Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 903open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 27 June 2000
That this House notes that a study of cohorts of individuals with similar academic abilities, as determined by SATs at age 14, has established that students in comprehensive schools do as well or better than their academic counterparts at grammar schools, that the Minister for Education and Employment, Lords Official Report, 15th March, column 1546, has confirmed that the performance of the top 24 per cent. of students at comprehensive schools exceeds that of students at grammar schools and that despite this clear evidence that a comprehensive system of education achieves better education outcomes than selective education, there are several local education authorities that continue to select about a quarter of children for a grammar school education at age 11 and who do not offer any comprehensive alternative; further notes that the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, rightly made it possible for parents to call a ballot to address this issue but, in areas where there is a predominantly selective education system, the size and complexity of the trigger petition is a practical impossibility for volunteer workers; welcomes the Secretary of State's promise to review the rules governing the collection of a petition for a ballot on the future of selective education; and hopes that fairer and more practical arrangements can be put in place for the coming academic year.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 819open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 8 June 2000
That this House notes that the Home Affairs Committee, in its Third Report, has recommended a relaxation of the double jeopardy rule under certain conditions; respects the opinions of the committee and understands the concerns that have led to them but believes their recommendation to be deeply flawed; notes that protection against double jeopardy dated from Roman times and is a fundamental protection for the individual citizen and any relaxation, however well motivated or restricted, would undermine this essential safeguard against wrongful conviction; believes that its relaxation may allow some apparent injustices to be addressed in the short term but would lead to far more and far greater injustices in the long term; and calls on the Government, when it considers this matter, to reject calls for any change to the law in this regard.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 717open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 11 May 2000
That this House notes that Autism Awareness Week 2000 will take place between 15th May and 21st May; notes that the week will include the launch of a campaign entitled, Action for Autism by the National Autistic Society, which will seek to highlight the rights and interests of people with autism and Asperger Syndrome; further notes that the public launch of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, which will seek to raise awareness in Parliament about the problems facing autistic people, will also take place during the week; and calls upon the Government to look into the establishment by research of reliable prevalence rates of all autistic spectrum disorders in the United Kingdom and to encourage collaborative working across health, social services and education agencies, to facilitate accurate early identification and diagnosis and effective inclusive policies in educational settings and in society in general for people with autistic spectrum disorders.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 705open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 9 May 2000
That this House notes with dismay that Kent County Council is to make redundant 17 front-line social service care workers in East Kent and that this will include 75 per cent. of the care workers at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Thanet and will inevitably lead to people remaining too long in hospital with consequential bed blocking and rising waiting lists for elective treatment throughout East Kent; believes that this move will jeopardise the plans of the East Kent Health Authority and the East Kent National Health Service Hospital Trust to improve patient services in East Kent; rejects completely the suggestion that the existing team of community care workers will be able to step in and replace these services; is deeply concerned that this step was taken without consultation with trades unions or the staff affected; believes that this action has come about entirely because of the mismanagement of the County's budget and observes that it was arranged in secret and announced on the day following the local elections; and calls upon the Government to investigate urgently the action of the County Council.
Motion· Early Day MotionEDM 576open
United Kingdom · UK Parliament · 30 March 2000
That this House notes that Thorley Taverns have won The Publican newspaper's prestigious award of Multiple Operator of the Year; congratulates the management and staff on their well deserved recognition; is grateful for the major contribution that Thorley Taverns and its Managing Director, Mr Frank Thorley, make to the regeneration of Thanet and the wider economy of East Kent; believes that the high standards of all Thorley Tavern businesses, the hard work of their staff, the quality of their goods and services and the friendly welcome they offer to their customers fully justifies this award; and hopes this recognition will make their business more widely known and be a further stimulus to tourism in East Kent.