Session 2013-14
House of Commons
12th 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
317 BUZZ THE LITTLE HONEY BEE PUBLICATION ON BEES AND BIODIVERSITY 1:7:13
73That 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.
319 MARKETING ON MATERNITY WARDS 1:7:13
48That this House notes with concern the interruption of new mothers in NHS maternity wards by sales representatives; expresses concern that these representatives pass on advertising material during this time, that, more worringly, they extract data from these new mothers in order to sell it on to third parties and that sales representatives' motivation is unclear, with many new mothers believing they are giving their details to an official from the NHS; further notes that this confusion is compounded by the fact that HM Revenue and Customs pays Bounty £90,000 annually to distribute child benefit forms in their 812,000 baby bags, the information from which is sold on to third parties; further expresses concern that the NHS receives £2.3 million annually in fees and equipment from Bounty for access to maternity wards; highlights a recent Mumsnet survey which showed that over half of new mothers felt the Bounty sales representative invaded their privacy; further expresses concern that new mothers are taken advantage of by these practices during a vulnerable time; further highlights that Bounty baby bags and other marketing materials, such as Emily's Diary, validated by the Royal College of General Practitioners, which offers gift packs in exchange for personal data, implies the approval of these products and practices by NHS doctors, radiographers and midwives; condemns the commercialisation of the NHS maternity ward; congratulates Poole NHS Hospital Trust for cancelling its contract with Bounty; and calls on the Government to stop allowing sales representatives on to all maternity wards, to ensure that materials handed to new parents at this time are informative without advertisement and to forbid the selling of data acquired at this time being sold on to third parties.
As an Amendment to John Robertson's proposed Motion (Marketing On Maternity Wards):
2Line1, leave out from 'notes' to end and add 'that pregnant women, new mothers and their families require access to information, advice and support; welcomes the provision of 2.6 million free pregnancy and newborn guides containing essential health information, including public health advice from the Department of Health, to all pregnant women and new mothers through Bounty parenting club packs; notes that Bounty packs reach 96 per cent of new mothers across the UK; further notes that 81 per cent of Bounty members have a household income of under £50,000; further welcomes the fact that 82 per cent of all UK child benefit is paid as a result of the forms distributed through Bounty packs; highlights that the distribution of child benefit forms through Bounty packs costs the taxpayer 10 pence per form compared to 33 pence per form through the post; further welcomes the partnership between NHS trusts, healthcare professionals and Bounty in working together to provide patient-centred care to pregnant women and new mothers; further highlights that criticism of Bounty has been led by its commercial competitor Mumsnet; and urges the Government to continue supporting parenting clubs such as Bounty, Emma's Diary by the Royal College of General Practitioners and Baby and You by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which offer an essential and valuable source of advice and information to women and their families.'. 10:7:13(a1)
327 UNIVERSAL CREDIT PILOTS 1:7:13
33That 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.
338 CHILD PROTECTION AND THE REACH CAMPAIGN 2:7:13
18That 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.
344 LEAH McGRATH GOODMAN AND HAUT DE LA GARENNE 2:7:13
3That this House welcomes the arrival in the UK of US journalist Leah McGrath Goodman, the only journalist known to have been banned from the UK at any time during the last 10 years; notes that she was banned by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in 2011 when she indicated an intention to research matters relating to Haut de la Garenne in Jersey; further notes that this was prior to the revelation of James Savile's visits to Haut de la Garenne; further notes that there are allegations children have disappeared from Jersey; further notes that the details of the original process resulting in her ban in 2011 and a full explanation of the delays in her being provided with a visa in 2013 have still not been revealed; calls on UKBA to provide the missing CCTV records of the events in 2011 and full details of the communications relating to her being banned and the inquiries which delayed the provision of her visa in 2013; further calls on the Jersey government to co-operate with Ms Goodman in her investigations into the disappearance of these children; and further calls for the Government to stop being complacent about the disappearance of children from care in recent years and for the Government to recognise that an independent audit is required not only for financial arrangements but also for the outcomes for children.
346 HEWLETT PACKARD JOBS AND THE DWP EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROGRAMME 2:7:13
18That 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 further 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.
353 UK MUSIC SKILLS ACADEMY 4:7:13
29That 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.
