Session 2013-14
House of Commons
5th November 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
639 TRUSTEES' WEEK 2013 29:10:13
36That this House welcomes the fourth annual Trustees' Week between 4 and 10 November 2013 as an opportunity to recruit new trustees and to celebrate the work of nearly one million charity trustees across the UK and the vital contribution they make to civil society; notes the importance of the role good trustees and good governance play in successful charities across the UK; encourages everyone to think about the difference they could make to the community by becoming a trustee and to look at the Trustee's Week website for more information; urges hon. Members to attend the Trustees' Week reception at the Cabinet Office on 5 November 2013; and thanks the Charity Commission, OSCR, the Small Charities Coalition, Charity Finance Group, NCVO, SCVO, and Reach Volunteering for having had the foresight to establish Trustees' Week as an annual event, alongside a host of additional partners.
641 FORMATION OF THE POST-CRASH ECONOMICS SOCIETY AT MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY 29:10:13
9That this House congratulates the economics undergraduates at the University of Manchester who have formed the Post-Crash Economics Society, which aims to combat the orthodox neoliberal globalised free market teaching which has been churned out by many universities over the last 40 years and has been accepted and embraced by the leadership of the main political parties; notes that this neoliberal free market model has resulted in a massive increase in wealth for the richest one per cent of the population, while the vast majority of people have seen their incomes, terms of employment, public services and standard of living eroded; and hopes that students studying economics at other universities will follow the example of the Manchester undergraduates and challenge their own universities to acknowledge the failure and instability of unregulated free markets which resulted in the 2008 financial crisis, and which would have caused even more misery and destruction of jobs and businesses if the Government had not stepped in and nationalised parts of the financial sector, and the Bank of England had not injected vast sums of money into the economy through quantitative easing.
643 SAFE REGISTERED NURSE STAFFING ON HOSPITAL WARDS 29:10:13
18That this House shares deep concern about occasions when patient safety has been compromised on acute hospital wards; believes that any cases of inexcusably poor nurse practice should be rooted out; notes however, that many reports on such cases provide compelling evidence of a link between the adequacy of registered nurse numbers and the quality of patient outcomes; supports the work of the Safe Staffing Alliance in highlighting the need for safe registered nurse staffing , that cases of poor staffing should be routinely reported and that hospital care should be underpinned by a fundamental standard where a limit of eight patients to each registered nurse, excluding the nurse in charge, should never be breached; further notes recent supportive comments by respected authorities including Robert Francis QC; and calls on the Government to introduce new benchmark standards of safe registered nurse staffing on hospital wards.
644 CHARTISM AND PARLIAMENT 29:10:13
57That this House welcomes the recent lecture by Professor Malcolm Chase as an apposite recognition in Parliament of the Chartist Movement's legacy to parliamentary democracy; acknowledges with gratitude Mr Speaker's significant contribution to celebrating the 175th anniversary of the People's Charter by officially opening the Chartist exhibition in the No Lobby and allowing the Chartist lecture to be given in Mr Speaker's State Rooms; recognises the support of Mr Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art in establishing the permanent exhibition, Chartism 1838-1858, in the Upper Committee Corridor; notes that there is a web version of the exhibition at www. parliament.uk/art-chartism; notes that the Dearsley Windows at the end of St. Stephen's Hall include a depiction of the Chartist period; and places on record the professionalism of Melanie Unwin, Deputy Curator of the Parliamentary Art Collection, and the commitment of the All Party Group on Archives and History in accomplishing these appropriate tributes to our great forerunners, the Chartists.
648 WINDRUSH DAY 29:10:13
20That this House notes the cross-party campaign to celebrate a Windrush Day every year on 22 June to celebrate the positive contribution of the first generation of Caribbean immigrants since the MV Empire Windrush landed at Tilbury Docks on 22 June 1948; recognises that this generation have helped shape the UK's multicultural society, from their contribution to public service to literature, culture and food; and welcomes the statement by the Prime Minister on the 65th anniversary in 2013 praising their fortitude and determination in overcoming difficult challenges; and hopes that the Windrush generation, the last of whom are in their 80s and 90s, are remembered long into the future with an annual day of celebration.
