That this House notes that 27th July 2007 is the 40th anniversary of Royal Assent to the legislation that legalised homosexuality; applauds how much further lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights have progressed since that time; regrets that despite this, homophobic and transphobic prejudice and discrimination still occur; calls for more action in schools, including better sex and relationship education, and robust measures to stop homophobic and transphobic bullying; further calls for a consistent comprehensive Single Equality Act that would apply discrimination law, similar to that in place for race, to people on the grounds of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; and calls for a public sector duty to promote LGBT equality to prevent discrimination in the public sector before it occurs and to provide a template for best practice in the private sector.

That this House notes that 27th July 2007 is the 40th anniversary of Royal Assent to the legislation that legalised homosexuality; applauds how much further lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights have progressed since that time; regrets that despite this, homophobic and transphobic prejudice and discrimination still occur; calls...

That this House commemorates the 40th anniversary of the passing into law of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality on 28th July 1967; notes that this reform ended the legalised persecution of gay men and was the beginning of a long process of gradual liberalisation of the laws concerning gay men and women; believes that the human rights and dignity of all gay people are now on a more secure footing; but recognises that there is still more to be done before homophobia is eradicated and there is equality for all before the law.

That this House commemorates the 40th anniversary of the passing into law of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality on 28th July 1967; notes that this reform ended the legalised persecution of gay men and was the beginning of a long process of gradual liberalisation of the laws concerning gay men...

That this House notes that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people around the world suffer harassment, discrimination, persecution, torture and execution, purely on the grounds of their LGBT status; further notes that this abuse is supported by the domestic law of many states; welcomes the petition to the United Nations backed by the International Committee for the International Day Against Homophobia calling for the universal abolition of so-called crimes of homosexuality, sodomy laws and laws against unnatural acts of homosexuality; and calls on the Government to support moves for a universal decriminalisation of homosexuality and actively to encourage equality for LGBT people around the world through international institutions and through its bilateral dealings with other states.

That this House notes that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people around the world suffer harassment, discrimination, persecution, torture and execution, purely on the grounds of their LGBT status; further notes that this abuse is supported by the domestic law of many states; welcomes the petition to the United...

That this House congratulates the Government on the success of its courageous reforms of the licensing laws enacted despite widespread hostility from opposition parties, the public and press; welcomes the halving of drugs deaths since 2001 following the Portuguese government's courageous decision to depenalise drugs against similar opposition; regrets that illegal drug use, crime and deaths persist at high levels in the United Kingdom; recognises the waste and futility of using the criminal justice system against drug addicts; and urges the Government to summon up the courage to challenge popular prejudice and adapt health solutions that have reduced drugs harm elsewhere.

That this House congratulates the Government on the success of its courageous reforms of the licensing laws enacted despite widespread hostility from opposition parties, the public and press; welcomes the halving of drugs deaths since 2001 following the Portuguese government's courageous decision to depenalise drugs against similar opposition; regrets that...

That this House welcomes the confirmation by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit that drugs prohibition is futile and counter-productive; regrets the Government's 2002 reiteration of its commitment to the evidence-free policy of prohibition; and believes that the ??20 billion crime cost and the destruction of human lives demands a rigorous regulatory impact assessment of global prohibition and the adoption of harm reduction remedies that have reduced drug harm in Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and Switzerland.

That this House welcomes the confirmation by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit that drugs prohibition is futile and counter-productive; regrets the Government's 2002 reiteration of its commitment to the evidence-free policy of prohibition; and believes that the ??20 billion crime cost and the destruction of human lives demands a rigorous...

That this House welcomes the Government's decision in principle in 2001 to legalise the medicinal use of cannabis, subject to the recommendation of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency; but expresses its disappointment over the protracted delay in the approval process; believes that victims of the excruciating symptoms of multiple sclerosis and other conditions for whom cannabis offers their only relief should be allowed to make their own decisions as to whether the possible risks from medicinal cannabis pose a greater threat to their health than the disease from which they suffer; and calls on the Government to show compassion in authorising the controlled production and prescription of cannabis for medicinal use.

That this House welcomes the Government's decision in principle in 2001 to legalise the medicinal use of cannabis, subject to the recommendation of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency; but expresses its disappointment over the protracted delay in the approval process; believes that victims of the excruciating symptoms of...

