Session 2013-14
House of Commons
11th March 2014
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
1130 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (S. I., 2014, No. 16) 28:2:14
29That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 16), dated 8 January 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 10 January, be annulled.
1133 DEMENTIA STRATEGY BEYOND 2014 3:3:14
29That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to improving care and services for people with dementia; notes that the National Dementia Strategy and the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia have been fundamental to achieving these improvements since the inception of the strategy in 2009; and calls for the commitment to and publication of a renewed Dementia Strategy before the end of the current framework in April 2014.
1138 VALUING THE WORK OF SUPPLY TEACHERS 4:3:14
24That this House appreciates and values the work of supply teachers in schools; recognises that professional skills and expertise matter; believes that other than in emergencies schools should only use qualified teachers to cover for absent teachers; expresses concern that schools now have little option but to use agencies which charge them at least £50 more a day than is paid to the supply teacher; and calls on the Government to encourage schools to employ supply teachers directly or through the local authority, rather than use agencies, to ensure supply teachers are paid and have access to continuous professional development opportunities and pension rights on an equal basis to other teachers.
1139 FAIRTRADE'S MAKE BANANAS FAIR CAMPAIGN 4:3:14
24That this House celebrates the achievements of the Fairtrade movement in this 20th year since the Fairtrade mark first appeared on shelves in the United Kingdom; further congratulates the Fairtrade movement on sales of some £1.78 billion of Fairtrade products supporting farmers and workers around the world in 2013; further welcomes the Fairtrade Foundation's campaign to Make Bananas Fair which calls on the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to co-ordinate government action to investigate unsustainably low banana prices and act to address their impact on banana farmers and workers in developing countries; and calls on retailers to pay the cost of sustainable production and living wages to banana farmers and workers.
1140 USE OF NHS PATIENT DATA 4:3:14
11That this House welcomes the decision to postpone the upload of patient records under the care.data scheme; believes the public information campaign was inadequate, with large sections of the population left unaware of the requirement to individually opt-out; notes that the scheme did not have the support of GPs or patients; calls on NHS England and the Department of Health to use the six-month delay to listen to and properly address the concerns of doctors and patients; strongly condemns the sale to insurance providers of the medical records of every NHS hospital patient; urges the Government to take seriously patient confidentiality and patients' ownership of their own data; further calls on the Government to ensure that in future NHS data is provided only to NHS bodies for the purpose of improving patient care, and provided only when it has been properly anonymised; further believes that public health data is not a commodity to be sold for private sector profit and should not be treated as such; and further calls on the Government to respect patient confidentiality and patients' wishes about their own data.
1141 LIVE EXPORT OF HORSES AND PONIES 4:3:14
27That this House notes the exposure by the BBC on its Inside Out programme of the UK's failure in its duty to protect horses and ponies from being exported live for slaughter abroad; is appalled that animals continue to be transported long distances in this process with little regard shown for their health and welfare during such arduous journeys; reminds the Government of promises past and that legislation is currently in place to prevent such treatment from occurring; is also aware that a recently signed tripartite agreement to further restrict the unlimited movement of less financially valued stock is now in place; and urges those responsible to use that tripartite agreement to both police and enforce this policy forthwith.
1142 ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEMORIAL 5:3:14
14That this House applauds the excellent work done by the UK armed forces and the Government's commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant which supports those who have given the most, such as the injured and those who died in service; notes that many service personnel who have lost their lives while serving do not have their names inscribed on the Armed Forces National Memorial although they have all sworn allegiance to their country and undertaken strenuous training; further notes a great many of the said personnel have completed years of service with a significant number of them having served on active operational tours of duty; recognises that the National Memorial Arboretum was set up as a special place for honouring those who served the nation; and supports the suggestion, upon consultation with the Arboretum trustees, that a separate Armed Forces Service Memorial be included at the Arboretum for those who died since World War II, either in service or as a consequence of their service, affording the opportunity to their bereaved families to pay their respects in a special place of honour.
