Early Day Motions

SHOPLIFTING

That this House notes that there were 290,625 recorded incidences of retail theft in 2007-08, that shoplifting offences attract Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) which carry a fine of £80 and that 40 per cent. of all PND go unpaid; further notes that multiple PND are being issued to some individual

WOMEN BISHOPS

That this House declares that candidates for the office of bishop should be considered on merit; and that sex is not merit.

WHOLE-LIFE COSTING

That this House recognises the pivotal role of whole-life costing in securing value for money for the public purse; notes its potential to deliver social and environmental benefits; is concerned that it is not currently being meaningfully used by public sector procurers; and calls for its applicatio

ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICY

That this House notes the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that animals have complex mental and emotional lives; considers animals to be conscious, feeling beings with an interest in living, avoiding suffering and experiencing pleasure; acknowledges that each animal has inherent val

VAT ON ESSENTIAL SUN CARE HEALTH PRODUCTS

That this House recognises the need for a greater focus on preventative health care, and that skin cancer cases in the UK have more than doubled in the last 20 years with 60,000 people diagnosed and 1,700 deaths each year from melanoma; notes that children are particularly at risk with around 80 per

ANIMAL TESTING OF COSMETICS

That this House believes, in common with the majority of the British public, that it is morally unacceptable that animals should suffer merely because companies choose to develop new cosmetic products; applauds Uncaged's Boycott Procter and Gamble campaign as a vital means of relaying public concern

COCOA INDUSTRY AND TRAFFICKING

That this House notes with dismay that the cocoa industry did not meet its commitment as set out by the Harkin-Engel Protocol to guarantee to eradicate the worst forms of child labour in supply chains by 1 July 2008; notes that it continues to profit from modern-day child slavery; welcomes the relea

PANDAS FROM CHINA

That this House expresses its concern at the proposal to bring giant pandas from China to London, Edinburgh and Colchester zoos; considers that there are serious animal welfare problems attached to the keeping of giant pandas in zoos; notes that captive breeding of giant pandas has resulted in no su

LACROSSE

That this House notes that lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports both in England and internationally and is played by children, men and women from a variety of backgrounds; congratulates the England Men's under-19 lacrosse squad which took part in the World Championships in British Columbia

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION'S RESPECT AGENDA AND VIOLENT CONDUCT

That this House views with astonishment the decision by the Football Association to take no further action against the Sheffield United player Chris Morgan following an incident during Barnsley's match against Sheffield United on 8 November 2008 which resulted in the admission of Barnsley player Iai

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON SALE AND RENT BACK AGREEMENTS

That this House notes the current economic crisis has caused widespread uncertainty and placed huge pressures on homeowners; recognises that as many as 55,000 homeowners to date have turned to unconventional and unregulated housing agreements such as Sale and Rent Back (SRB) agreements to ease these

BANKERS AND THE PROVISION OF TOXIC FINANCIAL PRODUCTS

That this House agrees with Andreas Whittam Smith in his column in the Independent on 6 October 2008 that it is surprising that, unlike in the United States, no bankers in the United Kingdom have been investigated for possible criminal actions in the selling of sub-prime mortgages; and believes that

FIRST EVER TRANSPLANT OF COMPLETE ORGAN GROWN FROM ADULT STEM CELLS

That this House notes with regret that the triumph of the first-ever development and transplant of a complete organ, a windpipe, grown in a laboratory from adult stem cells was not announced until after the passing of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008; further notes that the stem cells

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND

That this House welcomes the joint initiative by VisitScotland, Event Scotland and the Scottish Government to celebrate the 250th birthday of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, with a year-long programme of events as part of the Homecoming Scotland programme; recognises that this excellent init

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE FUNDING FOR AUSCHWITZ VISITS

That this House warmly welcomes the announcement by the Scottish Government to provide £214,000 in order to guarantee the future of visits to Auschwitz for Scottish school pupils; notes that this is the first time that any Scottish administration has guaranteed funding for these Auschwitz trips; bel

PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND SUPPORT FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

That this House welcomes the support for nuclear disarmament initiatives and the strengthening of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty made by President-elect Obama in his successful campaign for the United States Presidency; notes that he affirmed the `long-term goal of achieving a world free of al

LEGAL RIGHT FOR FORMER GURKHAS TO LIVE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

That this House believes that former Gurkha soldiers who served in the British Army for more than four years should be treated fairly and have the legal right to live in the United Kingdom; and calls on the Government to introduce legislation to grant those who left the Army before 1997 the same rig

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION'S MILITARY COVENANT CAMPAIGN

That this House welcomes the Royal British Legion's campaign calling on the nation and Parliament to honour the military covenant; notes with approval that the Government has responded to the campaign with its Service Personnel Command Paper; recognises the important role that the Legion plays in th

CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND PRESCRIPTION CHARGES

That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.

USE OF ANIMALS TO TEST FOOD ADDITIVES

That this House notes that the Home Office's Statistics for Scientific Procedures on Living Animals for 2006 recorded a 368.4 per cent. rise in the number of animals used to test food additives, from 862 animals in 2005 to 4,038 animals in 2006; is concerned at the Written Answer of 11 October 2007

FIRST AID EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

That this House welcomes the British Red Cross report, Life. Live It, on first aid in schools and the launch of its first aid education resource for teachers; notes that every year there are three million attendances at hospitals across the United Kingdom in cases where first aid skills could help;

INHUMANE TREATMENT OF DOGS IN CHINA

That this House supports the joint working of Animals Asia Foundation and the Kennel Club in continuing to highlight the inhumane treatment of dogs in China; is appalled by the acts of extreme cruelty which take place in China's animal markets; notes that millions of dogs have been skinned alive and

VAT ON REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE TO EXISTING BUILDINGS

That this House supports calls from the Federation of Master Builders for a reduction in the rate of value added tax (VAT) to five per cent. on building repair and improvement work to existing buildings; believes that reducing VAT on repairs and maintenance to existing buildings would benefit millio

BUTTERFLIES

That this House registers its deep concern at the decline in the butterfly population, with numbers reported by the charity Butterfly Conservation to be at their lowest for 25 years, with the small tortoiseshell showing the biggest decline of 81 per cent.; congratulates the thousands of volunteers w

DRAGONFLIES

That this House registers its deep concern at the serious threat to dragonflies as a result of changes in farming techniques and climate change, with some species facing extinction; notes that a third of Great Britain's 39 species of dragonfly and the closely related damselfly are declining; welcome