That this House believes that the welcome decision to reclassify cannabis is an opportunity to restate the message that all drugs are dangerous; notes that previous governments' failure to identify the relative dangers of each illegal drug reduced the credibility of health warnings; asserts that the most valuable and credible health message would re-emphasise the dangers of cannabis but also highlight the risk of cancers, heart and bronchial diseases which can be avoided if cannabis is ingested in ways other than smoking; and hopes that reclassification will be a first step in reversing the policies of harsh prohibition of the past 32 years that have perversely increased drugs use and drug-related crime.

That this House believes that the welcome decision to reclassify cannabis is an opportunity to restate the message that all drugs are dangerous; notes that previous governments' failure to identify the relative dangers of each illegal drug reduced the credibility of health warnings; asserts that the most valuable and credible...

That this House congratulates the Evening Standard for its editorial comment of 6th August 2001 that 'Sooner or later Tony Blair will have to reconsider his absolute refusal to consider changes to the drugs laws'; welcomes comments by their writers on 25th October 2001 in support of 'a Home Secretary with the courage to make Whitehall's first sane announcement on cannabis in a generation, with the conclusion that the streets of London will be easier to police as a result', and on 24th October 2001 'recognises that the relaxation of cannabis laws were widely supported by those interviewed in Brixton'; and regrets the paper's recent descent into hysterical unbalanced politically motivated reporting on the Home Secretary's courageous reform.

That this House congratulates the Evening Standard for its editorial comment of 6th August 2001 that 'Sooner or later Tony Blair will have to reconsider his absolute refusal to consider changes to the drugs laws'; welcomes comments by their writers on 25th October 2001 in support of 'a Home Secretary...

That this House congratulates the Daily Telegraph for its editorial comments 'They (the Conservatives) could win themselves broad support by allowing decriminalisation (of cannabis) for a trial period, a position we first advocated six months ago. It would begin to take power away from criminals' (9th October 2000); welcomes its view that decriminalisation is unlikely to succeed if applied only to one small area of London and that an experimental change in the law is needed everywhere (28th March 2001); and regrets the paper's recent descent into hysterical politically motivated reporting on the Home Secretary's courageous reform.

That this House congratulates the Daily Telegraph for its editorial comments 'They (the Conservatives) could win themselves broad support by allowing decriminalisation (of cannabis) for a trial period, a position we first advocated six months ago. It would begin to take power away from criminals' (9th October 2000); welcomes its...

That this House congratulates the Daily Mail for its editorial comments that 'A debate is urgently needed, one that will have to examine the arguments of those including many with experience of fighting drugs, who want cannabis decriminalised' (October 2000); welcomes its recognition that the use of cannabis is an everyday fact of life and that making it illegal has failed to discourage its use (8th February 2000); further welcomes its belief that the case for a fundamental review is persuasive when millions of otherwise decent citizens routinely break the law (2nd July 2001); and regrets the paper's recent descent into hysterical politically motivated reporting on the Home Secretary's courageous reform.

That this House congratulates the Daily Mail for its editorial comments that 'A debate is urgently needed, one that will have to examine the arguments of those including many with experience of fighting drugs, who want cannabis decriminalised' (October 2000); welcomes its recognition that the use of cannabis is an...

That this House is of the opinion that cannabis should no longer be legally prohibited for adults, but should be subject to strict regulations over sales.

That this House is of the opinion that cannabis should no longer be legally prohibited for adults, but should be subject to strict regulations over sales.

That this House notes that where a more lenient attitude towards cannabis possession has been taken by the police, street crime has fallen by 35 per cent. whilst arrests for hard drugs have risen by 65 per cent.; believes that this is in part because the more lenient attitude to recreational use of non-addictive drugs frees up police time and resources to tackle the infinitely more serious problems arising from dealing in, and addiction to, hard drugs; calls upon Her Majesty's Government to extend this approach to policing nationwide as part of its robberty reduction initiative; and looks forward to the day when taxes paid on the legalised purchase of cannabis from street shops help to fund more policing to combat dealers in hard drugs and more drugs rehabilitation for addicts.

That this House notes that where a more lenient attitude towards cannabis possession has been taken by the police, street crime has fallen by 35 per cent. whilst arrests for hard drugs have risen by 65 per cent.; believes that this is in part because the more lenient attitude to...

That this House welcomes the more efficient deployment of police time and resources that will result from the 'de facto' decriminalisation of cannabis possession in parts of London; believes that the police are doing the job that successive governments have dodged, but believes the 'decriminalisation' by postcode will create new injustices; and calls on the Government for a full review of drugs laws that have perversely made the UK the drug sink of Europe.

