House of Commons
11th December 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

825 BAKERS' ASTHMA 2:12:13
John McDonnell
Jeremy Corbyn
Sir Peter Bottomley
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Jonathan Edwards
Jim Shannon
*34
Graham Stringer

That this House notes with concern recent Health and Safety Executive statistics which demonstrate that employees in the baking industry remain approximately 40 times more likely to develop occupational asthma than the average worker due to exposure to flour and other bakery dusts; further notes that the real incidence rates are higher still, given academic data on the under-reporting of the condition in the UK; believes that every worker has the right to work in a healthy and safe workplace and is extremely alarmed that thousands of bakers could be at risk of developing an incapacitating respiratory condition; further notes that local authorities lack the resources to conduct regular inspections of exposure levels in supermarket scratch bakeries and small, independent craft bakeries; recognises the outstanding research work done over many years by Professor Paul Cullinan of the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London; welcomes the agreement of supermarket chain Morrisons to work with Professor Cullinan on identifying measures to limit this exposure in its bakeries; and further calls on the Government to meet the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union in order to ensure that all relevant employers implement such control measures to protect bakers from developing asthma.

826 UK PENSIONERS' PARLIAMENT 2:12:13
Katy Clark
John Robertson
Sir Peter Bottomley
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Jim Shannon
Mrs Linda Riordan
*28
Fiona O'Donnell Mr Nigel Dodds

That this House welcomes the support given in recent years by Government and by the devolved administrations to organisations such as the British Youth Parliament and the Scottish Youth Parliament; notes that in recent times these organisations have contributed significantly to the public debate on a number of issues such as lowering the voting age and have raised the profile of many issues of importance to young people; further notes that in Ireland the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament has had similar success raising issues such as pensions; believes that similar organisations could help highlight the issues facing pensioners living in the UK; and calls on the Government to look into creating and supporting a UK Pensioners' Parliament to help ensure that the views of pensioners are properly taken into account by Government and service providers.

830 CARE PROCEEDINGS AFFECTING FOREIGN NATIONALS 3:12:13
John Hemming
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Jeremy Corbyn
Jim Shannon
Mr Mike Hancock
Sir Bob Russell
*9
Martin Caton

That this House notes that from time to time foreign nationals are taken into care in the UK; further notes that under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention and also under Brussels II Bis revised (Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003) articles 15, 55 and 56, foreign authorities should be contacted when this happens; further notes that in 2011 Essex County Council stated in respect to a Freedom of Information request that it had no contact with high commissioners or embassies, notwithstanding the fact that it had 21 foreign national children looked-after in 2010-11; recognises that it is clear that Essex County Council is not properly following the Vienna Convention and Brussels II regulations; believes that there are other local authorities that are similarly lax in following international law relating to care proceedings; calls on the Government to take steps to ensure that local authorities do follow international law; and further calls on the Government to maintain records, ideally through the SSDA903 return of the nationality of foreign nationals taken into care in England.

832 CRISIS IN GAZA 3:12:13
Mr George Galloway
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Jeremy Corbyn
Martin Caton
*14
Mr Jim Cunningham

That this House views with grave concern a United Nations report that the situation in Gaza is near the point of catastrophe; underlines that the UN special rapporteur warns that lack of fuel imports has resulted in power cuts dramatically affecting basic services, including health, water and sanitation, with the result that raw sewage is flooding into the streets; notes that residents only receive power for six hours a day after the only power plant in Gaza was shut down due to a critical fuel shortage three weeks ago; further notes that the little power that is available is not sufficient to meet the needs of specialised health services, such as kidney dialysis, operating theatres, blood banks, intensive care units and incubators, putting innocent lives at risk; concludes that the inhumane, six-year blockade erected by Israel on the tiny strip of land holding 1.7 million people is the principal cause of this widespread suffering and distress, added to recently by the Egyptian military regime's destruction of tunnels on the Rafah border which helped to breach the embargo; and calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs urgently to meet with his counterparts in Cairo and Tel Aviv to persuade them to remove the blockade and allow in urgent humanitarian aid and also to raise the plight of the people of Gaza at the United Nations General Assembly.

