Session 2014-15
House of Commons
26th June 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
99 HIGH COURT JUDGMENT ON ASYLUM SUPPORT 16:6:14
42That this House notes the High Court judgment of 9 April 2014 (Refugee Action v Secretary of State for the Home Department) which states that the Government's assessment of the amount needed by asylum seekers to meet their essential living needs is flawed and further notes the Government's decision not to appeal this ruling; is concerned as stated in the judgment, that asylum support rates have not been increased since April 2011 and that the majority of those on asylum support receive just £5.23 a day to pay for essentials such as food, clothing and toiletries; further notes that asylum seekers spend an average of 18 months on this support and are almost never allowed to work; believes this is detrimental to the well-being of refugees including children; is particularly concerned that children aged 16 and 17 years are treated as adults for the purposes of asylum support making it difficult to participate fully in education; and calls on the Government to raise asylum support rates to at least 70 per cent of income support - the equivalent of £7.17 a day for most adult asylum seekers - and to increase this in line with inflation annually.
102 VAT REDUCTION FOR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 16:6:14
27That this House recognises that local restaurants and public houses are facing very challenging conditions in the current economy and are being put under further pressure by the rise of large supermarkets that enjoy preferential value added tax (VAT) treatment; notes that these businesses lie at the heart of their local communities, economically and socially; further notes that 13 EU member states, including the Republic of Ireland, have introduced a reduced rate of VAT within their tourism and hospitality sectors for restaurants and public houses, and 22 have done so for hotel accommodation, and that such measures have had a positive impact; calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to introduce similar sector-specific VAT reduction measures to help businesses in the UK; and further recognises that such a move would encourage growth in the wider economy, support job creation and generate investment in local businesses.
103 COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE AWARDS 2013 16:6:14
11That this House congratulates the winners of the Countryside Alliance Awards 2013; welcomes these awards which celebrate outstanding rural businesses in the UK; notes the support of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the awards also known as the Rural Oscars; recognises that the awards are in the ninth year of running; applauds the high standard of all entrants and the excellent quality of winning and highly commended entries; and further recognises the huge importance of small and medium-sized businesses to the rural economy and the positive impact which they have on rural communities.
105 MONTE CASSINO 16:6:14
25That this House notes with gratitude the heroism and courage of those who served and died at the Battle of Monte Cassino in the Second World War which claimed some 50,000 allied lives; and on this 70th anniversary of the battle resolves never to forget the sacrifice of those who fought so valiantly for our freedom.
106 DOG AWARENESS WEEK 16:6:14
25That this House welcomes Royal Mail's Dog Awareness Week supported by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Dogs Trust which takes place between 30 June and 4 July 2014; notes that over 3,000 Royal Mail postmen and women alone were attacked by dogs between April 2012 and April 2013; further welcomes the change in law amending the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which came into force on 13 May 2014; further notes that postmen and women delivering the universal service obligation, six days a week to circa 29 million addresses across the UK, and other public service workers are now protected in law should they be attacked on private property; further welcomes the work being done by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Dogs Trust and Royal Mail to promote responsible dog ownership; and calls on dog owners not to forget that during the summer months postmen and women and others will be in the community carrying out their jobs and should be able to do so without fear of being attacked by a dog.
111 IT AND PROBATION 16:6:14
23That this House is alarmed by the ongoing reports of IT issues within the newly formed National Probation Service (NPS) and 21 community rehabilitation companies (CRC); notes the failure of the NDelius IT system in the first days of the new service with some areas in England and Wales reporting the system was down for four days; is concerned that this has resulted in numerous residual issues including delays in court reports and prison recall as well as significant delays in transferring cases to the new organisation; is further concerned that staff working in the CRCs cannot access records of the NPS and this has resulted in CRC staff being unable to assess an individual's risk of harm, including risk registers such as child protection and sexual offences, which is putting both staff and the public at risk; and calls on the Government to assess the risk to public safety of the new probation service and halt the process of privatisation to protect the public and the dedicated staff of both the NPS and CRCs.
