Session 2013-14
House of Commons
4th September 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
450 PARLIAMENTARY RIGHT TO DEBATE MILITARY ACTION 29:8:13
60That this House believes that Parliament should, as of right, normally hold a debate before any British commitment to military action.
451 WELFARE OF IMPORTED PUPPIES 29:8:13
10That this House notes with concern the growing number of puppies being imported from Eastern Europe following the relaxation of the UK's quarantine rules; further notes that some points of entry have recorded an increase in the number of illegally imported dogs detained; is concerned at the lack of specific regulations governing transport conditions and journey times for these animals; is further concerned that many may be reared and transported in poor conditions; questions the validity of the paperwork accompanying many of these animals; is further concerned that these imports could introduce disease to the UK, potentially including rabies; applauds the work of the FOUR PAWS organisation and others in this area; and calls on the Government to strengthen the current rules to end this trade in puppies and protect the UK's rabies-free status.
452 ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS 29:8:13
27That this House calls on the Government to ensure that workers' rights are protected and that a race to the bottom is avoided; notes with great concern the large number of workers in all sectors employed on zero hour contracts; further notes that, while this flexibility can suit some workers, on the whole it undermines employment, financial and family stability and raises grave doubts about employers' commitment to the welfare of their employees; urges employers to invest in a stable and secure workforce whose skills and aspirations are recognised and encouraged through longer term contracts, training and proper observation of workplace rights.
453 SYRIA AND THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS 29:8:13
13That this House deplores the chemical weapons attacks and appalling loss of life in Syria; notes that the reports of weapons inspectors in Syria are yet to be published and that there is no UN authorisation for military action; calls for refugees from the Syrian conflict to be fully assisted and supported; and believes that the case for military action against Syria has not been established.
455 ARTICLE 18: AN ORPHANED RIGHT? REPORT 29:8:13
11That this House welcomes the publication of the new report Article 18: An Orphaned Right? by the All Party Parliamentary Group on International Religious Freedom; notes that this report examines abuses of religious freedom using the framework of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of religion or belief; congratulates the authors of the report for producing a concise and clear survey of abuses of freedom of religion or belief throughout the world, affecting people of all religions and none; endorses the Report's policy recommendations including the appointment of an Ambassador for Religious Freedom and the establishment of a Foreign and Commonwealth Office advisory committee on freedom of religion or belief; and calls on the Government to accept these recommendations as soon as possible.
456 RUSSIA-GEORGIA CRISIS 29:8:13
5That this House recognises that the Russia-Georgia crisis has now had its fifth anniversary; commends all those who are committed to retaining the peace and enhancing cooperation between the two nations; and asks the Foreign Office to apply diplomatic measures to ensure that there is a recognition of the sovereignty of each state and that all soldiers are withdrawn from areas which are not owned by each nation individually.
457 MARTIN LUTHER KING 'I HAVE A DREAM' 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPEECH 29:8:13
25That this House remembers the great work carried out by Martin Luther King in the search for equal rights in America; recalls with sadness on this the 50th anniversary of his `I have a dream' speech, the assassination of this great man; notes that it is one of the most famous and well-known speeches in history and reaffirms the need for true racial equality throughout the world.
459 DEFRA-FUNDED ELECTRIC SHOCK COLLAR RESEARCH 29:8:13
6That this House recognises the findings of the published, DEFRA-funded, research into the use of electric shock collars on dogs which demonstrated that electric shock collars caused negative behavioural and physiological changes in a portion of dogs, were not more effective than positive reinforcement methods which is the main argument for their use and were open to misuse as owners either did not read the manuals or they were not provided; notes that positive training tools, including recall training, retractable leads and clicker training, help build a relation of mutual trust and liking between owner and dog rather than a relationship based on fear and pain; and urges the Government to implement a ban on electric shock collars as was done in Wales under its Animal Welfare Act 2006 to stop unnecessary pain and distress to dogs.
460 BILL WALKER MSP 29:8:13
12That this House believes that Bill Walker MSP should vacate his seat in the Scottish Parliament immediately.
