House of Commons
8th April 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
Edward Miliband
Mr Chuka Umunna
Ed Balls
Rachel Reeves
Ian Murray
Ms Rosie Winterton
*61
Hywel Williams Toby Perkins Bill Esterson Mr George Howarth

That 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.

1220 LEGAL AID AND ADVICE (S. I., 2014, No. 607) 24:3:14
Edward Miliband
Sadiq Khan
Emily Thornberry
Chris Leslie
Mr Andy Slaughter
Ms Rosie Winterton
*43
Mr Mike Hancock Mike Gapes Mr Bob Ainsworth

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 607), dated 12 March 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 14 March, be annulled.

1226 PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS (S. I., 2014, No. 525) 25:3:14
Edward Miliband
Hilary Benn
Rachel Reeves
Chris Leslie
Andy Sawford
Ms Rosie Winterton
*35
Mr Gerry Sutcliffe Tim Farron Toby Perkins Mike Gapes Greg Mulholland

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Local Government Pension Scheme (Transitional Provisions, Savings and Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I., No 525) dated 5 March 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 10 March, be annulled.

1231 INCINERATION OF FOETAL REMAINS IN NHS HOSPITALS 31:3:14
Robert Flello
Mark Durkan
Jim Shannon
Sir Alan Meale
Sir Tony Cunningham
Ms Margaret Ritchie
*18
Lady Hermon Mr Mike Hancock

That this House is deeply concerned about recent reports of the incineration of foetal remains by NHS trusts, two of which were found to have burnt the bodies of aborted or miscarried foetuses and babies to generate power for heat; and calls on the Care Quality Commission to investigate fully UK hospitals to understand how widespread this practice has been.

1232 RANA PLAZA COMPENSATION 31:3:14
Jim Fitzpatrick
Mark Durkan
Sir Peter Bottomley
Sir Alan Meale
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Jim Dobbin
*17
Mike Gapes Lady Hermon Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock

That this House, mindful that 24 April 2014 will be the first anniversary of the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, and noting that the victims and their families have yet to be fully compensated, welcomes the launch on 24 March 2014 of the Rana Plaza Arrangement compensation fund negotiated under the auspices of the International Labour Organization by employers and unions in Bangladesh and globally and by the government of Bangladesh; urges companies sourcing from Bangladesh, and especially those sourcing from Rana Plaza, to make sufficient contributions to meet the £24 million target by 24 April 2014; and calls on the Government to encourage companies to do so.

1233 ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE REFORMS OF LEGAL AID 31:3:14
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Jonathan Edwards
Jim Shannon
Sir Alan Meale
Mr George Galloway
Mr Ronnie Campbell
*16
Lady Hermon Mr Mike Hancock

That this House acknowledges that 1 April 2014 is the anniversary of the implementation of the reforms to civil legal aid; notes that since 1 April 2013 a range of civil and family issues have been removed from the scope of legal aid including debt advice, welfare benefits and private family law matters where no domestic violence can be proven to have taken place in the past two years; is concerned that due to the reforms of civil legal aid tens of thousands of families will no longer have access to justice and that this will have an entirely negative effect on the most vulnerable children in society; welcomes the campaign against cuts in legal aid organised by the Justice Alliance; further notes that the Family Courts Unions Parliamentary Group will host an event on the anniversary of these reforms in Parliament to hear from the professionals and staff working in the field first-hand accounts of the devastating effect they have had on the lives of children and families across the UK; and therefore calls on the Government to urgently address the serious concerns that have arisen since the start of implementation and review its entire programme of reform of civil legal aid.

1234 SAVE THE INDEPENDENT LIVING FUND 31:3:14
Dame Anne Begg
Caroline Lucas
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Jeremy Corbyn
John McDonnell
Mark Durkan
*31
Mike Gapes Lady Hermon Mr Bob Ainsworth Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock Jim Dowd

That this House is deeply concerned by the plan to close, by June 2015, the Independent Living Fund (ILF) on which over 18,000 severely disabled people rely instead of being in residential care; questions the Government's rationale for local authorities taking over this funding given their higher overheads and squeezed budgets; notes that experts believe this financial pressure and loss of experienced ILF staff will mean current recipients will be placed in residential care or left at home without adequate care provision; further notes that many users will no longer be eligible for any local authority care funding because of tightening of eligibility criteria; is aware that the average cost of the ILF at £345 per week is less than half that of the average cost of residential care at £738 per week; is reminded that in November 2013 the Court of Appeal upheld a legal challenge to the Government's decision to close the ILF in March 2015, because the Department for Work and Pensions had breached equality duties; and urges the Government to respect its obligations under the UN Convention of the Rights of Disabled Persons by maintaining the ILF and reopening applications which were closed in 2010.

