Early Day Motions

RAIL FREIGHT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

That this House notes the environmental benefits of rail freight over other transport modes; recognises that an average aggregate freight train can remove up to 120 HGV lorries from the road network; supports Government steps to encourage modal shift from road to rail; and is therefore opposed to th

HIV, HEPATITIS B AND HEPATITIS C IN PRISONS

That this House notes that a survey by the Department of Health of blood borne virus in prisoners in 1997 showed much higher rates of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C amongst prisoners than is present in the general population; believes that prisons present a good opportunity to reach many of those

ALSADIG ABDALLAH

That this House expresses its grave concern for London-based businessman Alsadig Abdallah, who is missing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where his family believes he was abducted two months ago; recognises the eagerness of the UAE authorities to emphasise the safety of Dubai for commerce and tour

BRITISH NATIONAL ANTHEM

That this House notes the remarks of former Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, that the sixth and final verse of the British National Anthem `God Save the Queen' makes reference to `crushing rebellious Scots'; believes that use of this language is inappropriate, offensive and damaging in an anthem me

ZARINE RENTIA

That this House notes that Zarine Rentia, a Hackney resident and student at South Camden Community School has been threatened with deportation to India; further notes that Zarine has Fanconi-Bickel syndrome, a genetic disorder believed to occur in less than one in one million births, causing liver,

CUMBRIA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PARTNERSHIP

That this House acknowledges the Cumbria Domestic Violence Partnership as a beacon of good practice in tackling domestic violence; notes that domestic violence makes up 14 per cent. of all reported violent crime in the county but that only 35 per cent. of incidents of domestic violence are actually

POLICE OFFICER PAY SETTLEMENT

That this House is disappointed by the failure of the Government to accept in full the recommendations of the Police Arbitration Tribunal police pay award; believes that the pay settlement should be backdated to 1st September; notes that the police are the front line in the fight against organised c

SUSTRANS CONNECT2 SCHEME

That this House congratulates Cumbria County Council for participating in the Sustrans Connect2 Scheme which will build new walking and cycling routes in 79 communities throughout the United Kingdom, including Carlisle, Maryport and Coniston in Cumbria; and welcomes these plans which will help the U

TRI-SERVICE CONTROL CENTRE

That this House recognises that the emergency services in Gloucestershire covering the Police, Fire and Ambulance showed great foresight in establishing the Tri-Service Control Centre in Quedgeley; further notes the importance of the local knowledge, close co-ordination and proximity of the fire con

DISCOUNTED RAIL FARES

That this House notes with concern the lack of an agreement between Arriva and Virgin West Coast concerning the cost of journeys from the North West and Scotland to the South and South West; further notes that unless an agreement between the two parties is reached passengers could face a significant

FREE ANNUAL EYE TESTS

That this House is concerned that millions of older people are failing to take advantage of free annual eye tests; notes that regular eye tests can detect early signs of eye disease such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration; and urges the Government to respond positively to the Royal Nat

OPENING OF ST PANCRAS THAMESLINK

That this House welcomes the opening, two years ahead of schedule of the new St Pancras Thameslink station under the magnificent St Pancras International; congratulates the Government for responding positively to the representations of the Bedford Commuters Association, hon. Members and others that

MEDIA FREEDOMS IN CHINA

That this House notes with concern that the Chinese government has not granted domestic journalists the freedom to travel and report at liberty during the 2008 Olympic Games; further notes that the media liberties granted to foreign journalists are due to expire on 17th October 2008; recognises conc

CHILD LABOUR AND THE 2012 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

That this House recognises the importance of making a stand against child labour; appreciates the opportunity the Olympics presents to send a firm message against its use; notes that previous attempts to ensure that the supply chains of Olympic merchandise are ethically sourced have not been particu

CONDUCT OF THE HON. MEMBER FOR HENLEY AND THE RIGHT HON. MEMBER FOR RICHMOND (YORKS)

That this House notes with concern the conduct of the hon. Member for Henley and the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) in supplying character references for the businessman Lord Black of Crossharbour following his conviction in a US court of obstruction of justice and three counts of mail fraud

FORTH ROAD BRIDGE

That this House recognises the importance of the Forth Road Bridge to the economy of Fife and the rest of the UK; notes that experts believe that the bridge could be closed to heavy goods vehicles in 2013 and all vehicles in 2019; welcomes the Scottish Government's consultation exercise which explor

ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICY

That this House notes the growing body of scientific evidence showing animals to have complex mental and emotional lives; considers all vertebrates and possibly some invertebrates to be conscious, feeling beings with an interest in living, avoiding suffering and experiencing pleasure; acknowledges t

ROMA CHILDREN IN SLOVAKIA

That this House is troubled by Amnesty International's report on the educational plight of Roma or Gypsy children in Slovakia; notes that Roma children are barred from attending certain schools on the grounds that they are `not clean enough' or will cause the school to `lose all the white children';

SOMALIA

That this House notes with dismay the consequence of the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia in December 2006 and the installation of an unpopular regime which followed; is dismayed at the continuing conflict and the displacement of many hundreds of thousands of civilians; further notes that shortages of

DETENTION AND TREATMENT OF SHEIKH HASINA

That this House is concerned at the continuing detention in Bangladesh of former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Sheikh Hasina; notes the BBC News Report of 3rd December 2007 that the main witness against her, her cousin Mr Sheikh Selim has sought to withdraw his statement, with his law

RELEASE OF GILLIAN GIBBONS

That this House commends the efforts of Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi in helping to secure the release of Gillian Gibbons of Liverpool who was jailed in Sudan; notes that the actions of these two peers were important as part of the wider efforts of the Foreign Secretary, the Foreign and Commonwealth

LONDON LIVING WAGE FOR LONDON UNDERGROUND CLEANERS

That this House welcomes the fact that London Underground cleaners working for contractors Metronet are to be in receipt of the London Living Wage when the Mayor's transport authority, Transport for London, takes over Metronet's contracts; congratulates the Mayor of London for introducing the London

TELEVISION LICENCE FEE AND DOMESTIC ABUSE REFUGES

That this House expresses concern that women who move into women's refuges to escape domestic abuse are responsible for purchasing a full-price television licence should they wish to use a television in their room; notes that hotels and guesthouses benefit from a TV licence concession; further notes

YOUNG CARERS AND CARERS' RIGHTS DAY 2007

That this House notes the cross-party welcome given to members of the Young Carers' Forum at the All-Party Parliament Carers' Group; congratulates the Forum on its work on behalf of young carers, in particular its involvement in the consultation events for the New Deal for Carers; and, as part of th

PERFORMANCE OF LANCASHIRE POLICE CONSTABULARY

That this House congratulates the Lancashire Police Constabulary on being rated the joint best in England and Wales according to the Government's Police Performance Assessment rates; recognises that Lancashire scored well in the seven categories measured, which were tackling crime, resources and eff