Session 2013-14
House of Commons
22nd 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
702 POLITICAL SITUATION IN BANGLADESH 11:11:13
8That this House notes that a number of leading members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have been arrested recently; further notes that the home of the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Begum Khaleda Zia, has been surrounded by security forces, making it very difficult if not impossible for leading members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to meet and consult with her; further notes that these actions follow the demand by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party that the incumbent government should hand over to a caretaker government that will command the confidence of all principal parties which will then preside over the forthcoming general election; fears that the political situation is deteriorating in Bangladesh which will be potentially disastrous for the country; and therefore urges the Government to ask the current government of Bangladesh to respect basic human rights in Bangladesh and to negotiate with all the principal opposition parties to arrive at a process for the forthcoming general election which will be acceptable to and which will have the necessary credibility with all the principal political parties in Bangladesh.
704 HEALTH FUNDING AND ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION 11:11:13
33That this House expresses concern over the proposals in NHS England's Funding Review of Allocations to alter health funding formulas which would divert funding away from areas of poor health outcomes to areas with better health outcomes; notes the long-standing political and scientific consensus that economic deprivation is a major indicator of healthcare needs; further notes that life expectancy can vary by as much as 11.5 years in different parts of England; further notes the answer given by the Health Minister in the House on 12 June 2012 that he 'can give that assurance' in response to a question from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East that economic deprivation would not be downgraded in the resource allocation formula, Official Report, column 167; further notes the Health Minister's failure to condemn the proposals when questioned in the House on 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 134, and during a Westminster Hall debate on 5 November 2013, Official Report, column 63WH; and calls on the Government to resist any further moves to divert funding away from areas of high deprivation in future funding allocations and to oppose the proposals being consulted on in NHS England's funding review of allocations.
734 JOHN COLE 12:11:13
20That this House records with gratitude the massive contribution that John Cole, political editor, made to public life through his role within the BBC; highlights the great respect that all had for him; and conveys sincere sympathy to his family and friends.
735 NRAS 4th HEALTHCARE CHAMPIONS AWARDS 12:11:13
19That this House welcomes the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) 4th Healthcare Champions Awards which celebrate and recognise the dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism of those healthcare professionals who champion the cause of people with rheumatoid arthritis; notes that rheumatoid arthritis affects 580,000 people in England alone, suggesting that over 690,000 adults live with the condition in the UK, costing the economy upwards of £5 billion in indirect costs and work related disability; and calls on the Government to congratulate the award winners, and all the participants, for delivering the highest quality of care and professionalism for those with rheumatoid arthritis.
736 PRAGEETH EKNALIGODA AND THE NEED TO TACKLE IMPUNITY IN SRI LANKA 12:11:13
20That this House is very concerned about the case of Prageeth Eknaligoda, a Sri Lankan journalist and political analyst, who went missing on 24 January 2010; welcomes and supports his wife Sandhya Eknaligoda and Amnesty International's campaign to investigate his disappearance; calls on the UK Government to raise Prageeth Eknaligoda's case as a matter of urgency with the government of Sri Lanka to urge it to promptly investigate the case, as well as other disappearances brought to the attention of the relevant Sri Lankan authorities, make the results of those investigations public and bring to justice those responsible; and further calls on the UK Government to raise at the highest levels with the Sri Lankan government concerns about impunity, which effectively continues to deny victims of serious human rights violations and their families in Sri Lanka a viable domestic remedy, and has fuelled an on-going campaign of intimidation and violence against independent journalists, human rights defenders and government critics in Sri Lanka.
737 WORLD DIABETES DAY 2013 12:11:13
28That this House notes that 14 November 2013 is World Diabetes Day which raises awareness for the condition suffered by millions of people worldwide; further notes that organisations and individuals take part in the Blue Monument Challenge, which has seen over 1,000 monuments and buildings lit in blue; congratulates the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on their historic decisions to light up, blue, the Elizabeth Tower which houses Big Ben and the fountains in Trafalgar Square respectively; commends Leicester City Football Club, the Leicester Mercury and the New Walk Museum in Leicester which will also light up blue; recognises that we are in the midst of a diabetes epidemic with an estimated three million people with the condition and a further 850,000 people who are unaware they have the condition; further notes that an alarming 24,000 people die from avoidable diabetes complications each year; and urges the Government to adopt necessary and immediate preventative policies to address this growing problem.
738 CASTE DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION 12:11:13
20That this House welcomes the European Parliament resolution passed on 10 October 2013 to address the suffering of hundreds of millions of people all over the world who are subjected to caste discrimination by urging the EU to step up its efforts to address this human rights issue; notes the continued delay in introducing legislation to protect victims of caste discrimination within the UK; and urges the Government to reconsider its lengthy consultation period and to bring forward the necessary legislative changes before the end of the current parliamentary session.
