Session 2013-14
House of Commons
25th October 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
560 INTERNATIONAL CRIMES TRIBUNAL IN BANGLADESH 14:10:13
19That this House notes that questions have been raised about the procedures being used for the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh; further notes that this tribunal has been used to impose the death penalty on opposition politicians such as Abdul Kader Mullah; calls on the Government to urge Bangladesh to cease the use of the death penalty; and further calls for an international review of the procedures being used for this tribunal.
569 BANGLADESH INTERNATIONAL CRIMES TRIBUNAL AND CASE OF ABDUL KADER MULLAH 15:10:13
22That this House is very concerned about the failure of the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which despite its name is a domestic court, to uphold international fair trial standards; is particularly alarmed about the denial of due process rights in the case of Abdul Kader Mullah, a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party convicted of war crimes, who has recently been sentenced to death with no possibility of the sentence being reviewed, in contravention of Bangladesh's international human rights obligations; notes also the criticisms raised in connection with the trial of the Bangladesh National Party MP, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who was recently convicted on charges including murder and genocide and sentenced to death, subject to an appeal; notes that, while holding perpetrators to account for the atrocities committed in the 1971 war of independence is important, the denial of due process in these trials threatens to undermine the very legitimacy of the ICT and result in further political instability and violence; and calls on the Government to raise these concerns as a matter of urgency with the government of Bangladesh and to urge it to end the possibility of the death penalty being handed down in these trials and allow legal experts from the international community to support the work of the ICT.
596 WORLD PSORIASIS DAY 17:10:13
6That this House notes that World Psoriasis Day takes place on 29 October 2013 in order to raise worldwide public awareness of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and give a voice to people who suffer from these long-term, chronic auto-immune conditions; further notes that these conditions place a heavy burden on patients, families and wider society; welcomes the recognition of the World Health Organisation Executive Board, where a resolution on psoriasis and World Psoriasis Day was proposed and discussed during the 133rd meeting, leading to its unanimous adoption; further welcomes the Psoriasis Association's national campaigns, including the upcoming Psoriasis Awareness Week, from 1 to 7 November 2013; and calls on the Government to ensure better services and outcomes for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by ensuring nationwide implementation of the newly published National Institute for Care Excellence Psoriasis Quality Standard.
598 WORLD POLIO DAY 21:10:13
23That this House notes that World Polio Day is on 24 October 2013; further notes that within five years polio, like smallpox, can be eradicated across the world; recognises that in the last 25 years cases are down 99 per cent with 2.5 billion vulnerable children reached through vaccination programmes which offer a blueprint for cost-effective, targeted and outcomes-driven international public health intervention; further notes that just three countries, from an original 125, now have endemic polio – Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan; understands that vaccination programmes must focus on these countries to eradicate the disease and prevent its return elsewhere; further recognises the contribution of more than 50,000 British Rotarians towards a polio-free world through their volunteering and £20 million fundraising contribution; realises that the funding gap for this final effort to eradicate polio is a tangible £620 million; appreciates that the Government has contributed a world-leading £600 million towards eradicating polio to date; and calls on the Government to help finish the job of creating a polio-free world by continuing to commit funding, maintaining the UK's commitment to the World Health Organisation, Rotary International, CDC and Unicef's Global Polio Eradication Initiative and associated Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-18 and ensuring the UK's continued global leadership role through seeking support from international bodies, governments, non-governmental organisations, corporations and the wider general public to help eradicate this disease once and for all.
599 COMMUNITY PUBS 21:10:13
13That this House supports community pubs; notes that 80 per cent of pubs are small businesses; further notes that business rates form a significant part of a pub's fixed costs; and calls on the Government to support the British Beer and Pub Association and CAMRA's Better Rates for Pubs campaign to extend small business rate relief for pubs beyond April 2014, promote take-up of rural rate relief for pubs and review the revaluation process for pub business rates to ensure that the valuation accurately reflects the pub's actual turnover.
