2,484 ingested motions from United Kingdom. Year filters use the introduced date shown on each card. Walk years back as far as this source still publishes.
That this House recognises the outstanding technological achievements which have led to Clydebank’s environmentally friendly system being installed which uses water from the River Clyde to heat nearby homes; notes that this heating system is the first large-scale water source heat pump scheme of its kind in Scotland, and will transform the way homes, businesses and public buildings in the centre of the town are heated; recognises the hard work and planning of West Dunbartonshire Council in conjunction with partners to create and launch the system; and hopes that this impressive technological achievement will inspire other such advancements across the nation to combat the growing climate change emergency.
That this House recognises the outstanding work of Dumbarton charity worker Jade West in keeping the heritage of the tragedy of Dunkirk alive by working to restore Skylark IX, which is believed to be the only surviving Dunkirk vessel in Scotland, that over the nine day mission rescued over 600 cold and tired soldiers helping transport them onto larger naval ships whilst under fire; notes her work to build skills and job opportunities for the local community; and recognises that the projection of her image onto the ancient site of Stonehenge was well deserved to recognise her work and achievements.
That this House recognises the well deserved achievement for Clydebank resident Jim McLaren in being awarded the ‘’Local Legend’’ award for Glasgow for his valuable work during the Covid pandemic through helping the most vulnerable in our community; further notes that Jim’s work with his Golden Friendship’s charity has performed outstanding work in the local community with disabled people and the elderly; further recognises that Jim’s charity continues to provide an invaluable service despite the global pandemic and being unable to access their local hall and hopes that this charitable work will inspire others to do what they can for their local community.
That this House applauds the fantastic artistic endeavours of the almost 700 East Renfrewshire primary school children, from schools across the local area, who took part in the 2020 Christmas picture competition organised by the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire; notes that children produced festive and creative artwork, designed to share good cheer; appreciates the efforts and participation all of those who took part; acknowledges the high standard of all entries received; heartily congratulates all winners; recognises that the overall winner was Adam Geejo of St Cadoc’s Primary School; understands that the winners in the P1-P2 category were Aasiyah Ali of Maidenhill Primary School and Molly Ness of Netherlee Primary School; notes that the winners of the P3-P5 category were Keeva Smith of St John’s Primary School and Phoebe Mann of Eaglesham Primary School; appreciates that the winners of the P6-P7 category were Olivia Aitken of Hillview Primary School and Fergus Cao of St Joseph’s Primary School; thanks the outstanding school teams across East Renfrewshire for all their efforts throughout this challenging year; and wishes teachers, families and children a peaceful and happy Christmas.
That this House appreciates this has been a challenging year and that this Christmas will be a difficult one for many families; recognises that there are unsung heroes in all our communities working hard to ensure Christmas magic is delivered where it is needed most, even against the odds; notes the tireless efforts of community based groups and organisations including Glasgow’s Spirit of Christmas, in making Christmas possible for families and children all over West Central Scotland; appreciates the vast undertaking and huge efforts which have enabled thousands of individually selected Christmas gifts to be collected, funded, sorted, wrapped and delivered; appreciates the enormous work of East Renfrewshire resident Julie Griffin and her colleagues in bringing together the generosity of donors, with a wide range of referring organisations who support families experiencing difficulties; believes that this selfless kindness reflects the true spirit of Christmas; and wishes ‘Glasgow’s Spirit of Christmas’ well for their continued endeavours.
That this House congratulates all those involved in the launch of Fatma's Waltz, a specially-composed piece of music, performed and recorded by 28 artists from Scotland and around the world, with the aim of raising over £5000 for the Glasgow-based Beatson Cancer Charity; notes that the unique and uplifting piece was written by Scottish traditional musician Adam Sutherland, inspired by the experience of his student Fatma Neilson who has bravely fought cancer and been supported in her fight by the services of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and its associated Charity; thanks the musicians who gave freely of their time to make audio and video recordings of their parts for the performance, and producers Marc Clements who mixed the audio and Paul Jennings who produced the video, despite the economic hardships caused by coronavirus; further notes that the entire performance has been produced using remote and virtual technology due to coronavirus restrictions; and wishes the team behind the project all the best in reaching and exceeding their fundraising target.
