Session 2013-14
House of Commons
5th July 2013
Notices of Motions for which no days have been fixed
('Early Day Motions')
The figure following this symbol is the number of Members who have added their names in support of the Motion, including the Member in charge of the Motion.
After an Early Day Motion (EDM) has been printed for the first time, it is only reprinted when names are added or amendments tabled; only the first six names and any names added since the last printing are included. After the week in which a Motion is first printed and the following week, added names and amendments appear only in a separate paper, Mature EDMs, distributed the next Thursday. In the meantime, they are available for inspection by Members in the Table Office and the Library or on the EDM database at edmi.parliament.uk
293 OBESITY AND THE QUALITY AND OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK 24:6:13
31That this House notes that obesity and being overweight affects almost two-thirds of the British population; further notes that the World Health Organisation has found that 44 per cent of the diabetes burden, 23 per cent of the ischaemic heart disease burden and 41 per cent of certain cancer burdens are attributable to being overweight and obese; believes that treating such conditions will impose a considerable financial burden on both the NHS and society as a whole, which the 2007 Foresight Report estimated could cost society £50 billion per year by 2050; further notes that action needs to be taken now to better incentivise primary care professionals to advise and recommend appropriate guidance and support for obese and overweight patients; welcomes the National Obesity Forum campaign to reform the GP incentives scheme, the Quality and Outcomes Framework; and calls on the Government to support this campaign in order to tackle the impending obesity epidemic.
294 PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN SUDAN 24:6:13
28That this House recognises the current persecutions of Christians in Sudan; expresses grave concern at the treatment of Christians in that country; and asks the Secretary of State for International Development to apply diplomatic pressure to see a change brought about to the policy of the government of Sudan which is leading to the removal of missionaries and the persecution of people who convert from Islam.
299 PILOT BADGER CULL PARLIAMENTARY ASSESSMENT AND VOTE 25:6:13
29That this House recognises that there have been concerns about the current pilot badger cull; notes the mixed evidence from similar schemes abroad; further notes that the response from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to Questions tabled by the hon. Member for St Albans on 19 June 2013 stated that after culling in the pilot areas has finished in 2013, the results will be evaluated and a decision taken on wider roll-out and a decision is expected to be made in early 2014 and will be reported to Parliament; and calls on the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to bring this matter before the House before any decision on a wider roll-out of a pilot badger cull is taken and that such a matter should be subject to a vote of the House.
300 FLOODS IN UTTARAKHAND, INDIA 25:6:13
25That this House expresses deep sympathy and sends its heartfelt condolences to the people of Uttarakhand, India at this sad time after the devastating loss of life and destruction in the region following the terrible floods that have been taking place; commends the brave work of the rescue and emergency services, volunteers and non-governmental organisations, which are helping the injured and searching for survivors, particularly in these extremely difficult conditions; and calls on the Government to take all possible steps to offer emergency aid and assistance to the people of India.
301 £3,000 VISA BOND 26:6:13
11That this House recognises the enormous importance of family visits for weddings, funerals and other special gatherings to many UK citizens with relatives living abroad; considers that visitor visas should only be issued to those whom entry clearance officers reasonably believe will comply fully with these visa conditions and leave the UK at the end of their permitted stay; and believes that those applicants who do not satisfy this test should not be able to secure a visa by offering to provide a £3,000 financial bond, as this is to erode immigration rules and discriminate against poorer families, and expose the UK to the accusation of operating a colour-coded immigration policy.
303 PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF THE RAILWAYS 26:6:13
22That this House believes that the interests of passengers, taxpayers, rail workers and the wider economy would be best served by ending the UK's complex and fragmented system of privatised railways and introducing an integrated, publicly-owned and accountable railway.