366 RATE OF TRANSPLANTATION FOR PEOPLE WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS 8:7:13
29That this House recognises Cystic Fibrosis week, 24 to 29 June 2013; notes that up to 30 per cent of people with cystic fibrosis on the lung transplant list will not receive one and will die waiting; further notes that although new treatments and better clinical care are helping people with cystic fibrosis live longer, most people will suffer irreparable decline in lung function and the only treatment option to prolong life significantly is a lung transplant; further recognises that there are currently around 80 people with cystic fibrosis awaiting a heart or lung transplant in the UK; welcomes the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's consultation to gather the views of stakeholders and highlight specific issues affecting transplantation for people with cystic fibrosis; and supports the call for all patients, family members, clinicians and transplant organisations to take part in the consultation to ensure that all those who are suitable for a lung transplant receive one and that those who do receive a transplant have the best possible outcomes.
369 COVENTRY CITY FOOTBALL CLUB 8:7:13
19That this House notes the long-running dispute between Coventry City Football Club and the owners of the Ricoh Arena, Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL), over stadium rent, match-day revenues and stadium ownership; further notes that Sisu, the club's owners, have been looking at options for a new stadium; recognises that the club has been in administration after being taken to court by ACL and that the Ricoh Arena ended negotiations in May 2013; further notes the proposed sale of the club by the administrator to Otium Entertainment Group Ltd; understands that the club is considering hiring Northampton's ground for home games; expresses dismay at the possibility of Coventry City Football Club playing home games outside Coventry; further notes that the Minister of State for Sport and Tourism said in an adjournment debate that he would be happy to intervene in this matter at a stage at which his intervention might be helpful, 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 67WH and believes that this time has come; and, given that all parties have taken up entrenched positions, calls on the Sports and Tourism Minister to convene an urgent meeting between the club, ACL, Coventry City Council, which half owns ACL, and the Football League to negotiate an interim arrangement to enable the club to remain at the Ricoh Arena until a final settlement can be reached.
As an Amendment to Mr Jim Cunningham's proposed Motion (Coventry City Football Club):
11Line2, leave out from '(ACL)' to end and add 'and condemns the decision of the Football League to allow the owners of Coventry City Football Club to play their homes games for the next three years over 30 miles away from the city in Northampton; believes there is no viable plan or intention of the owners to return to the Coventry area and that therefore this permission is in contravention of the League’s own policy; believes rather than seeking a £1 million surety from the club obliging their return, the League should have investigated the situation as well as the background of an organisation that put itself into administration having run up many millions of debt while ensuring that it was structured in such a way that it would itself be the main creditor, and that this was a deliberate strategy developed over time to defraud its creditors; further believes that this kind of owner brings the game of football into disrepute; and calls on the Government, if the League will not act, to draw up proposals to reform the governance of the game and prevent this kind of abuse.'. 8:7:13(a1)
385 USE OF EPILIM IN PREGNANCY 10:7:13
8That this House notes the BBC Panorama programme broadcast on 1 July 2013 entitled The truth about pills and pregnancy, which identified the offspring health risks of some medicine consumption by pregnant women; recognises the evidence that the epilepsy drug Epilim (sodium valproate), manufactured by Sanofi Aventis, has been responsible for a range of disabilities and health problems in up to 20,000 children since this drug was first licensed in 1973; acknowledges the evidence of the consultant clinical gynecologist, Dr Peter Turnpenny, on Panorama that, at the severe end of the fetal valproate syndrome spectrum, even young adults struggle with independent living; supports the call by the Independent Fetal Anti-Convulsant Trust (IN-FACT) for an inquiry into the reason why sodium valproate has harmed so many young people over such a long time; congratulates the members of the National Advisory Council to the Thalidomide Trust for the active support they are providing to this campaign; and urges the Government to establish such an inquiry immediately.
386 TYNE AND WEAR METRO CLEANERS AND THE LIVING WAGE 10:7:13
10That this House welcomes the growing consensus for workers to be paid a living wage; notes, however, that cleaning members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) working for Churchill on the Tyne and Wear Metro have now been in dispute for a year in their campaign for a living wage and have scheduled a further two weeks' strike action commencing on 12 July 2013; pays tribute to the courage and determination of these low-paid workers to achieve justice; is dismayed that these workers are being denied a living wage despite Churchill doubling its profits in the last five years and the contracting company DB Schenker increasing its profits by 240 per cent; is appalled that, as DB Schenker is owned by German state railways, profits that could be used to pay the living wage and boost the North East economy are instead being used to support the German economy; believes that this cannot be in the interests of passengers and taxpayers; and therefore calls for an urgent summit to resolve this dispute involving the local transport authority, the RMT union, Churchill and DB Schenker.