739 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS 12:11:13
25That this House notes that, on a daily basis, Israeli authorities restrict journalists' movements and there are hundreds of military checkpoints that constrain or forbid journalists' movements; further notes that despite the long standing campaigning by journalists and civil rights organisations, the Israeli authorities continue to reject identiy cards, accreditation and press cards, including the International Federation of Journalists press card, when carried by Palestinian journalists; condemns the continuous attacks by Israeli soldiers on Palestinian news gatherers, in particular photographers and camera crews, the level of attacks has increased during the first half of 2013, in 2012 the attacks involved rubber coated steel bullets, tear grenades and stun grenades; and reaffirms that freedom of movement is a central tenet of independent professional journalism and, in restricting such a right, Israeli authorities are in breach of international covenants and the right to report.
740 HITZ RUGBY SOCIAL INCLUSION SCHEME 12:11:13
17That this House welcomes the national launch of HITZ, a social inclusion programme, combining rugby union with training to support 9,000 at risk young people back into education and employment; notes the high cost of young persons Not in Employment, Education or Training to British public services and economy requires innovative solutions such at this; applauds the efforts of Premiership Rugby, and its constituent clubs Bath Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers, London Irish, London Wasps, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks, Saracens and Worcester Warriors to tackle this pressing social issue in their communities; further welcomes the co-operation between Premiership Rugby, the private sector and public services such as youth offending schemes, pupil referral units and social and youth services involved in HITZ; and encourages the Government and others to look at the potential power of professional rugby union as an agent of social change for young people in the run-up to Rugby World Cup 2015.
741 SKILLS FOR CARE AND DEVELOPMENT AMBASSADORS 18:11:13
20That this House endorses the Skills for Care and Development Ambassadors initiative for expanding careers in social care and children's services in the UK; recognises that over 70 per cent of the UK's population will use social care and children's services at some time in their lives, that the care sector makes a huge contribution of over £40 billion to the economy each year, and employs 1.87 million people; and regards the Skills for Care and Development Ambassadors, who visit schools, colleges and jobcentres to attract people to pursue a career in care, as an effective means of filling the 90,000 vacancies a year in the sector.
742 SELF-MONITORING OF BLOOD CLOTTING 18:11:13
18That this House welcomes the AntiCoagulation Self-Monitoring Alliance (ACSMA) campaign to achieve greater access to self-monitoring technology for people on long-term warfarin; notes that self-monitoring of blood clotting levels is associated with considerable benefits in that it reduces the risk of death by nearly two-fifths, more than halves the risk of strokes, improves quality of life, is convenient and can result in substantial cost savings to the NHS; further notes with concern that 69 per cent of patients on long-term warfarin who responded to an ACSMA survey are currently unable or not allowed to self-monitor their condition by their healthcare professional or clinical commissioning group; and calls on the Government to ensure that patients have full choice about how they want to treat their condition and to be able to have an informed discussion with their medical professional about the possible self-management options available to them.
746 ASSASSINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGNERS IN COLOMBIA 18:11:13
19That this House expresses its condolences to the family and friends of small-scale campesino farmer and community leader César García, who was gunned down in Cajamarca, Colombia, on 2 November 2013; notes that César was a leading figure in the campaign against the London-listed AngloGold Ashanti La Colosa open pit gold mining project, which many fear will have devastating environmental, social and economic consequences in the region; further expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Adelinda Gómez Gaviria, assassinated on 30 September 2013 in Almaguer, Colombia, in front of her 16 year-old son who was also injured in the attack; further notes that Adelinda was an active campaigner against mining in an area where AngloGold Ashanti has important business interests; further expresses concern about these crimes; calls on the Colombian authorities to carry out prompt, rigorous and independent investigations to identify the perpetrators of these crimes; and requests that other community leaders and environmental campaigners receive adequate protection so that they can peacefully exercise their democratic rights.
749 SIR JOHN TAVENER 18:11:13
19That this House is deeply saddened by the death of Sir John Tavener at the age of 69, one of the leading classical composers of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries; appreciates his outstanding contribution to classical music by bringing it into popular culture, with works such as Protecting the Veil, Song for Athene and pieces inspired by William Blake's poetry, The Lamb and Eternity Sunrise; recognises his exceptional creative talent demonstrated in the recent piece Cantus Mysticus, which premiered at a late night BBC Proms in 2008; notes that, as a student of the Royal Academy of Music and a teacher at Trinity College of Music, his work serves as a reminder of the importance of music in our cultural life; and calls on the Government to ensure that all children not only have access to music but are able to learn to play a musical instrument.
