That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work undertaken by mountain rescue teams during the recent snowstorms and subsequent cold snap; recognises the importance of their contribution in helping emergency services cope with the treacherous weather conditions by providing vehicle support to ambulance crews and rescuing vehicles stuck in the snow; notes that in some rural areas mountain rescue teams have been used to deliver essential supplies to farms and animal sanctuaries; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment which are exempt for other emergency services who do not have to pay taxes on equivalent equipment; is concerned that the Government has not yet announced an intention to exempt mountain rescue teams from these taxes despite indications from the European Commission that the United Kingdom could well be permitted to do so; and calls on the Government to announce such an exemption immediately and pay back the estimated ??200,000 it collected in value added tax during 2009.

That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work undertaken by mountain rescue teams during the recent snowstorms and subsequent cold snap; recognises the importance of their contribution in helping emergency services cope with the treacherous weather conditions by providing vehicle support to ambulance crews and rescuing vehicles stuck in...

That this House notes that currently most fresh meat produce is labelled to include its source of origin; expresses concern that a similar standard of labelling is not as strictly enforced in the case of ready meals which include processed meat; notes that it is permissible for meat and other products to be produced overseas, imported to the UK and processed then labelled as British; further notes that actual British meat is of a very high standard, and that British animal welfare standards are some of the best in the world; regrets that those purchasing products containing processed meat may be misled by incorrect labelling into purchasing an inferior product; calls on the Government to close this loophole; and further calls on supermarkets and other retailers to exceed the prescription of law by ensuring that only produce that has been produced in the United Kingdom is labelled as British.

That this House notes that currently most fresh meat produce is labelled to include its source of origin; expresses concern that a similar standard of labelling is not as strictly enforced in the case of ready meals which include processed meat; notes that it is permissible for meat and other...

That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work done by mountain rescue teams during the recent floods in Cumbria; acknowledges the dedication and skills of mountain rescue volunteers; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment; notes that these taxes cost the volunteer mountain rescue teams up to ??200,000 a year; further notes that other emergency services do not have to pay taxes on equivalent equipment; is concerned that the Government has not yet announced an intention to exempt mountain rescue teams from these taxes despite indications from the European Commission that the UK could well be permitted to do so; and calls on the Government to announce such an exemption immediately.

That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work done by mountain rescue teams during the recent floods in Cumbria; acknowledges the dedication and skills of mountain rescue volunteers; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment; notes that...

That this House welcomes the publication of the Alzheimer's Society report Counting the cost: Care for people with dementia on hospital wards, which highlights unacceptable variations in dementia care provided in hospitals; notes that people with dementia over 65 years of age are currently using up to one quarter of hospital beds at any one time; further notes that people with dementia stay far longer in hospital than other people admitted for the same procedure; further notes that this is having a detrimental impact on the health of people with dementia as well as placing financial pressure on the NHS; further notes that over half of nurses responding to the Alzheimer's Society survey said they haven't received any work-based development or learning opportunities in dementia care; calls on the Government to provide strong leadership on workforce development, in particular by bringing together all the relevant bodies to reach agreement on the core competencies required in dementia care; and urges the Government to press on primary care trusts the need to implement the recommendations in the National Dementia Strategy for England on improved quality of care in general hospitals.

That this House welcomes the publication of the Alzheimer's Society report Counting the cost: Care for people with dementia on hospital wards, which highlights unacceptable variations in dementia care provided in hospitals; notes that people with dementia over 65 years of age are currently using up to one quarter of...

That this House wishes to thank the emergency services for all their hard work, dedication and commitment as they responded to the appalling floods in Cumbria last week; commends the police, fire service, RNLI, Mountain Rescue Service, Bay Search and Rescue and everyone who was involved in the operation; further wishes to thank the local media in Cumbria for the vital assistance they provided; offers its support and sympathy to people whose homes and businesses have been devastated by the floods; and calls on the Government to provide aid and practical assistance to people who have been affected and to commit to invest in flood prevention measures as a matter of urgency.

That this House wishes to thank the emergency services for all their hard work, dedication and commitment as they responded to the appalling floods in Cumbria last week; commends the police, fire service, RNLI, Mountain Rescue Service, Bay Search and Rescue and everyone who was involved in the operation; further...

That this House denounces the injustice of the imprisonment of Hakamada Iwao who has been in jail on death row in Japan for 41 years for a crime he did not commit; condemns the fact that for 29 of these years Mr Iwao was in solitary confinement which has led to him suffering from mental illness; highlights that he was convicted in 1968 for the murder of a family of four on the basis of a confession he says was extracted under duress and which he retracted at his trial; notes that of the three judges at Mr Iwao's trial, one has publicly stated that he believes Mr Iwao is innocent; and calls on the Japanese government to end this injustice immediately and give Mr Iwao the fair trial which he deserves.

That this House denounces the injustice of the imprisonment of Hakamada Iwao who has been in jail on death row in Japan for 41 years for a crime he did not commit; condemns the fact that for 29 of these years Mr Iwao was in solitary confinement which has led...