650 INTERNET GOODS DELIVERY SURCHARGES 30:10:13
9That this House notes that people living in the north east of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands are often asked to pay substantial surcharges for the delivery of goods ordered over the internet; is concerned that such charges are often not clear to customers ordering products online; believes that such charges are unfair and discriminate against people living in the areas of the UK which are affected; welcomes the commitment of the UK Government to hold a delivery charge summit with major retailers; and backs calls from the Fairer Delivery Charges campaign for retailers to end excessive delivery surcharges and to offer delivery by Royal Mail when this is the cheaper option.
655 VISTEON UK LTD PENSION SCHEME 30:10:13
29That this House continues to note that, when Visteon UK Ltd was spun off from the Ford Motor Company, employees transferred from Ford's pension fund into the Visteon UK pension fund on the clear understanding that their pension rights would be unaffected; further notes that when Visteon UK subsequently went into administration, now over four years ago, former Ford employees suffered a substantial reduction in their pension rights; regrets that the resolution of any court action is still some way off; believes that Ford should recognise a duty of care to its former employees and should make good the pension losses suffered by those worst affected without the need for legal action; and calls on the Government to use the power and influence at its disposal to help ensure that Ford recognises its obligations and accepts voluntarily its duty of care to former Visteon UK pensioners.
656 CLOSURE OF NHS SERVICES 30:10:13
14That this House notes that the Secretary of State for Health has suffered another embarrassing legal defeat after the Court of Appeal judges ruled he had acted illegally in deciding to cut accident and emergency and maternity services at Lewisham Hospital; has concerns about Government amendment 168a to the Care Bill designed to change the rules to give the power to any hospital administrator appointed in England to dismantle hospital services arbitrarily, as long as a neighbouring hospital is deemed to be failing; believes that this attempt to sneak through a fundamental change to the way decisions are made about local hospitals makes a mockery of local scrutiny and democracy; and calls on the Government to accept that it has lost and to stop trying to change the law to enable it to close successful hospital services that the community wants and needs.
661 PILOT BADGER CULL PARLIAMENTARY ASSESSMENT AND VOTE (No. 2) 31:10:13
5That this House recognises that 145 hon. Members signed Early Day Motion 299 expressing concern over the pilot badger cull; notes that since this EDM was tabled the pilot badger culls have killed fewer badgers than was envisaged and that the cull timetable has been extended; further notes that 10 members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons have written a letter to England's Chief Veterinary Officer suggesting that the extension of the badger cull could result in increased suffering of badgers and place both badgers and cattle in and around the cull zones at greater risk of contracting bovine tuberculosis; further notes that the reduced effectiveness of the cull makes vaccination more cost effective; and calls on the Government to make a statement to the House and bring forward a vote to decide on the most cost effective, humane and efficient way to reduce bovine TB.
662 UNDER-OCCUPANCY PENALTY 31:10:13
9That this House recognises that the bedroom tax, spare room subsidy, is unjust, discriminates against disabled and sick people, carers, separated parents, grandparents, the low paid and the poorest, will not reduce homelessness or housing benefit spending as claimed, and puts financial and social strain on communities, landlords and local authorities; and calls on the Government to suspend the policy pending a review of its impact and effectiveness, which should consider writing off the tenant and landlord arrears it has caused.
663 COMMISSION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 31:10:13
10That this House welcomes the launch of the Government's Commission on Physical Activity to confront the urgent issue of physical inactivity in children in the UK; notes that the Commission will take a cross-sector approach to investigating the physical inactivity epidemic and take evidence from organisations and individuals across health, sport, transport, urban planning and education; recognises that 31 per cent of boys and 28 per cent of girls aged between two and 15 were classed as either overweight or obese in 2011-12; and reminds the Government of the role of food and drink manufacturers in contributing towards this obesity epidemic that should not be ignored.
