Session 2013-14
House of Commons
29th 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
1220 LEGAL AID AND ADVICE (S. I., 2014, No. 607) 24:3:14
47That 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
44That 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.
1266 SEPSIS AWARENESS 7:4:14
23That 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
23That 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
7That 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.
1270 LEICESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE 7:4:14
10That 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.
1271 MEDICAL NEUTRALITY IN BAHRAIN 8:4:14
19That 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
23That 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
28That 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
35That 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
24That 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.
1277 COLLECTIVE CAMPAIGNING TO REDUCE ENERGY BILLS 9:4:14
11That 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
14That 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
18That 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
17That 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
10That 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
21That 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
12That 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
10That 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/.
1286 TRIBUNALS AND INQUIRIES (S. I., 2014, No. 878) 10:4:14
3That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) (Judicial Review) (England and Wales) Fees (Amendment) Order 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 878), dated 27 March 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 1 April, be annulled.
1287 HUMAN RIGHTS IN GAMBIA 10:4:14
12That this House congratulates the UK Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia on raising public awareness about the human rights situation in Gambia; recalls with repugnance the biggest single attack inflicted by the security forces of President Yahya Jammeh on Gambian students for peaceful demonstration on 10 and 11 April 2000, killing 14, and maiming many including Yusupha Mbye, Sainey Senghore and others who were left paralysed and disabled for the rest of their lives; is appalled that security forces and senior government officials involved in this massacre have been indemnified by the Gambian government; notes that the Gambian government has refused to implement recommendations from the coroner inquest after the incident; believes that there should be an immediate international investigation of this massacre by independent international monitors; further believes that the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs should demand a full account of the events on 10 and 11 April 2000 from the Gambian government; urges the Government to work with others in the UN to establish a database for evidence with a view to future justice and accountability; and further urges the Government to actively consider every possible mechanism for accountability of this massacre and other reported killings since 1994, including the establishment of an ad hoc tribunal and to impose targeted sanctions against President Jammeh and his immediate circle, including asset freezing, visa bans and the imposition of an arms embargo on arm sales to the Gambian government and to encourage EU countries to adopt similar measures.
1288 HOLIDAY LETTING COMPANIES 10:4:14
8That this House expresses its concern at the use of clauses in holiday letting companies' terms and conditions which state that they cannot be held accountable for the state of properties which they advertise; understands the disappointment and distress which can be caused to holidaymakers when a holiday cottage does not match the description advertised by a holiday letting company; believes that on these occasions it is only right that a customer has recourse to compensation from the company which advertised the property and to which money was paid; notes that under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 customers have the right to have any problem with a product resolved by the retailer and it is then for the retailer to address any issue with the supplier, and believes that similar regulations should be put in place in relation to holiday letting companies; feels that it is unfair that currently holidaymakers need to go to court to prove a contractual term is unfair; and calls on the Government to review the law relating to holiday letting companies with a view to introducing new regulations strengthening the rights of customers at the earliest opportunity.
1289 MIGRANT WORKERS IN QATAR 10:4:14
13That this House commends the Sunday Mail for its investigation into the rights of construction workers in Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup; welcomes the work of Mark Aitken and Tony Nicoletti in exposing the conditions endured by the workers they met in worker camps outside Doha, including allegations of the withholding and underpayment of wages, the illegal confiscation of passports, the lack of health and safety provision resulting in injury, overcrowded and unsanitary accommodation, and workers trapped in Qatar unable to see their families for years; regrets the silence of the English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish football associations on workers' rights in Qatar; further welcomes the assurances made by Qatari officials that reforms to labour laws and rules governing the treatment of workers will be introduced; and calls on FIFA to take urgent action to insist on better and fairer treatment for the migrant workers building the infrastructure that will help deliver the 2022 World Cup, to ensure that practices exposed by the Sunday Mail are brought to an end.