That this House recognises the excellent work of the charity Orbis which provides medical assistance to people in developing countries with sight problems; applauds the work of the dedicated team of volunteer nurses and doctors who make this life-changing work possible; and further recognises the generosity of those who support this charity to enable these eye operations to take place so the individuals concerned can gain independence and transform their lives.

That this House recognises the excellent work of the charity Orbis which provides medical assistance to people in developing countries with sight problems; applauds the work of the dedicated team of volunteer nurses and doctors who make this life-changing work possible; and further recognises the generosity of those who support...

That this House remembers with sadness and outrage the tragedy that took place in Bhopal, India, resulting from the leak of thousands of tonnes of chemicals in December 1984; admonishes the Indian government for its negligence in failing to clean up the chemical waste following the disaster; highlights with great sadness the thousands of lives lost directly after the leak and in the 20 years after and the 100,000 people continuing to suffer from health problems from contaminated water supplies and daily exposure to chemicals; and calls on the Indian government to act immediately to end this injustice and clean up the area so that local people can be free from this suffering and distress.

That this House remembers with sadness and outrage the tragedy that took place in Bhopal, India, resulting from the leak of thousands of tonnes of chemicals in December 1984; admonishes the Indian government for its negligence in failing to clean up the chemical waste following the disaster; highlights with great...

That this House applauds the work of SARDA Lakes who specialise in training and using dogs for the search and rescue of lost or injured persons in mountainous areas; recognises that through their affiliation with the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association they make up an essential part of this rescue team and do vital work in saving lives; congratulates them on the many people they have rescued over the 40 years they have been operating; and urges them to continue their good work in making mountains and hills safe for all to enjoy.

That this House applauds the work of SARDA Lakes who specialise in training and using dogs for the search and rescue of lost or injured persons in mountainous areas; recognises that through their affiliation with the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association they make up an essential part of...

That this House applauds the excellent work that the Metropolitan Police Human Trafficking Team has done to combat human trafficking in Britain; believes the team, which is specially trained in this field, is essential to the fight against human trafficking; recognises that with the upcoming Olympics, London could become even more of a magnet for traffickers because experience shows that where a large number of people gather there is an increased demand for sexual services, so a special police unit dedicated to combating the trade to provide these services will be extremely important; is extremely concerned that the team lacks funding and is threatened with closure; and further believes the team should not be disbanded as this would exacerbate the problem of human trafficking into Britain.

That this House applauds the excellent work that the Metropolitan Police Human Trafficking Team has done to combat human trafficking in Britain; believes the team, which is specially trained in this field, is essential to the fight against human trafficking; recognises that with the upcoming Olympics, London could become even...

That this House is extremely concerned by the impact of changes to the way surface water drainage is charged that allows water companies to base the charge for processing rainwater at non-domestic properties on the size of the site, instead of the rateable value of the property; recognises the devastating impact this rain tax will have on charities, churches, community groups and amateur sports clubs; urges the water companies to demonstrate greater social responsibility towards voluntary groups; and calls on the Government to use the forthcoming Flood and Water Management Bill to grant Ofwat the authority to introduce social tariffs for charitable groups and voluntary organisations to ensure they are protected from disproportionately high price increases.

That this House is extremely concerned by the impact of changes to the way surface water drainage is charged that allows water companies to base the charge for processing rainwater at non-domestic properties on the size of the site, instead of the rateable value of the property; recognises the devastating...

That this House welcomes the extra ??10 million investment from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the Scottish Government for research and investigation into the decline in British honey bee and other insect pollinator numbers; believes that the severity of the immediate health problems facing honey bees demands that a significant proportion of this funding is allocated straight away to tackle honey bee population decline; gives its full backing to the Sussex Plan for Honey Bee Health and Well-being, which aims to breed disease-resistant hygienic honey bees, decode dances to determine where worker honey bees are foraging, test and develop European and North American Varroa control methods under British conditions, and monitor hives for pathogens and other causes of mortality; and calls on the Government to give a proportion of this additional funding to research into honey bee health, such as the Sussex Plan to help determine what is harming honey bees and how best to maintain the health and well being of the UK's most important pollinating animal.

That this House welcomes the extra ??10 million investment from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the Scottish Government for research and investigation into the decline in British honey bee and...

That this House notes with grave concern that some banks and mortgage lenders are making it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get mortgages on properties with local occupancy agreements and other affordability restrictions by asking for unaffordable deposits of 20 per cent. and upwards; believes that until the flow of mortgage finance is restored and mortgage terms eased, the industry will not be able to raise housing output significantly; and calls on the Government to help first-time buyers by instructing those lenders who have received financial support from the Government to offer mortgages on affordable homes on the same basis as other properties.

That this House notes with grave concern that some banks and mortgage lenders are making it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get mortgages on properties with local occupancy agreements and other affordability restrictions by asking for unaffordable deposits of 20 per cent. and upwards; believes that until the flow...

