Early Day Motions

HIGH SPEED RAIL IN THE UK

That this House recognises the considerable potential of Maglev technology for the United Kingdom's rail network; notes that it provides the most cost-effective high-speed rail solution; further notes the substantial economic and environmental benefits that could be brought with a broad intercity ma

SOUTHERN CROSS

That this House notes with concern the continuing reports of the poor standards of care in the residential homes managed by Southern Cross and of an increasing number of local authorities suspending the placement of elderly people into the care of Southern Cross establishments; and urges the Governm

CAMPAIGN TO END CHILD POVERTY

That this House is deeply concerned that there are 3.9 million children living below the poverty line in the United Kingdom, which is one of the worst records in the EU and amongst other wealthy countries; recognises the appalling damage poverty does to children's wellbeing and life chances; further

CHRIS HOY

That this House congratulates Chris Hoy on his win as BBC Sports Personality of the Year; believes this award, following his triple gold triumph as Scotland's greatest Olympian to date, is richly deserved; and recognises Chris Hoy as an outstanding competitor and a great ambassador for Scotland on t

VALUE ADDED TAX (S.I., 2008, No. 3020)

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Value Added Tax (Change of Rate) Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 3020), dated 24 November 2008, a copy of which was laid before this House on 24 November, be annulled.

TRANSPLANTING ORGANS GROWN FROM ADULT STEM CELLS

That this House welcomes the first transplant of an organ grown in a laboratory from adult stem cells; notes that by using stem cells obtained from the organ recipient both the risk of rejection and the need for long-term immuno-suppressant drug therapy are removed; further notes the role played in

TASER GUNS

That this House expresses concern at the decision to arm 30,000 police officers with Taser stun guns; believes that such weapons should be in the hands of a select group of highly trained officers and used for specific threat purposes; further believes that strict procedures are needed to prevent mi

MR EDWARD STOURTON AND TODAY PROGRAMME

That this House deplores the sacking of Edward Stourton as a presenter of the Today programme; calls upon the Chairman of the BBC Trust, who represents the licence fee payer, to investigate how his sacking came to be notified to him by a journalist from the Independent on Sunday; notes that Mr Stour

DISABLED TRANSPORT AT RAIL STATIONS AND AIRPORTS

That this House believes that the method of transporting disabled passengers at railway stations and airports is embarrassing and demeaning to those passengers; considers that there is no need to use an over-sized electric buggy with an orange flashing light and horn constantly sounding in order to

DONKEY SANCTUARY

That this House notes the tremendous achievements of the Donkey Sanctuary as the largest organisation of its kind in the world, providing year-round rescue and rehabilitation for donkeys and mules worldwide since its inception in 1973; acknowledges the invaluable work undertaken in helping to improv

PRIVATE WATER SUPPLIES

That this House notes that EU Directive 98/83/EC on the testing of water from private wells or boreholes need not apply to users of less than three cubic meters per day, who would continue under the regime of the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991 Directive 80/778/EEC; further notes that there

PRE-PAYMENT METERS

That this House notes that some of the poorest people in society are forced by power suppliers to use pre-payment meters which result in them paying on average £225 more per annum for their gas and electricity than those who pay by other means; recognises that it may be legitimate for power supplier

STATE RETIREMENT PENSION

That this House recognises the Government's commitment to restoring the link between increases in the basic state pension and average earnings in 2012, but believes that in order to ensure pensioners' incomes keep pace with the costs of living and levels of prosperity across the nation, any future i

FUTURE OF UK LIBRARY SERVICE

That this House notes that UK libraries have made an essential contribution to the social, cultural and economic well-being of communities for the past 150 years and that more people in the UK visit libraries than football matches or cinemas; acknowledges that despite increased investment in the lib

REACT CHARITY

That this House commends the charity React (Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with Potentially Terminal Illness); applauds their efforts to improve the quality of life for financially disadvantaged children with life-limiting illnesses living in the United Kingdom; notes their calculated estim

WOOLWORTHS CLOSURE

That this House is appalled by the imminent closure of Woolworths, after 99 years of trading, with the loss of some 30,000 jobs and more than 700 high street stores; calls on the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to take all necessary steps to c

CONTRACTED-OUT SCHOOL SERVICES

That this House is alarmed that schools included in the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme are required to sign up to long-term provision by private contractors of key school functions such as ICT services without being informed of the terms and conditions of such services; fears that m

POSTAL WORKERS' CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY

That this House believes that Royal Mail's requirement for postal workers to work on Saturday 27 December is wholly unreasonable, when they are exhausted from the extra demands placed on them by the Christmas post; and calls on Royal Mail to show Christmas spirit and allow Saturday 27 December as a

BBC AND LONELY PLANET

That this House notes with concern the planned launch by the BBC of a Lonely Planet-branded magazine; believes that the launch of such a magazine would not fit within the requirement that the BBC may only engage in commercial activities that are in support of its public purposes; further believes th

PLEURAL PLAQUES

That this House is increasingly concerned by the delays in announcing the Government's response to the consultation on pleural plaques and the proposed actions that will deliver justice to pleural plaques sufferers; is also alarmed at statements from representatives of the insurance industry such as

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ALL-PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP INQUIRY

That this House welcomes the launch of an inquiry into neuromuscular services by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy; notes that the inquiry seeks to identify areas of best practice and gaps in service provision; acknowledges the importance of an inquiry after the publication of

LOCAL RADIO IN WALES

That this House notes the importance of bi-lingual radio in Wales; congratulates Champion FM, the bi-lingual local radio station at the heart of the community in north west Wales, and its presenters and production staff, on the occasion of the station's 10th birthday; believes that its undoubted suc

AGENCY SOCIAL CARE WORKERS

That this House is aware of the many agency social care workers who regularly drive to their patients' homes within communities; acknowledges that their jobs include such tasks as moving patients, handling them with hoists and other equipment, dealing with many varied physical disabilities including

ANIMAL TESTING AND HOUSEHOLD CLEANING PRODUCTS

That this House supports the campaign of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection to end the suffering of animals in tests for household cleaning products and their ingredients; and urges the House of Commons Commission to demonstrate support for this initiative by ensuring that cleaning p

PROVISION OF TOILET FACILITIES

That this House notes with concern the increasingly severe shortage of public conveniences on high streets and in town centres; notes in particular the difficulty this causes for people with certain medical conditions and especially for older people; congratulates the Government for publishing guida