Early Day Motions

30th ANNIVERSARY OF HAVERING TALKING NEWSPAPER

That this House congratulates the staff and volunteers of the Havering Talking Newspaper on their 30th anniversary; notes that this organisation produces a weekly cassette tape of local news and information which is sent to some 300 visually handicapped people throughout Romford, Hornchurch and Upmi

VISIT OF HSH PRINCE NIKOLAUS OF LIECHTENSTEIN

That this House welcomes the visit this week of His Serene Highness Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, accompanied by Klaus Wanger, the President of the Liechtenstein Parliament, Ivo Klein, Deputy President of the Liechtenstein Parliament and other Members of the Liechtenstein Parliament; notes that

BRITISH HORSE-RACING

That this House celebrates the fact that British horse racing is the second most popular sport in terms of attendance behind professional football; and notes the achievement of all British racecourses which have recorded unprecedented annual revenue of £250 million.

PROBATION SERVICE PRIVATISATION

That this House believes that the privatisation of the Probation Service would be incompatible with the role of probation officers as agents of justice and servants of their local communities, notes that the Government has produced no evidence to suggest that private companies have either the will o

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME

That this House notes with concern the anomalies and injustice caused by the operation of the Financial Assistance Scheme, and in particular that the sharp cut-off date has left many people who miss that date by just a few days without any compensating retirement income whatsoever, and that some peo

FORENSIC SCIENCE SERVICE

That this House welcomes the decision by the Government to convert the Forensic Science Service (FSS) into a wholly owned Government Company (GovCo) which comes into operation on 1st December; believes that the new GovCo should be given a period of at least two years to succeed before any decisions

CONSTRUCTION OF CROSSRAIL

That this House notes that the Department for Transport's economic appraisal of the Crossrail project forecasts a net benefit to the UK economy of £14 billion; urges the Government to ensure that this major piece of infrastructure is built as soon as possible; and calls for the highest standards of

LONDON LAUNCH OF OPEN BETHLEHEM PROJECT

That this House is saddened by the devastating impact that the construction of the Israeli separation barrier has had upon the historic city of Bethlehem; notes that the city is encircled by the barrier on two sides and by a series of roadblocks and restricted roads on the other which have left it i

ST. MIRREN FOOTBALL CLUB

That this House congratulates St. Mirren Football Club on winning the Bell's Cup in Scotland and wishes them well in their current campaign to win the First Division championship.

ELEVATION TO THE PEERAGE OF PARTY DONORS

That this House believes that no person should be elevated to the peerage who has donated more than £5,000 to a political party in any five-year period.

MEMORIAL TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THE BBC WORLD SERVICE EASTERN EUROPEAN SECTIONS

That this House notes the BBC's proposal to end World Service broadcasts in various Central and Eastern European languages, including Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Croatian and Slovene; further notes that these radio stations have been in operation since September 1939, and acted for

RIVER ACCESS FOR NON-POWERED CRAFT

That this House urges the Government to extend legislation on access to the countryside to allow canoeists and users of other non-powered craft the same access rights as those provided for walkers; acknowledges that the most successful Olympic canoeing nation, Germany, requires land owners to tolera

DELAYED TRANSFERS OF CARE AT EAST SUSSEX HOSPITALS TRUST

That this House notes with concern that the figure for delayed transfers of care in the East Sussex Hospitals Trust is running at nearly 100 beds or 9 per cent. of the total beds available; further notes that this problem is the worst in the whole NHS and has led to cancelled operations and patients

SITUATION IN ETHIOPIA

That this House expresses grave concern at the current situation in Ethiopia which resulted in the killing of at least 46 people in last week's anti-government protests; condemns all violence, whether by security forces or demonstrators; urges the Ethiopian government to release all political detain

EXCESS WINTER DEATHS

That this House notes with concern recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics showing that the number of excess winter deaths in England and Wales are at their highest for five years; expresses great concern that deaths amongst older people have increased by 35 per cent. in just

CUTS AT TRINITY MIRROR NEWSPAPERS

That this House is concerned at the recently announced plans to cut editorial jobs at Trinity Mirror newspapers; notes that the company made £250 million profit last year; believes that cutting jobs in news will fail to address circulation decline; further believes that such moves will lead to poore

COMPETITION (S.I., 2005, No. 2751)

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Supply of Relevant Veterinary Medicinal Products Order 2005 (S.I., 2005, No. 2751), dated 4th October 2005, a copy of which was laid before this House on 7th October, be annulled.

PLANT BREEDERS' RIGHTS (S.I., 2005, No. 2726)

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Plant Breeders' Rights (Discontinuation of Prior Use Exemption) Order 2005 (S.I., 2005, No. 2726), dated 3rd October 2005, a copy of which was laid before this House on 5th October, be annulled.

ILLEGAL FISHING

That this House condemns the illegal fishing fleets that are plundering the seas by taking advantage of rules allowing them to adopt flags of convenience; notes that this news comes from a report by the UN International Transport Workers' Federation and WWF which estimates the annual level of illega

MOTOCROSS CIRCUIT IN RAINHAM

That this House notes that the Planning Inspectorate is considering an appeal by Moto Europe Limited of a decision by the London Borough of Havering to refuse planning permission for a motocross circuit at Launders Lane in Rainham; notes that local residents in Rainham are deeply concerned that the

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST DAY

That this House welcomes the unanimous decision of the United Nations General Assembly to designate 27th January as Holocaust Remembrance Day; notes that the Assembly urged the nations of the world to observe the day so that future generations will be spared acts of genocide; further notes that the

BAN BULLYING DAY

That this House notes that on 7th November the Andrea Adams Trust and others mark the third National Ban Bullying Day; further notes that workplace bullying is now a major cause of stress-related illness and that all employers require an effective strategy to protect potential victims and to combat

LIQUIDATION OF BCCI

That this House welcomes the decision of the liquidation of BCCI Deloitte Touche to end their high court action against the Bank of England; regards the proceedings as having been a complete waste of creditors' money; and calls on the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to meet the liquidators

FUNDING FOR OFF-PEAK CONCESSIONARY FARE SCHEME

That this House notes the Government's announcement in the 2005 Budget of the introduction of the off-peak concessionary bus fare scheme from April 2006, which allows free travel to those over 60 years old or registered disabled within a particular geographical district, but remains extremely concer

APPOINTMENT OF A SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE

That this House believes that agriculture is of key importance to British prosperity and deserves to have a Secretary of State specifically devoted to the promotion of British farmers and agriculture; and calls on the Prime Minister to establish such a post.