Session 2013-14
House of Commons
9th 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
63That 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
44That 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
39That 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
20That 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
21That 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
17That 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
36That 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
11That 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
19That 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
17That 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
9That 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.
1241 DEATHS OF MINERS IN THE WORLD WARS 1:4:14
16That 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.
1244 QATAR WORLD CUP AND MIGRANT WORKERS 1:4:14
48That 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
26That 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
40That 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
39That 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
24That 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
24That 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.
1250 EMPOWER: ACCESS TO MEDICINE CAMPAIGN 2:4:14
15That 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
8That 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
16That 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
9That 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.
1256 10 YEARS OF HOPE PASTURES 2:4:14
5That 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
44That 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
5That 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
15That 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
23That 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
11That 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
11That 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
19That 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
4That 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
13That 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
9That 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.
1268 CONDUCT OF BARON WARNER OF BROCKLEY AND PROPOSAL FOR NHS SUBSCRIPTION CHARGE 7:4:14
2That this House totally rejects any proposal to charge a monthly membership premium to receive NHS services; believes that the £10 fee mooted by Lord Warner would, if implemented, not only damage the health of the nation's poorest people but would be yet another attempt at privatising the NHS by stealth; notes the noble Lord's track record of voting for this Government's privatisation proposals, his post as health minister in the Blair government which introduced foundation hospitals and his former role as a paid adviser to the General Healthcare Group, and that his private company presently advises a major German health provider with NHS contracts; and concludes that his Lordship is the last possible person from whom to take advice on the NHS.
1271 MEDICAL NEUTRALITY IN BAHRAIN 8:4:14
9That 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
9That 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 MEDIA PLURALISM 8:4:14
17That 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
15That 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
10That 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.
1276 VISIT OF IRISH REPUBLIC'S PRESIDENT TO GREAT BRITAIN 9:4:14
6That this House notes the visit by the President of the Irish Republic Michael D. Higgins to Great Britain; acknowledges that relations between the UK and the Irish Republic have improved considerably in recent years; recognises that on such occasions pomp and ceremony will surround such events; and calls on the governments of both the Irish Republic and the UK to do more to assist innocent victims of terrorism, many of whom are still waiting for sincere and heartfelt apologies from those who carried out those acts of terror over three decades, such as the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, who was present at a number of the historic events.
1277 COLLECTIVE CAMPAIGNING TO REDUCE ENERGY BILLS 9:4:14
1That this House notes the public's on-going concern with ever-increasing energy prices; further notes that the Big Six energy prices have doubled while profits have more than quadrupled; welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority inquiry into the Big Six but recognises that people need help with their energy bills now; further notes that collective switches across the world have saved people hundreds of pounds; commends the ThisIsTheBigDeal.com campaign to get lower bills by people power and bargaining together; and urges colleagues to sign up and encourage their constituents to do the same in a collective campaign to bring down energy bills.
1278 INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION AND NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT 9:4:14
1That this House welcomes the unanimous adoption of the resolution Toward a Nuclear Weapon Free World: The Contribution of Parliaments including support of the UK delegation by the Inter-Parliamentary Union at its 130th Assembly on 20 March 2014, which recognises that Parliaments and their members have a key role in moving governments to implement their shared commitment to the elimination of nuclear weapons and proposes specific action to this end; and invites this House to urge the Government to implement the resolution to its fullest extent, including support for and attendance at the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons conference in Austria in late 2014 and to start negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention or package of agreements to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.
1279 ROYAL MAIL 9:4:14
2That this House calls on the Government to levy a windfall tax on those speculators who shamelessly broke their deal with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills over the privatisation of the Royal Mail and profited at the expense of the British taxpayer; and urges the Government to clearly demonstrate in this way that it will no longer tolerate this appalling standard of behaviour in the City and will act decisively whenever it is discovered that the taxpayer is losing out to commercial interests.