387 SKILLS SAFETY IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR 10:7:13
17That this House is concerned that the current review of the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM 2007) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), planned for August 2013, will remove the reference to individual competence; recognises that the inclusion of competence in the CDM regulations is vital to ensure that the number of serious injuries and fatalities on construction sites are kept to a minimum; notes that whilst direct employee and employer relationships are referenced in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, inclusion in the CDM regulations ensures that competence is extended to the supply chain relationships that are so vital in the construction industry; and urges the Government and HSE to consider retaining the reference, to ensure the principal contractor always has responsibility for checking all those working on a site are competent.
393 SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN THE US PRISON SYSTEM 11:7:13
6That this House is shocked by the extensive and systematic use of solitary confinement in the US prison system; notes that on any given day, an estimated 80,000 prisoners in the US are confined in some form of isolation either in purpose-built super maximum security prisons or within smaller units inside prisons; further notes that studies have shown that prolonged and indefinite incarceration of prisoners in conditions of reduced sensory and environmental stimulation causes severe physical and psychological damage; is dismayed by the continued incarceration of the two remaining members of the Angola Three, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, who have been kept in solitary confinement in Louisiana for over 40 years and denied any meaningful review of the reasons for their isolation; further notes that the evidence against Mr Wallace and Mr Woodfox which resulted in their conviction for the murder of a prison guard remains highly contested; will follow closely the men's continuing legal appeals against the murder conviction and their civil case against Louisiana state claiming that their prolonged isolation constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, thereby violating the US constitution; and calls on the UK Government to raise this issue and the case of Mr Wallace and Mr Woodfox with the relevant US authorities.
394 SUPPORTING THE EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP SECTOR 11:7:13
7That this House welcomes the UK's first Employee Ownership Day; notes the success of businesses owned by and for their staff; recognises the productivity, profitability and motivational benefits which employee ownership brings to UK businesses; further notes that employee-owned businesses still only account for around 3 per cent of GDP, which is below the EU average, and far lower than countries like the US, France or Germany; welcomes the Government's commitment to provide £50 million annually from 2014-15 and the recent HM Treasury consultation to further incentivise growth of the sector; and hopes that this will level the playing field and help the Employee Ownership Association realise their vision to see 10 per cent of UK GDP produced by employee-owned businesses by 2020.
396 PIPER ALPHA DISASTER 25th ANNIVERSARY 11:7:13
2That this House notes with sadness the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster which claimed the lives of 167 people on 6 July 1988; recognises the courage and commitment of families and survivors including Ed Punchard, a diver who has campaigned for 167 annual scholarships to commemorate the victims' sacrifice; and deplores the fact that the energy companies have never provided the resources to fully fund the scholarship programme.
397 SELLAFIELD MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES 11:7:13
3That this House believes that proposals to build a second mixed oxide (MOX) plant at Sellafield at a cost of up to £5 billion of taxpayers' money would be an outrageous waste of money following the lamentable failure of the first MOX plant, which had an efficiency of less than seven per cent; is convinced that continued reprocessing at Sellafield is environmentally hazardous, unnecessary and economically unsustainable; notes the continued and unremitting cost escalations at Sellafield, now running to over £70 billion and rising; and calls on the Government to replace the nuclear management partners with a competent management team, and to bring the proposed new contract for Sellafield management before Parliament for scrutiny before finalising the deal.
401 CELTIC NATIONS AUTISM PARTNERSHIP 11:7:13
2That this House praises the innovative work of the Celtic Nations Autism Partnership, in particular the pioneering work of Autism Cymru and respective Celtic national governments in their progressive national approaches to autism which improve the lives of people with autism; notes that a Wales Autism Research Centre has been established in Cardiff University, increasing the investment and focus into autism research in Wales; recognises the Welsh Government's renewed commitment to continually develop national strategies for autism, providing vital and progressive aid to people with autism spectrum disorders and their families; and encourages the third sector to collaborate to deliver a comparable and ambitious all-age strategy and action for England thus ensuring that the UK as a whole can benefit.