1290 TRADING STANDARDS 28:4:14
7That this House welcomes the Trading Standards Workforce Survey published by the National Trading Standards Board and the Trading Standards Institute (TSI); expresses concern at the cuts to local authority trading standards services of up to 86 per cent; recognises these cuts to trading standards put the public at risk of rogue traders, scams and unsafe products; believes that the Government has a duty to maintain adequate consumer protection in the UK and therefore agrees with the TSI that the National Audit Office should look at the system of consumer protection in its entirety including local enforcement when reviewing changes to the consumer landscape; and urges the Government to work with trading standards and local authorities to find solutions.
1291 GOVERNMENT PLANNING POLICY 28:4:14
5That this House shares the concerns expressed by Dame Helen Ghosh, the Director General of the National Trust, about the undue pressure that the Government is placing on local authorities in relation to planning developments and using greenfield rather than brownfield sites; notes the differing perspectives of the Department for Communities and Local Government and HM Treasury on this issue; is concerned that HM Treasury's view impacts adversely on local decision making because of its insistence on development regardless of local opposition; recognises the problems created by this ongoing argument on development across the country with local authorities being forced to take decisions contrary to their wishes and that of the constituents; and urges the Government to review the impact of its policy and involve external, independent persons in that review.
1292 CELEBRATING SCOUT COMMUNITY WEEK 28:4:14
7That this House extends its heartfelt thanks to scouts and their supporters across the country who will be taking part in Scout Community Week between 2 and 8 June 2014; acknowledges their commitment to working in a variety of ways to make a difference in their local communities; praises the work of groups like the 1st Blaydon Scout Group who are working in their community in activities as varied as litter-picking and weeding in streets and public places; and welcomes their involvement with other supportive groups like Sustrans, churches, schools and beavers and cubs groups in this vital work.
1293 PROFESSOR DAME JOCELYN BELL BURNELL AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE 28:4:14
7That this House commends the contribution to science by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; notes that she was born in Belfast in 1943; further notes that as a postgraduate student she discovered the first radio pulsars and was listed second on the paper announcing the discovery; further notes that her supervisor shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for this work; further notes that although she was not honoured by the Nobel Committee, numerous other organisations have honoured her for her discovery; further notes that Bell Burnell was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004 and the first female President of the Institute of Physics from October 2008 to 2010; further notes that in February 2014 Bell Burnell was made President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the first woman to hold this position; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.
1294 SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT POLYPROPYLENE MESH DEVICES 28:4:14
5That this House expresses concern at the serious adverse effects currently suffered by thousands of women due to complications from polypropylene transvaginal mesh (TVM) procedures; and informed by both domestic and international evidence, calls on the Department of Health to immediately initiate comprehensive independent research to evaluate the safety of mesh devices, to seriously consider the suspension of TVM implants pending the completion of such research, to introduce mandatory reporting of all adverse incidents by health professionals and work with devolved governments to set up a UK mesh implant register, to introduce fully informed consent with uniformity throughout devolved health boards and clinical commissioning groups and to use the Government's offices to lobby the MHRA to reclassify TVM devices to heightened alert status to reflect ongoing concerns.
1295 STEPHEN SUTTON 28:4:14
7That this House praises the truly inspiring fundraising efforts of Stephen Sutton; understands that Stephen was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer aged 15; considers it remarkable that, now aged 19, Stephen has managed to raise almost £3,000,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust; salutes Stephen's bravery and desire to help others; recognises that Stephen was awarded the Kids Count charity's Most Inspirational Young Person's Award in 2013; further praises Kids Count for raising the profile of young people who inspire others in a truly amazing way; and calls on the Department of Health to follow Stephen's example of doing what it can to improve the uptake of bowel cancer screening.