That this House is disappointed by the decision of the Supreme Court to rule in favour of Heathrow airport’s appeal to the decision in February 2020 that the Airports National Policy Statement was not legal because it had been written using a warming target of 2? rather than the Paris Agreement target, signed by the UK, of 1.5?; notes that a third runway at Heathrow would increase takeoffs from 2030 onwards by 54%, which would increase air and noise pollution and impact the mental and physical well-being of millions in the surrounding area; recognises that an expansion would increase carbon emissions as well as the harmful contribution of aviation to other forms of global warming; notes that projections continue to show that the Government is unlikely to reach their 2050 net zero targets; further notes that the international community is also currently unlikely to reach the 1.5? warming target as recognised in the Paris Agreement; calls on the Government to update aviation policy to meet its target for net zero carbon by 2050; and further calls on the Government to eliminate any possibility of net expansion to UK airports including Heathrow in line with guidance from the Committee on Climate Change.
That this House recognises the hard work and endeavours of all the volunteers involved with the Stay Connected Project in Coatbridge; commends the project for the support they have shown to the local community this festive period by providing supplies to those who are elderly, vulnerable or isolated; and in particular praises all the local school children who have shown incredible community spirit by providing huge numbers of donations to the project.
That this House commends Royston Youth Action and the participation of the Youth Forum in the 12 Months 12 Acts of Kindness project; notes that throughout the year these young people have been both an inspiration and invaluable help to the community with their charitable work; appreciates the help they have provided to different organisations each month including providing food and supplies for people who are homeless, supporting RNIB, delivering baby clothes to Barnardos and raising money for the Baby Loss Retreat; congratulates the young people who have carried out hundreds of hours of volunteering during a most challenging year and one in which the group experienced its own losses; and looks forward to supporting their programme for 2021.
That this House welcomes the commitment of this Government to increase energy efficiency in homes and buildings; is encouraged that £2.58 billion has been made available for home insulation and greener heating solutions; asserts that the rollout of the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme has negatively affected the ability of local authorities to bid and effectively deliver energy efficiency projects and has created unnecessary challenges for councils; notes that the short timescales required by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for bids and completion of projects will affect the quality and long-term efficiency of projects under the scheme; and urges the Government to align the deadlines for all phases of the LAD scheme to the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme deadline of March 2022 and to acknowledge that the work conducted under the scheme’s current deadlines is not a fair assessment of the quantity or quality of work that local authorities can deliver.
That this House recognises that during the 2020 Spending Review the Chancellor of the Exchequer noted that unemployment is likely to reach 2.6 million by the middle of 2021; notes that, despite this expected surge in unemployment, the Office for Budget Responsibility has warned that the 2020 Spending Review presented a future real term cut in the Local Housing Allowance; further notes that the National Residential Landlords Association has described that cut as a kick in the teeth for both renters and landlords; is concerned that that cut will force people to choose between eating and keeping a roof over their head; believes that the welfare system must be a safety net for people in their time of need; and calls on the Government to avert an impending housing crisis by cancelling the freeze in the Local Housing Allowance and providing on-going real term increases in the Local Housing Allowance to cover average rents.
That this House notes UK Official Development Assistance spending has helped millions and stands as a testament to the best of British values; observes that the Government's decision to cut development spending to 0.5 per cent of GNI breaks its manifesto promise to the British people and has serious consequences for the world's poorest people; notes that despite claims from the Government, primary legislation is not needed to temporarily cut the development budget, and that such legislation would only be needed were the cut to be permanent; calls on the Government to maintain the 0.7 per cent commitment set out in the International Development (Official Development Assistance) Act 2015; and further calls on the Government to retain an Independent Commission for Aid Impact, the International Development Committee and a Development Minister in Cabinet.
