Early Day Motions

WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DIRECTIVE

That this House notes that the average EU citizen annually generates 14kg of electrical equipment waste and the UK annually throws away five million televisions, two million home computers and 8,000 tonnes of battery-operated toys; further notes that the recycling rates for electronic equipment are

UK COMPETITIVENESS

That this House notes that since 1997 the UK has fallen from fourth to 10th place in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index and that the International Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Yearbook shows that the UK has slipped from ninth place in 1997 to 21st i

SMALL SHOPS

That this House recognises the value of small shops for local communities and is concerned by their declining presence on the High Street; notes that this Government has disproportionately increased the regulatory burden on small businesses; further notes that the total cost of regulation introduced

POST OFFICE NETWORK

That this House is concerned by the fact that a quarter of the Post Office network has closed since 1997; is further concerned by the Department for Work and Pensions' plan to end the Post Office Card Account scheme in 2010; is further concerned that Royal Mail bosses have even suggested that the Po

SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGULATIONS

That this House welcomes provisions in the Equality Act 2006 which allow regulations on the discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation to be brought forward; congratulates hon. Members in both houses who lobbied the Government for these regulations to be included in the Equality Act 2006; a

PLANNING PERMISSION FOR FREE-STANDING GARAGES

That this House is concerned by the number of free-standing garages being converted into residential accommodation which does not require planning permission; notes that local authorities are powerless to stop such developments; and urges the Government to bring forward legislation to require free-s

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR PARTIALLY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS

That this House notes that there are a number of schools permitted to select a minority of pupils by ability; further notes that the draft School Admissions Code currently under consultation proposes that the admissions procedures for such schools will no longer be able to give priority to siblings

ISRAELI HOSTAGES

That this House notes that United Nations Resolution 1701 in respect of the recent Israel/Lebanon conflict calls for the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev; further notes that these soldiers were abducted on 12th July 2006 and their fate remains u

MOBILITY NEEDS

That this House notes the concerns of the Associate Parliamentary Limb Loss Group, the Associate Parliamentary Health Group and the All Party Parliamentary Disability Group about the unmet mobility needs of people of all ages; is concerned that this leads to significant loss of independence and incr

HIV PREVENTION

That this House notes that levels of HIV infection are rising globally and over 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with women in developing countries disproportionately affected; acknowledges that existing HIV prevention methods help to reduce the risk of HIV transmission and acquisiti

ENCLAVED PEOPLE OF THE KARPAS

That this House expresses its extreme concern over the conditions of the enclaved Greek Cypriots living in the Turkish-occupied Karpas Peninsula in northern Cyprus; notes that only 230, mostly elderly, remain of the 12,000 Greek Cypriots who stayed on after the Turkish invasion in 1974; is alarmed b

RURAL POVERTY

That this House welcomes the publication `Rural disadvantage: Priorities for action' by the Commission for Rural Communites; notes that one in five people live in poverty in rural areas and that nearly half of those in poverty are in working households; recognises that poor access to transport, empl

MAKE THEM PAY BY CHRISTMAS DAY CAMPAIGN

That this House notes the National Audit Office report on delays in administering the 2005 Single Payment Scheme in England, which lays bare the full extent of the Government's incompetence and the financial hardship it has caused English farmers; believes that English farmers were treated in a depl

WILDLIFE CRIME

That this House is concerned that wildlife crime is not being given sufficient priority, as was revealed in the recent Naturewatch survey of police wildlife crime officers; notes that police believe that there are strong connections between some types of wildlife crime, such as badger baiting and po

BIODIVERSITY

That this House welcomes the EU commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010; notes with concern the release of Government figures that suggest that 38 per cent. of habitats and 27 per cent. of priority species in the UK are declining; recognises that climate change may place further pressures on al

STARBUCKS AND ETHIOPIAN COFFEE BRANDS

That this House is concerned by reports that Starbucks coffee company sought pro-actively to influence the National Coffee Association and block the Ethiopian government's attempt to register its most famous coffee names as trademarks; believes that allowing Ethiopia to establish its brands would pr

RURAL CRIME

That this House expresses its concern that violence against the person and property crime has increased disproportionately in rural areas under the current Government; notes that offences of violence against the person rose in the 13 most rural police force areas by 126 per cent. since 1998, 20 per

UK TOURISM

That this House welcomes the Government's policy to promote healthy living and encourage people to do more exercise; believes that walking, mountain-biking, shooting and horse riding in rural areas throughout the UK can help achieve this; recognises the benefit these activities confer on the local e

BIOMASS

That this House notes that biomass heating could reduce household carbon emissions by around three million tonnes, equivalent to taking 3.25 million cars off the road; recognises the significant environmental and economic benefits of using farm and forestry waste as well as specific crops to produce

BIOFUELS

That this House recognises the important role biofuels can play in meeting the UK's Kyoto commitments while encouraging energy security and providing farmers with a valuable new market for crops; regrets that the UK lags behind the rest of the EU in biofuels consumption and has set unambitious targe

REMPLOY

That this House praises the Remploy workforce for its dedication and commitment to the valuable work it does; further praises the GMB Union for its campaign to protect jobs in Remploy factories; notes how successful Remploy has been in employing people with disabilities in local communities; is conc

NATIONAL RAIL TIMETABLE

That this House notes with regret the decision by Network Rail to scrap a printed copy of the National Rail Timetable from 2007; further notes that a national rail timetable covering every service in the country has been printed since the Bradshaw's timetable was introduced in 1839; regrets that the

ENERGY PRICES AND FUEL POVERTY

That this House is concerned that the recent large rise in energy prices will force many people into fuel poverty; and calls on the Government to introduce legislation to set up a statutory scheme involving energy companies and relevant charities to put in place energy audits and fuel payments for t

TRAIN SERVICE FROM HALIFAX TO LONDON

That this House supports the proposal by Grand Central Railway to operate several high speed through services daily between Halifax and London; and urges the Office of Rail Regulation to support this initiative.

BIODIVERSITY (No. 2)

That this House notes the EU commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010; believes that biodiversity enriches lives and provides vital services on which humans depend; recognises a duty to conserve wildlife and leave a country rich in biodiversity for future generations; and therefore urges the Gov