309 ATTACKS ON MEDIA FREEDOMS IN TURKEY 26:6:13
25That this House condemns the continuous targeting of journalists and media organisations in Turkey following the recent police raids on the residences of journalists working for the daily newspaper Atilim, Özgür Radio and Etkin News Agency; notes the growing concerns over the increasing state control of media organisations by the censoring body, RTÜK, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television, which has threatened to impose fines on television channels that are critical of the government, including Ulusal Channel, Halk TV, Hayat TV and Cem TV; is concerned by reports that that government is planning a draft law to regulate the use of social media following the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claim that the social media is a threat to society; further notes that Article 26 and Article 34 of the Turkish Constitution also guarantees the citizen's rights to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration; further notes that the Turkish government is also bound by its international obligations such as the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 10 on freedom of expression and Article 11 on freedom of assembly) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19 on freedom of expression and Article 20 on freedom of assembly); and therefore supports the call of the National Union of Journalists and European Federation of Journalists for the British Government to make representations to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stressing the need to respect the right of journalists to freedom of expression guaranteed by European and International law.
312 JUNK FOOD IN HOSPITALS 27:6:13
18That this House welcomes the motion passed overwhelmingly at the British Medical Association’s annual meeting in Edinburgh on 27 June 2013 to ban the sale of all junk foods in hospitals; backs the campaign by Dr Aseem Malhotra and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, representing the UK’s 220,000 doctors professionally, urging hospitals to sell only healthy products; notes that there has been a four-fold increase in the number of children and teenagers admitted to hospital for obesity-related conditions in the last decade and that hospitals should set an example; and calls on the Department of Health to issues guidelines prohibiting the sale of junk food and fast food franchises in hospitals.
313 MILLWALL SHIRT SPONSORSHIP AND PROSTATE CANCER UK 27:6:13
22That this House congratulates Millwall Football Club for choosing to donate the sponsorship of its shirts to Prostate Cancer UK, the leading charity working with men affected by prostate cancer; acknowledges that Millwall chose to donate the value of its shirt sponsorship with the welfare of its fans foremost in its mind and that it was for these reasons that it chose not to negotiate with any companies from the payday loan industry; notes that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with 40,000 men diagnosed each year in the UK, and that it is set to be the most common cancer by 2030; further notes with sadness that 10,000 men die from the disease each year; further congratulates Prostate Cancer UK on the work it does to help more men survive prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life by providing information and support to individuals, funding research and leading change to raise awareness and improve care; and further congratulates Millwall FC for taking this important lead in helping to promote the charity and raising awareness of this disease to help save more lives.
314 ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2013 1:7:13
6That this House congratulates the Royal Highland Show 2013 on its success; notes that the show attracted 170,000 people, an increase of 9,500 on last year; further notes that 25,000 children were amongst those who attended; recognises the work of the show and the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) in engaging and educating children about Scottish agriculture and related industries; welcomes the addition of renewable energy as a part of the show for the second year running; and thanks the RHASS for all of its efforts in showcasing the very best of what Scotland has to offer at the annual Royal Highland Show.
317 BUZZ THE LITTLE HONEY BEE PUBLICATION ON BEES AND BIODIVERSITY 1:7:13
47That this House congratulates the children of Merthyr Tydfil on the publication of their book Buzz The Little Honey Bee, raising awareness of the need for positive actions to protect the future of honey bees, joining with Merthyr Tydfil District Naturalists' Society in the European-wide Bees and Biodiversity Project and showing the need for governments to take co-ordinated action to protect bees; and therefore calls on the Government to follow the children's lead by recognising more fully the economic, environmental and cultural importance of the honey bee with scientists, farmers and agriculturalists, the chemical industries, naturalists, manufactured food producers, food retailers and others to ensure all positive actions are taken to protect bees now and in the future.
324 REFORM OF CIVIL LEGAL AID 1:7:13
56That this House believes access to justice is a hallmark of a civilised society; further believes that the Government's proposed reforms to civil legal aid will severely limit the ability for many to access the justice system; is deeply concerned by plans to introduce a residence test for civil legal aid, which will remove legal support for many vulnerable groups including victims of human trafficking and domestic violence; notes that the residence test will also prevent many cases being brought against the Government when it is accused of wrongdoing abroad; further notes that the majority of individuals held in immigration detention will be left without support to challenge their continued detention; regrets the effect the proposed reforms to judicial review will have on the ability of individuals to hold public bodies to account; further believes that the proposals relating to prison law will effectively mean that justice stops at the prison gate; and calls on the Government to abandon its proposed reforms of civil legal aid immediately.