115 STEPHEN SUTTON MBE 17:6:14
61That this House is delighted that Stephen Sutton has been posthumously recognised with an MBE in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours for his tireless fundraising for the Teenage Cancer Trust; notes that this honour recognises Stephen's continued fearlessness right up until his death at the age of 19 years in May 2014; and further notes that Stephen was awarded the Kids Count Most Inspirational Young Person 2013 Award; and further notes that his work has now raised over four million pounds and elevated the awareness of young people living with cancer across the UK and that commitment continues to act as an inspiration for millions of people throughout the world.
117 ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS KEW 17:6:14
21That this House is concerned that the successive cuts to the Grant In Aid for the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew since 2010 puts over 120 jobs at risk and threatens a loss of scientific expertise not readily available on the international labour market; notes the threat to the capacity and ability of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew to perform its statutory functions and world-leading scientific and conservation research; is further concerned that these cuts will put Kew's UNESCO World Heritage Site status at risk and that pressure to raise revenue means that a number of staff at Kew Enterprises are currently paid below the living wage or are on zero hours contracts; and calls on the Government to consider the results of several independent reviews calling for maintained or increased public funding of Kew by funding the expected shortfall this year of £5 million and ensuring that there is a full public review of how Kew is funded in future before any final decisions are made.
122 PROFESSOR ROBERT WINSTON AND THREE-PARENT EMBRYOS 17:6:14
31That this House notes the comments of Professor Robert Winston reported in the Independent on Sunday on 15 June 2014 on the premature introduction of mitochondrial replacement techniques; urges the Government to heed his warning that a great deal more research in as many animal models as possible ought to be undertaken prior to such techniques being approved; further notes his view that full and far-reaching assessments must be conducted as to the potential risks to children born as a result of the procedures; and calls on the Department of Health to delay bringing the relevant regulations before Parliament until the international scientific community and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have declared the techniques safe.
125 RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN ARMED CONFLICT 17:6:14
23That this House notes that victims of rape in situations of armed conflict are defined as wounded and sick under international law; further notes that as such they are entitled to non-discriminatory medical treatment, including counselling and abortion services; observes that UK aid funding should respect the supremacy of international law in respect of the rights of women who have suffered rape in conflict zones; and calls on the Government to review all funding to aid agencies operating in conflict zones to ensure that all aid providers in receipt of UK monies facilitate access to counselling and abortion services for all women and girls impregnated by rape.
130 OVARIAN CANCER 18:6:14
24That this House recognises that ovarian cancer is a devastating illness that places an enormous emotional and physical strain on those who are diagnosed with it and their families; pays tribute to the carers, clinicians and campaigners who work to combat this disease and to support those who are diagnosed with it; acknowledges that despite progress with cancer research, ovarian cancer remains one of the hardest cancers to diagnose and to treat; notes that a woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer today has only a 46 per cent chance of being alive in five years; expresses concern that this illness remains one of the hardest cancers to diagnose, with 30 per cent of people first diagnosed when it has already reached an extremely advanced stage and for many this is when they arrive at an A&E ward in chronic pain; further expresses encouragement that it is now possible for women, at the point of diagnosis with non-mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer, to have a genetic test for mutations on the BRCA1 and 2 genes which increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer; further notes that such techniques can help identify family members who have a high risk of developing the illness and the successful introduction of BRCA testing by the NHS in Scotland; and calls on the Government to support BRCA testing across the NHS to ensure that fewer families have to live through this tragedy.
132 INTERNATIONAL MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE AWARENESS DAY 18:6:14
59That this House notes that 21 June 2014 marks International Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Day which seeks to improve public understanding of MND, a progressive and terminal disease that attacks motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord; recognises the important work that MND Scotland and the MND Association do to raise awareness and to assist those affected by the disease, including those who care for people with MND; further notes that MND has no cure or known cause, with half of those diagnosed dying within 14 months; and calls on the Government to invest in research into MND and to improve support for those affected.
139 HOSPITAL CAR PARKING (No.3) 18:6:14
12That this House notes that hospital parking charges are a huge burden for long-stay patients; further notes that the average weekly charge for parking in an NHS hospital in England is £39.49; further notes that some hospitals in England charge up to as much as £504.00 for a week of parking; further notes that many hospitals in England are able to offer free parking or concessions for long-stay patients; further notes that many hospitals do not offer concessions for long-stay patients; and is therefore disappointed that NHS hospitals inflict this cost on those suffering from long-term illness.