1143 NORTH KOREA 5:3:14
20That this House expresses concern about North Korean human rights abuses and persecution of Christians; further expresses anger that North Korea has concentration camps where horrific crimes take place at Yodok and Chongori and other locations; and requests that the Government engages with the North Korean Ambassador and conveys disgust at how the Christian minority have been treated, opens up discussions with the Chinese authorities to assist Christians and those suffering horrendous human rights abuses and requests that China does not repatriate those fleeing from North Korea to China because of the persecution.
1144 PLANNING IN NATIONAL PARKS AND AREAS OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY 5:3:14
8That this House recognises that National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are beautiful areas of countryside; further recognises that the quality of the environment in National Parks and AONBs is the underpinning for thousands of businesses; believes that sensitive spatial planning is required in order to reap continued economic and environmental benefits; notes that 90 per cent of planning applications in English National Parks are already approved; expresses concern at government proposals to extend permitted development rights to allow up to three additional dwellings to be built on the site of agricultural buildings without the need for planning permission; further believes that this risks significant damage to these precious landscapes, will impact negatively on the rural economy and undermine the ability of National Parks authorities to facilitate local needs affordable housing; calls on the Government to exempt National Parks and AONBs from this proposal; and encourages the Government and everyone with an interest in protecting the finest parts of the countryside to recognise the need for a different approach to planning within nationally protected landscapes.
1145 VIOLENCE AGAINST COMMUNITIES IN COLOMBIA SEEKING LAND RESTITUTION 5:3:14
12That this House welcomes the Victims and Land Restitution Law in Colombia; notes with concern, however, the escalation of violence against communities seeking land restitution; further notes that in several cases this is due to the implementation of development projects involving foreign businesses and the production of agro-industrial crops for export; is alarmed by reports of violence against several communities in the process of land reclamation, notably the Afro-Colombian communities of Curvaradó, Cacarica and COCOMOPOCA and small-scale farming communities of Pitalito and Las Pabas, including reports that shots were fired at members of the Pitalito community, their leaders and lawyer; also notes with concern the escalation of threats against the human rights organisation, the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace (Comision Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz), particularly in the context of increased killings of human rights defenders in Colombia; therefore calls on the Colombian government to provide adequate security and protection for communities, leaders and human rights defenders; and further calls on the Government to raise these concerns with the Colombian government and to report in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual Human Rights Report on the implementation of UN due diligence criteria by British businesses in Colombia in relation to land, in compliance with the UK Action Plan on Business and Human Rights; and urges the UK Embassy in Colombia to meet, monitor and report on the aforementioned communities.
1147 PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON 10:3:14
5That this House recognises the current political situation in Lebanon and the need to affirm legitimate governance in a time of crisis; acknowledges the impact of Syrian refugees on Lebanon and the political concerns this is raising for the stability in the country; expresses deep concern over the discrimination against Palestinian refugees in Lebanon due to their status and the resulting lack of access to legal mechanisms; calls on the Lebanese authorities to ensure the safety and security of all Palestinian refugees within Lebanon; and further calls on the Government to assure Lebanon of the necessary support in assisting the refugees present in Lebanon, ensuring the provision of food, medical supplies and basic rights.
1148 LONDON ECONOMICS PUBS REPORT 10:3:14
3That this House is concerned about the December 2013 London Economics (LE) report, entitled 'Modelling the impact of proposed policies on pubs and the pub sector', commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS); notes the report was not based on independent research but confidential data supplied by pub companies lobbying against any Government action; further notes LE suspiciously failed to speak to pubco tenants or any organisations supporting the Fair Deal for Your Local campaign; is appalled LE has charged the taxpayer £26,000 for fieldwork when none was undertaken; further notes the report has not adhered to the brief and not done any work to assess pub viability as a result of reform, having instead tested viability of hugely indebted pubcos; further notes LE effectively admits this, saying it merely reports on what they would expect pub companies to do, given previous experience and the financial situation they find themselves in; further notes the report misunderstands the pubco economic model, contains factual errors, misreports industry evidence and makes incorrect conclusions; concludes the report is a waste of £39,100 of taxpayers' money; welcomes the parliamentary Save the Pub group's report exposing flaws in LE's report; further notes robust research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) that the BIS Select Committee's market rent-only option would make thousands of pubs more viable, and projects that introduce this option would benefit the UK economy by £78 million; and demands that BIS disregards the LE report and uses the FSB research as evidence for making a decision.