836 UK HOSTING OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 3:12:13
Greg Mulholland
Yvonne Fovargue
Sir Peter Bottomley
Jim Shannon
Sir Tony Cunningham
Martin Caton
*13
Steve Rotheram

That this House congratulates the players, team staff, fans, spectators, volunteers and organisers of the Rugby League World Cup 2013 (RLWC2013) for what has been a spectacular, thrilling and hugely popular tournament; feels this demonstrates the appeal of international rugby league; embraces the true sporting values shown by all involved; is proud of England and Wales for having hosted another fantastic spectacle of international sport; applauds the England, Scotland and Wales teams for their performances on the field; thanks Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and USA for creating such a compelling competition; further congratulates Australia on becoming world champions; looks forward to the Rugby League World Cup 2017; recognises RLWC2013 as the most successful World Cup to date, including a record-breaking sell-out game for the final between Australia and New Zealand; and is confident in the legacy it will create for the sport in the UK and around the world.

837 ADVERTISING OF CHILDREN'S TOYS 3:12:13
Katy Clark
Mrs Linda Riordan
John Cryer
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Jeremy Corbyn
Mr George Howarth
*17
Fiona O'Donnell

That this House is concerned that the methods used to promote and advertise children's toys are far too often gender-specific; believes this is especially noticeable in the advertising campaigns up to Christmas with separate advertisements for boys toys and girls toys; is further concerned that there is a risk that children's preferences and expectations will be channelled along out-dated traditional lines which may impact on their future educational and career choices; welcomes the progress that many retailers have made in removing unnecessary gender-specific advertising for children; and calls on all retailers to take action to end unnecessary gender-specific advertising.

838 ROSALIND FRANKLIN AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE 4:12:13
Valerie Vaz
Sir Peter Bottomley
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Andrew George
Sir Alan Meale
Jim Dobbin
*18
Martin Caton Fiona O'Donnell Dr William McCrea

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Rosalind Franklin in molecular biology; notes her outstanding work in the fields of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite; further notes her work field of X-ray crystallography and the well-known X-ray diffraction image, Picture 51, which led to the discovery of the structure of DNA; believes that as a female scientist, whose contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA was never fully recognised, she serves as a reminder of the importance of promoting the work of great women in science; and calls on the Government to do more to ensure that young people, particularly young women, are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

839 IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMS' PRIVATISATION OF VISITOR SERVICES AND SECURITY 4:12:13
John McDonnell
Sir Alan Meale
Jim Dobbin
Jeremy Corbyn
Sir Bob Russell
Paul Flynn
*15
Martin Caton Dr William McCrea Mr Ronnie Campbell Mrs Mary Glindon

That this House commends the excellent work undertaken by the staff in visitor services and security at the Imperial War Museums; recognises that their expertise and experience creates an informative and personalised service for visitors; is concerned that the proposals for privatisation will result in the deterioration of this service at a crucial time of increased visitor numbers during the centenary of the First World War; and believes that visitor services and security should continue to be provided in-house to ensure a continued quality of service to the public and of terms and conditions of staff.

840 THE CULTURE SECTOR 4:12:13
John McDonnell
Sir Alan Meale
Jeremy Corbyn
Sir Bob Russell
Paul Flynn
Kelvin Hopkins
*14
Martin Caton Steve Rotheram Mr Ronnie Campbell Mrs Mary Glindon

That this House is concerned that the Government's funding cuts to museums and galleries has led to continued privatisation of services; notes that this has resulted in reductions in staff and the increased use of zero-hours contracts and volunteer staff; believes that the cuts and casualisation create a diminished experience for visitors; and calls on the Government to increase funding for arts and culture to ensure that the UK's cultural heritage is safeguarded for future generations.

841 FEDERATION OF BRITISH HISTORIC VEHICLE CLUBS 4:12:13
Sir Greg Knight
Kelvin Hopkins
John Cryer
Mr Stephen O'Brien
Kate Hoey
Charles Hendry
*20
Dr William McCrea

That this House pays tribute to the work of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs in promoting the preservation of historic vehicles and also encouraging their use; notes that the historic vehicle movement contributes £4.3 billion annually to the UK economy and employs 28,000 people; congratulates the Federation on the occasion of its 25th anniversary in 2013; and wishes it continued success in the future.