326 WOMEN ON BANKNOTES 1:7:13
18That this House welcomes and supports the petition Bank of England: Keep a woman on English banknotes; is concerned at the Bank of England's decision to remove Elizabeth Fry from the five pound note; notes that Elizabeth Fry is currently the only female honoured in this way and the second one ever after Florence Nightingale; further notes that there is a range of alternative national female figures that could be considered for such recognition; further notes that women make up over 50 per cent of the population and should therefore be represented on at least 50 per cent of banknotes; and calls on the Government to support equal representation and recognition of women across all spheres of public life.
327 UNIVERSAL CREDIT PILOTS 1:7:13
24That this House notes the start of universal credit pilots in April 2013; further notes that almost one million young people are unemployed and increasing numbers of people in work are underemployed; believes that the introduction of conditionality for those in work, who formerly claimed tax credit and stricter sanctions for those out of work at this time are cruel, ineffective, unnecessary and discriminatory; is concerned that the Government’s preferred option of online claiming discriminates against two of the groups most likely to be entitled to elements of universal credit - those with disabilities and those on low incomes; further believes that the Government target of 80 per cent of universal credit being claimed online is unrealistic due to internet poverty and computer illiteracy; and calls on the Government to rethink universal credit and develop an approach based on creating jobs and supporting people into those jobs, as opposed to punishing them for not being able to find jobs.
330 SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS 1:7:13
19That this House is concerned that the European Commission is planning legislative changes to implement Single European Sky (SES) 2+ for 2020; notes that the changes will result in a loss of air traffic control staff and operations' centres across the EU; further notes that legislative changes will result in poorer service quality, delays to passengers, poorer safety and could result in the UK relinquishing control over its own sovereign civil and military airspace; and calls on the Government to put pressure on the European Commission to engage constructively with air traffic management staff and ensure that changes under SES will not result in air traffic management staff being cut and so that the UK will be able to retain the ability to control its own airspace.
332 BATTLE OF THE SOMME ANNIVERSARY 2:7:13
8That this House, on the anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, commemorates the courage and bravery of the 36th Ulster Division who wrote their names in the annals of history forever; and remembers with gratitude the legacy that they left for everyone in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
335 RAISING AWARENESS OF DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY 2:7:13
20That this House congratulates Craig Walter, who lives in Wakefield and has had Duchenne muscular dystrophy since birth, on his drive to raise money for, and awareness about, the Martin House Children's Hospice and muscular dystrophy campaign; notes that Craig will undertake, with two carers, a journey of 2,366 miles around the UK which will include visiting John O'Groats, Aberystwyth, Land's End and Great Yarmouth, and that he will drive his wheelchair the equivalent distance of a half marathon and that this culminates in a reception in Parliament on 16 July 2013; further notes that his aim is to collect stories from people living with muscular dystrophy about their experiences and the quality of care in their area; and hopes that this will help highlight the issue of inconsistent care for people with muscular dystrophy in the UK.
336 CROSSRAIL STEP-FREE ACCESS 2:7:13
6That this House strongly welcomes the construction of Crossrail but notes with concern that seven stations on the new Crossrail line, Seven Kings, Manor Park, Maryland, Hanwell, Langley, Iver and Taplow are not planned to be step-free to platforms; notes that despite the assurances given by the Mayor of London (MoL) to the London Assembly on 14 March 2012 that full disabled access will be a facility at each of the Crossrail stations in Redbridge, no estimates have been made of the costs and benefits and no plans put forward by the MoL or Transport for London (TfL) to introduce step-free access at Seven Kings station; calls on the Government and TfL to ensure that funding is made available urgently to ensure step-free access at Seven Kings; considers that the lack of planned step-free access on parts of Crossrail undermines the Government's aim that by 2025, disabled people have access to transportation on an equal basis with others; believes that in the context of an ageing population, the benefits of accessible transport to disabled and older transport users, parents and non-disabled transport users outweigh the costs of installing lifts; further believes that the exclusion of disabled and older passengers from their local Crossrail station contributes to the marginalisation of disabled and older people in public life; and further calls on the Government, Network Rail and TfL to make Crossrail a truly accessible rail line.
