Early Day Motions

OUTDOOR LEARNING AND INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

That this House notes with regret that fieldwork provision in science in British schools is declining; believes that this is partly due to a lack of confidence and ability amongst teachers to take children out of the classroom; notes the varying level of time committed to out-of-classroom learning a

LOCAL BOOKSELLERS

That this House notes the continuing decline throughout the UK in the numbers of independently-owned book retailers; and is concerned for future generations, who, unless urgent action is taken by government, increasingly will be faced with only best selling titles being stocked by supermarkets and m

LADY VICTORIA COLLIERY AND THE SCOTTISH MINING MUSEUM

That this House congratulates the Lady Victoria Colliery, which is now home to the Scottish Mining Museum, on being voted Scotland's most treasured place by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland; notes that the colliery employed 2,000 miners at its peak and that is

ARCHBISHOP JOHN SENTAMU

That this House congratulates the stand taken by the Archbishop of York on the Andrew Marr show on the BBC last Sunday when he cut up his dog collar and vowed not to wear this symbol of his faith again whilst the tyrant Robert Mugabe remains in office; applauds the strong and inspirational leadershi

PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME

That this House recognises the great contribution of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) to transforming the archaeological map of Britain by proactively recording archaeological finds made by the public; celebrates the fact that in 10 years the scheme has recorded on its public database more than

POST OFFICE CLOSURES IN ADUR AND WORTHING

That this House notes the proposals to close no fewer than nine sub-post office branches in Adur and Worthing representing some 50 per cent. of the sub-post offices in East Worthing and Shoreham constituency alone, against the national average for closure of 18 per cent. of branches; further notes t

FRAUD PROSECUTIONS

That this House congratulates the US corporate fraud prosecuting authorities upon the conviction of Conrad Black; notes the failure of the equivalent UK authorities to secure convictions in high-profile cases; and remains concerned that the City of London Corporate Fraud Unit is not as effective as

HILTON HOTELS AND AGENCY LABOUR

That this House welcomes the pledge by Hilton Hotels to cease using employment agencies, thereby improving basic pay and conditions for workers in its hotel chain; congratulates the Citizens Organising Foundation for its role in negotiating the pledge and monitoring its implementation; deplores the

SUSTRANS CONNECT2, WINNER OF THE PEOPLE'S £50 MILLION

That this House congratulates Sustrans on winning the public vote as the most popular project in the ITV competition to receive £50 million from the Big Lottery Fund; notes that this money will create new cycling and walking routes in 79 communities across the country, including new routes in Bristo

BOLIVIA

That this House recognises the ongoing development of democracy in Bolivia and the improvements in the rights of indigenous people throughout the country; declares its strong support for the Morales government, despite the political tensions that it faces whilst debating a new constitution; and welc

DAIRY COUNCIL'S ANNUAL CEREMONY OF THE CHRISTMAS CHEESES

That this House congratulates the Dairy Council on staging the 2007 Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, which forms the beginning of the Chelsea pensioners' traditional Christmas celebrations; further congratulates William Kent, formerly of the Royal Artillery, and one of the oldest Chelsea pensioner

KURDISH DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY PARTY

That this House calls upon the Government to express in the strongest terms to the Turkish government its dismay at the targeting by the Turkish judiciary of the Human Rights Association, and at the indictment of the leaders of the Kurdish political party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), thus ov

RAIL FARE INCREASES

after `cent', insert `and from Eltham, Mottingham, Plumstead and Woolwich Arsenal stations in the London Borough of Greenwich by 13.73 per cent.'.

PLEURAL PLAQUES AND THE LAW LORDS' DECISION

after `fibre', insert `further notes the swift action taken by the SNP Scottish Government in announcing that they will bring forward a bill in the Scottish Parliament to reverse the effect of the ruling in Scotland.'.

CONDUCT OF LORD BLACK OF CROSSHARBOUR AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

That this House notes the conviction in the United States of Lord Black of Crossharbour on charges of fraud and obstruction of justice; and believes that the rules for disqualification from membership of the House of Lords should mirror those of this House.

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

That this House marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, celebrating survivors of childhood cancer; notes that children and young people stand a better chance than ever of surviving cancer, but can suffer physical and emotional effects of cancer or treatment throughout their lives; welcomes the annou

VISIT OF ROMANIAN PRIME MINISTER

That this House welcomes the visit of Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and his commitment to build strong Anglo-Romanian economic and cultural links; notes that such links have already added value to British society; and supports further strategic development of economic and social in

PRISON OFFICERS

That this House notes the important role played by prison officers across the UK; recognises that in addition to custodial duties prison officers perform a number of duties including providing appropriate care and support for prisoners at risk of self harm, promoting anti-bullying and suicide preven

NAVAL PERSONNEL AND CANAL ZONE GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL

That this House welcomes the decision by the Government to award military service personnel who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 a Canal Zone General Service Medal with clasp in recognition of their efforts; pays tribute to the 200,000 who served during this period in extremely di

POLICE PAY (No. 2)

That this House notes the excellent job performed by police officers throughout the North West of England; recognises the diverse nature of policing throughout the United Kingdom and the North West, ranging from the major cities of Manchester and Liverpool to rural areas in Lancashire and Cumbria; e

POLICE SERVICE PAY IN SCOTLAND

That this House notes that the Scottish Government has made a commitment to implement the Police Arbitration Tribunal's pay recommendations and to backdate the pay award in full; believes that a motivated and fairly remunerated police service has a crucial role to play in securing community safety a

UNITED NATIONS YEAR OF THE POTATO

That this House notes that 2008 is the United Nations Year of the Potato; believes that the humble tattie performs an important role in providing food security and alleviating poverty around the world; acknowledges the particular benefit to Europe of this aspect of the Columbian Exchange; and congra

HOMELESSNESS (No. 2)

That this House notes that next year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Government's commitment to reduce by two-thirds the number of homeless people forced to sleep rough and the launch of the Rough Sleepers Unit; congratulates those involved on the progress made so far; welcomes the extra invest

HUNTING OF WHALES

That this House is extremely concerned about Japan's decision to allow the killing of endangered whales in an internationally recognised sanctuary, under the guise of science; believes that the Government must continue to build upon recent successes in whale conservation, especially given its awaren

FAIR TRADE AND SUNDERLAND

That this House congratulates Sunderland on becoming Britain's 300th Fair Trade Town in exceeding the five goals set to receive this international recognition; and further praises the city's faith groups, schools and businesses and the community for working in partnership to achieve this accolade.