664 QUALIFIED TEACHERS 31:10:13
8That this House believes that teachers are the single most important resource of any school, and that parents want and expect their children to be taught by good qualified teachers; further believes that all state-funded schools should provide parents with a guarantee that their children are taught by qualified teachers or those working towards a teaching qualification; notes that the Education Act 2002, enacted under Labour, failed to include a legal requirement for non-maintained schools to employ qualified teachers; and welcomes the fact that there are 3,000 fewer unqualified teachers employed by state-funded schools than when the Coalition Government came to power.
665 NEUROBLASTOMA TREATMENT 4:11:13
7That this House recognises that neuroblastoma affects around 100 children a year in the UK; further recognises that children with this type of cancer have an 80 to 95 per cent chance of relapsing at any time until they reach the age of 20; understands that the best chance of survival is by using a new treatment called Radioimmunosorbent Test (RIST); acknowledges that those suffering from the disease have to travel abroad for RIST treatment because none is available in the UK; notes that the cost of RIST treatment can be as high as £300,000; and calls on the Government to consider ways in which RIST treatment can be made available in the UK.
666 VULTURE FUNDS 4:11:13
11That this House welcomes the impact of the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 in preventing vulture funds taking an estimated £145 million from developing countries; further welcomes the passing of similar laws in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man; notes that vulture funds are trying to force Argentina to default on its debt through a legal case in New York; further notes that vulture funds are making large profits on Greek debt repayments owed under UK law, despite other creditors agreeing a reduction in the amount they are owed; is concerned that vulture funds are preventing the fair implementation of debt restructuring; and urges the Government to share its experience of legislating on vulture funds with the US administration, bring forward legislative proposals to prevent vulture funds ignoring international agreed debt restructuring for Argentina and Greece in UK courts, and support the creation of a fair, independent and transparent arbitration mechanism for sovereign debt.
667 LOBBYING REGISTER 4:11:13
4That this House is concerned that the Government's planned lobbying register is deeply flawed and would result in less than one per cent of lobbying activity being publicly-registered; and calls on the Government in the strongest possible terms to amend its proposals to ensure that 100 per cent of professional lobbyists - to include those working in-house, for trade unions, for charities, for think tanks, for lobbying agencies, for law firms and for accountancy firms - are all part of a statutory registration regime in the UK.
668 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY 5:11:13
5That this House notes the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy on 22 November 1963; remembers with fondness and admiration a great, compassionate and devoted leader whose life was tragically cut short; further notes President Kennedy's many accomplishments during his short life in office, his dynamic, vibrant and charismatic personality, his unwavering faith in public service and his unparalleled ability to motivate and rouse people from all sectors of society, through both his inspirational rhetoric and truly empathetic actions; shares his belief that people can solve their common problems if they put their country's interests first and work together in harmony; expresses its admiration for his courage and willingness to fight for new government programmes to help the poor, the elderly, the ill and the abused, his prioritisation of civil rights and his eagerness to fight for those segregated and mistreated in American society on racial or other grounds; recognises his realisation that the war in Vietnam was a war that had to be fought and won by the South Vietnamese people rather than the US; commends President Kennedy, and his family, for their tireless, selfless and dedicated work for the American people and for keeping the beliefs, hopes, aspirations, dreams and work of President Kennedy alive; and further shares the belief expressed in the words of his brother, the late Senator Edward Kennedy, when he said, the hope endures, the dream shall never die.
669 80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WIENER LIBRARY FOR THE STUDY OF HOLOCAUST AND CONTEMPORARY GENOCIDE 5:11:13
8That this House congratulates The Wiener Library as it celebrates its 80th anniversary; notes that the Library was founded in 1933 by Dr Alfred Wiener who spent years warning German politicians, industrialists and ordinary citizens of what a Nazi takeover would mean; recognises that on the eve of World War II, Dr Wiener brought his library to the UK and placed it at the disposal of Britain's war effort, contributing significantly to the success of the Nuremberg Trials and later the prosecution of Adolf Eichmann; further notes that today, The Wiener Library's unparalleled collection defines it as a key player in Holocaust research, commemoration and education; and expresses its commitment to ensuring that The Wiener Library will continue to be indispensable to those touched by the Holocaust, to those studying its causes and consequences and to anyone committed to strengthening democratic values as a bulwark against anti-Semitism, racism and religious intolerance.