1235 PRIVATE AMBULANCE TRANSFER PROVIDER IN THE EAST MIDLANDS 1:4:14
John Mann
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Jim Dobbin
Mr Dennis Skinner
Grahame M. Morris
*9
Mr Mike Hancock

That this House notes that Arriva Transport Solutions has failed to meet key targets since it took over patient transfer to and from hospitals from East Midlands Ambulance Service in July 2012; is extremely concerned that more than 22 per cent of journeys are so late that patients miss their appointment time; is alarmed that the commercial general manager of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals described this record as having a massive impact on the ability of hospital staff to carry out their jobs; and calls on the Government to hold a public inquiry into this failure of a private provider to perform an essential service and for ambulance transfer services to be brought back into efficient public ownership.

1236 NUISANCE CALLS ACTION PLAN 1:4:14
Mike Crockart
Sir Peter Bottomley
Andrew George
Sir Alan Meale
Dr William McCrea
David Simpson
*17
Lady Hermon Mr Mike Hancock Mr George Howarth

That this House welcomes the publication of the Nuisance Calls Action Plan by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; notes that the Action Plan sets out the actions being taken by Government, regulators, consumer groups and industry to tackle nuisance calls; further welcomes the news that the Government will consult on lowering the legal threshold for when firms can be fined for making nuisance calls; further welcomes the announcement by the Ministry of Justice that there are plans to impose fines of hundreds of thousands of pounds on claims management companies which use information gathered by unsolicited calls and texts and other bad practices; and calls on the Government to continue to work with regulators and industry to ensure that the measures set out in the Action Plan do tackle the plague of nuisance calls once and for all.

1237 IMPRISONMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 1:4:14
Katy Clark
Sir Peter Bottomley
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Andrew George
Sir Alan Meale
*15
Lady Hermon

That this House expresses concern at the conviction and imprisonment of human rights lawyers Doctors Mohamed al-Mansoori and Mohamed al-Roken in the United Arab Emirates; notes with concern that both men have been sentenced to 10-year prison sentences after being convicted of 'plotting to seize power'; highlights the International Commission of Jurists has described both men's trial as 'manifestly unfair' and that Amnesty International defines the pair as prisoners of conscience; believes that Doctors Mohamed al-Mansoori and Mohamed al-Roken have been imprisoned simply for their work in defending human rights and representing activists in political trials; further believes that both men should be released immediately; and calls on the Government to put every diplomatic pressure on the government of the United Arab Emirates to secure this.

1238 PUB IS THE HUB AND THE BIG SOCIETY AWARD 1:4:14
Greg Mulholland
Sir Peter Bottomley
Sir Alan Meale
Bob Blackman
Mr David Ward
Grahame M. Morris
*8
Mr Mike Hancock

That this House congratulates the Pub is the Hub initiative in winning the Prime Minister's Big Society Award at the Publican Awards; commends the Prime Minister's decision in recognising Pub is the Hub with this award; welcomes the Department for Communities and Local Government's announcement of a further £20,000 of funding, in addition to existing £150,000 funding until 2015, to provide specialist advice to pubs and help diversify their services; recognises the fantastic work that the Pub is the Hub initiative does to help pubs in rural communities to stay at the heart of village life by providing additional services; further recognises that the Pub is the Hub initiative has worked with over 400 pubs across England and Wales; and wishes further success to this already fantastic initiative in the future.

1240 CRIMINALISING EMOTIONAL ABUSE 1:4:14
John Hemming
Dr William McCrea
David Simpson
Mr David Ward
Mr Mike Hancock
*5

That this House notes the Government's suggestion of legislation to criminalise emotional abuse; further notes that the vast majority of emotional abuse cited in care proceedings relates to domestic violence between the parents; accepts that this does at times cause emotional trauma for children; further notes, however, that domestic violence is already criminal; further notes that it is already the case that some rape victims do have their children removed from them as a result of the rape; recognises that criminalising the emotional abuse that results from domestic violence would at times also criminalise the victims; and calls on the Government to be very careful not to criminalise the victim of domestic abuse if it decides to continue with proposals to criminalise emotional abuse.