603 TEXTILE WORKERS IN BANGLADESH 22:10:13
16That this House notes that Bangladesh is currently the world's second-biggest producer of textiles and garments, and that it's mostly-female workforce of four million people are the lowest paid in the world and face appalling working conditions on a daily basis for less than £28 a month; deeply regrets the tragic disasters at garment factories across Bangladesh in recent months, which have claimed well over 1200 lives, left tens of thousands too injured to work and pushed millions more into poverty; commends Global Citizen's See Through Fashion campaign, which is working with the British fashion industry to encourage retailers to sign up to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which will ensure better safety and working conditions for the people who make a majority of Britain's clothes; further commends industry leaders like Primark, Arcadia, River Island and Matalan for signing up to the Accord to ensure that their supply chains are transparent and do not expose their consumers to the moral toxicity of wearing clothes manufactured admidst such fatally-flawed business practices; condemns the deplorable delay of the remaining British retailers like Edinburgh Woollen Mill who also own Peacocks and Sports Direct, who continue to refuse to sign the Accord and who find themselves in an ever-shrinking minority of British retailers on the wrong side of both the financial and moral arguments; and urges them to sign up to the Accord at the earliest opportunity.
604 CYBER-BULLYING 22:10:13
24That this House congratulates Cybersmile, the cyber-bulling charity, for being shortlisted for the UK's Best New Charity Award at the 2013 Charity Times Awards; draws attention to the growing problem of cyber-bullying in the UK; highlights research from Cybersmile which indicates that 44 per cent of teachers believe there have been more than 10 incidents of cyber-bullying in their school in the past 12 months and that around three quarters of teachers have personal experience of cyber-bullying and only a third of schools have a specific cyber-bullying policy; notes with concern that cyber-bullying is a crime that can affect victims anytime anywhere, including in the home; and calls on the Government and devolved administrations to ensure that cyber-bullying is included as part of the curriculum in all schools so that children can be made properly aware of the issue and know who to turn to for advice and support in the event that they experience cyber-bullying.
605 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013 22:10:13
8That this House welcomes to the UK the national teams of Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and USA for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup; hopes for victories for England, Scotland and Wales over whichever opposition they play over the course of the tournament; congratulates all those involved in RLWC2013 on the build-up to what will be the biggest and best rugby league international event to date; is grateful to all the volunteers in Team 13 for their involvement; notes the record number of crowds achieved even before the tournament kicks-off; is looking forward to a fantastic spectacle of international sport; and further hopes it will be another major multi-national sporting event for which Britain can be proud.
606 GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR TOURISM IN NORTHERN IRELAND 22:10:13
9That this House believes that the Government must do more to support the tourism industry and hospitality sector; acknowledges the vital role this sector plays in the economy in Northern Ireland and supports the drive to encourage more visitors to see the wonderful attractions Northern Ireland has on offer; recognises that the Irish government has retained a sector-targeted lower rate of VAT for the tourism industry of nine per cent and has scrapped airport passenger duty which will provide a further stimulus for the industry; further acknowledges that the lower rate of VAT for tourism in Ireland has created 9,000 jobs and that tourist numbers have increased by 142,000 in the last year; and calls on the Government to enact similar measures to boost growth in the tourism sector in Northern Ireland and make it more economically competitive.
607 DETENTION OF GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS IN RUSSIA 22:10:13
33That this House is concerned that 28 Greenpeace activists, a freelance photographer and a freelance videographer, from 18 countries in total, have been detained in Russia since 19 September 2013, following a peaceful protest at the Prirazlomnaya oil drilling platform operated by Gazprom in Arctic waters; notes that there are six British nationals among those detained: Iain Rogers, Frank Hewetson, Kieron Bryan, Alexandra Harris, Anthony Perrett and Philip Ball; considers the piracy charges they face to be completely unfounded; observes that President Vladimir Putin and his adviser Mikhail Fedotov have made similar comments regarding the absence of any justification for accusations of piracy and that 11 Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu have written to the Russian President calling for the excessive charges to be dropped; welcomes steps taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to provide consular assistance and make representations to Russian officials; urges the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to ensure these efforts continue as a matter of priority; further notes the overwhelming support from global civil society, which has seen over 1.5 million people appeal for the release of the Arctic 30; and calls on the Government to continue to make urgent representations to the Russian government to secure the release of all detainees without delay.
608 ELECTRICAL FIRE SAFETY WEEK 2013 22:10:13
16That this House notes that, according to the Electrical Safety Council (ESC), misuse of electrical appliances is now the number one cause of dwelling fires in Great Britain; welcomes safety messages from the ESC, Fire Kills campaign and fire and rescue services nationwide in the context of Electrical Fire Safety Week 2013; and urges householders to undertake basic visual safety checks in order to stop preventable fire accidents from occurring in their own home.