402 RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN ARMED CONFLICT 11:7:13
3That this House notes that victims of rape in situations of armed conflict are defined as wounded and sick under international law; further notes that as such they are entitled to non-discriminatory medical treatment, including counselling and abortion services; observes that UK aid funding should respect the supremacy of international law in respect of the rights of women who have suffered rape in conflict zones; and calls on the Government to review all funding to aid agencies operating in conflict zones to ensure that all aid providers in receipt of UK monies facilitate access to counselling and abortion services for all women and girls impregnated by rape.
403 ANTI-MUSLIM VIOLENCE IN BURMA 11:7:13
5That this House expresses deep concern at the growing anti-Muslim violence in Burma; is concerned that the government of Burma has still not taken action against those inciting and organising violence; is further concerned by growing Buddhist nationalism in the country and that other religious minorities could also be targeted; is further concerned that, despite Muslims being the majority of the victims of violence, they also make up the vast majority of those being charged with violent offences; calls on the Government to significantly increase support for programmes promoting religious tolerance in Burma; and further calls on the Government to mobilise and co-ordinate an international task force to help address religious violence in Burma.
404 BRENDAN JAMESON GAMES AREA AT BROCKBECK 12:7:13
1That this House commends the decision by Kirkbarrow Residents Association to name the new multi-use games area at Brockbeck in honour of the late Councillor Brendan Jameson; recognises that this is a fitting tribute to Brendan's gargantuan contribution to public life in his beloved hometown of Kendal; welcomes the latest addition to the lasting legacy his tireless service has provided for all residents, including full recycling services and over 500 affordable homes; and calls on the people of Kendal to make full use of the new facility in his memory.
405 NEW BRAND IDENTITY FOR GLASGOW AIRPORT 12:7:13
2That this House welcomes the launch of Glasgow Airport's new brand identity; congratulates Renfrewshire design agency Designline Creative on being chosen to design the new identity; believes the new brand communicates the airport’s passion for its customers and for Scotland with its use of the distinctive Thistle emblem and its supporting strapline Proud to serve Scotland; recognises that Glasgow Airport plays an important role as a champion for economic development in Renfrewshire and the west of Scotland; and further believes that the new brand will help enhance Glasgow Airport's status as a leading business and leisure gateway ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
406 BARNARDO'S AND TACKLING CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION 12:7:13
13That this House applauds Barnardo's, one of the UK's leading children's charities, for its continued work on tackling child sexual exploitation (CSE); believes CSE is still a hidden issue and recognises that in 2012 alone the charity helped over 1400 sexually exploited children and young people through 23 specialist services; praises its campaign to highlight the fact that no child can ever truly agree to being sexually exploited; encourages an improved system linking project workers to be actively working with the police, local authorities, local faith organisations, local community organisations and other stakeholders to identify victims and offer them appropriate support; and calls for effective facilitating of policing and securing successful prosecutions.
407 G4S AND THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE 12:7:13
1That this House welcomes the Secretary of State for Justice calling in the Serious Fraud Office to investigate G4S; notes that the company's failure to co-operate with a voluntary audit of its billing practices into its tagging contract raises serious questions about the company's credentials and other contracts to provide public services; further notes the jury verdict of unlawful killing into the death during the deportation of Jimmy Mubenga at the hands of three G4S guards who unlawfully restrained him, with his hands cuffed behind his back while he was seat belted into a seat on a BA flight at Heathrow raises serious concerns about G4S's treatment of vulnerable people in its care; notes G4S's failures over the provision of security for the Olympics in 2012 suggesting an urgent inquiry is required into all of the company's Government contracts, including its handling of Palestinian prisoners in Israel; and calls on the Government to review all Government contracts with G4S.
408 MENINGITIS B: BEAT IT NOW CAMPAIGN 12:7:13
1That this House notes that a new vaccine against meningitis B, Bexsero, has been licensed for use in the UK; celebrates this medical breakthrough with the potential to save thousands of lives especially among children aged under five; recognises that the vaccine's optimum impact would be achieved by its inclusion in the Routine Child Immunisation Schedule of the NHS; applauds the Meningitis UK and Meningitis Trust campaign Meningitis B: Beat It Now highlighting the important opportunity to prevent the devastating impact of the most common form of meningitis in the UK; welcomes their new awareness tour with giant mobile billboard and petition ahead of crucial meetings on whether Bexsero should be in the schedule; and urges the Government to take this opportunity to save thousands of lives and prevent life-changing after-effects with a timely positive decision to include Bexsero in the Child Immunisation Schedule.