1241 DEATHS OF MINERS IN THE WORLD WARS 1:4:14
Mr George Galloway
Sir Peter Bottomley
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Jim Dobbin
Mr Tom Watson
*13
Mr Mike Hancock

That this House pays tribute to the hundreds of miners who lost their lives in the two world wars; points out that the deaths of those, like the miners, in reserved occupations, have received no recognition; notes that September 2014 sees the centenary of the start of the First World War in which 165 men and boys lost their lives in the Yorkshire coalfield alone while in the Second World War a further 385 perished in Yorkshire; and believes that in recognition of their part in keeping the home fires burning and industry turning a fitting statue should be erected at the National Arboretum and that plaques bearing the names of those killed at work in those conflicts should be added to war memorials throughout the country so that families can pay their respects on Remembrance Day.

1242 SPORT ENGLAND AND THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION 1:4:14
Mr George Galloway
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Kelvin Hopkins
Mr Mike Hancock
*4

That this House believes there is no justification for Sport England providing £30 million in funding to the Football Association (FA) to develop grassroots football; points out that while welcoming the cut of £1.6 million in the grant, the FA has an annual income of over £300 million and presides over the richest football organisation in the world, the Premier League; further believes that senior football clubs, and principally those in the Premier League, have failed to properly invest in grassroots football; notes that the Premier League currently gives just 3.7 per cent of its annual turnover to amateur and non-senior football, some £45 million, and contrasts that with the wage bill of just one club, Manchester City, which last year spent £233 million on salaries; is convinced that the lack of sufficient local high-standard facilities is responsible both for the drop in numbers of those playing the amateur game and is hindering the development of young talent; and calls on the FA to ensure that the Premier League is made to double its annual contribution, joined by the Government, so that more people are playing the game, particularly young people, which can only benefit the clubs and the national team.

1244 QATAR WORLD CUP AND MIGRANT WORKERS 1:4:14
Chris Williamson
Mr Stephen Hepburn
John Cryer
Steve Rotheram
Jeremy Corbyn
Andrew George
*45
Sarah Champion Dr Hywel Francis Mike Gapes Katy Clark

That this House commends the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians and Building & Woodworkers International for organising a mission to Qatar to draw attention to the appalling health and safety standards on construction sites to which migrant workers are subjected; welcomes the exposé by Kevin Maguire of the Daily Mirror, highlighting the labour camps where tens of thousands of migrant workers are forced to live in abject squalor in overcrowded, insanitary accommodation; condemns the endemic poverty pay where skilled migrant workers, such as carpenters, receive as little as 56 pence per hour; deplores the widespread practice by unscrupulous employers of withholding wages for many months leaving workers destitute and starving; is appalled that 1,200 migrant workers have been killed in Qatar since it was awarded the 2022 World Cup; deprecates the system of sponsored employment in Qatar, known as the Kafala system that denies workers freedom of movement and prevents workers leaving the country without the approval of their employer; regrets the Qatari authorities' refusal to ratify International Labour Organization conventions allowing freedom of association; and therefore calls on FIFA to put Qatar on notice that its right to host the 2022 World Cup will be removed unless action is taken within the next 12 months to stop the exploitation of migrant workers by ending the Kafala system, ensuring all migrant workers are covered by the standards contained in Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Workers' Charter and allowing migrant workers to elect their own site committees and representatives.

1245 GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL 1:4:14
Mr David Crausby
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Bob Blackman
Jim Shannon
Jim Dobbin
*21
Mr David Blunkett Mike Gapes Greg Mulholland Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock Mr George Howarth

That this House recognises the importance of grassroots football to communities; notes that participation in football promotes a healthy, active lifestyle, develops team work and builds lasting friendships among children; further notes with great concern the declining standards of pitches and facilities across the country and the hardships faced by local authorities to invest in grassroots football due to cuts in funding from central Government, often combined with higher charges to use pitches; further notes the huge success of the Premier League at home and around the world leading to soaring revenues and higher wages for players at the very top of the sport; and calls on the Government to work with the Football Association and Premier League to divert more funds from the Premier League into children's grassroots football by committing 7.5 per cent of money produced by domestic and international broadcasting rights, to guarantee the future of English football and to give every child the opportunity to participate in grassroots football.