610 ENERGY PRICES AND THE PROFITS OF UTILITIES 23:10:13
8That this House notes the suggestion of Sir John Major for a windfall tax of excess profits of energy utilities; and calls for detailed proposals for such an approach to be developed by the Government with a view towards protecting the more vulnerable members of society.
611 PRIVATE PROSECUTIONS OF THE POLICE AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THE CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE 23:10:13
5That this House notes that at times the police and public servants are prosecuted for perjury and other offences in private prosecutions; believes that having the facility for a private prosecution is an important safeguard when the prosecutors refuse to prosecute; further notes that in a number of cases the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has taken over such prosecutions merely to prevent the prosecution from progressing; further believes that this raises concerns as to whether this is a misuse of its power to intervene, when the option to have a case struck out for lack of evidence exists to prevent false prosecutions; and calls for the CPS to list all of the prosecutions that it has taken over in the last decade along with details of the employer of the person being prosecuted, what they have done and the reasons for that decision.
612 HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS ENQUIRY CENTRES 23:10:13
14That this House is concerned by Government plans to close all HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) 281 enquiry centres throughout the UK; notes that only 87 customers in the pilot area in the North East of England managed to secure a face-to-face appointment during the first two months of the pilot, compared to 2,182 over the same period in 2012; further notes that as a result of the closures more pressure will be put onto HMRC contact centres, which already struggle to meet existing caller demand; recognises that the decision to end the contracts of 4,500 staff employed as fixed term appointments by March 2014 will further compound the misery of members of the public and the business community who want to comply with the tax system, potentially increasing disengagement with HMRC and leading to more tax avioidance and evasion; and calls on the Government to reconsider its proposals to close the HMRC enquiry centre network and to ensure that adequate levels of properly trained, permanent staff are put in place to meet public service demand.
613 EXTENSION OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 23:10:13
12That this House praises the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the transparency and openness it has brought to the public sector and the public right of access of information held by central and local government and its agencies; notes that public services delivered by private companies are currently beyond the scope of the 2000 Act; further notes that, as growing amounts of public services are privatised, ever decreasing amounts of public spend are subject to freedom of information; and supports calls to extend the legislation so that public services contracted out to the private and third sector are covered by freedom of information legislation.
614 UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UNION 23:10:13
3That this House notes the University of London's intention to derecognise the University of London Union from August 2014, abolishing its democratic function and replacing it with a management-run services centre; further notes that neither the University's review group nor any of its governing bodies contain a single student; believes that the University of London Union has recently played an iconic role in the student movement and that the presence of a cross-London representative body is essential given the specific and acute problems that students in London face; further believes that the plans to abolish the University of London Union would damage the experience of student life for many students, would set a dangerous precedent and are contrary to the principles of democratic community which bind higher education; supports students in defending the University of London Union as a student-run entity for all students in London; reminds the University of London that the right to independent representation and freedom to organise democratically at every level of an institution are basic rights and are enshrined in the spirit of the Education Act 1994, and that it has no right to shut down its student union; and urges the University of London to reconsider its plans.
615 NATIONAL ADHD WEEK 23:10:13
6That this House notes that National ADHD Week was held from 14 to 20 October 2013; further notes how attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has the ability to complicate a child's life and that of its family without the correct and continued support; and urges that no barriers are placed in the way of a child's success who suffers from ADHD.
616 ARMED FORCES COVENANT 23:10:13
10That this House notes that service personnel are disadvantaged as a direct result of the absence of an armed forces covenant in Northern Ireland; and calls on the Government to ensure that any such disadvantages are addressed and identified needs are met.
617 HUMAN TRAFFICKING (No. 2) 23:10:13
10That this House recognises the growing phenomenon of human trafficking within the UK's local communities; and supports the efforts of each individual group as they raise awareness within schools, churches and communities in an attempt to end this heinous crime.
618 REFUGEES 23:10:13
9That this House expresses condolences to the families of those refugees who lost their lives trying to enter Europe in sub-standard carriers; notes the rescue of 350 people by the Italian authorities; and calls on European governments to take measures to prevent further tragedies and to offer resources to police the waters between Africa and Europe.