461 BAKERS' INDUSTRIAL ACTION OVER ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS 29:8:13
25That this House expresses grave concern over the rise in the number of UK workers employed on zero hours contracts and the growth of casualisation across the labour market; notes the serious and detrimental impact of zero hours contracts on many people who lack the ability to plan their lives or budget effectively; resolves to support workers at Hovis (Premier Foods) in Wigan who have rejected the employment of agency labour on zero hours contracts following recent redundancies and have been left with no choice other than to take industrial action over these concerns; believes that the company's failure to withdraw agency labour from the site sets a damaging precedent, undermines current terms and conditions, creates a two-tier workforce and leaves a poor legacy for subsequent generations of people who may be employed at Hovis in the future; further notes the outstanding messages of solidarity from members of the public; and urges the company to re-enter negotiations with the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union to resolve this dispute fairly, amicably and in accordance with the strength of feeling among the workforce and the general public.
462 ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE MARCH IN TOWER HAMLETS 2:9:13
9That this House notes that the English Defence League (EDL) intends to march in Tower Hamlets on 7 September 2013; further notes that previous attempts by EDL members to march in Tower Hamlets over the last couple of years have been stopped either through bans or police arrests; further notes that the intention of the EDL is to whip up racial tension, division and violence directed particularly against the large Muslim community in Tower Hamlets; further notes that Tower Hamlets Council has voted to support a ban on the EDL marching and the directly elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets has called for such a ban; and calls on the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to recommend to the Home Secretary that the EDL should be banned, and that the Home Secretary should then ban the EDL from marching in Tower Hamlets on 7 September 2013.
463 SEAMUS HEANEY 2:9:13
83That this House mourns the passing of Seamus Heaney, great poet, most gentle man of deep humility, high honour and wide-smiled humour, whose cadent, lyrical, ethereal and earthed verse voiced a special spokesperson for the natured heart of humanity, whose warm, wise way epitomised a soul-uncle for all touched by his charming presence or reached by his stirring, stilling words who had the grace of genius and who showed the genius of grace.
464 WITHDRAWAL OF THE MINIMUM PRACTICE INCOME GUARANTEE 2:9:13
5That this House recognises that the withdrawal of the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee for General Practices will disproportionately affect small rural practices, such as those in Coniston and Hawkshead; notes that this loss in funding may result in these surgeries being forced to close; further notes that these practices are vital to the communities they serve, particularly in large rural areas; and therefore calls on NHS England, the Department of Health and the British Medical Association to intervene so that specific financial and administrative support is given to small rural general practices to ensure their ongoing viability.
465 CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL OTLEY BUSINESS CRAFTSMAN TOOLS 2:9:13
6That this House congratulates all staff past and present who have worked hard to keep vital local business Craftsman Tools thriving in Otley for 60 years; recognises the hard work which has gone into the continued successful expansion overseas and local development of the business over the past 60 years; welcomes its dedication to the local community; commends Craftsman Tools for creating a new apprentice training area this year and thus showing its commitment to young people in the area by employing and training increasing numbers of apprentices in its factory; recognises its links with local university Leeds Metropolitan University and its commitment to aiding students with research projects; acknowledges the dedication shown by Craftsman Tools to providing jobs in the local community where they are much needed; wishes it every success in the future; and expresses its commitment to valuing local businesses and aiding them to succeed as Craftsman Tools has.
467 STATE PENSION CHANGES FOR WOMEN BORN IN 1953 AND 1954 3:9:13
17That this House is aware that women reaching 59 and 60 years of age in 2013 have to contend with two changes to their state pension age leaving little time if any to make further arrangements; is further aware that a large proportion of them will miss out on the increased basic state pension scheduled to start in April 2017; and calls on the Government to rethink this unfairness which would lead to this group of women having to work an additional four to five years without the prospect of receiving even the increased basic pension at the end of their working lives.