1246 RAISING LITERACY LEVELS IN PRISONS 1:4:14
Pat Glass
Mark Hendrick
Andrew Miller
Ian Lavery
Grahame M. Morris
Natascha Engel
*36
Sarah Champion Mark Lazarowicz Sheila Gilmore Mike Gapes Lady Hermon Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock Mr George Howarth

That this House recognises the significant percentage of prisoners who have a basic literacy problem and for whom reading and writing are a massive barrier to rehabilitation and to future employment; believes that raising literacy levels and rehabilitation are linked and are enhanced by regular reading; and calls on the Government to reconsider its ban on books for prisoners.

1247 BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO AND PREVENTING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN US TOBACCO FIELDS 1:4:14
Jim Sheridan
Mrs Linda Riordan
Ian Lavery
Karl Turner
Mr Ian Davidson
Mr Dennis Skinner
*36
Mark Lazarowicz Mike Gapes Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock

That this House, noting that Oxfam America and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), being an affiliate of the US equivalent of the TUC, have highlighted onerous conditions faced by migrant farm workers in the tobacco fields of North Carolina and the American South, including exploitation, long hours, child labour and other human rights abuses, that Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) is a major purchaser of the tobacco produced in those fields but refuses to grant freedom of association or worker representation to those workers and that British America Tobacco plc (BAT) is the largest shareholder and a major customer of RAI, holds that only when migrant farm workers have a recognised organisation will their complaints about their working and living conditions be effectively addressed; believes that BAT has a responsibility to ensure that its supply chain is free of human rights abuses and that FLOC's proposals to RAI can achieve that goal in the US; and therefore calls on BAT to use its influence with RAI to reach an agreement with FLOC forthwith.

1248 ENERGY IN BUILDINGS BILL 2:4:14
Martin Caton
Mr David Amess
Sir Bob Russell
Joan Walley
Caroline Lucas
Andrew George
*22
Mike Gapes Mr Mike Hancock

That this House believes that greater energy efficiency and the installation of cost-effective measures to generate energy by householders can reduce fuel bills and assist with alleviating fuel poverty and with achieving low carbon homes; and therefore supports the Energy in Buildings Bill brought forward by the hon. Member for Gower which will require the Secretary of State to draw up and implement a strategy to promote such measures.

1249 EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF DIABETES 2:4:14
Mr Adrian Sanders [R]
Mark Durkan
Sir Peter Bottomley
Andrew George
Grahame M. Morris
Kelvin Hopkins
*16
Mr David Ward Ms Margaret Ritchie Jim Shannon Mike Gapes Lady Hermon Mr Mike Hancock [R] Mr George Howarth

That this House recognises the importance of early diagnosis of diabetes in order to bring the condition under control and prevent life threatening and expensive complications; notes the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes, working in partnership with Sir Michael Hirst and the International Diabetes Federation, to offer blood glucose testing on the Parliamentary Estate in March that resulted in over 145 people, hon. Members, peers and staff taking the test; wishes to thank the nurses who volunteered their time to do this under the direction of Anne Felton of FEND (Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes); and calls on the Government to do all in its power to encourage more diagnostic testing for diabetes in workplaces and community settings across the country.

[R] Relevant Interest declared
1250 EMPOWER: ACCESS TO MEDICINE CAMPAIGN 2:4:14
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Rosie Cooper
Mr Graham Brady
Dr Julian Lewis
Mr Gary Streeter
Mark Durkan
*11
Jim Shannon Mr Mike Hancock

That this House welcomes the hard work of campaigners such as Les Halpin, who lost his battle with motor neurone disease in September 2013; notes the impact that such campaigns such as Empower: Access to Medicine, which Les founded, and those in the muscular dystrophy community, such as Joining Jack and Duchenne Children's Trust, have had on progressing the issue of drug development; further welcomes the news that the Government will commit to an early access scheme; further notes that this is a potentially significant development for those suffering from rare diseases with unmet clinical need and a clear demonstration that pressure from the patient community can have a positive effect; and calls on the Government to ensure that the early access scheme reaches as many patients as possible.