That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work of mountain rescue teams; acknowledges the dedication and skills of mountain rescue volunteers; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment; notes that these taxes cost the volunteer mountain rescue teams up to ??200,000 a year; further notes that other emergency services do not have to pay taxes on equivalent equipment; is concerned that the Government has not yet announced an intention to exempt mountain rescue teams from these taxes despite indications from the European Commission that the UK could well be permitted to do so; and calls on the Government to announce such an exemption immediately.

That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work of mountain rescue teams; acknowledges the dedication and skills of mountain rescue volunteers; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment; notes that these taxes cost the volunteer mountain rescue...

That this House notes with grave concern that some banks and mortgage lenders are making it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get mortgages on properties with local occupancy agreements and other affordability restrictions by asking for unaffordable deposits of 20 per cent. and upwards; and calls on the Government to help first-time buyers by instructing those lenders who have received financial support from the Government to offer mortgages on affordable homes on the same basis as other properties.

That this House notes with grave concern that some banks and mortgage lenders are making it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get mortgages on properties with local occupancy agreements and other affordability restrictions by asking for unaffordable deposits of 20 per cent. and upwards; and calls on the Government...

That this House notes that there are an estimated 10,000 people in the UK suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); recognises that this number is likely to be much higher due to the large percentage of PSP cases which are misdiagnosed; understands that three out of four PSP cases are misdiagnosed resulting in patients being given medication that has exacerbated their condition; expresses concern about the lack of awareness amongst the medical profession about the disease and is disappointed at the lack of appropriate palliative care and support given to sufferers of PSP; applauds the work of the PSP Association who are an organisation dedicated to the support of people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and those who care for them; and welcomes the forthcoming PSP Awareness Week starting on 4 April 2009 which aims to raise funding for research so that the possible causes of PSP are better understood and to find ways to achieve earlier and better diagnosis and to develop treatments that could potentially slow down, or even halt, the progression of this disease.

That this House notes that there are an estimated 10,000 people in the UK suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); recognises that this number is likely to be much higher due to the large percentage of PSP cases which are misdiagnosed; understands that three out of four PSP cases are...

That this House notes with concern that current awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms is low in the UK; recognises that research has demonstrated that of almost all women with the disease, 90 per cent. experience symptoms, even in the early stage of the disease, when survival rates can be as high as 90 per cent.; expresses concern that despite this fact, three out of every four women are only diagnosed with ovarian cancer after it has spread significantly, leading to a dramatic fall in survival rates; commends the work of Ovarian Cancer Action which is dedicated to advancing and supporting ovarian cancer research; and celebrates the beginning of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month as a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of ovarian cancer research as part of its mission to save women's lives.

That this House notes with concern that current awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms is low in the UK; recognises that research has demonstrated that of almost all women with the disease, 90 per cent. experience symptoms, even in the early stage of the disease, when survival rates can...

That this House celebrates the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Alzheimer's Society; notes that there are around 700,000 people diagnosed with dementia in the UK, a number forecast to double within a generation; applauds the efforts of the 25,000 members of the Alzheimer's Society who work to provide help and information to people affected by dementia; praises the expertise of the staff and volunteers, many of whom have personal experience of dementia, as carers, health professionals or as people with dementia themselves; recognises that the Society invests around ??1.5 million every year in their Quality Research in Dementia Programme; notes that this money will be used to investigate good practice in care and treatment and to pursue a cure for people suffering from dementia; and commends the Alzheimer's Society for 30 years of outstanding work campaigning for a better future for everyone affected by all forms of dementia.

That this House celebrates the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Alzheimer's Society; notes that there are around 700,000 people diagnosed with dementia in the UK, a number forecast to double within a generation; applauds the efforts of the 25,000 members of the Alzheimer's Society who work to provide...

That this House celebrates the work and successes of the Cumbria-based charity Books 4 Tanzania; is proud of their work in increasing literacy levels and education in villages in rural Tanzania; and wishes Books 4 Tanzania continued success for years to come.

That this House celebrates the work and successes of the Cumbria-based charity Books 4 Tanzania; is proud of their work in increasing literacy levels and education in villages in rural Tanzania; and wishes Books 4 Tanzania continued success for years to come.

That this House notes that one in four bananas bought in the UK is a Fairtrade product; welcomes the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign taking place between 23 February and 8 March aimed at boosting sales and visibility of Fairtrade products; recognises the importance of the Fairtrade initiative in giving exploited farmers in developing countries a better and fairer price for their produce; and encourages the Government to support the Tipping the Balance campaign which aims to make half of all bananas sold in the UK Fairtrade by 2012.

That this House notes that one in four bananas bought in the UK is a Fairtrade product; welcomes the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign taking place between 23 February and 8 March aimed at boosting sales and visibility of Fairtrade products; recognises the importance of the Fairtrade initiative in giving exploited farmers...