1149 10 YEARS OF FAIRTRADE LEEDS 10:3:14
2That this House congratulates the city of Leeds on celebrating 10 years since becoming a Fairtrade city; commends the Leeds Fairtrade City Steering Group for its inspiring commitment to promoting Fairtrade in communities across Leeds; highlights the value Leeds' residents place on ensuring sustainable development for farmers and workers around the world; acknowledges that local schools, businesses and universities have achieved Fairtrade status; agrees that Leeds is an excellent example for other towns and cities around the UK considering pursuing Fairtrade status; notes that more can still be done to ensure fairness for marginalised producers across the globe; and looks forward to many more years of progress for the Fairtrade movement.
1150 USE OF TASERS ON CHILDREN 10:3:14
2That this House is appalled that the use of Tasers on children by the Metropolitan Police has risen six-fold over four years; notes that according to the Children's Rights Alliance for England, and based on a Freedom of Information request, stun guns were used on 53 young people in the city in 2013 compared to nine in 2008; further notes that 70 per cent of the incidents occurred in four London boroughs, Croydon, Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark; believes that children should never be subject to Taser assault; and calls on the Home Secretary to invoke an immediate ban on their use.
1153 IMMIGRATION DEBATE 10:3:14
2That this House is intensely relaxed about people coming to this country to study and work and bringing necessary skills, as long as they pay their taxes and pay their way; notes that Government ministers are once more bitterly at odds over immigration; further notes that while the number of immigrants arriving from outside the EU has fallen, those arriving from within the EU has increased by 60,000 to 209,000; points out that Government ministers' commitment to cutting net migration to below 100,000 by next year is impossible without leaving the EU; believes that the Immigration Minister James Brokenshire's claim that the number of arrivals from the EU is too high is simply a naked attempt to hold on to Tory voters who are likely to vote for UKIP in the May elections; and calls on all parties and members to stop using immigration as a political football.
1155 SOL CAMPBELL 10:3:14
3That this House is deeply worried about the claims made by former England footballer Sol Campbell about racism in the Football Association (FA) and the impact of this on his career; notes that Mr Campbell suggests that if he was white he would have been captain of the England side 'for more than 10 years'; further notes that Mr Campbell was capped 73 times for England and captained the side on only three occasions; and calls on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to investigate these claims to eradicate any racism in the FA.
1156 SCAMS AGAINST THE VULNERABLE 10:3:14
11That this House congratulates Age Cymru on its timely and vital campaign to protect vulnerable older people in Wales from scams, such as postal scams, nuisance calls, investment scams, fake PPI recovery offers, internet repair scammers, courier scams and internet scams; and calls for the Government to examine the case for drastically increasing the scope and the scale of No Cold Calling zones to protect older people from rogue traders and high pressure salespeople on their doorstep and for internet service providers to work with other service and product providers to supply easily and affordably higher levels of security capable of blocking or quarantining scams.
1157 PENSION ENTITLEMENT FOR MILITARY WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS 10:3:14
6That this House expresses sympathy with the military widows and widowers forced to surrender their 1975 Armed Forces Pension Scheme entitlement when deciding to marry or cohabit with a new partner; acknowledges the enormous sacrifices made by military spouses on behalf of the UK, often raising a family single-handedly while a loved one serves overseas; believes it is cruel and unfair to make those who become widows and widowers to make a choice between having a new relationship and financial security; notes that the 2005 Armed Forces Pension Scheme does not require widows and widowers to sacrifice their entitlement if they find a new partner; further believes that the savings to the taxpayer made by widows and widowers sacrificing their pension entitlement is minimal and that in 2013 there were only 10 1975 Armed Forces Pension Scheme 75 widows payments voluntarily surrendered at an annual saving of £31,294; supports the Forces Pensions Society campaign, backed by the Royal British Legion, to abolish this unfair and unnecessary provision; and urges the Government to amend the 1975 Armed Forces Pension Scheme so that widows and widowers no longer have to sacrifice their entitlement when cohabiting or marrying a new partner.
