A Bill to establish an independent regulatory body to monitor and enforce the compliance of public bodies with climate and environmental requirements and targets; to make provision for associated sanctions; to require the regulatory body to assess the environmental effects of potential trade agreements; to make provision about environmental standards, including in relation to animal welfare; and for connected purposes.
That this House notes with concern the previous Government’s plans to extend the off-payroll (IR35) changes to the private sector, despite the damage that this has done to the public sector including the NHS; further notes that the off-payroll tax means a 14.3 per cent extra cost on UK business made up of National Insurance and the Apprenticeship Levy; believes that this will damage the UK’s flexible workforce and the UK economy, driving up project costs and depriving businesses of access to key skills; notes that firms are already laying off self-employed contractors and that others are looking to offshore resource to avoid the extra costs; further notes that HMRC estimate that 153,000 UK contractors could lose up 25 per cent of their pay and that thousands of contractors will be asked to pay their clients employment tax bills, without getting the benefits of employment such as sick and holiday pay and a pension contribution; is concerned that the off-payroll tax will lead to tax non-compliance and the danger of people being lured into avoidance schemes, as happened with those now facing the loan charge; welcomes the commitment made by the Chancellor to hold an IR35 review made during the election, but believes this is will only be a genuine review if the roll-out is halted; and therefore calls for an immediate halt to the off-payroll tax roll-out and announcement of an independent review looking into how best to recognise contracting and freelancing in the tax system..
That this House recognises that the flooding caused by Storm Desmond in December 2015 was the most extreme on record in the UK; stands in solidarity with the thousands of people who had their homes and businesses damaged by the storm, many of whom are still struggling three years after the storm; commends emergency workers, volunteers and local communities for their work to help flood victims; recognises that many people across Cumbria are still being affected by floods that are preventable; encourages the development of a new national flood relief and resilience scheme to better protect communities from future flooding; condemns the pushing back of essential flood defence work in Kendal, Burneside and Staveley and by the complete lack of investment in flood defences in Windermere, Backbarrow and Bowness; calls on the Government to ensure that the flood relief scheme for the River Kent is completed as soon as possible for the peace of mind of residents and businesses.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 2297open
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to terminate a rail passenger services franchise agreement in certain circumstances; to repeal section 25 of the Railways Act 1993; to make provision for local franchising authorities in England; and for connected purposes.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 2194open
A Bill to make provision to improve access to radiotherapy treatment in England; to define access in terms of the time that patients are required to travel to places providing treatment; to specify 45 minutes as the maximum time patients are to travel; and for connected purposes.
That this House welcomes Age UK's Painful Journeys campaign that is designed to raise awareness of older people's journeys to hospital appointments; is concerned that many older people have to make such painful journeys; regrets that whether or not an elderly person has to make such a journey is decided by postcode lottery; is proud to support such a campaign; and calls for hospital travel times to be considered when organising appointments and where treatment centres are.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Starting in the House of Lords)Bill 2001open
A Bill to make provision for leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom to be granted to the family members of refugees and to refugees who are family members of British citizens and settled persons, to provide for legal aid to be made available for refugee family reunion cases, and for connected purposes
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 1931open
A Bill to make provision to improve access to radiotherapy treatment in England; to define access in terms of the time that patients are required to travel to places providing treatment; to specify 45 minutes as the maximum time patients are to travel; and for connected purposes.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 1742open
A Bill to make provision about the conditions to be met by male blood donors, including removing the restrictions relating to blood donation from men who have sexual intercourse with men; and for connected purposes.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (under the Ten Minute Rule)Bill 1726open
A Bill to make provision about the award of asylum-seeker status in the United Kingdom to certain unaccompanied children from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea displaced by conflict and present within the European Union; and for connected purposes.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 1548open
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to undertake a programme of research into the costs and benefits of extending control of all aspects of Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes entirely to Local Authorities, including the operation and consequences of such schemes and the introduction of the right of Local Authorities to suspend them; to report to Parliament within six months of the research being completed; and for connected purposes.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 1507open
A Bill to give local planning authorities the power to determine the requirements for affordable housing contributions from sites of fewer than 10 units as part of planning obligation agreements under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; and for connected purposes.
Bill· Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)Bill 1363open
A Bill to give powers to the Secretary of State to provide for elections to be held to the governing boards of National Parks on a pilot basis; and for connected purposes.
That this House notes the recent open statement signed by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter and AOL calling for reform of government surveillance; welcomes their calls for reform to restore the public's trust in the internet; supports the five principles they identify about limiting governments' authority to collect users' information, oversight and accountability, transparency about government demands, respecting the free flow of information, and avoiding conflicts among governments; agrees that they form a sensible basis for reform of digital rights; and calls on the Government to support their statement and make reforms that ensure that government surveillance efforts are clearly restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight.
That this House raises concerns about the decision taken by Cumbria Waste Management, a company owned by Cumbria County Council, to severely cut back operating hours of household waste recycling centres (HWRC) across the country; notes with unease that 25 waste management workers face redundancy as part of the plans; further notes that in South Lakeland residents will see a 74 per cent reduction in operating hours at the HWRC at Ambleside, a 37 per cent reduction in the opening hours of the centre at Canal Head in Kendal and a reduction of 42 per cent in opening hours at Grange-over-Sands; fears that these cuts will lead to a severe drop in recycling across the country as well as an increase in fly-tipping, which is harmful to the environment; and calls on Cumbria County Council to reconsiderits proposals before implementation in early 2013.
That this House objects to the proposal to merge Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester Police forces into two or three new forces; believes that Cumbria Police should remain as a single entity; deprecates the short period of consultation that the police have been given on the proposals; disagrees with the view that merger is the only option to make the police service fit for purpose; and is extremely concerned that the letter from the Home Secretary to the Association of Police Authorities threatens financial sanctions if they do not agree to comply with the ridiculously short timescale for the consultation.