619 BBC REMUNERATION LEVELS 23:10:13
6That this House notes a range of comments from highly placed people at the BBC, including Alan Yentob and Sir David Attenborough, regarding the extent of remuneration being paid to senior staff and presenters, Sir David having described this as a huge embarrassment; acknowledges the limited degree to which the BBC as a public service broadcaster has moved in the face of continuing criticism of its refusal to declare a more precise banding of earnings levels; and calls on the BBC to indicate a precise timeframe for its move towards more openness as a broadcaster paid for out of the public purse via the licence fee.
620 SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE DURING RECONSIDERATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT ALLOWANCE REFUSALS 23:10:13
14That this House notes that at present people who apply for employment and support allowance (ESA) and are declared fit for work can ask for this decision to be reconsidered prior to lodging a formal appeal; further notes that at present people can continue to receive ESA at the assessment rate during this period; welcomes the introduction of reconsideration in all cases as of 28 October 2013; expresses concern that people will no longer be able to claim ESA during this period; further expresses concern that their only alternative will be to apply for jobseeker's allowance (JSA), for which being fit for work is a condition of receipt; further notes that since October 2008 four in 10 appeals have been successful; fears that in future people who are awarded ESA on appeal will be ineligible for both ESA or JSA during reconsideration; believes that the Government has a duty to support those who cannot support themselves through no fault of their own; and calls on Ministers to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that ESA claimants can continue to receive the benefit at the assessment rate during this period.
622 FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY 23:10:13
8That this House congratulates the Football Association (FA) on the occasion of its 150th anniversary on 26 October 2013; notes that the FA is the oldest governing body in football; commends the FA's not-for-profit commitment to supporting football since 1863; further commends the £100 million invested by the FA annually into football including facilities for grassroots football, coaching programmes for boys and girls, and development programmes for people with disabilities; welcomes the FA's valuable contribution to and support of the national game; and looks forward to hearing the progress of the newly-appointed FA Commission into English Football.
623 PRIVATISATION IN THE PRISON SERVICE 23:10:13
6That this House calls for an urgent and independent review into the impact of privatisation in the Prison Service; is concerned that the latest Ministry of Justice report on prison annual performance ratings, published in July 2013, gave the G4S-run HM Prison Oakwood and Serco-run HM Prison Thameside the lowest ranking possible; is alarmed that the Chief Inspector of Prisons in his report on an unannounced inspection of that prison in June 2013, has confirmed that drug use at the 1,600-place privately-run HM Prison Oakwood, which opened in April 2012, is more than twice the rate of similar jails, while inmates find it difficult to get hold of clean prison clothing, basic toiletries and cleaning materials; would be deeply concerned at any suggestion that the newly-proposed super prison near Wrexham be a privately-run prison; and calls on the Secretary of State for Justice to commission an independent review to consider the overall impact of privatisation in the Prison Service, addressing the process, finance and impact on prisoners, staff, communities and the public.
626 DIABETES COURSE KIDS IN CONTROL OF FOOD - KICk-OFF 24:10:13
3That this House congratulates Dr Kath Price and nurse Julie Knowles from Sheffield Children's Hospital for their award at the annual Quality in Care Awards for the best improvement programme for children and young people; notes that this pair of medics set up an education course for school children with diabetes; welcomes the five-day scheme called Kids in Control of Food – KICk-OFF which was designed with help from teachers at King Edward VII school in Broomhill; recognises that the course teaches youngsters aged 11 to 16 with Type 1 diabetes how to match insulin doses to their particular lifestyles; further notes that there are about 29,000 children and young people with diabetes in the UK, an estimated 26,500 of whom have Type 1 diabetes, about 500 have Type 2 diabetes and a further 2,000 have not been diagnosed; and further welcomes the scheme’s work towards reducing children's risk of long-term health problems.
628 LACK OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION FROM ONLINE STREAMING COMPANIES 24:10:13
2That this House notes that the three largest online streaming companies, Netflix, LoveFilm and Sky, do not offer audio description as part of their services; further notes that audio description is essential to enable blind people to use these services and that, without it, these services are effectively denied to blind people; calls on these online streaming companies to introduce audio description as soon as possible; and further calls on the Government to use its influence to ensure that audio description is introduced by Netflix, LoveFilm and Sky.