842 EU-MOROCCO FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT 4:12:13
Jeremy Corbyn
Jonathan Edwards
Caroline Lucas
Mr Mike Weir
Mr Mark Williams
Ann Clwyd
*21
Martin Caton Mr Ronnie Campbell

That this House notes the imminent vote on 10 December 2013 in the European Parliament on the new Protocol to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement; acknowledges that the Government to date has not supported this protocol which, if approved, would be in clear violation of international law because it includes the Western Sahara (WS) territorial waters; further notes that the WS remains under illegal Moroccan occupation and no country recognises Moroccan sovereignty over it and so any agreement with Morocco should exclude the WS territories and its natural resources; recognises that the European Parliament voted against the same protocol 12 months ago; and calls on all MEPs to send a positive message to the Saharawi people and vote against the Protocol and to support the United Nations in its efforts to reach a just, lasting solution to this long-running conflict.

844 BANNING OF JOURNALISTS FROM FOOTBALL GROUNDS 4:12:13
Ian Lavery
Ian Mearns
Grahame M. Morris
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Mr Dennis Skinner
*26
Martin Caton Mr Jim Cunningham

That this House condemns the decision of Newcastle United FC Chairman, Mike Ashley, to withdraw all report facilities for journalists working on the Newcastle Chronicle, Newcastle Journal and Sunday Sun; notes that the denial of access to the St James' Park stadium press box, training ground and interviews with players and manager leaves reporters unable to report on events which are of great interest to the local community; further notes that this follows the temporary banning of a Daily Telegraph reporter by the same club last season and similar actions by Nottingham Forest, Crawley Town, Port Vale and Rotherham United; supports the National Union of Journalists in believing that journalists working for a free press in a democratic society must be able to express themselves as they see fit within the law, without fear of petty and vindictive corporate sanctions; welcomes the broad support that supporters of the club have given to reporters trying to do their professional best in reporting the affairs of football clubs; and therefore calls on the Premier League and Football Association to implement a code of conduct in respect of the treatment of working journalists.

849 POLICING OF MINIMUM WAGE 4:12:13
Mr George Galloway
Jeremy Corbyn
Paul Flynn
Kelvin Hopkins
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
*10
Martin Caton Mr Ronnie Campbell

That this House views with concern that only two employers in four years have been prosecuted for paying below the minimum wage; understands that HM Revenue and Customs has investigated 10,777 firms since 2009, collected £15.8 million in arrears and imposed £2.1 million in fines; points out that the unit which pursues firms costs £8 million a year to run whereas it collects just £4 million a year in arrears; notes that an estimated 300,000 people in the UK are earning less than the minimum wage; and demands a zero-tolerance policy so that all companies discovered to be paying below the minimum wage are named and shamed and that fines are increased by at least 10 times the present paltry ceiling of £5,000.

850 PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE PRIVATISATION OF EAST COAST MAIN LINE SERVICES 4:12:13
Graeme Morrice
Fiona O'Donnell
Mark Lazarowicz
Ian Lavery
Sheila Gilmore
Mrs Mary Glindon
*21
Martin Caton Mr Ronnie Campbell Graham Stringer

That this House notes that rail services on the East Coast Main Line have been publicly and successfully run since November 2009; further notes the record levels of passenger satisfaction; believes that the Government's plans to re-privatise East Coast Main Line services by February 2015 is motivated by rigid ideology and not in the best interests of taxpayers or passengers; and calls on the Government to hold a full public consultation before any final decision is made.

852 SUSSEX UNIVERSITY STUDENTS 5:12:13
John McDonnell
Jeremy Corbyn
Caroline Lucas
Sir Alan Meale
Mr George Galloway
Kelvin Hopkins
*10
Martin Caton Mr Ronnie Campbell

That this House calls on Professor Michael Farthing, Vice-Chancellor of Sussex University, to retract the suspension of five Sussex students which began on 4 December 2013 following protests against the outsourcing of the university's services to private companies and in support of striking staff campaigning for fair and equal pay; notes that the protest by the students was targeted at the private company involved in the outsourcing and did not disrupt the work of students or university staff; and urges the university's management to respond positively to the requests by students and staff for a meaningful dialogue rather than continue to intimidate and penalise those students who speak out against the university's current outsourcing and staffing policies.