1251 WORKERS EARNING LESS THAN THE LIVING WAGE IN WALES 2:4:14
Hywel Williams
Grahame M. Morris
Jonathan Edwards
Katy Clark
*4

That this House notes the statistics released by the Wales TUC highlighting that Wales has 23 per cent of its workers paid below the living wage, a higher percentage than any other nation or region in the UK; further notes that in some constituencies it is as high as 40 per cent with women being the most affected by poverty pay; commends the Wales TUC for its work in this regard; condemns the economic policies of successive Westminster governments that have failed to tackle rising pay inequality; and calls for a living wage to be implemented as the minimum wage.

1252 DEFENCE INFRASTRUCTURE ORGANISATION GOVCO 2:4:14
John McDonnell
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Jonathan Edwards
Mr Dennis Skinner
Kelvin Hopkins
Paul Flynn
*12
Ms Margaret Ritchie Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock Bill Esterson

That this House is concerned by the recent announcement that Capita is now the preferred bidder for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) contract; notes Capita's lack of experience in managing such a contract and its poor record in delivering in other areas of the Civil Service, including army recruitment IT services which are currently two years behind schedule; is alarmed by the proposed move of the DIO to a so-called GovCo model without proper scrutiny or evaluation of the plans by Parliament or employee representatives; further notes the concern of current DIO staff regarding the future of their jobs, pay, pensions and terms and conditions none of which have been safeguarded by the Secretary of State under the proposed GovCo model; and calls on the Government to allow proper scrutiny of the proposals on the floor of the House and to allow full consultation with staff regarding the future of the DIO.

1253 NUCLEAR INSURANCE 2:4:14
Paul Flynn
Kelvin Hopkins
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Katy Clark
Mr Mike Hancock
*6

That this House notes the proposal by the Ministry of Defence for indemnification of private contractors at its facility at HM Naval Base Clyde; is alarmed that the Departmental minute reveals that the value of the contingent liability is unquantifiable due to the potentially catastrophic nature of a nuclear incident; declines to support such indemnification as it removes all risk from the private contractor and embeds unquantifiable liability with taxpayers; objects to the minute; and calls for a full debate on the floor of the House on this matter.

1255 150 YEARS OF RUGBY IN LEEDS 2:4:14
Greg Mulholland
Paul Flynn
Mr David Ward
*3

That this House congratulates the people and city of Leeds for celebrating 150 years of playing rugby; notes that on 4 March 1864 Henry Jenkinson, a clerk with a local railway company, placed an advertisement in the Leeds Mercury inviting interest from individuals interested in playing; further notes that this advertisement attracted over 200 people; further notes that the first Leeds team made its competitive debut on 19 June 1864 against Sheffield in a hybrid football game; also notes that the club became Leeds Athletic in 1870 and played on a ground by Whitehall Road; commends Leeds Rugby Foundation for the range of events it has organised throughout 2014 to celebrate 150 years of history and achievements; further commends the people of Leeds for their strong enthusiasm for rugby; wishes all rugby clubs in Leeds a strong and prosperous future; and looks forward to many more years of rugby being played across the city and surrounding areas.

1256 10 YEARS OF HOPE PASTURES 2:4:14
Greg Mulholland
Kelvin Hopkins
Paul Flynn
Mr Mike Hancock
*4

That this House congratulates the Leeds-based charity Hope Pastures, the Phyllis Harvey Horse and Donkey Trust, on its tenth anniversary; pays tribute to the fantastic work it does to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home horses, ponies and donkeys; commends that it opens every day, including bank holidays and weekends, free of charge to the public; notes that it provides a great environment for families to visit and take part in productive activities; recognises the opportunities provided by the charity for volunteers to participate and the excellent service provided by these volunteers to allow the charity to continue running; and wishes it further success in the future.

1257 175th ANNIVERSARY OF ANTI-SLAVERY INTERNATIONAL 2:4:14
Mark Durkan
Sir Peter Bottomley
Andrew George
Grahame M. Morris
Kelvin Hopkins
Mr Frank Field
*34
Sarah Champion Mr David Blunkett Mr David Ward Ms Margaret Ritchie Hywel Williams Lady Hermon Katy Clark Ms Diane Abbott Mr Mike Hancock Alex Cunningham Mr George Howarth Jim Dowd Dame Anne Begg Mr Adrian Sanders