That this House welcomes the 25th anniversary of CVS Inverclyde who support community groups and agencies through collaborative working in the Inverclyde area; notes that CVS Inverclyde provides confidential and professional support to groups and organisations of all sizes and aims while bringing them together to connect and work collaboratively; further notes that to celebrate its 25th year, CVS Inverclyde plans to celebrate the milestone with considered campaigns, with its first being to search for 25 faces to support during its anniversary year and into the future; and congratulates the organisation on its anniversary and wishes everyone involved the very best for the future.
That this House reflects on the report by the Bevan Foundation, A snapshot of poverty in Wales Winter 2020, which indicates that 328,000 (24 per cent of) households in Wales have seen their income fall during the covid-19 pandemic; notes that 41 per cent of Welsh households have seen energy costs increase and 38 per cent of Welsh households have seen an increase in food prices; further notes that 9 per cent of Welsh households have fallen behind on bills since the start of the covid-19 pandemic; is concerned that families with children have been hit the hardest; recognises that poverty levels in Wales are chronic with 700,000 people, 23 per cent of the population, living in poverty before the start of the covid-19 pandemic; and calls on the UK and Welsh Governments to reflect on the findings of that report and urgently introduce measures to help those in need.
That this house notes the recent week of demonstrations and public outcry over the high unemployment rate in the Kurdish Region; notes that state employees have not been paid their salaries for months; recognises that protesters are angry over allegations of corruption concerning the dominant political parties affiliated to two powerful families, the ruling Barzani family of the western provinces holds the regional premiership through its Kurdistan Democratic party, while the Talabani family of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party controls the east; notes the continuing protests over the management of oil revenues; further notes the coronavirus lockdown has escalated the negative impact on the economy and living conditions have deteriorated as a result; is concerned about the level of state violence and that at least eight protesters have been killed in Iraq's Kurdistan by security forces and that the authorities imposed curfews; notes that Kurdish Security forces raided broadcasters affiliated with political opposition parties and have been taken off air; notes that the UNs political mission in Iraq condemns the acts of violence; believes that this is a hugely worrying situation for the region and is deeply concerned over attacks on freedom of expression that undermines the rights of people protesting freely to have their democratic will; is further concerned over allegations of corruption and continuing austerity; supports calls for a solution to pay public sector employees; and calls on the Foreign Secretary to express those concerns and support calls for transparency and accountability in the region with his Kurdish Regional Government counterpart as a matter of urgency.
That this House recognises the environmental damage brought to marine habitats by detonations of unexploded ordnance at sea; is concerned that marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, are dependent on their auditory system for navigation and communication, and that disruptive detonations can lead to mass-stranding events; notes that is is nearly 10 years to the day since the Kyle of Durness mass-stranding; further notes that low-order deflagration is a safe alternative to clear offshore munitions without a harmful explosion; understands that a BEIS-funded trial has found deflagration is up to several hundred times quieter than detonation; welcomes the calls of the Stop Sea Blasts campaign for regulations to favour the deflagration technique; and urges the Government to progress those issues.
That this house supports the need for a focus on the emotional and mental wellbeing of communities as the UK recovers from the effects of the covid-19 Pandemic; recognises the importance of national remembrance for all those people who tragically lost their lives; understands the need for sustainable places of reflection for the bereaved and for people whose mental health has been affected; and supports the initiative of The Forest of Memories that achieves these objectives by creating a network of forests across the UK in memory of people adversely affected during the covid-19 pandemic, whilst addressing climate change, benefiting biodiversity and establishing an educational and cultural resource for local communities.