853 DAIRY COUNCIL CEREMONY OF THE CHRISTMAS CHEESES 2013 5:12:13
Andrew Rosindell
Sir Alan Meale
Mr James Gray
Jim Shannon
Dr William McCrea
Mr Ronnie Campbell
*6

That this House congratulates the Dairy Council in staging the 2013 Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, which forms the beginning of the Chelsea Pensioners' traditional Christmas celebrations; further congratulates in-pensioner, Paddy Fox, who was given the honour of cutting the cheese at this historic ceremony; notes that dairy products are a nutrient-rich food for people of all ages as part of a balanced diet; welcomes the work of the Royal Hospital in ensuring that dairy products play an important role in the diet of the Chelsea Pensioners; and calls on the Department of Health to take steps to promote the consumption of nutrient-rich food such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.

854 HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 5:12:13
Jeremy Corbyn
Katy Clark
Angus Robertson
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Caroline Lucas
Mr John Leech
*29
Martin Caton Mr Ronnie Campbell Mark Lazarowicz Mr Mike Weir Sir Gerald Kaufman

That this House welcomes the statement from 125 states expressing concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons at the UN General Assembly First Committee on 21 October 2013; notes the attendance of 127 states at a governmental conference in Oslo to discuss this issue in March 2013; regrets the non-attendance of the Government; further welcomes the announcement of a new governmental conference in Mexico in February 2014; and urges the Government to ensure it is represented at the event.

855 MIDDLE EAST WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION FREE-ZONE 5:12:13
Jeremy Corbyn
Katy Clark
Angus Robertson
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Caroline Lucas
Mr John Leech
*29
Martin Caton Mr Ronnie Campbell Mr Tom Clarke Mr Mike Weir Mr Jim Cunningham

That this House welcomes progress in diplomatic negotiations in the Middle East, both with Iran and Syria, to prevent the future development and eliminate existing stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction; believes it vital that the same pressure is applied to all states of the region to dismantle such arsenals; concludes that the UK must make serious progress on a weapons of mass destruction free-zone in the Middle East; and urges the Government, as one of the conveners, to do its utmost to take advantage of positive momentum and ensure a conference supported and attended by all states of the region is convened without delay.

856 PROPOSED PORT SERVICES REGULATION 5:12:13
Mr Julian Brazier
Jim Fitzpatrick
Caroline Nokes
David T. C. Davies
Mr Graham Brady
Mr Ian Davidson
*33
Mr David Amess Graham Stringer Sammy Wilson Stephen Metcalfe Mr Bernard Jenkin Dr William McCrea Mr Ronnie Campbell Mr Nigel Dodds

That this House opposes the latest attempt by the European Commission to introduce further controls on European seaports through its proposed Port Services Regulation; supports the Government's opposition to the Regulation; notes that the UK ports industry makes a vital contribution to the UK economy, supporting over 390,000 jobs, often in less advantaged areas of the country and contributes an estimated £21 billion to UK GDP; further notes that the proposed EC port services regulations threatens these jobs and creates uncertainty for investment; highlights that the Regulation is generally regarded across Europe as unnecessary, unfair and harmful to employment, especially to the highly competitive and efficient UK ports industry; and urges the Government to continue to oppose this measure and to work with other member states to ensure that it is not enacted.

857 POPPY SCATTER TO MARK WORLD WAR ONE 5:12:13
David Morris
Mr James Gray
Jim Shannon
Dr William McCrea
*4

That this House notes the plan to mark the anniversary of the start of the First World War, on 28 July 2014, by scattering poppies; further notes that Steve Trainor of Morecambe came up with this idea and is now working to make it a reality; believes that this is a fitting way to mark this important occasion; thanks Steve Trainor for the hard work in starting the Morecambe poppy scatter group; and encourages all hon. Members to start a poppy scatter in their own constituency to mark the start of the First World War.