468 FUTURE OF ACCESS TO HIGH-COST DRUGS FOR RARE DISEASES 3:9:13
12That this House welcomes the new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign on raising the issue of access to high-cost drugs for rare diseases; notes that difficulties in authorising new treatments could mean essential drugs don't reach families that need them; recognises the need for a simplified approval process for multi-centre trials; acknowledges that hospital trusts should promote research more effectively amongst rare disease patients; calls on the Government to establish a ring-fenced fund for rare disease drugs; further calls on the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England to speed up access to life-changing drugs after the final stages of clinical trials to ensure there are no major delays in treatments reaching children; and further calls on NHS England to ensure specialist centres are equipped with an appropriate range of health professionals to deliver treatments.
469 BBC CENSORSHIP AT THE PROMS 3:9:13
5That this House condemns the BBC for censoring comments made by violinist Nigel Kennedy when he spoke during a BBC Proms concert from the Royal Albert Hall while performing with a group of young Palestinian musicians; believes that the BBC’s worldwide reputation for impartiality and fairness has been undermined as a result of such censorship when it broadcast the concert on BBC 4 on 23 August 2013; applauds Mr Kennedy for drawing attention to the apartheid being operated by the government of Israel; and urges the Government to seek an explanation from the BBC as to whether its decision to delete the comments made by Mr Kennedy in the course of the concert was because of a complaint from former BBC Governor Baroness Deech.
470 CITY OF NEWCASTLE PIPE BAND'S CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TITLE 3:9:13
13That this House congratulates the City of Newcastle Pipe Band, which is based at HMS Calliope in Gateshead, for being awarded the Champion of Champions title at the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon, beating the Scottish competition; celebrates the resurgence of pipe playing in the North East, with 30 members in the City of Newcastle Band; and wishes the band every success in its future endeavours, particularly its quest to seek promotion from Grade 4 to Grade 3 in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.
471 SYRIA, THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT 4:9:13
5That this House notes the public's strong support for a UN solution to the crisis in Syria; and calls on the Government to take immediate steps to introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council referring President Bashar al-Assad to the International Criminal Court for prosecution for crimes against humanity.
472 TRIBUTE TO SIR DAVID FROST 4:9:13
4That this House expresses deep sympathy to the Frost family circle on the sudden death of Sir David Frost; acknowledges that he was perhaps one of the greatest British television personalities who will be sadly missed; and recognises with gratification a career which spanned 50 years of entertaining and informing the nation.
473 RICHARD III 4:9:13
1That this House welcomes the bid to reinter Richard III's remains in Leicester; notes that the former King's remains have remained buried in Leicester for over 500 years; recognises the essential role that the University of Leicester's archaeologists have played in uncovering his burial site; believes that it is only right and dignified that the remains remain in their resting place and not be transported to another place; hopes that the remains be buried in Leicester permanently; acknowledges that the Battle of Bosworth and this historical tale is another fantastic aspect to Leicester's cultural heritage; and calls on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to give the city the deserving title of City of Culture 2017.
474 OVERSEAS PENSIONERS 4:9:13
3That this House notes that Clause 20 of the Pensions Bill is intended to make lawful the continuation of the unintended, purposeless discrimination against those British overseas pensioners, mostly in Commonwealth countries, who are denied the normal increases given to equivalent pensioners at home, in the EU and in most foreign countries; and therefore asks the Government to withdraw Clause 20.
475 CLIFF MORGAN OBE 1930-2013 4:9:13
39That this House notes with sadness the death of Cliff Morgan OBE one of the greatest Wales and British and Irish Lions players who described the game of rugby as, a combination of opera, ballet and murder and played at a time when he humorously suggested Welsh players thought a coach was a posh bus; remembers his easy, deceptive humour which disguised the extensive abilities of a man who became one of the most consummate and influential television and radio sports commentators and television production executives; and further notes that he was a musician and gentleman and rounded individual who also pioneered the public promotion of disabled athletics and made a significant contribution to the celebrating of his country and its culture.
