of benefit letters were accepted; further notes that the Department of Work and Pensions is aware of these problems but has yet to schedule any remedy; and welcomes the existence of the Payment Exception Service to enable clients to receive cash vouchers with UC payments, but believes that this adds further unnecessary pressure and stress to those in situations who need it least.

That this House views with concern the problems currently experienced by many vulnerable universal credit (UC) applicants, particularly those in hostel accommodation and living with mental health problems, providing acceptable ID to banks for the purposes of establishing a bank account which is a condition of receipt of UC; notes...