858 THREE-PARENT CHILDREN 5:12:13
Fiona Bruce
Mr James Gray
Jim Dobbin
Jim Shannon
Dr William McCrea
Mr Ronnie Campbell
*7
Mr Nigel Dodds

That this House expresses the gravest concerns about proposals to authorise the creation of three-parent children effectively opening the door to the creation of designer babies; notes that Britain would be the first country in the world to do so; and strongly urges the Department of Health to focus primarily on the interests of any children to be born through such a procedure and to ensure that full information regarding such proposals, including the results of tests conducted to establish the likely safety of such procedures, are made known to Parliament and the general public alike for thorough scrutiny and debate before the laying of any relevant regulations.

859 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES 9:12:13
Gordon Henderson
Jim Shannon
Sir Alan Meale
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Dr William McCrea
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
*7
Mr Nigel Dodds

That this House recognises that many new housing developments have property management companies appointed to provide a range of services; further recognises that contracts are put in place between home occupiers and property management companies that set out the range of services to be provided; notes that often there is a lack of transparency in property management contracts about the standard of service to be provided; further notes that the cost of providing services, the annual accounts relating to the service charge and any increase in the annual service charge are sometimes also lacking in transparency; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislative proposals that will require property developers to provide greater clarity in the contracting, costing, incremental rises in service charges and the process of tendering for property management contracts.

860 EXCLUSION OF SEAFARERS - EU LABOUR DIRECTIVES 9:12:13
Sir Alan Meale
Jim Sheridan
Mr David Crausby
Ian Lavery
Jim Dobbin
Mr Jim Hood
*17
Martin Caton Steve Rotheram Mr Ronnie Campbell

That this House is aware that discussions are currently taking place at inter-Government level to allow the inclusion of seafarers to be within the scope of EU social directives, thereby ending the unjustifiable and discriminatory treatment of this group of workers; notes that so far there have been three individual Commission consultations on this matter since 2007; believes there is no rationale for sustaining the current exclusion regime and that instead all seafaring employees should as of right be placed on an equal footing with other land-based workers; and calls on the Government to support the extension of the acquis communautaire on labour and social laws so that such people enjoy the same protection as other categories of workers.

861 PARTHENON MARBLES (UNESCO MEDIATION PROCESS) 9:12:13
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Jim Hood
Jim Dobbin
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Martin Caton
Jonathan Edwards
*7
Mr Ronnie Campbell

That this House recalls that Greece has continuously, since it gained full independence in 1832, requested the return of the sculptures removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin and held in the British Museum since 1816; is aware that this dispute has been on the agenda of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Promotion of the Return of Cultural Property since 1987; notes that the Director General of UNESCO has recently written to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Director of the British Museum to advise them of Greece's request for the dispute to be settled by mediation; and calls on the Government and the British Museum to co-operate fully and positively in the mediation process.

863 PAY OF HON. MEMBERS AND PUBLIC SECTOR PAY 9:12:13
John Mann
Mark Durkan
Jim Shannon
Jim Dobbin
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Mr David Ward
*10
Martin Caton Jonathan Edwards Dr William McCrea

That this House notes the decision in the Spending Review announced to Parliament on 26 June 2013 to restrict public sector pay increases to 1 per cent; endorses the view that what is good enough for the workers is good enough for the politicians; and instructs the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to enforce public sector pay policy in its decisions over hon. Members' pay.

864 NELSON MANDELA 9:12:13
Keith Vaz
Sir Peter Bottomley
Jeremy Corbyn
Jim Shannon
Mark Durkan
Jim Dobbin
*21
Sir Alan Meale Martin Caton Jonathan Edwards Steve Rotheram Fiona O'Donnell Mr Ronnie Campbell Mr Mike Weir Mr Jim Cunningham

That this House is deeply saddened by the news that Nelson Mandela has passed away; passes its condolences to his family and friends; recognises his deserved iconic status reached through his unwavering commitment to promoting equality and democracy in South Africa; recalls his outstanding achievements in helping to dismantle apartheid in South Africa; remembers his great work performed for his various charities including the Nelson Mandela and the Mandela-Rhodes Foundations; pays its respects to this great and inspirational man; and calls on the Government to fashion a suitable initiative that will best secure his legacy.