That this house recognises the fantastic work of Selina Hales and her team at Refuweegee who have been warmly welcoming refugees to Glasgow since 2015 and have been a vital source of help during the covid-19 pandemic; notes the importance of their service in ensuring that new arrivals can access the food, clothing, toiletries and other essentials they need for a better start in their new home; appreciates that the team have adapted quickly to the recent rise in demand and are currently providing around 150 emergency support packages per week through a growing network of volunteers; recognises that they also bring communities together through other projects such as their recent Claiming Back the Narrative photography series and festive crafting events; thanks the team for courageously campaigning for change and raising awareness of the barriers that forcibly displaced people face when accessing support and opportunities; and finally thanks the organisation for ensuring that Glasgow continues to be a welcoming place to all those people who choose to make it their home.
That this house congratulates the volunteers of Glasgow Recovery Communities who recently received the Volunteer Award at the Scottish Health Awards in recognition of their vital work supporting those in recovery from drug and alcohol misuse; recognises that this a community led service that ensures that people with experience of problem drug and alcohol use are central to the development and delivery of recovery initiatives; acknowledges that they have faced enormous challenges this year due to the covid-19 outbreak and have gone above and beyond to make sure that people who rely on their services can still be supported safely through online activities and socially distanced meetings; recognises that they have provided access to technology to people who would have been excluded otherwise through lack of digital access; appreciates that their work not only benefits service users but also provides opportunities for volunteers to learn and grow and to elevate themselves and their communities; and thanks the volunteers for the continued passion and innovation that will help build a better Glasgow.
That this House welcomes the role of Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body; recognises its status as determined by the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019; further recognises the huge scale of the restoration of the parliamentary estate; notes the immense disruption that this will mean for transport, commerce and movement across Westminster and the wider capital; further recognises the potential of the River Thames in mitigating the disruption that the restoration to the estate will cause across London’s roads; urges the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body to include both a river option for transferring materials as a requirement and an environmental impact assessment in the tendering process; and calls on the Government to consider broader and more sustainable use of the River Thames in terms of commerce, transport and construction and the greater use of the River Thames to improve air quality and lower congestion across the capital.
That this House notes the celebrations of Christmas and the family time that it brings which is needed now more than ever; encourages the public to make good choices and to take every precaution to keep safe and keep our loved ones safe; takes the opportunity to highlight the Birth of Christ and that the beginning of God’s redemptive plan of love is the true foundation of Christmas; conveys our sincere sympathy to those who will find Christmas very difficult to celebrate with the empty chair around the table this year; expresses our profound gratitude to every key worker who will miss part or all of Christmas to keep providing care and love for those in need; and further takes this opportunity to wish every constituent, friend and ally of this United Kingdom a very peaceful and safe Christmas and a healthy and happy new year.
That this House notes with great sadness the death of Dame Barbara Windsor; highlights her tremendous career bringing laughter and joy to so many through her career; further highlights her wonderful charity work that paved the way for her Queen’s Honour in the form of the DBE; and extends sympathy to those who loved her and will miss her knowing that her memory will live on in the hearts and minds of so many throughout this UK.
That this House expresses its profound concern at the growing number of arrests in India of human rights defenders, student leaders, feminist activists, Dalit rights campaigners, trade unionists, Opposition politicians, and writers, artists, lawyers, academics and journalists who are critical of Narendra Modi’s regime; notes that many of these arrests have been made under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which owes its origins to colonial-era repressive legislation; further notes that ruling-party leaders have engaged in what many argue to be incendiary hate speech against religious minorities and democratic dissenters throughout the tenure of the present BJP-led government; further notes that militarised police violence has repeatedly been used against peaceful protesters, including farmers currently protesting controversial privatisation bills; further notes that the recent shutdown of the Indian branch of Amnesty International, the world's leading human rights advocacy group, bears witness to the currently perilous state of Indian democracy; stands in solidarity with those incarcerated for raising their voices against the oppressive anti-minority politics of the current regime; and calls upon the UN, its member states and international governments to hold the Indian Government to account, and to subject its violations of basic democratic principles to international scrutiny.