1158 GUIDELINES ON ASSISTED SUICIDE AND PUBLIC SAFETY 10:3:14
11That this House notes and draws to the attention of those wishing to change the law on assisted suicide, the remarks of the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Lord Faulks, during a debate on 5 March 2014 in the House of Lords, that since the publication of the Guidelines of Assisted Suicide four cases were referred onwards for prosecution for murder or serious assault; believes that the emergence of these cases shows how well the current guidelines are working; and reasserts its belief that to relax the current law would add further to the number of unlawful killings and murders and that the most important considerations are the protection of vulnerable people and public safety.
1159 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOL SUPPORT WORKERS' PAY 10:3:14
10That this House recognises that local government and school support workers provide an excellent and essential service to the public; expresses concern about levels of local government pay; further recognises that local government workers have endured a real terms 18 per cent reduction in basic pay since 2010; believes that low pay in local government is resulting in significant economic hardship for them and their families; supports the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for 2014-15; notes that this would deliver the Living Wage for the 500,000 lowest paid local government workers; further notes that 55 per cent of the cost of the claim could be met through increased tax and national insurance income and reduced spending on in-work-benefits; and therefore calls on local government employers to accept the NJC claim and offer a pay award which includes an emphasis on fair rewards for the lowest paid and hard-pressed sections of the workforce.
1160 FUTURE OF BBC THREE 10:3:14
5That this House is concerned at the proposal of BBC management to recommend the closure of BBC Three by autumn 2015; notes that this is the first time in the BBC's history that it has proposed to close a television channel; further notes that BBC Three has given birth to hugely popular content such as Little Britain and Gavin and Stacey, alongside innovative current affairs programmes aimed at a youth audience such as the 60 Seconds format; regrets that this £50 million saving follows an extensive round of cuts and job losses under the Delivering Quality First agenda and is a result of the freeze in the licence fee together with having to absorb the World Service, S4C and the roll-out of broadband; fears that the proposal will lead to compulsory redundancies; urges BBC management to take this proposal off the table pending the outcome of negotiations over renewal of its Royal Charter; and joins the National Union of Journalists in urging all parties to commit to an uprating of the TV licence by at least the rate of inflation in order to ensure that quality diverse public service broadcasting that plays an enormous role in the broader creative industry can continue to flourish.
1161 FIREARMS LICENCE FEE 10:3:14
5That this House urges the Government to increase the firearms licence fee to eliminate the £17 million burden placed upon police services to subsidise private gun ownership; notes that the current fee stands at £50 while its costs the police £196 to process each private gun licence; further notes that police services across the country are facing severe financial pressures resulting in a reduction in the number of frontline and specialist police officers; agrees that every measure possible should be taken to protect funding for vital police work; and acknowledges that when the Government is imposing extensive public spending reductions it is unacceptable to use funding earmarked for policing to subsidise an activity by a small minority of the British public.
1162 ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS 10:3:14
10That this House welcomes the Department for Education's policy review for the management of asbestos in schools; notes that the review was called following the Committee on Carcinogenicity's conclusion that children are more vulnerable to asbestos exposure than adults; further notes the evidence given to the Education Select Committee by a leading epidemiologist that between 200 and 300 people could die each year from their asbestos exposure experienced as a child at school; and calls on the Government to look to Australia where a National Strategic Plan for asbestos has recently been introduced which will establish long-term strategic policies for the eradication of asbestos disease and will set systems, timelines and processes for the safe removal of asbestos materials from public and commercial buildings, with priority being given to schools.
1163 IRANIAN OPPOSITION 11:3:14
1That this House is deeply concerned by remarks made by the Iraqi and Iranian justice ministers regarding the extradition of members of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran the main Iranian opposition movement; recalls, that the residents of Camp Liberty are protected persons and people of concern under the terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention and that any attempt to extradite them to a country in which they would face either torture or execution would be both unlawful and in breach of the principle of non-refoulement; calls on the Government to use its influences as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to secure the safety and well-being of those people until a lasting and peaceful solution can be found.
1164 BOB CROW 11:3:14
5That this House records with sadness the tragic loss of Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary; sends its deepest condolences to his family, friends and the members of his union; and recognises him as one of the most outstanding trade union leaders of his generation, who was very much loved by his RMT members and also respected across the transport industry for his tireless work for a better and safer transport system.