337 BOW MATCH WOMEN'S STRIKE OF 1888 2:7:13
59That this House welcomes the first Match Women's Festival being held in London on 6 July 2013 to mark the 125 years since the 1888 strike by 1,400 mainly women workers at the Bryant and May factory in the Bow area of East London; notes modern research by the historian Louise Raw that proves that the strike was instigated, organised and led independently by the match women themselves and then supported by others, after many years of dangerous working conditions, poverty wages and bullying by the match women's employers; further notes that the match women's strike in 1888 led directly to the Great Dock Strike of 1889 in the same part of London and, therefore, set in train the historic events from which the Labour Party was created in 1900; and believes that the match women's victory was also an inspiration to the Suffragette movement and for all those campaigning for equality today, especially on issues such as violence against women.
338 CHILD PROTECTION AND THE REACH CAMPAIGN 2:7:13
11That this House recognises that every child has the right to be safe; condemns the lack of protection offered to vulnerable children, which demonstrates the need for a wider change in culture when all agencies respond to children who appear to be out of control or at risk, not least because of the proven link between running away and child sexual exploitation; calls on the Government to increase pressure for greater collaboration between the police, health and social services, local authorities and third sector specialists to provide a multi-agency response and swifter support in respect of child protection, which, in these times of tighter budgets, will allow for more joined-up and efficient working, resulting in larger savings for all parties, such as the Reach model proposed by the children's charity Railway Children; and believes that this model effectively brings together a range of interventions for young runaways that are personalised to stop risk factors from escalating with a recent evaluation showing proven success in the Sheffield area.
341 PAYDAY LOANS 2:7:13
10That this House welcomes the belated decision to refer the payday loans market to the Competition Commission; is concerned about the expansion of the market, now worth an estimated £2 billion a year; regrets that the investigation may take 18 months; notes that the major player, Wonga, has recently raised interest rates to more than 5,000 per cent APR; is conscious that this market depends on the exploitation of families’ poverty; and condemns the failure of the Government to properly regulate the payday loan market and to cap interest rates.
346 HEWLETT PACKARD JOBS AND THE DWP EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROGRAMME 2:7:13
12That this House is concerned that Hewlett Packard (HP) Enterprise Services is making redundant 124 skilled and experienced staff in Sheffield who provide specialist IT services to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) employment service programmes; notes that the Sheffield jobs are being relocated to Cobalt in the North-East of England and Erskine in Scotland and that staff wishing to apply for redeployment have not been offered relocation packages; is deeply troubled that HP is relocating some of these jobs in return for a £7 million regional selective assistance grant from the Scottish Government for delivering new jobs in Scotland; notes the potential for multinational companies to use taxpayers' money to maximise their profits and minimise wage costs; while exploiting the political situation in advance of the vote on independence; is concerned that these jobs are being relocated with no apparent thought given to the consequences for the delivery of vital public services; urges HP to keep the highly skilled and experienced staff in Sheffield; and urges Ministers to exert what pressure they can to ensure that this happens, particularly at a time of massive change in the DWP work and delivery of new systems.
348 HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE GAMBIA 3:7:13
10That this House commends Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh, Coordinator of the Coalition for Change Gambia, for his unceasing non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights and democracy in The Gambia; condemns his arrest and sentencing to life in jail by The Gambia government for printing T-shirts; applauds Rev Jesse Jackson for his intervention to secure his release; expresses its solidarity with the people of The Gambia in light of the reported human rights abuses being committed in their country; is horrified that arbitrary arrests, torture, detention without trials and enforced disappearances are a daily reality in The Gambia; urges the Gambian government to uphold the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to release immediately all prisoners of conscience; recognises the commitment of the British High Commission in The Gambia in supporting human rights; further expresses concern over the recent withdrawals of the Gambia government from the EU Article Political Dialogue; further urges the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to put an end to impunity in The Gambia; calls on the Government to lead an international effort in the UN to secure a resolution against Africa's most repressive nation and to put The Gambia's horrific human rights record at the centre of the international agenda; and further calls on the Government to exclude from the UK and freeze assets of those Gambian officials involved in gross human rights violations in The Gambia.