That this House congratulates Giffnock Soccer Centre on a successful first 25 years of operation; notes that the club was started by just 14 parents to provide a safe, fun environment in which children aged 5-12 could develop their footballing skills and has grown to over 200 coaches and 1,200 children of all abilities including a separate girls section and a section for those with disabilities; further notes that the club used various East Renfrewshire facilities until it was able to acquire its own facilities at Eastwood Park and Norwood Playing Fields in 2014; recognises that the Club have been involved in the development of the local East Renfrewshire League, which began in 1995 with 23 teams and now provides non-competitive fixtures for 200 teams, with a Giffnock Soccer Centre representative on its Management Committee continuously since the beginning; further recognises that the club has worked with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) on coach development and has retained its emphasis on providing football for all abilities, with some participants going on to make the grade in the senior game, including current Captain of the men’s Scottish National team, Andy Robertson, and others who began with the club as 5 year olds who are now helping to develop the next generation of footballers; and records appreciation that the club has forged very good relationships with East Renfrewshire Council, the SFA and local leagues and clubs to the benefit of thousands of children over the last 25 years.
That this House congratulates the winners and finalists of the OGUK Awards, which brings the offshore oil and gas industry together to celebrate its brightest and best; acknowledges the exceptional work of the winners in the following categories: Apprentice of the Year, Scott Milligan, Graduate of the Year, Connor Robb, Mentor of the Year, John Hogg, Workforce Engagement, Spirit Energy, Business Innovation SME, Omniscient Safety Innovations Ltd, Business Innovation Large Enterprise, Petrofac, Diversity & Inclusion, Baker Hughes, Energy Transition, Total E&P UK Ltd, Excellence in Decommissioning, Fairfield Energy Ltd; notes that 19,000 votes were cast in the first-time Audience Award, won by Omniscient Safety Innovations for their standout performance after receiving over 3,000 votes; further notes the special award given to OGUK’s own Health, Safety and Environment Director Trevor Stapleton for his outstanding work dealing with the challenges brought on by covid-19 and protecting the oil and gas workforce while maintaining safe operations; and recognises that the Oil and Gas industry is a centre of excellence in subsea engineering, mature field operations and decommissioning, contributing to the security of the UK energy supply, whilst playing a part in accelerating the transition towards net zero, as it develops and deploys low carbon and net-zero carbon technologies.
That this House recognises the damage caused by covid-19 to the music industry and the catastrophic impact lockdown measures have had on musicians who rely on income from live performance to sustain a living from their talent; notes in particular that contemporary composers of classical music depend on the live performance of their works and do not benefit from any increase in the use of music streaming services during lockdown; recognises that live performance without social distancing remains prohibited; and calls on the Government to offset classical live performance losses by bringing forward legislation that would enable composers and their publishers to collect royalties for an additional period of three years.
That this House notes that the Government has rejected as unaffordable Recommendation 3 by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) of a £3,000 pensionable pay rise for Band 3 prison officers on Fair and Sustainable conditions, the main operational recruitment grade into the Prison Service; further notes that the PSPRB considers Band 3 pay to compare poorly against other occupations in the same broad occupational group, and calculates the cost of new recruits leaving after less than two years at £30 million annually, which it calls an inefficient use of public money; further notes that the PSPRB was established in 2001 to compensate prison officers for the loss of their right to take industrial action in any form, and that, in response to a successful complaint by the Prison Officers Association (POA) to the International Labour Organisation in 2004, the Government committed only to depart from its recommendations in exceptional circumstances; further notes that the Government pledged in July to open discussions with recognised trade unions on the implications of this recommendation, yet no such discussions have taken place with the POA; believes that the decision to deny prison officers pay justice threatens to damage morale and exacerbate the current recruitment and retention crisis; questions whether the recommended award is genuinely unaffordable at a time when billions of pounds have been budgeted to build a new generation of private prisons; and calls on the Government to accept the PSPRB’s recommendations in full.