141 SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE 18:6:14
9That this House commends the work of the Sustainable Healthcare Steering Group, convened by the College of Medicine and AbbVie and its new report Patient, manager, expert: individual. Improving the sustainability of the healthcare system by removing barriers for people with long-term conditions; notes that the report identifies how high-quality care can be delivered in cost-effective ways to help the NHS meet upcoming challenges around long-term conditions and the ageing population in a challenging financial environment; is concerned by the scale of the challenge facing the NHS with 15 million people in England already living with a long-term condition and this number being set to rise; further notes that over 70 per cent of the NHS budget already goes on care for people living with long-term conditions; welcomes the report's identification of three clear areas for future action - taking a patient-centred approach, harnessing technology, and helping people navigate the healthcare system - and 12 practical recommendations for change; concurs with the Steering Group that efforts must be made to share and embed innovative practice, such as the examples set out in the report; and calls on the Government to set out how it intends to address the challenge of sustainable healthcare.
142 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 18:6:14
40That this House believes that domestic violence is a serious crime; is concerned at the under-reporting of domestic abuse by victims and the low number of prosecutions; and supports efforts to criminalise coercive control and violence in a domestic setting.
143 QPR'S PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE 18:6:14
13That this House congratulates Queen's Park Rangers Football Club on its promotion to the Premier League; acknowledges the key role played by the manager, staff and players and by the enthusiasm and loyalty of QPR fans worldwide; and looks forward to the return of Premiership football to White City and the continuation of the wonderful contribution the club makes to the local community in Hammersmith and Fulham.
144 PUBLIC HEALTH AND PROBATION PRIVATISATION 18:6:14
16That this House condemns the privatisation of public health and probation services; notes the inferior service already being provided by private companies such as Crime Reductions Initiatives; and calls on local councils to protect their local services from this creeping privatisation and on the Government to reverse its policy of allowing piecemeal privatisation of our National Health Service.
146 FIXED ODDS BETTING TERMINALS 19:6:14
24That this House notes with disappointment that the Government has again missed an opportunity to proceed with a stake reduction on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT); further notes the measures requiring a planning application for new betting shops combined with requiring those accessing stakes over £50 to use account-based play or load cash over the counter do not go far enough; further notes that more people are going to be drawn into more addictive FOBT play, whilst the most effective solution and the power to implement it already rests with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of reducing the stake on par with all other high street gaming machines; further notes that the Government's package of reforms will only support the bookmakers whilst further encouraging problem gambling and leaving councils with ineffective powers to deal with the issues; and calls on the Government to use the precautionary principle and reduce the maximum stakes on FOBTs from £100 to £2 in line with all other high street gaming machines.
147 MASS SURVEILLANCE 19:6:14
24That this House notes with great concern that surveillance by GCHQ of every British resident using Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube has now been confirmed by the Director General of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism; further notes that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) has been interpreted as authorising mass surveillance of internet communications, content and metadata sent inside the UK; further notes that GCHQ justifies such conduct without a warrant on the basis that such data is external under RIPA when mediated by a computer server in the US; believes that this construction is flawed, contrary to evidence given to Committees of the House, contrary to written assurances provided during the passage of RIPA and contrary to the Interception of Communications Code of Practice; further believes that continuous mass surveillance of the social media of every UK citizen is not only incompatible with basic human rights and the Magna Carta but exposes the Government to an avalanche of privacy claims; and urgently calls on the Secretary of State for the Home Department to bring forward legislative proposals to end these practices.
148 KIDNAPPED ISRAELI TEENAGERS 19:6:14
36That this House calls for the immediate release of the three Israeli teenagers, Eyal Yifrah, aged 19, Gilad Shaar, aged 16 and Naftali Frenkel, aged 16, who were abducted whilst hitchhiking in the West Bank on 12 June 2014; supports the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' strong condemnation of the kidnapping; notes the probable involvement of the Hamas organisation in this despicable terrorist act; and calls on the Government to continue to do all it can to help secure the release of the teenagers.
149 HOSPITAL CAR PARKING (No.5) 19:6:14
10That this House notes that 46 per cent of respondents in the most recent National Patient Choice Survey rated car parking as one of the factors in choosing a hospital; recognises that patients should be free to focus solely on getting the best care; is therefore disappointed that so many hospitals choose to charge patients to access a vital national service; and therefore urges the Government to consider ways to reduce the cost of hospital parking.