751 SUPPORT FOR CARERS OF PEOPLE WITH CANCER 18:11:13
30That this House is aware that there are nearly one million people in the UK who carry out unpaid care work for family members and friends affected by cancer, providing on average 15 hours help per week for sufferers; notes that the number of individuals predicted to become victims of that illness is likely to double over the next 20 years; considers that it is therefore imperative that priority should be given to supporting this network of aid, especially carers' access to information and relevant services; and calls on the Government as a priority to bring forward amendments to the Care Bill to take these factors into account.
752 REVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME 18:11:13
32That this House notes that, whilst in opposition, the right hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate, now the Minister of State for Pensions, supported the campaign for assistance for 145,000 members of pension schemes throughout the UK when their company became insolvent, believing that all accrued rights should be honoured and that no changes should be made to pension rights that had already been built up; further notes that the Financial Assistance Scheme introduced by the previous Labour administration afforded 90 per cent of pension rights but due to inflation erosion and indexation being limited to post 1997 service only, is now in real terms nearer to 76 per cent of what was a guaranteed 100 per cent company pension, meaning that a pension promise made has not been kept; calls on the Government to review the extent to which the commitment to 90 per cent of expected pension entitlement has not been reached for those involved in the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), taking into account that some 3,000 recipients of FAS received small overpayments through inaccurate calculations by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which they now seek to recover, making these pensioners even more adversely affected; and calls on the FAS to waive the clawback.
757 THE LATE EDDIE McGRADY 19:11:13
19That this House is deeply saddened by the death of the former hon. Member for South Down Eddie McGrady; pays tribute to Eddie's outstanding contribution to political life in South Down and throughout Northern Ireland over the past 50 years as a local councillor, MLA and MP; recognises the dedication and devotion he showed in representing his constituents and fighting for their interests without fear or favour; acknowledges the critical role he played in the peace process and in facing down all those who engaged in acts of violence through his lifelong commitment to the principles of non-violence and reconciliation; appreciates that he was absolutely dedicated to the sanctity of life and the solidarity of community on a totally inclusive basis; further pays tribute to his legacy; and conveys deepest sympathy to his family and all those who knew this true gentleman.
764 NATIONAL DEBATE ON CHILD PROTECTION 19:11:13
37That this House notes with regret the high-profile cases of child deaths as a result of child abuse and neglect in recent years, such as the cases of Victoria Climbie, Baby P, Keanu Williams, Hamzah Khan and others; further notes the recent case of Daniel Pelka in Coventry and the subsequent Serious Case Review; further notes the personal attention to the case of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families and his efforts to investigate potential failures to protect Daniel Pelka; further notes the extremely difficult nature of social work and stress that social workers can be under, particularly when understaffed; further notes that protecting children relies on the effective exchange of information between agencies including the police, schools, health visitors, hospitals, GPs, social workers, local authority social care and the local Safeguarding Children boards; further notes that in the majority of serious case reviews into failures to protect children, a key problem has been information-sharing between agencies; further notes that a second key problem identified is the failure to have direct communication with the children themselves; calls on the Government to commission an investigation into methods of improving the system of information-sharing between agencies and improving social care practices; and further calls for a national debate into child protection and our social services.
765 STATE VISIT OF IRISH PRESIDENT 19:11:13
38That this House welcomes the announcement by Buckingham Palace of the historic first State visit by an Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, on 8 to 10 April 2014; believes that this gesture, so soon after the visit to Ireland by Her Majesty the Queen in May 2011, reflects the warmth of the relationship and strengthened ties between Britain and Ireland and furthers our thriving social and economic links; notes the positive response by political parties on both sides of the Irish Sea and organisations representing the Irish in Britain diaspora; and further believes that the State visit has the capacity to bring British-Irish relations to a new level and be seen as a further milestone in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation, for healing the wounds of the past and reaching for a better future.
767 DOCTOR WHO 20:11:13
6That this House notes the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and the pleasure and enjoyment that it has brought to many generations of fans; and further notes that the BBC is truly providing its licence payers with the Best of BBC in this programming.
771 CEMENT 20:11:13
6That this House welcomes the publication of the Mineral Products Association's publication, Cementing the Future; recognises the strategic significance of cement to the UK economy and society; further recognises the employment the industry generates in mainly rural locations throughout the UK and draws attention to the importance of retaining a competitive, domestic, cement industry at a time when it is under increasing pressure from rising costs; notes that cement is a critical ingredient in concrete which is the most-used man-made material in the world and which helps to provide the UK's roads, railways, homes, schools, hospitals and much more that the UK's modern society depends on; further notes that cement and concrete will be essential to the construction of the UK's future low carbon economy when the material is used in new power generation capacity including concrete gravity bases for off-shore wind towers; and further recognises that the cement industry contributes approximately £1 billion per year to the wider mineral products industry which in turn accounts for £9 billion of the UK economy and supplies other industries with a value of £400 billion, as set out in the Mineral Products Association's publication, Make the Link.