That this House congratulates Barrhead Baby Cafe on five successful years, providing free support to local mums who want to breastfeed; applauds the hard work of all those facilitating the work of Barrhead Baby Cafe; further congratulates them on the vital social support provided to new and expectant mums, alongside the provision of useful information about breastfeeding from peer supporters and NCT professionals; understands that this enables breastfeeding to be sustained for longer periods, because of the key role of peer supporters; appreciates the value of partnership working in this environment; and looks forward to the next five successful years for all involved with the Barrhead Baby Cafe.
That this House notes with concern the number of people living in blocks with cladding (both ACM and HPL) which has either been identified as unsafe or has yet to be inspected; is aware that a growing number of people are currently unable to sell their homes because of this problem; believes that these leaseholders should not have to pay for the cost of inspecting and/or replacing this cladding or for waking watches to enable them to stay in their homes; and calls on the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to set out urgently what steps he intends to take to deal with the current situation which is causing great concern to thousands of people.
That this House notes that in 1998 members of the Foreign Affairs, Trade, Defence and International Development Committees met together to scrutinise the Government's annual report on arms exports; further notes that this arrangement has been repeated annually and gradually became more formalised as the Committees on Arms Exports Controls (CAEC); expresses concern that, at a time when arms exports were an issue of major public interest, the CAEC in the last Parliament, as technically comprising four separate Committees, found it difficult to hold a quorate meeting; and calls for the establishment of a Committee on Arms Export Controls as a full non-departmental Select Committee, as was one of the recommendations from the 2017-19 CAEC, with an elected chair, members dedicated to it and adequate staffing so as to enable it to give effective scrutiny to a major cross-departmental issue.
That this House notes this Government could be responsible for five of the remaining 11 years the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned are left to halve global emissions and limit warming to 1.5C; further notes that the Committee on Climate Change report in July 2019 revealed the Government had delivered just one of 25 critical policies needed to get on track to meet previous, less stringent, emissions targets than net zero by 2050, and that the UK's climate credibility rested on decisive Government action over thesubsequent 18 months; considers therefore that this Parliament will be regarded as the Climate Parliament and must seize this opportunity to ensure adequate action is taken to avoid the worst impacts of climate breakdown; welcomes the fact that the UK will host the UN climate summit COP26 in December 2020; considers success at this summit means recognising the moral imperative of doing everything possible to keep temperature rise to 1.5C, and the vast human cost to people around the world, including the UK, from extreme weather, food insecurity, sea level rise, and other events exacerbated by the climate crisis; urges the Government therefore to make addressing the climate emergency the central priority for domestic policy-making across all departments and on the global stage; and calls on the Government to enact a comprehensive Green New Deal, including the release of necessary funding to allow local authorities to lead, to rapidly decarbonise the entire UK economy while creating a fair and just society.
That this House notes the ongoing refurbishment works on the Elizabeth Tower and the fact that during this period Big Ben currently only chimes for Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve; further notes that the United Kingdom will now leave the European Union at 11.00pm GMT on 31 January 2020; and calls upon Mr Speaker and the House Authorities to make arrangements to ensure that Big Ben will chime at 11.00pm GMT that evening, to provide an appropriate national focus for this truly historic event.
That this House takes the opportunity to pass on its best wishes to constituents throughout the UK for a wonderful Christmas time and a blessed and prosperous New Year; further welcomes the tremendous charity work that is being carried out by Trussell Trust Foodbanks, Salvation Army and St Vincent De Paul, amongst many others, to ensure that families have food and are able to enjoy the festivities; and thanks the many denominations of churches that carry out voluntary work every week of the year and make such a tremendous difference to society in an attempt to show the love of God which is most exemplified when considering the greatest gift of God to earth in the birth of the lovely Lord Jesus as part of His great redemption plan.
That this House encourages those who intend to enjoy a drink in the lead up to Christmas to remember that blood alcohol levels can remain raised the next morning; urges people to ensure that they have transport arranged and that time off is booked for those in occupations that need the use of a vehicle; and further encourages everyone to drink responsibly, whether in control of a vehicle or not, as they enjoy the festive season.