That this House welcomes the more efficient deployment of police time and resources that will result from the 'de facto' decriminalisation of cannabis possession in parts of London; believes that the police are doing the job that successive governments have dodged, but believes the 'decriminalisation' by postcode will create new...

That this House regrets that the present Government will suffer the fate of all other recent governments by ending their term of office with illegal drug use at a higher level than when they were elected; urges front bench spokespeople of all parties to stop misrepresenting drug reforms in the Netherlands; and notes that 30 years of harsh drug penalties in the UK have increase drug use and deaths while 25 years of regulated decriminalisation in the Netherlands has reduced all drug use and deaths.

That this House regrets that the present Government will suffer the fate of all other recent governments by ending their term of office with illegal drug use at a higher level than when they were elected; urges front bench spokespeople of all parties to stop misrepresenting drug reforms in the...

That this House recognises that the cannabis battle in the war against drugs is being lost; that cannabis is neither more damaging than tobacco, nor more addictive than alcohol, and that it is no more the portal to harder drugs than a half of bitter to rampant alcoholism; considers that the war against hard drugs can be more effectively fought if they are decoupled from cannabis which has therapeutic value so that juries are already rejecting prosecutions of MS sufferers for cannabis use or possession, though young lives and careers are still being damaged by prosecutions when the existing law looks less relevant to what is happening in society, because penalties against cannabis produce more harm than they prevent while the cost in police time, court and police effort and prison sentences, estimated at ??790 million, despite the fact that in 1998 of the 97,000 persons dealt with for drug offences related to cannabis, half were cautioned (compared to a third 10 years before); therefore agrees with the Police Foundation Inquiry that cannabis should become a Class C drug decoupled from hard drugs; further considers that it is now time to decriminalise possession and cultivation while retaining penalties for trafficking only against importation from outside the United Kingdom; suggests that licensing of cultivation and consumption in cafes should become a local government responsibility, opening up the possibility of local revenues from licences for local production or supply.

That this House recognises that the cannabis battle in the war against drugs is being lost; that cannabis is neither more damaging than tobacco, nor more addictive than alcohol, and that it is no more the portal to harder drugs than a half of bitter to rampant alcoholism; considers that...

That this House believes that the use of recreational cannabis should be allowed under strictly controlled conditions for an experimental period on the lines of the licensed cannabis cafes in the Netherlands.

That this House believes that the use of recreational cannabis should be allowed under strictly controlled conditions for an experimental period on the lines of the licensed cannabis cafes in the Netherlands.

That this House congratulates the Daily Telegraph for their intelligent, progressive call to legalise cannabis for an experimental period.

That this House congratulates the Daily Telegraph for their intelligent, progressive call to legalise cannabis for an experimental period.

That this House, recognising that decriminalising marijuana possession is on the agenda and likely to become, with the Police Foundation report, an issue which will precipitate emotive public debate urges Her Majesty's Government to take the question of the therapeutic use of marijuana for the treatment of medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Aids, arthritis and the relief of severe pain, out of this debate entirely so as to ensure that sufferers are not forced onto the streets to purchase illegal drugs or face an omnipresent threat of prosecution which puts the sick and dying on the frontline of the war against drugs, but that instead, recognising the opinion of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology that marijuana has therapeutic value as well as the overwhelming volume of evidence about its benefits which is now emerging, should follow the suggestions of the Lords' Select Committee, accelerate the research which will legitimise prescription of marijuana for treatment on a named patient basis, but in the meantime, to prevent the law being brought into disrepute and juries being faced with agonising choices about jailing MS victims suggests that the police be instructed not to prosecute victims of these diseases and conditions who grow or purchase marijuana for their own exclusive use with the written support of their doctor, so that with the issue of medical use taken out of the debate, the wider decisions on marijuana can be taken on a rational and considered basis.

That this House, recognising that decriminalising marijuana possession is on the agenda and likely to become, with the Police Foundation report, an issue which will precipitate emotive public debate urges Her Majesty's Government to take the question of the therapeutic use of marijuana for the treatment of medical conditions such...

That this House regrets that the present Government will suffer the fate of all other governments of the past 30 years by ending their term of office with illegal drug problems at a higher level than when they were elected; and calls for a fresh judgement of the futility of drugs prohibition, consideration of the successes of policies of regulated decriminalisation of soft drugs and the treatment of addicts as patients, not criminals.

That this House regrets that the present Government will suffer the fate of all other governments of the past 30 years by ending their term of office with illegal drug problems at a higher level than when they were elected; and calls for a fresh judgement of the futility of...