349 REPEAT ABORTIONS 3:7:13
8That this House endorses the views of Lord Steel of Aikwood expressed in the House of Lords on 6 June 2013 that the use by some women of abortion as a form of contraception is thoroughly undesirable; is concerned that the Minister confirmed in answer to Lord Steel's question that 36 per cent of abortions in England and Wales are now performed on women who have had one or more previous abortions; is profoundly alarmed to learn that some women have had as many as eight abortions and recalls with profound regret that 6.2 million abortions have taken place since 1968 and that in the last eight years, fewer than 10 in total have been emergency cases where a life was at risk; believes that the way the Abortion Act 1967 is today enforced is far from the intentions of those who supported its enactment; invites the Secretary of State for Health to look again at the lack of counselling that is given to women presenting with pregnancies to ensure they are fully aware of the options open to them and are encouraged to give serious consideration to the choices they make; and calls on the police and inspection authorities to ensure that the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 are properly enforced and, where breaches are identified, that prosecutions are brought.
350 TRANSLATION OF BIBLE INTO WELSH 3:7:13
6That this House pays tribute to the role of Humphrey Lhuyd, MP for Denbigh who in 1563 campaigned to secure an Act which led to the translation of the Bible and Book of Common Prayer into Welsh; celebrates the role this played in supporting Welsh culture and language; and offers its support to the National Eisteddfod which this year, on the 450 year anniversary since the passing of the Act, will be held in Mr Lhuyd's home town of Denbigh when between 2 and 10 August 2013 thousands of people will attend and enjoy a wonderful mix of Welsh music, literature, culture, dance and theatre.
353 UK MUSIC SKILLS ACADEMY 4:7:13
8That this House welcomes the launch of the UK Music Skills Academy (UKMSA) as an innovative initiative to tackle skills, education and training issues in the music industry; supports the UKMSA's objectives to create a national network of high quality music education partners, improve routes into industry through apprenticeships and mentoring, ensure that young people have access to careers advice that is industry-relevant, professionalise training for those already working in the sector, nurture grassroots talent via the UK Music Rehearsal Spaces scheme and improve equality and diversity across the industry; notes that the UKMSA is not a physical building but a national network of people, businesses, education institutions and organisations committed to skills and training to support the next generation of talent; and calls on the Government to endorse the example shown by the music sector towards skills to the rest of the creative sector.
354 LIZZIE ARMITSTEAD AND HER ACHIEVEMENTS IN CYCLING 4:7:13
2That this House recognises Lizzie Armitstead, from Otley, in Yorkshire for her victory in the British National Road Race Championships in Glasgow on 23 June 2013; acknowledges her remarkable success already including winning the silver medal in the road race at the 2012 Summer Olympics and winning a total of five medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2009 and 2010; commends her work building stronger communities and improving the lives of young people through her work as an ambassador for the charity Sported and through other charitable ventures; and believes that she will continue to serve as a role model to inspire people to take up cycling, especially in the run up to Le Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014 taking place in Yorkshire, which includes starting in Leeds and progressing through Otley, a renowned cycling town due to the annual Otley cycle races and the work of the Otley Cycle Club and Otley Sportive.
355 FINANCIAL TRANSACTION TAX 4:7:13
2That this House supports the Robin Hood tax campaign which calls for the introduction of a financial transaction tax; notes that by taking an average of 0.05 per cent from speculative banking transactions, hundreds of billions of pounds could be raised every year to tackle poverty and climate change, at home and abroad; believes that banks, which had a large role in causing the economic crisis, should do more than just pay back the bailouts or insure against future crises; further believes that a Robin Hood tax would be an effective and popular response, with a poll last year finding 76 per cent of respondents were in support of the Robin Hood tax; commends the work of all those organisations backing this campaign who have mobilised their supporters to increase the pressure for such change; further believes that this tax is an idea that has come of age; is disappointed at the EU proposal to channel funds raised directly into the general EU budget without consideration for development and aid; and urges the Government to do all that is possible to ensure that the Robin Hood tax becomes a reality.