150 HOSPITAL CAR PARKING (No.6) 19:6:14
11That this House notes that a survey by the charity Bliss found that the average family with a sick or premature baby spent on average £2,256 on hospital-related costs over the course of their baby's hospital stay; further notes that Bliss found that parents who were having to pay for parking spent an average of £32 per week; further notes that many hospitals offer concessions to parents of sick children and celebrates these hospitals; is disappointed that so many hospitals continue to charge parents to see their children; and therefore urges the Government to consider ways to reduce the cost of hospital parking.
151 END-TO-END COMPETITION AND THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL SERVICE 19:6:14
37That this House notes with concern the expansion of end-to-end postal services by TNT Post UK in major UK cities; further notes that the sustainability of the Universal Service depends on Royal Mail being able to use revenue from easier-to-serve, densely populated, areas to cover the cost of a nationwide network; is concerned that cherry-picking of urban and suburban areas by TNT Post UK could have a serious impact on the financial sustainability of the one-price-goes-anywhere, six-day-a-week Universal Service; expresses its support for the Universal Service that many people, including rural communities and small businesses, rely on; and calls on Ofcom to undertake a full review of end-to-end postal competition as a matter of urgency, and determine quickly any regulatory changes needed to protect the Universal Postal Service.
152 CARE HOME TOP UP FEES 19:6:14
17That this House notes the research from the older people's charity Independent Age, which shows that around three-quarters of councils are currently unable to demonstrate that they protect the families of pensioners from paying top-up fees they cannot afford; welcomes the Department of Health's consultations on the rules that local authorities will be required to follow as part of their responsibilities to provide care and support in England; further notes one significant aspect of the consultation, coming to a close in August 2014, concerns the payment of top-up fees for local authority-supported residents entering care home accommodation; calls on the Department of Health to strengthen the legal framework on charging in residential accommodation; and specifically calls on the Government to ensure local authorities are required to actively monitor which of the residents are able and willing to pay top-ups for residential care so no-one has to make these payments for the essential care that it is councils' responsibility to meet.
155 CHINESE NUCLEAR INVESTMENT 19:6:14
7That this House notes that in the closing debate on energy prices the Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change observed the hon. Member for Newport West made an ideological speech about nuclear power which he contrasted with the 'pragmatic and considered investment in our nuclear programme announced today by China'; contrasts the Minister's comments with China being identified in the Annual Report on Global Human Rights and Democracy published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as one of the 'countries of concern' because of 'increased restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly'; believes, in light of appalling human rights violations, that accepting money from the Chinese State Investment Bank to invest in UK new nuclear is accepting money tainted with blood; and calls on the Government to cancel all such arrangements.
157 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN YEMEN 23:6:14
19That this House acknowledges the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen; understands that 11.9 million people live below the poverty line, that 60 per cent of children are suffering from chronic malnourishment and that a quarter of a million children are facing death as a result of this; notes that poverty, drought and internal armed conflict are contributing to the country's difficulties in shifting towards stable democracy; welcomes the UK's continuous support for the offering of food, shelter and clean water to help reduce the severity of the crisis; and calls on the Government to do as much as it can to ensure that as many Yemeni people as possible can have a better quality of life and to help the country shift to stable democracy.
158 LAW ON PSYCHIATRIC INJURY 23:6:14
13That this House believes that the current law in England and Wales on psychiatric injury for people who witness the death or injury of a loved one is restrictive and unfair; further believes that 25 years after the Hillsborough disaster, when the law was enshrined, that law no longer reflects modern society; further believes that the law must recognise that you do not need to have a parental or marital relationship to love someone, you do not need to be shocked to suffer psychiatric injury and you do not need to be standing next to someone when they are killed or injured to be traumatised; and urges the Government to reform the law.
159 DOG MEAT TRADE CRUELTY 23:6:14
19That this House calls for an immediate end to dog meat trade cruelty; supports the Humane Society International's campaign to end the dog meat trade by working with government officials and local organisations in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and China to raise public awareness and strengthen laws related to this trade; and calls on the Chinese government and Yulin and Guangxi officials to stop the Yulin dog meat festival where thousands of dogs are being cruelly bound, confined, trucked and slaughtered for meat.