That this House reaffirms its support for the Alcohol Charter, published by the Drugs, Alcohol and Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm; notes that, in addition to approval from health professionals, the Charter is now supported by Napo and the POA, unions representing probation and prison officers; recognises that alcohol is a major factor in incidents of violence and criminal activity; further notes that there were 7,551 alcohol-specific deaths registered in the UK in 2018, three-quarters of which were due to alcoholic liver disease; and calls on the Government to take immediate steps to introduce and implement an alcohol strategy based on the Charter's recommendations to reduce alcohol harm.
That this House notes with concern that deaths related to drug poisoning in Britain have risen inexorably in recent years to record levels; further notes that hospital admissions for poisoning due to drug misuse also continue to rise, with NHS Digital reporting there were over 18,000 admissions in England alone last year; believes that the current criminal justice approach to drug policy is counterproductive and that a public health approach should be adopted, as recommended by recent Health and Social Care Committee and Scottish Affairs Committee reports on drugs; endorses the views of both committees that problem drug use has reached the level of a public health emergency; and calls on the Government to recognise that cuts to drug treatment have had a serious impact and that significant investment in services is urgently required to address this crisis.
That this House supports the proposal and specification issued in September 2015 for the national holocaust memorial and learning centre; regrets that subsequent proposals and methods of propagation fail to meet the specifications; regrets that the management of the proposals fails to meet expected standards of openness, process and environmental requirements; and calls on ministers to meet leading objectors to find a sensible appropriate way forward, considering appropriate designs and locations.
That this House welcomes the commitment in the main UK party manifestos for a review of democracy by a commission, convention or assembly; and encourages the Government to redeem this pledge with the active participation and deliberation of citizens of the UK.
That this House recognises that veterans are an asset to our society and deserve the best possible care and support; considers that those who have been injured in the service of the UK deserve the full value of their War Disablement Pension; notes that under the current system the War Disablement Pension is counted as income by the Department of Work and Pensions and can therefore lead to veterans being materially disadvantaged when claiming Employment Support Allowance; welcomes the Scottish Government's alteration of the rules to ensure that the War Disablement Pension is exempt from income assessments and that veterans therefore receive its full value; and calls on the Department for Work and Pensions to follow suit and disregard the War Disablement Pension from means-testing.
That this House notes the unreasonably high charges faced by NHS staff, patients, visitors and bereaved people in hospital car parks across the United Kingdom; recognises that this is an unfair levy on vulnerable people who may be in severe distress; acknowledges that previous efforts to prevent further increases or to scrap charges have been rejected by successive Governments; and calls on the Government to legislate for hospital parking to be free for NHS staff, patients and their visitors.
That this House recognises the ongoing crisis in the Northern Ireland Health Service, whereby Health and Social Service workers, currently engaged in industrial action which is due to continue until March over pay inequality with their counterparts in Great Britain, and the significantly worsening waiting times for patients compared with Great Britain; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to establish how the approximate £22 million shortfall for the pay dispute can be put in place and to encourage all Northern Ireland political parties to commit to re entering the Stormont Assembly as soon as possible with additional resources to deal with the wider Health issues.
That this House welcomes the Government's decision in July 2019 - following significant and lengthy research and consultation - to raise the charity lottery annual sales limit to £50 million, thus reducing burdensome bureaucracy and administration costs whilst allowing millions of pounds more in funding to be directed to charities across the country; notes that the Government has not yet implemented the new limit; further notes that the official regulator, The Gambling Commission, has backed early implementation of the new limit; and calls on the Government to implement the new limit in the first quarter of 2020 at the latest, in order to avoid further delay that would mean local charities across the country losing out on more vital funding.