356 RWANDAN ARMY OFFICERS AND M23 MILITIA GANG 4:7:13
5That this House is outraged by findings in the United Nations Group of Experts interim report to the Security Council's Congo sanctions committee, which concludes that military officers from Rwanda continue to fuel violence in eastern Congo; notes that a group of Rwandan students have sought asylum in Uganda, saying they are the victims of harassment by security officials back home for refusing to join the M23 militia gang; is deeply disappointed by the news that elements of the Congolese military have co-operated with a Rwandan Hutu refugee rebel group against Kigali's M23 which the Group says is making around $180,000 a month from illicit taxes; further notes that since the outset of its current mandate, the group has to date found no indication of support to the rebels from within Uganda; applauds the Group of Experts for their groundbreaking work in Congo; supports Save the Congo's call to all major aid donors to cease all financial and military support to both Kinshasa and Kigali until all support to negative forces tyrannising Congo ends; and calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to fully examine Britain's relationship with both the Kagame and Kabila regime and report to the House on this matter on the earliest possible occasion.
357 MASS KILLINGS IN THE PANJAAB REGION OF INDIA 4:7:13
6That this House takes serious note of the revelations made by Sub-Inspector Surjeet Singh of the Punjab Police, as widely published in the media, that there was a systematic practice conducted in Punjab of killings by fake encounters; notes that such actions involved the mass killing of innocent civilians during the 1984 to 1995 period, in Panjaab, of widespread killings of male Sikhs, labelled as terrorists; further notes that these fake encounter practices form one part of the multiple human rights abuses that afflicted the Panjaab region between 1984 and 1995 alongside torture, disappearances, random detention and incarcerations, police intimidation and harassment, as widely documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Asian Centre for Human Rights (New Delhi), Punjab Human Rights Organisation (Panjaab) and others; believes this was a tragic and horrifying period of human rights atrocities directed at the people of Panjaab; and supports calls for an international commission of inquiry into this unresolved, hidden crime against humanity, in order to restore justice, reconciliation and progress in Panjaab.
358 G4S AND PALESTINIAN PRISONERS 4:7:13
2That this House condemns G4S for providing services to Israeli prisons to which Palestinian prisoners are illegally transferred in serious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and also, in the case of child prisoners, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; further condemns G4S for being associated with treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including children, who are routinely subjected to violence and inhumane treatment at G4S-serviced prisons in Israel and Palestine; and urges the Government not to renew any contracts with G4S while it continues to support Israel in its breach of human rights, UN resolutions, international law and the Geneva Convention.
359 FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF CALSHOT ACTIVITIES CENTRE 4:7:13
25That this House congratulates Calshot Activities Centre, on the Solent, for its 50 years of training, education, recreation and adventure courses provided to tens of thousands of children and adults from Hampshire and beyond; notes that its outstanding facilities include skiing, climbing, sailing, canoeing and velodrome cycling; believes that its character-building work is a fitting successor to Calshot's historic role as home to Royal Air Force flying boat squadrons, Schneider Trophy contests and Royal Air Force High Speed Flight attempts on the world speed record; welcomes the vital support it receives from Hampshire County Council; and, accordingly, wishes all present and former participants, instructors, staff and supporters a successful week of 50th anniversary celebrations in July 2013.
361 EUROPEAN REFERENDUM 4:7:13
4That this House notes that the hon. Member for Stockton South will shortly present a Bill to Parliament which will ask for a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU before 31 December 2017; further notes that the EU has created a lot of red tape in the UK and other member states with unnecessary laws; and urges the whole House to support this Bill to allow the people to decide.
363 BODY MASS INDEX TYPE-2 DIABETES REVISION 5:7:13
2That this House welcomes the new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines revising the thresholds for healthy Body Mass Index for British Asians; notes that the point at which the level of body fat becomes risky to health varies between ethnic groups and that people from black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are at a higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes than white Europeans; recognises that people of South Asian descent are up to six times more likely to develop type-2 diabetes; further notes that the new lower thresholds to indicate increased risk of type-2 diabetes are that a 5ft 11in (1.8m) Asian man should weigh below 11st 11lb (75kg) and an Asian woman who is 5ft 3in (1.6m) should weigh less than 9st 4lb (59kg); and calls on the Department of Health to commission further research to determine revised BMI figures for other weight-related diseases.