That this House notes that 17 April 2014 marks the 175th anniversary of Thomas Clarkson and fellow abolitionists founding the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society; recognises that Anti-Slavery International is now the world's oldest international human rights organisation; acknowledges its historic contribution to so many major human rights milestones in the form of national actions and legislation, international treaties, or conventions and corporate standards; appreciates its ongoing work to expose and oppose all the modern facets of forced labour, human trafficking, controlled servitude, sexual exploitation, indentured poverty, child exploitation and other slavery-related abuses; further recognises the other courageous activists across the world who work with Anti-Slavery to expose slavery wherever it occurs and work for sustainable measures to eradicate it; and salutes Anti-Slavery International as a vital organisation for our times, bringing long historical and broad geographic perspective to the contemporary struggle to secure justice and rights for the 21 million people still bonded in slavery across the world in 2014.

1258 UK TROOPS WITHDRAWAL FROM HELMAND 2:4:14
Paul Flynn
Kelvin Hopkins
Mr Mike Hancock
*3

That this House applauds the courage, professionalism and sacrifices of UK troops in Helmand Province since 2006 when UK forces were ordered into the province in a mission of pacification, construction and reduction in the opium trade and in the hope that not a shot would be fired; recalls that only two British soldiers had died in combat in Afghanistan before the Helmand incursion which was described in 2006 as likely to be as suicidal as the Charge of the Light Brigade; acknowledges that the mission was a failure of major historic proportions, resulting in the deaths of 448 UK soldiers, a current record opium crop and Taliban control of most of the province that makes participation in elections impossible; and believes that describing the Helmand tragedies as mission accomplished is self-serving delusion.

1259 QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, BELFAST, AND CANCER RESEARCH 2:4:14
Jim Shannon
Dr William McCrea
Mr Nigel Dodds
David Simpson
Grahame M. Morris
Kelvin Hopkins
*14
Ms Margaret Ritchie Bob Blackman Lady Hermon Ian Paisley Mr George Howarth

That this House congratulates Queen's University, Belfast and all of those involved in their tremendous breakthrough in ovarian and breast cancer research that could mean preventative operations for mastectomy and oophorectomy could be unnecessary with alternatives to surgery becoming available through this ground-breaking work.

1260 SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINERS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASE 2:4:14
Ian Lavery
Grahame M. Morris
Ian Mearns
Pat Glass
Jim Sheridan
Chris Williamson
*21
Mr David Ward Ms Margaret Ritchie Jim Shannon Katy Clark Mr Mike Hancock

That this House recalls the tributes paid to Nelson Mandela, a great fighter against apartheid and a founding father of democratic South Africa; notes that 27 April 2014 will be the 20th anniversary of South Africa's first democratic election; expresses its concern that one of the legacies of apartheid which has not been addressed is that thousands of South African gold miners, mostly from rural areas that were the primary sources of apartheid migrant labour, have been decimated by epidemic rates of silicosis, an incurable, preventable, respiratory disease that increases susceptibility to tuberculosis, which is endemic in rural areas where TB rates and drug-resistant TB are soaring, constituting what a leading medical expert has described as a river of disease flowing out of the gold mines; believes that delay in providing improved testing and treatment will mean more and more of those with silicosis and TB will suffer and die uncompensated leaving their families destitute; further notes that a number of South African mining companies are now listed on the London Stock Exchange; calls on the companies that were involved in gold mining urgently to provide decent compensation and improved health care, including screening and testing for silicosis for those who may have and do have the disease; and urges those companies to make public commitments to do so in 2014, the 20th anniversary of democracy and freedom in South Africa and prior to the first anniversary of Nelson Mandela's death.

1261 COMPENSATION TO STREET PREACHER 2:4:14
Mr Gregory Campbell
Dr William McCrea
Jim Shannon
Mr Nigel Dodds
David Simpson
Sir Peter Bottomley
*10
Ian Paisley Mr Mike Hancock

That this House notes the recent case of street preacher, 57 year old Mr John Craven; acknowledges the payment of £13,000 compensation to him from Greater Manchester Police as a result of him being held in police custody for 15 hours without food or water; and further acknowledges the work of the Christian Institute in working to highlight unacceptable practices such as this, as well as representing people who are singled out for police questioning as a result of vexatious complaints regarding their proclaiming of Bible truths.