1280 CANNED HUNTING 9:4:14
1That this House notes the fact that well over 8,000 lions are being bred in captivity to supply the canned hunting trade which entails captive-bred lions being kept in confined areas to be shot by paying hunters using rifles, bow and arrow and even pistols; further notes that at least some of the funding for this barbaric practice is derived from UK volunteer agencies who are often unaware of the destiny of these lions; further notes that on 15 March 2014 people in 62 cities in 21 countries marched on the streets to protest against canned hunting; further notes that on 13 February 2014 a world summit was held in London to halt the illegal trade in wildlife products; further notes that precedents for concrete action include the EU ban on imports of seal skins from Namibia and Canada because it is based on animal cruelty; and calls on the Government to ensure that preservation of the UK's world wildlife heritage is given the high level priority that it so clearly deserves and that appropriate restrictions or banning are implemented wherever necessary.
1281 25 YEARS SINCE THE BEER ORDERS AND PUBCO REFORM 9:4:14
1That this House notes it is 25 years since Beer Orders were introduced in 1989 by a Conservative Prime Minister and Chancellor to break up the unhealthy dominance of the big six brewers which restricted choice for consumers and access to the market for small brewers; believes that the Government was right and courageous to take action, showing that Conservative Ministers do intervene in markets when they are failing consumers; further notes that due to industry lobbying the Government ignored the advice of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and did not introduce a pub ownership limit for non-brewing companies, a fundamental flaw that led to the creation of the large pubcos; further notes that before Beer Orders, there were big six brewers dominating the market, now there are six big pubcos and the large leased pubcos have abused the traditional brewery tie making it unfair for licensees and bad for customers; further believes that 25 years on the Government must put right the flaw in the Beer Orders by introducing a market rent only option for the tenants of the large companies; further notes that this is a market-based solution that would open the market and give consumers a better deal; and urges Ministers not to give in to well-funded, self-interested lobbying by the large pubcos and their lobbyists, the British Beer and Pub Association; and instead listen to CAMRA, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum of Private Business.
1282 CUTS AT KEW GARDENS 9:4:14
2That this House is concerned by the latest round of cuts at Kew Gardens; notes that since 2010 Kew Gardens has suffered year on year budget reductions from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and is facing increasing pressure to generate more income itself; is aware that independent reviews of this world-renowned institution have praised the quality and value of its scientific work and have recommended public funding is maintained or increased; is alarmed that vital international conservation work would be threatened should further cuts take place; further notes with concern that over 120 jobs are at risk due to the funding cuts by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and calls on the Government to allow a full public debate on the implications of such cuts and to encourage full and proper consultation with staff, the public and Kew volunteers before any final decisions are made.
1283 RETIREMENT OF DAPO COKER 9:4:14
1That this House notes with thanks the contribution of Dapo Coker, retiring as Senior Human Resources Manager in Parliament, recognising that he cared for people.
1284 CONVICTIONS OF KRISHNA MAHARAJ AND JONATHAN FLEMING 9:4:14
1That this House notes with approval the release after 25 years behind bars in New York of Jonathan Fleming, who had been wrongly convicted for the death of his friend Darryl Rush in 1989; recognises that the prosecutors who reviewed the case in 2013 discovered the hotel receipt found by the police when they arrested him 25 years ago, proving that at the time of the murder he was 1,000 miles away; further notes that the eye witness admitted her testimony was a lie after the 1989 conviction; and invites prosecutors in Miami to review the case of Krishna Maharaj, wrongly convicted of murder in 1987, noting the evidence published at www.reprieve.org.uk/cases/krishnamaharaj/.
1285 EARLY DAY MOTION 1242 TABLED BY THE HON. MEMBER FOR BRADFORD WEST AND MANCHESTER CITY'S CITY IN THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMME 9:4:14
1That this House notes Early Day Motion 1242 in the name of the hon. Member for Bradford West and its criticism of football clubs in the Premier League failing to properly invest in grassroots football; regrets the contrast made in the Early Day Motion on spending on grassroots football and the wages bill of Manchester City, and the implication that Manchester City has failed to invest in the grassroots game; and recognises that Manchester City's award-winning City in the Community programme has been running since 1986 with a team of 50 full-time and part-time staff running projects around sport, health, young people and skills and enterprise whilst engaging with over 200,000 people of all ages across all communities in Manchester, Tameside and Stockport every year.