160 DAY OF THE SEAFARER 2014 23:6:14
30That this House recognises 25 June 2014 as Day of the Seafarer; notes the critical economic, social and cultural importance of the UK's 10,840 officers, 8,590 ratings and 1,990 officer cadets working at sea today; expresses dismay at the ongoing decline in the number of registered UK seafarers, with a 30 per cent fall in the number of ratings alone since 2011; further notes that this decline is largely due to the continued exclusion of seafarers from the full protections of the national minimum wage and the Equality Act 2010, which has allowed the undercutting of employment standards in the maritime industry; further notes that this has resulted in pay rates for seafarers in the UK ferry industry as low as £2.35 per hour, whilst ship owners in the Tonnage Tax scheme are benefiting from tax relief currently standing at over £1.5 billion; supports the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' Ships of Shame campaign which highlights this exploitation of seafarers; and calls on the Government to mark Day of the Seafarer by committing to full enforcement of the national minimum wage in the maritime sector and implementation of the recommendation of the Government-commissioned Carter Review which called for the end of differential pay in the shipping industry.
161 AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING 23:6:14
14That this House congratulates Thatcham Research for its Stop the Crash campaign to raise awareness about the safety benefits of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems; notes the growing body of research showing that AEB reduces the occurrence of low speed crashes by around 20 per cent as well as being important in mitigating the effects of higher speed crashes; and welcomes the initiative taken by esure Group in offering motor insurance premium reductions to encourage people to purchase cars fitted with AEB as standard in order to support safety on UK roads.
162 REGULATION OF BUS SERVICES AND PUBLIC OWNERSHIP MODELS 23:6:14
15That this House believes the 1985 deregulation of bus services outside London has been a disaster for passengers, the taxpayer and bus workers; notes that profit-making private bus operators continue to benefit from public subsidy that makes up 44 per cent of funding in the industry; further notes that bus passengers in England outside London have been hit with a 39.6 per cent real terms fare rise since 1995, with average bus fares more than doubling in cash terms; is dismayed that despite buses accounting for two thirds of all journeys on public transport, including lifeline services for schoolchildren, pensioners and jobseekers, there has been a 17 per cent fall since 2011 in supported bus service mileage in England; condemns the Government spending cuts that are having a devastating effect on vital bus services; and calls on the Government to reverse these cuts and commission an independent review of the bus industry including the options of regulating all commercial bus services and of public ownership and other not-for-profit service models, with the aim of delivering frequent, reliable services and low cost bus fares.
164 EXCEPTIONS FOR DEMENTIA SUFFERERS 23:6:14
22That this House notes the growing prevalence in the UK of people with dementia, currently estimated at 800,000 and expected to double within 30 years; commends recent efforts by the Department of Health to address these growing numbers and to aid research into dementia; and calls on the Government to ensure that improvements are made to ease the everyday lives of people with dementia by encouraging the services industry such as banking, public transport and utility companies, to better help and acknowledge the needs of dementia sufferers by introducing exceptions and removing unnecessary restrictions and complications in order to allow them to retain as much independence as possible.
165 JOBS IN LOCAL JOURNALISM 23:6:14
22That this House recognises that local newspapers make an essential contribution to civic identity and democratic life in communities; notes that over one hundred local titles have ceased publication altogether since the recession of 2008, whilst many more have merged or reduced in frequency; expresses concern that around one in four local journalists are believed to have lost their jobs during this period; further notes that the quality of local news relies on locally-based journalists and editors able to report on public life in their particular geographical areas; regrets the decision of Newsquest management to transfer editorial production to a single hub in Newport, Wales which will transfer the production of news hundreds of miles away from sites in the North West and South London; supports members of the National Union of Journalists in taking action to defend jobs in local journalism; and calls on the Government to work with communities, union representatives and other stakeholders to implement a coherent strategy to protect jobs in quality local journalism.