670 FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (No. 2) 5:11:13
4That this House expresses concern that there is a need for stronger action to prevent the crime of female genital mutilation (FGM); notes the report by a coalition of health professionals calling for FGM to be treated as child abuse; further notes the action plan on tackling FGM published by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer; calls for implementation of the recommendation in the report and action plan that evidence of FGM in the family should be collected and used to identify persons who may be at risk of FGM; further calls for examination of the reporting duties for medical professionals and teachers in referring possible FGM cases to the police; and further calls on the Government to formulate a strategy to raise awareness of this issue.
671 GAY HUSSAR 5:11:13
7That this House is saddened to learn of the decision by Corus Hotels, part of Malaysian United Industries, to auction the Gay Hussar restaurant in Soho, London in early December 2013; while recognising the right of Corus Hotels to dispose of its assets, notes that the restaurant's long-standing and loyal staff have not been consulted in any way; further notes that the Gay Hussar has played an important role in the culinary, political and journalistic life of the capital for more than 60 years and as such is an important national institution; and applauds any initiative, including a possible diners' and staff co-operative venture, as a means of keeping the Gay Hussar alive for future generations of rebels and Rabelaisians to enjoy.
672 FUEL POVERTY AMENDMENT TO THE ENERGY BILL 5:11:13
4That this House welcomes the fuel poverty amendment moved by Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan in the House of Lords to the Energy Bill, seeking to retain a legal commitment to end the scandal of cold homes; recognises that the best way of doing so is in setting minimum energy efficiency standards that have to be met in the worst of the UK's housing stock, and within specified target dates; believes it is essential that such an objective remains in primary rather than secondary legislation; and calls on hon. Members and Members of the House of Lords to add their support to this initiative.
673 BONUSES FOR ENERGY COMPANIES' CHIEF EXECUTIVES 5:11:13
1That this House welcomes the commitment from Sam Laidlow, Chief Executive of Centrica to give up his bonus this year; believes that accepting a six or seven figure bonus whilst putting up fuel bills by up to 10 per cent for customers would be unreasonable and highly questionable; and calls on the chief executives of E.ON, Npower, Scottish Power, SSE and EDF Energy to make the same commitment to waive their bonuses in light of the price rises announced by their respective companies.
674 HOMELESS FAMILIES IN BED AND BREAKFAST ACCOMMODATION 5:11:13
1That this House notes with deep concern that the number of homeless families with children living in bed and breakfast accommodation is at a 10-year high; understands that, according to the housing charity Shelter, 2,090 families are living in this emergency housing, an increase of 8 per cent on 2012; further notes that 43,000 homeless families with children were living in other forms of emergency temporary accommodation, usually privately-rented flats, and that this is an increase of nine per cent on last year; and concludes that the Government's so-called welfare reforms are damaging the country's most poor and vulnerable families and children.
675 POLITICAL REPRESSION IN THE MALDIVES 5:11:13
1That this House condemns the selling of teargas, stun grenades and rubber bullets by the British company Survitec to the repressive Maldives police force; notes that the Maldives police force prevented the re-run of the presidential elections in that country in October 2013; further notes that the massive consignment was exported by a Singapore-based subsidiary of Survitec, thus escaping UK arms controls; and demands that the Government introduce legislative proposals to prevent the evasion of arms controls in this way by British companies.
676 CO-OPERATIVE BANK TAKEOVER 5:11:13
1That this House deplores the capture of the Co-operative Bank by rapacious US hedge funds; notes that the bank has mutural, ethical and collective principles which are at odds with the motives in this capitalist takeover; points out that the collapse of the Bank was caused by the catastrophic business judgements of the previous management; further notes that it is the workforce which is now paying for these disastrous errors; and calls on the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to exercise his powers under section 76 of the Companies Act to require the bank's new board to outline a plan to return the Co-operative to more democratic control within a fixed timescale.