476 TAX HAVENS 4:9:13
4That this House notes with concern that one in five tax havens worldwide are under UK jurisdiction; further notes that although all the British Overseas Territories have committed to joining the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, none have actually done so and no time-frame has been set in which they will do so; further notes that the island of Sark, where income tax is set at zero per cent will not come under the new agreement signed by Guernsey so will be exempt from oversight on beneficial ownership; believes that clarification on when the register of beneficial ownership will come into force, which British Overseas Territories will sign up to the Register and whether it will be publicly accessible is required as a matter of urgency; observes that while the automatic sharing of tax information will aid transparency, it will not in itself alter the tax regimes which made these territories attractive to companies and individuals aiming to minimise their taxes; and calls on the Government to take action both domestically and internationally to tackle the use of tax havens by multinational companies and individuals operating in the UK or in territories under its jurisdiction.
477 REMEMBERING BILL SHANKLY 4:9:13
1That this House commemorates the remarkable life of the legendary football manager and lifelong socialist, Bill Shankly, who was born 100 years ago; notes that he was one of nine children, five of whom became professional footballers and grew up in the Ayrshire village of Glenbuck in the now-decimated Ayrshire coalfields; recalls that the first song he ever learned was the Red Flag; further notes that, despite the myth, he never played for Glenbuck Cherrypickers but for Cronberry Eglinton in the nearby village before he turned professional; further recalls that he spent two years as a miner before being signed by Carlisle United; marvels particularly at his achievement at Liverpool FC as manager where he transformed a team struggling in the Second Division into thrice winning the First Division, two FA Cups, four Charity Shields and the UEFA Cup; and passes on good wishes to his surviving relatives.
478 NORTHERN ECHO AND CREDIT UNIONS 4:9:13
5That this House congratulates the Northern Echo for providing free advertising space for local credit unions which promotes them as a viable alternative to payday loans and loan sharks.
479 NARENDRA MODI 4:9:13
1That this House calls on the Secretary of State for the Home Department to reinstitute the ban on Gujarat's Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, from entering the UK, given his role in the communal violence in 2002 that claimed the lives of hundreds if not thousands of Muslims, including British nationals; expresses its concern that the ban was lifted for economic and diplomatic reasons, ignoring the role Mr Modi and his administration played in the violence that warranted the ban that stood for more than 10 years; notes that Mr Modi was previously denied a visa on grounds that he was 'responsible for or directly carried out... particularly severe violations of religious freedom'; and calls on Mr Speaker and the House authorities to ban Mr Modi from entering the Palace of Westminster.
480 RECENT EVENTS AT CAMP ASHRAF 4:9:13
1That this House is aware of the tragic events that took place in Camp Ashraf in the early morning of 1 September 2013, when an armed raid transpired led by Iraqi forces who needlessly slaughtered at least 52 persons and kidnapped a number of other people who remain hostages; condemns unreservedly the actions which led to these deaths, with many of the deceased appearing to have died of gunshot wounds, the majority of which were to the head and upper body and several with their hands tied; reminds the Iraqi government of its human rights responsibilities and that those killed and taken were protected persons under the terms of the Geneva Convention; and demands the safe release of those held and an immediate and full inquiry into these actions.
481 RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, GIBRALTAR AND SPAIN 4:9:13
1That this House expresses concern regarding the Spanish government's refusal to accept referendums and their subsequent results as a valid procedure to resolve sovereignty-related matters in Gibraltar and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
482 NATIONAL DAY OF CATALONIA 4:9:13
3That this House congratulates all the people of Catalonia on the occasion of their National Day on 11 September 2013; and notes the peaceful and democratic spirit of the Via Catalana initiative in which hundreds of thousands of people will stage a 250-mile human chain that will cross the country, including its capital Barcelona, to call for the independence of Catalonia through democratic means.
483 UK DISABLED PEOPLE'S MANIFESTO 4:9:13
1That this House warmly welcomes the launch of the UK Disabled People's Manifesto, Reclaiming our Futures, developed by disabled people and their organisations across the UK, which sets out the shared vision of disabled people for an inclusive and equal society free from economic, social and cultural barriers; and urges all political parties represented in this House to engage in a constructive dialogue with the disabled people's organisations promoting the manifesto with the aim of achieving its objectives.