1262 DEATH SENTENCES IN EGYPT 3:4:14
Grahame M. Morris
Sir Peter Bottomley
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Lady Hermon
*5

That this House condemns the mass death sentences handed down to 529 people by an Egyptian court; notes that this is part of a wider issue of instability within Egypt as a result of a military coup against the democratically elected government; expresses deep concern that the military regime in power is actively repressing dissent and has detained and harassed over 16,000 activists since 2013; calls on the Government to denounce the military regime controlling Egypt in the strongest possible terms; and requests that the Government immediately interrupts all military assistance to the regime of Egypt, including financial aid not directed to civil society or under threat of diversion by the regime.

1263 BOOKS FOR PRISONERS 3:4:14
Ian Swales
Sir Bob Russell
Mike Crockart
John Hemming
Mr Michael Thornton
Glenda Jackson
*14
Ms Margaret Ritchie Jim Shannon Lady Hermon Katy Clark Mr Adrian Sanders

That this House is deeply concerned by the ban on all prisoners receiving books as gifts under the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme which will have a detrimental effect on prisoner rehabilitation; notes that the ban has been opposed by eminent writers including Mark Haddon, Philip Pullman and Carol Ann Duffy; further notes that to deny prisoners the books they need in order to improve their skills and support their learning is both unreasonable and counter-productive given that reading goes hand-in-hand with education, rehabilitation and humanity; and urges the Government to reverse the ban as soon as possible by exempting books from the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.

1265 CANADA-UK COLLOQUIUM REPORT ON GLOBAL HEALTH 3:4:14
Andrew Rosindell
Sir Peter Bottomley
Jim Shannon
*3

That this House commends the recently published report of the Canada-UK Colloquium on Global Health, which reflects the shared values of the UK and Canada and the importance of their working together to improve global health, affecting all societies at home and abroad; notes the recommendations in the report that point to practical action, both nationally and through international institutions, to protect the wellbeing of mothers, newborn babies and children, and to develop improved systems to combat neglected tropical diseases and non-communicable chronic diseases such as mental illness, obesity, alcohol and smoking-related conditions that affect the future of everyone's health; and calls on the Government to build on the UK's and Canada's successful co-operation in these areas, through health diplomacy and medical research, to improve the economic livelihood of citizens in all countries where help is needed.

1266 SEPSIS AWARENESS 7:4:14
Mr Jim Cunningham
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Jim Shannon
Sir Peter Bottomley
Lady Hermon
*7
Katy Clark

That this House notes that sepsis claims 37,000 lives in the UK and costs the NHS over £2 billion each year; recognises that health professionals have identified timely, cost-effective interventions labelled the Sepsis Six which can halve the risk of death and calls for these measures to be mandated; further recognises that NHS organisations should be held to account for progress against the indicators identified in domain 1 and domain 5 of the NHS Outcomes Framework; and further calls for sepsis to be included in a future edition of the Framework.

1267 DR ELIZABETH BLACKWELL AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE 7:4:14
Valerie Vaz
Jim Shannon
Kelvin Hopkins
Sir Peter Bottomley
Lady Hermon
Katy Clark
*6

That this House commends the contribution to science by Elizabeth Blackwell; notes that she was born near Bristol in 1821, and at the age of 11 moved to the US with her family, where as a young woman she consulted with several physicians about the prospect of studying medicine to meet the needs of women who would prefer to consult with a woman about health problems; further notes that she was informed that it was too expensive, and that such education was not available to women; observes that, after being rejected by all the leading medical schools to which she applied because of her gender, in 1847 she was accepted by Geneva Medical College in New York because the faculty assumed the all-male student body would refuse her admission but they voted yes as a joke; recognises that she was initially kept from classroom medical demonstrations deemed inappropriate for a woman; further recognises that in 1849 she became the first woman to receive a Doctor of Medicine degree from an American medical school, finishing first in her class, and went on to practice in clinics in London and Paris, despite being rejected from many hospitals because of her gender; further notes that she returned to New York, establishing the Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children in 1857; further notes that in later life she was active in a number of reform movements including hygiene, medical education, sanitation, and women's rights, publishing her autobiography, Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women, in 1895; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

1270 LEICESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE 7:4:14
Keith Vaz [R]
Jim Shannon
Kelvin Hopkins
Liz Kendall
Jonathan Ashworth
*5

That this House congratulates Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) on its promotion to the Premier League with six games of the season remaining; acknowledges the skills of the players and the dedication and effort of Nigel Pearson, Susan Whelan and her management team and the enthusiasm and loyalty of Leicester City fans worldwide; further acknowledges the commitment to the City of the Srivaddhanaprabha family whose ambitions have always been to take the Foxes to the top flight; and notes the wonderful contribution the club makes to the local community through the activities of its outreach team, LCFC in the Community Trust.