1165 MADRID BOMBINGS 11:3:14
5That this House recalls that 11 March 2014 is the tenth anniversary of the Madrid train bombings when 192 people were murdered and 1,800 people injured; recognises that this date has been designated in Europe as Victims' Day; also recognises that thousands of innocent victims across the UK, particularly in Northern Ireland, will understand and empathise with the demand across Europe for greater recognition of all those who have suffered at the hands of terrorists; and calls on the Government to take the lead in promoting victims' issues and addressing their concerns.
1166 CHANGES TO TYRE REQUIREMENTS DURING MOTs FOR BUSES AND COACHES 11:3:14
1That this House notes the tragic deaths of three people in September 2012 following an avoidable coach crash caused by a faulty front tyre; recognises the inquest verdict that the cause of the crash was the age of the tyre; further accepts the coroner's ruling that tyres deteriorate significantly with age; believes that the Department for Transport (DfT) should urgently commission appropriate research into the effects of tyre ageing on road traffic accidents with the possibility of introducing a maximum age limit; welcomes the guidelines published by the DfT in December 2013; further notes the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency should undertake an immediate review of all passenger service vehicles' tyres to ensure that they are operating within the DfT's guidelines; and further believes that the Government should make representations to the EU to amend existing legislation to ensure all buses and coaches are required to have tyres with a maximum age of 10 years.
1167 EUROPEAN UNION REFERENDUM 11:3:14
7That this House believes that the UK's democracy needs to be both representative and participatory and trusts the British people to make fundamental decisions about its future; further believes that the world economy is robust enough to withstand a referendum; and therefore calls for the future of the UK's relationship with the rest of Europe to be put to a standalone referendum at the earliest opportunity.
1168 ABOLITION OF THE POSTAL VOTE ON DEMAND SYSTEM 11:3:14
1That this House notes that Justice Richard Mawrey QC, who has tried many cases of electoral fraud, has described the postal voting on demand system as open to fraud on an industrial scale and unviable in its current form; further notes that he has been joined in this condemnation of the current system by the hon. Member for Pendle; is astonished that the Electoral Commission continues to support the current postal voting on demand system; and demands that the Government abolishes the system forthwith in order to restore integrity to the British electoral system.
1169 ALBION ROVERS FOOTBALL CLUB 11:3:14
4That this House congratulates Albion Rovers Football Club on its sensational performance in the Scottish Cup match on Sunday; further congratulates the manager, players and everyone involved in a remarkable draw away from home; celebrates the fact that this was made possible despite a disputed goal against them; acknowledges that this is a team which draws its energies overwhelmingly from part-time players and staff; and wishes them luck.
1170 PUBCO-PRICE ESCALATOR AND A FAIR DEAL FOR LOCAL PUBS 11:3:14
1That this House welcomes the 2013 beer duty cut and calls for a freeze in 2014; believes that this has benefited brewers but not pubco tenants who face above inflation pubco price increases; notes that Rob Willock, editor of the Publican's Morning Advertiser called this the pubco price escalator and agrees with his comments on 23 October 2013 that 'there is one area in which pubco lessees still regularly appear to suffer in the relationship with their landlord that remains unregulated and potentially unfair - that of beer pricing' and that 'pubcos fought passionately against the beer-duty-escalator - and won their concession. It's not fair for them to impose the same sort of mechanism on their lessees'; further notes that over six years from 2003 the price of an 11 gallons keg of Foster's increased to Enterprise Inns tenants 4.5 times the increase to freehouses; further notes the latest pubco price hike in February 2014, not followed by wholesalers; deplores Punch Taverns' £2.271 billion profit in 10 years from on-selling beer they don't brew to their own tenants; further notes that the ALMR benchmarking survey shows average tied rents are higher than free of tie, demonstrating that pubco tenants don't get low rents for higher beer prices but are doubly overcharged; and calls on the Treasury to support a market rent-only option for pubco tenants which would allow the open market to self-regulate product price, increase licensee earnings, make pubs more viable and reduce the price of a pint in pubco pubs.