http://lizlynne.org/speecharchive.php Recent Speeches from Liz Lynne MEP en-GB Liz Lynne MEP http://lizlynne.org/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2008 Liz Lynne MEP 2008-07-25T11:01+01:00 United Kingdom http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000006/question_time_on_the_un_convention_on_the_rights_of_people_with_disabilities.html The speaker is absolutely right: I thought the answer from the Council was not sufficient. Before accession, we called on all Member States who wanted to come into the European Union to abide by European Union rules. I know Bulgaria has signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, but it has not ratified it. Can you put pressure on those countries that have not ratified that Convention to do just that? I know the Bulgarian authorities are trying to address this problem, but we need to keep up the pressure. 2008-01-16T00:00+00:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000007/community_strategy_on_health_and_safety_at_work_20072012.html Madam President, this is a very good report and I wish to thank the rapporteur for her cooperation. 2008-01-15T00:00+00:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000008/social_reality_stocktaking.html Madam President, I wish to begin by thanking the shadow rapporteurs. That a report of this scale has received no plenary amendments shows this is truly a report from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, and one we can all be proud of. I would also like to thank the Commission for its close cooperation and the Portuguese Presidency for making social policy a priority for its Presidency. 2007-11-15T00:00+00:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000009/commission_legislative_programme_and_work_programme_for_2008.html Mr President, I welcome many aspects of the Commission programme. In particular, I am delighted to see the Commission's commitment to bring forward a specific horizontal directive under Article 13 to combat discrimination in access to goods and services, although perhaps I would have preferred to see specific directives in all sectors. However, I do welcome it. This is something I and many other colleagues have been calling for, and I look forward to working with the Commission closely on this. 2007-11-13T00:00+00:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000011/question_time_flooding_in_the_uk.html Thank you for your reply, but I would concur with the follow-up question. We do need to know when this is going to be changed. 2007-10-24T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000010/an_international_treaty_prohibiting_cluster_bombs.html Madam President, civilians - many of them children - are indiscriminately killed or injured by cluster bombs. Dreams are shattered and lives are destroyed. Take the case of the Iraqi boy, Ahmed Kamel. Attracted by a shiny object, Ahmed picked up a bomblet and it exploded. He lost both of his hands and his sight. How is a 12-year-old supposed to make sense of this? 2007-10-24T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000012/the_humanitarian_situation_in_gaza.html Mr President, there is nothing more demoralising than life lived in poverty, life without any prospects and life marred by a conflict. As a humanitarian catastrophy haunts the people of Gaza, it is clear that the only objective Israeli and Palestinian leaders are securing is the transmission of pain, poverty, misery and hatred to a new generation of young Palestinians. 2007-10-10T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000013/european_strategy_for_the_rights_of_the_child_against_dyscrimination_of_children_and_exclusion_of_dys_people.html Madam President, it is estimated that there are approximately 49 million people with some form of 'dys'ability within the EU. As many as 10% of children are affected by a 'dys'-type disability such as dysphasia, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or attention-deficit disorder. 2007-09-26T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000014/modernising_labour_law_to_meet_the_challenges_of_the_21st_century.html Mr President, I would also like to congratulate the rapporteur and thank him for his cooperation. This debate is about the future of labour law and we must recognise the current reality, which is that there has been an increase in non-standard contracts and that we must focus on employment security rather than on job security. 2007-07-10T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000016/multiple_sclerosis.html Madam President, there are approximately 400 000 people with multiple sclerosis within the EU. Louise McVay's petition brought our attention to MS in 2003 and it is only right that, three and a half years on, the Commission reports on the progress it has made in ensuring that the code of best practice, in particular, is implemented. 2007-06-18T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000015/cat_and_dog_fur.html Madam President, I welcome the fact that several EU countries - France, Italy, Denmark, Greece and Belgium - moved unilaterally to ban the trade. However, there are differences in the approaches of other Member States, ranging from bans on rearing and slaughter to labelling requirements. These differences can cause problems for consumers, retailers and traders alike. That is why, as we all know, an EU-wide ban is so important if we want an end to this vile trade. 2007-06-18T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000017/kashmir_present_situation_and_future_prospects.html Madam President, this report is about the present and future prospects for the Kashmiri people and we must not lose sight of that. This report is not about India and it is not about Pakistan. I am pleased that the report was amended substantially in committee. I have, however, sought to amend it further and many of the amendments tabled by my group - though not all - are the ones I hope you can vote for. 2007-05-24T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000018/kidnapping_in_gaza_of_the_journalist_alan_johnston.html I too would like to offer my support and that of the ALDE Group to Alan Johnston and his family. 2007-04-26T00:00+01:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000019/european_council_meeting_89_march_2007.html Mr President, I am delighted the Council agreed that the administrative burden arising from EU legislation should be reduced by 25% by 2012, as another speaker mentioned. 2007-03-14T00:00+00:00 http://lizlynne.org/speeches/000020/preparations_for_the_european_council_89_march_2007.html Mr President, I am glad we accept in this resolution that the Lisbon Agenda is not only based on economics but has a social dimension as well. With that in mind, it is important that we bring those excluded from the labour market into employment by making sure the 2000 Employment Framework Directive is implemented equally across all Member States. It is just as important that we continue to call for specific directives on age and disability, because if people cannot get to work, then they cannot even take the employment if they are offered it. 2007-02-13T00:00+00:00