1296 EU BAN ON MANGOES 28:4:14
7That this House opposes the recent EU ban on the import of Alphonso mangoes from India; believes that this ban will have a devastating impact on retailers of mangoes in the UK which could possibly reach £200,000 per business; notes that this will also have a catastrophic effect on growers of mangoes in India especially in the Maharashtra and Goa regions; further notes that the ban was imposed without the agreement of the UK Parliament; and calls on the Government to reverse this ban and to work alongside the Indian authorities to continue to support this important trade.
1297 CANONISATION OF POPES JOHN PAUL II AND JOHN XXIII 28:4:14
3That this House welcomes the historic decision of his Holiness Pope Francis to canonise two Popes, John Paul II and John XXIII, which took place in Rome on 23 April 2014; and notes that both Pontiffs were men of vision, hope and inspiration to millions of their followers in the Roman Catholic Church and millions of non-Catholics throughout the world.
1298 SUE TOWNSEND 28:4:14
7That this House is saddened to hear of the death of Sue Townsend; acknowledges her valuable contribution to literature not only in the UK but worldwide; admires her achievement in the sale of over 10 million books translated into around 48 languages worldwide; commends her for her creation of the character Adrian Mole which has come to be ingrained in the country's psyche; recognises the fact that she received an Honorary Master of Arts from Leicester University, was made a Distinguished Honorary Fellow of Leicester University and was awarded the Honorary Freedom of Leicester; and calls on the Government to do all it can to promote creative writing in the UK in honour of Sue Townsend.
1299 LONDON UNDERGROUND 28:4:14
12That this House supports the concern of the London Assembly that there has been no public consultation on the future of the tube tickets offices and calls on the Mayor of London to halt plans to close tube ticket offices and instead hold a full public consultation to seek the views of passengers and other stakeholders; is deeply concerned that taxpayers' and tube farepayers' money is being used to fund propaganda advertisements in newspapers attacking London Underground workers for taking strike action; believes it is deeply regrettable that public money is being used to attack tube workers who have been hailed as heroes after tube bombings and delivering a successful Olympics; is dismayed that the advertisements, produced by the Mayor of London and London Underground, also display a one-sided and misleading version of the issues at stake when tube workers are simply fighting to protect the service they provide to passengers; further believes the advertisements will only serve to inflame the dispute; is appalled that taxpayers' and farepayers' money is being wasted in this way when instead resources should be used to resolve this dispute; and calls for an immediate inquiry as to whether the production of this propaganda to support the Mayor of London and attack tube workers is a legitimate use of public funds.
1300 COLOMBIA AGRARIAN STRIKE 28:4:14
10That this House notes that campesino, indiginous and Afro-descendent sectors throughout Colombia have resumed a nationwide strike, because of the failure of the Colombian government to adhere to the commitments made following the agrarian strike in 2013; further notes that their demands include an end to the extractive model that concentrates land ownership, an end to legislation which makes the use of genetically modified seeds compulsory and guarantees which protect against the criminalisation and persecution of peaceful protests; is appalled that, during the first agrarian strike, reportedly 19 people were killed, 600 injured and dozens detained and imprisoned throughout the country, following indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks by the armed forces, police and riot squads; therefore urges the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to monitor the situation in Colombia closely to prevent a repeat of such human rights violations from occurring; and further urges the Government actively to consider every possible mechanism for the Colombian government to be held accountable for such violations, including reviewing the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the EU.
1301 WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES 29:4:14
20That this House recalls that the backbench debate held on 23 June 2011 resulted in a unanimous direction to the Government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses by July 2012; notes that the Government has since published the Draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill which has been scrutinised by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee; supports Animal Defenders International in its campaign to end the use of wild animals in circuses; and calls on the Government to reassert its commitment to ending this practice in the Queen's Speech and to introduce a Bill in Parliament before the Summer Recess.
1302 EUROPEAN PROTECTION FOR BEE POPULATIONS 29:4:14
3That this House commends the European Commission's efforts following the decision to temporarily ban the use of neonicotinoids to protect bee populations which play a vital role in supporting the ecosystem and human health through pollinating crops and other flora.