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 notes the strong historical ties between Somaliland and the United Kingdom; congratulates the people of Somaliland on the 59th Anniversary of Somaliland’s independence as a British protectorate; recognises the 1991 declaration of independence from Somalia; applauds the cities and boroughs across the United Kingdom including Cardiff, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets and Birmingham that recognise Somaliland as independent; believes that the common interests of the UK and Somaliland in the region will be advanced by continued close cooperation; welcomes the strong cooperation between the UK Government and Somaliland through development aid, help in sustaining democratic institutions and promoting trade and business relationships in Somaliland; encourages the UK Government to urge the Somalia Government to refrain from politicising humanitarian and economic development; recognises the importance of the historic visit of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Somaliland to Hargeisa in 2018 in building positive relations; and calls on the UK Government to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent state and to take steps to encourage dialogue with other international partners, the Government of Somalia and the African Union to help bring about a peaceful and lasting settlement in the region based on the self-determination of the people of Somaliland.
That this House recognises the importance of the music industry to our economy and the work, talent and expertise of musicians from all four nations of the United Kingdom; acknowledges that musicians rely on touring and performing in the other 27 nations of the European Union to make a living; appreciates that touring can mean visits to multiple countries, often crossing borders on a daily basis with very little notice; supports calls for visa and customs rules post-Brexit that account for this unique of working; expresses support for, and solidarity with, the Musicians’ Union and its members; and pledges support for an EU- wide live music touring passport that will last a minimum of two years, is free or at least affordable, covers all member states of the European Union, annuls the need for carnets and other permits and covers road crew and technicians.
That this House recognises the extraordinary contribution of staff and volunteers at St Aidan's foodbank and soup kitchen and at Hartlepool Foodbank; congratulates them for their tireless work all year round in helping the most vulnerable in society; recognises that no society is functioning properly if charity is required to feed hungry children; calls on the Government to ensure that no human being in Britain requires charity to be fed this Christmas; and further calls on the Government to take action to ensure that every child in the United Kingdom has enough to eat next year without reliance on charity.
That this House recognises the substantial contribution of Hartlepool nuclear power station to our national grid; considers that this important institution is set to be decommissioned by 2024; recognises that with growing energy needs, this power station must be replaced to meet its current 5 per cent contribution; acknowledges the importance of Hartlepool nuclear power station as a major employer in Teesside; and calls on the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to announce its intentions for the future of the site.
That this House recognises the challenges and opportunities presented by an ageing population; welcomes the Government’s ageing society grand challenge mission of citizens enjoying five more years of healthy, independent living by 2035 while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and the poorest; recognises the contribution that The Physiological Society’s report, Growing Older, Better, can make into the role that a better understanding of physiology could play in meeting the Government’s target; notes the report’s recommendations on promoting current physiological insight, funding for further research on the common mechanisms underpinning ageing and pathophysiology, promoting physiological insight in interdisciplinary working and establishing public health messaging on healthy ageing; and congratulates all those involved in the report for their work in proactively engaging with that large and growing health and social care challenge.
That this House commends 20 Midlothian schools in receiving a prestigious award from sportscotland in recognition of their commitment to putting sport at the heart of the school ethos; notes that the Sport Scotland School Sport Award is presented for innovation and achievement in delivering school sport and physical activity, with 747 schools across Scotland now in possession of an award; further notes the importance of participation in sport and physical activity which has an immensely positive impact on young people, improving their health, confidence and motivation; praises the record number of gold ratings achieved in Midlothian as testament to the hard work of pupils, parents, volunteers, teachers, and staff across the county in putting sport at the heart of the curriculum; and congratulates everyone involved in this record-breaking year for the School Sport Award.
That this House congratulates Rosslyn Chapel on their win in the Best Heritage Tourism Experience category at the recent Lothian and Borders Regional Final of the Scottish Thistle Awards, and their progress to the National Final; recognises that these awards organised by VisitScotland and supported by a panel of industry representatives celebrate innovation, excellence and success in the hospitality and tourism industry; praises everyone involved for their hard work and determination in showcasing the cultural importance and diverse history of Rosslyn Chapel through this award; and wishes them every success at the National Final and beyond.