865 DR ELSIE INGLIS AND THE SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITALS 10:12:13
Mike Crockart
Michael Connarty
Sir Peter Bottomley
Sir Alan Meale
Dr William McCrea
Mr Ronnie Campbell
*8
Martin Caton Mr Mike Weir

That this House celebrates the bravery, achievements and hard work of Dr Elsie Inglis and the other women who set up and served in the Scottish Women's Hospitals; notes that Dr Inglis persevered with this project despite a severe lack of support from the British War Office; recognises that by the end of the First World War nearly £500,000 had been raised and 14 fully equipped field hospitals had been set up; estimates that between 1914 and 1918 some 1,000 women served in the hospitals in Serbia, Belgium, France, Russia, Romania, Corsica, Corfu and Greece, saving the lives of tens of thousands of people; further notes that whilst Dr Inglis and the other women who served in these hospitals are recognised as heroes in Serbia, their work and achievements are barely recognised in the UK outside of Dr Inglis' adopted home of Edinburgh; and strongly believes that during the centenary year of the outbreak of the First World War, the work of the brave women who served in these hospitals should be properly recognised and celebrated.

866 GOOGLE ALGORITHMS CHANGES AND LOSS TO BUSINESS 10:12:13
Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil
Mark Durkan
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Martin Caton
Mr Mike Weir
Graham Stringer
*6

That this House calls on search engine giant Google to be mindful of supporting small to medium business and reset their algorithms in such a way that small and medium-sized businesses who pay their taxes are not disadvantaged against large multi-national foot loose companies; and notes that some small businesses recently reported that changes by Google to algorithms have cut 30 per cent of internet hits and traffic to their sites, hitting sales and profits and potentially losing the Exchequer millions, if not more, in lost tax revenues and undermining jobs in the real economy.

867 PROTEST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 10:12:13
Mr George Galloway
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
*3

That this House believes that police have no place on university campuses and other seats of learning; condemns the University of London management for calling in officers and private security to break up a peaceful protest against plans to close down the student union; deplores the naked mendacity in the statement from Chris Cobb, the University's chief operating officer, that the University would always support peaceful and legitimate protest; and demands that the University's Vice-Chancellor and its Collegiate Council act immediately to rescind the closure of the union and the prohibition of protest at Senate House.

868 THE GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC POLICY 10:12:13
Mr George Galloway
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Martin Caton
*4

That this House believes that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement demonstrates that he is attempting to balance the books by slashing welfare and by pouring cash into property speculation, rather than productive investment; notes that if there is no change in policy by 2018-19, public services will be cut by 20 per cent; further notes that according to the respected Institute of Fiscal Studies the bulk of the reduction in the budget deficit will come from cuts in spending rather than tax increases, 86 per cent as against 14 per cent; is convinced that this policy of locking the country into a low productivity, low investment, low wage economy will see public services crumble and poverty soar; and calls on the Liberal Democrat partners in this damaging coalition to divorce themselves from this disastrous course which can only mean falling living standards for the majority of people while the rich once more prosper.

869 DIGITAL BILL OF RIGHTS 11:12:13
Tim Farron
Dr Julian Huppert
Sir Peter Bottomley
Mark Durkan
Mr Tom Watson
Mr David Davis
*7
Ms Margaret Ritchie

That this House notes the recent open statement signed by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter and AOL calling for reform of government surveillance; welcomes their calls for reform to restore the public's trust in the internet; supports the five principles they identify about limiting governments' authority to collect users' information, oversight and accountability, transparency about government demands, respecting the free flow of information, and avoiding conflicts among governments; agrees that they form a sensible basis for reform of digital rights; and calls on the Government to support their statement and make reforms that ensure that government surveillance efforts are clearly restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight.

870 DEATH SENTENCE ON ABDUL QADER MOLLAH 11:12:13
Mr George Galloway
Sir Peter Bottomley
*2

That this House notes that Abdul Qader Mollah has been sentenced to death by the courts in Bangladesh for crimes committed during the 1971 war; further notes that international monitoring organisations have concluded that the judicial process which led to Abdul Qader Mollah being found guilty of war crimes was deeply flawed; believes that the execution of Abdul Qader Mollah would be unjust and wrong and do nothing to promote peace and reconciliation in Bangladesh; calls on the Government to make urgent representations to the Bangladesh authorities not to proceed with this execution; and urges the Bangladesh authorities not to proceed with this execution.