[R] Relevant Interest declared
1271 MEDICAL NEUTRALITY IN BAHRAIN 8:4:14
Mr David Amess
Sir Peter Bottomley
Michael Connarty
Mark Durkan
*4

That this House condemns the violations of medical neutrality in Bahrain since 2011; expresses deep concern regarding the attacks on medical professionals, the militarisation of the central public medical facility in that country, the dismissal of medical professionals who assisted injured protesters and the administration of military trials against medical professionals who delivered medical care to the wounded; notes the failure of the Bahraini government to bring an end to such violations, as evidenced by the continued detention of Dr Ali al-Ekri and the failure to reinstate all dismissed medical professionals to their previous positions; further notes the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee in its Fifth Report of Session 2013-14 on UK Relations with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, HC 88, in particular the recommendation that Bahrain should be designated as a country of concern if there is no significant progress by the start of 2014; believes that this progress has not been made; and urges the Government to designate Bahrain as a country of concern and to make strong representations to the Bahraini government to end its violations of medical neutrality.

1272 EFFECT OF UNIVERSAL CREDIT ON FULL-TIME WORKERS 8:4:14
Ann Coffey
Michael Connarty
*2

That this House believes that the clawback rate under universal credit of 65 per cent of net earnings, equal to a 76 per cent marginal deduction rate for taxpayers on universal credit will disincentivise claimants from working longer hours and potential second earners from working at all, perpetuating the poverty trap for families on low pay; and therefore, whilst supporting the principle of universal credit which will make it easier for people who are unemployed to move into some work, calls on the Government to reduce the net earnings clawback to 55 per cent, as originally proposed by the Centre for Social Justice, to ensure that the aims of universal credit are fulfilled so that extra work will always pay and to support hard working families.

1273 BIAS IN THE MEDIA 8:4:14
Naomi Long
Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Caroline Lucas
Mr John Leech
John McDonnell
Mr Tom Watson
*8
Andrew George Michael Connarty

That this House shares the widespread and continuing public concerns regarding the power of media barons in the events leading up to the Leveson report; notes that recent legislation gagging civil society groups has only served to amplify the voices of established news organisations, thereby distorting democratic debate; condemns the way in which groups such as benefit claimants, immigrants, women and environmental campaigners are routinely misrepresented in the media; believes that there should be urgent action to safeguard the right to independent and pluralistic information; further notes that a coalition of civil society organisations and professional bodies from throughout Europe has come together with the immediate purpose of running a European Citizens Initiative demanding action to ensure media pluralism; and therefore expresses its support for the UK Coalition on Media Pluralism which aims to open up a serious debate on the need to limit the concentration of media ownership and to increase the range of voices in the local and national media.

1274 MS WEEK 8:4:14
Paul Burstow
Andrew George
*2

That this House welcomes MS Week 2014, which takes place from 28 April to 4 May; understands that there are over 100,000 people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK and that over the last decade the availability of treatments for MS has been instrumental in supporting many people to manage their condition and its symptoms; supports the notion that everyone with MS should be able to access the right treatment at the right time; notes recent research by the MS Society that highlights current barriers to accessing disease modifying treatments and considers that, with three new treatments just authorised by the European Commission, this situation needs to be urgently addressed; further welcomes the MS Society's Treat Me Right campaign, which aims to ensure that licensed treatments for MS are freely available to everyone who needs them and that people with MS are active, informed and equal partners in their care; and further supports the need for fresh thinking on what steps must be taken in England to achieve this goal with the partnership of the Government, the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the voluntary sector, industry and people affected by MS.

1275 INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA 8:4:14
Fiona O'Donnell
*1

That this House welcomes the tenth annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on 17 May 2014; supports those local authorities, police, health authorities and voluntary organisations who will mark this day with events, campaigns and statements of support; commends the World Health Organisation on reviewing classification of being transgender as a mental illness; and calls on the Government to urge the World Health Organisation to bring forward the debate on declassification of being transgender as a mental illness to 2014 as opposed to 2015.

 

Prepared 9th April 2014