773 AFRICAN ELEPHANTS AND THE IVORY TRADE 21:11:13
12That this House notes with alarm that an estimated 40,000 African elephants are killed each year, one every 15 minutes, out of a total population of 400,000; recognises that the profits from the illegal wildlife trade pose an increasing threat to security by funding criminal gangs and terrorism, including al-Shabab, the Somali cell of al-Qaeda; welcomes the Government's active role as a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and its support for a total ban on ivory sales; further welcomes the training and support provided by the British Army for the Kenya Wildlife Services anti-poaching rangers; further welcomes the Foreign Secretary's initiative to host a high-level conference on illegal wildlife trade in February 2014; encourages the Government in its efforts to secure a commitment from the international community to work together to reduce demand for wildlife products, to enforce the law, and to provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; and calls on the Government to encourage international support for the protection of elephants which are now universally acknowledged as intelligent, social, sentient beings and to use the overseas aid budget to make a substantial and strategically important contribution to the African Elephant Action Plan adopted in 2010 by all 38 African Elephant Range States in order to enable African countries to take the necessary steps to protect their elephants from poachers and to stop the illegal trafficking of ivory.
777 CHILD CONTACT CENTRES 21:11:13
5That this House acknowledges the vital work which is carried out in child contact centres across the UK; notes the vital role they play in restoring relationships between parents and children; applauds those charities and volunteers who currently operate these centres on a minimal budget; is concerned that many child contact centres are facing an uncertain future due to the current economic climate; further notes that sudden centre closures leave many children without the opportunity to see a parent; and calls on the Government to create a nationwide network of child contact centres with a statutory obligation to provide at least one venue for a family court centre, and with secured and increased funding, as well as the ability to retain or recruit trained volunteers to ensure children and parents have the best opportunities in difficult situations.
780 ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS ON PALESTINIAN LAND 21:11:13
2That this House agrees with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs that Israeli settlements on Palestinian land are illegal and an obstacle to peace; considers the Israeli government's approval of thousands of units of new settlement building since the resumption of peace talks to be counter-productive; regrets the Israeli army's failure to arrest and prosecute settlers who burn olive groves and harass Palestinian farmers; and urges the Government to leave UK businesses in no doubt that it would help the peace negotiations if they avoided financial relationships with illegal settlements in the West Bank until there is a peace agreement.
781 SOCIAL HOUSING CONSTRUCTION 22:11:13
1That this House notes that Mr Tom Copley AM recently stated that it galled him that the Thatcher Government built more social houses than were built in the period of Labour Government from 1997 to 2010; further notes that Mr Copley called on the Labour Party, of which he is a member, to apologise for this failure; believes that Mr Copley was right to point out that Labour had failed the poorest in society; and encourages Mr Copley to continue his crusade of honesty in politics.
782 CHILDREN'S FITNESS 22:11:13
2That this House is alarmed at research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013 by Dr Grant Tomkinson of the University of South Australia which suggests that children's cardiovascular fitness is declining worldwide; notes that researchers looked at 50 studies on running fitness between 1964 and 2010 involving more than 25 million children, aged nine to 17, in 28 countries worldwide finding a significant decline in cardiovascular endurance; further notes the study found that 30 per cent to 60 per cent of the decline in endurance running performance could be explained by increases in fat mass; recognises that around 30 per cent of children in the UK are thought to be overweight or obese; and calls on the Department for Education to make practical cooking and food education compulsory in schools so that children are able to learn the worth of a healthy diet.
783 MUTUAL OF THE YEAR AWARD TO PROVIDE 22:11:13
2That this House notes the important role of public sector mutuals and social enterprises in enhancing public service standards; commends the work of all such social businesses in creating wealth and public service renewal to the country; and especially commends Provide, which trades in Essex, the London boroughs and Cambridge, on becoming both the Employee Ownership Association's Mutual of the Year and the winner of the social enterprise of the year award at the National Business Awards 2013.
784 FUEL DUTY 22:11:13
1That this House welcomes the Government's actions cutting fuel duty in 2011 and the freeze in fuel duty until the end of the present Parliament announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; and urges the Government, if the economic conditions allow, to continue to cut costs for hard-pressed motorists and to consider a further fuel duty cut.