871 A DOG IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN 11:12:13
Andrew Rosindell
Sir Peter Bottomley
*2

That this House notes the Dogs Trust's famous slogan, A Dog is For Life, Not Just for Christmas, is 35 years old this year and was created in 1978 by the charity's Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin OBE, at a time when thousands of people were buying puppies to give to family and friends as Christmas presents, resulting in puppies being abandoned in the New Year; recognises that, despite many years of campaigning by Dogs Trust, there still exists a problem of dogs being given as Christmas presents and notes that 34 per cent of children will ask for a puppy this Christmas; further notes the problem of dogs being given as Christmas presents is still a major concern in a country where there were 112,000 stray and abandoned dogs taken in by local authorities last year, 9,000 of which were put to sleep; and wholeheartedly supports the Dogs Trust in its determination to ensure that one day all dogs are cared for by responsible owners, and have a home for life.

872 FREEDOM OF THE CROSS 11:12:13
Jim Shannon
Dr William McCrea
Ian Paisley
Mr Gregory Campbell
*4

That this House supports the Freedom of the Cross campaign which highlights the struggle that many Christians have in their faith in the workplace and public arena and feels that their right to do so must be upheld.

873 GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 11:12:13
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Mr Laurence Robertson
*2

That this House believes that it is unacceptable that the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has not publicly disclosed its Division of Surgery Strategy document and its proposal to centralise most surgical services across Gloucestershire and integrate some of these services currently provided by Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucester Royal Hospital on to one site; further believes that the Trust should now fully disclose its report and publish the costs and benefits of combining services across Gloucestershire; further believes that the Trust should make clear the precise timescale of any proposed changes and fully explain what changes are being proposed and what the effect on jobs will be; and further believes that the Trust should engage in a full and open public consultation as the current secret discussions risk a loss of confidence in the management of the Trust to deliver a full range of health services in both Gloucester and Cheltenham Hospitals.

874 TAILORED BUSINESS LOANS AND EMBEDDED SWAPS 11:12:13
John Thurso
Mr Andrew Love
Stewart Hosie
Ian Swales
Mr Clive Betts
Robert Halfon
*6

That this House notes that small and medium-sized businesses across the country struggled during the financial crisis; further notes that potentially tens of thousands of businesses may have been sold inappropriate complex financial products including fixed rate swaps and embedded swaps; is concerned that while fixed rate swaps purchased as an independent product are included in the current Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) review scheme, swaps embedded in businesses loans are not; further notes that many of these embedded swaps were sold without proper explanation of either the conditions or costs; understands these products are not regulated by the FCA; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure there is proper regulation in the future and that there is a review and access to redress for those affected in the past.

875 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH COMBATTING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS 11:12:13
Dr Julian Huppert
Sir Peter Bottomley
*2

That this House is concerned about the burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK and overseas, including the most worrying threat of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea, and the risks STIs pose, including mortality, and infection of the unborn foetus, while recognising the promise of interdisciplinary scientific research that will contribute to efforts to combat STIs; supports microbiologists in their work to develop new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, innovative diagnostic devices that improve care, and an HIV vaccine; and welcomes the Society for General Microbiology statement, Microbiology and the challenge of sexually transmitted infections: Are we up to it?, which makes the case for basic scientific research as a contribution to wider efforts to improve sexual health.

876 CHORISTER JACK TOPPING 11:12:13
Steve Rotheram
*1

That this House recognises the efforts of Jack Topping, an 11-year-old chorister from the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir who has become the youngest solo artist to sign to Decca records; notes that Jack has been chosen to support this year's Save the Children Christmas campaign and that he is the youngest ever singer to be appointed as an ambassador for Save the Children; and wishes him every success in raising money through the proceeds of his single, Tomorrow, for a very worthwhile charitable cause.

Prepared 12th December 2013