166 HIGH SPEED 3 24:6:14
3That this House welcomes the Chancellor of the Exchequer's proposals on a high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds as a first step towards a more prosperous North; expresses its concern, that a potential link between Manchester and Leeds would be a piecemeal approach to building a stronger economy and fairer society in the North; believes that this is a result of failing to include other Northern cities in the proposals which are the key to the economic success of the North and the country as a whole; calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Transport to consider the case for extending its ideas for a high-speed rail link to the core cities of the North, such as between Liverpool and Hull, and Carlisle and Newcastle-upon-Tyne; commends these proposals to the Chancellor of the Exchequer as serving the prosperity of the North, the ambition of its workers and the success of its business; and notes that such proposals would lessen the housing and population pressures building on Greater London and bolster the national economy by decreasing the dependence of the rest of the country on the economic dominance of London.
167 SUPPORT FOR HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS WORKERS 24:6:14
15That this House sends solidarity to members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) taking action in defence of their services and jobs and to resist privatisation; recognises the pressure the workforce is increasingly under to mask job cuts; condemns attempts to divide workers by implementing a punitive performance management system that seeks to penalise 10 per cent of its staff every year; is dismayed at announcements to close a further 23 locations across the UK in June 2014 as part of an ill-conceived plan to cut 22,000 jobs and the closure of all 281 UK tax enquiry centres which forces pensioners and those most in need to contact understaffed contact centres or use the internet to get help with their tax affairs; commends PCS for its constructive attempts to negotiate a solution; and urges HMRC to enter into meaningful talks with the union and take action to reverse the cuts, centralisation and privatisation, ensuring proper staffing levels across the Department.
168 DEATH OF GERRY CONLON OF THE GUILDFORD FOUR 24:6:14
13That this House notes with regret that Mr Gerry Conlon, who was wrongly convicted of being an IRA bomber and imprisoned for 14 years, died on 21 June 2014; remembers that his conviction was based on the intimidation of witnesses and the suppression of evidence; expresses sympathy for his suffering during his time in prison, when he was subjected to solitary confinement and torture, and after he was released, when he experienced trauma resulting from the ill-treatment he endured while in prison; celebrates his achievements after being released, when he campaigned for other victims of miscarriages of justice and human rights abuses around the world; further notes with approval that in 2005 Tony Blair apologised for the ordeal and injustice Gerry Conlon suffered; regrets that the police officers who falsified evidence against Gerry Conlon never stood trial, and that Gerry Conlon did not believe that he received justice; further notes that there is a 75-year immunity order on the case; offers Gerry Conlon's family and friends condolences on their loss; further expresses the hope that the miscarriage of justice which Gerry Conlon suffered from will serve as a reminder of the importance of fair trials and access to justice for all, as Gerry Conlon campaigned for; and further expresses the belief that terrorism cannot be fought by eroding human rights.
169 MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS WORK AND THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKS AND PENSIONS 24:6:14
14That this House believes that medical assessments for the Work Capability Assessment, the contract which Atos recently relinquished, should be brought back in-house; recalls that the failure of this contract, which was ended with keen agreement by Atos and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), follows a long history of criticism of the process and the company by politicians, press, public and DWP for their delivery of the healthcare contract, in particular the Work Capability Assessments; further believes that the current situation, with the contract yet to be granted, provides the opportunity for the Government to take responsibility and full control of the process by bringing the work and staff back in-house so that it can be delivered by the DWP; welcomes the benefits that in-house delivery would bring including the Department having direct control over processes and staffing and staff being able to work closely and interchangeably between core DWP work and those currently delivering the Atos contract, while recognising that this would go a long way to repairing the reputation of DWP medical assessment work; is concerned that awarding the contract to another private sector supplier could lead to a repeat of past mistakes, particularly as public spending cuts result in companies delivering contacts by making cuts to maintain profit margins; and urges the Government to stop the expensive bidding process now, bring the work and staff in-house, and take responsibility and control for improving the process for everyone concerned.
170 IMPRISONMENT OF JOURNALISTS IN EGYPT 24:6:14
26That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the court case and sentences of the Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt: seven years for Peter Greste and Mohammed Fahmy and 10 years for Baher Mohamed, all of whom are suffering needlessly; condemns also the 10 year sentences in absentia for Alaa Bayoumi, Anas Abdel-Wahab Khalawi Hasan, Khaleel Aly Khaleel Bahnasy, Mohamed Fawzi, Dominic Kane, Rena Netjes and Sue Turton; notes the lack of respect these unjust sentences show for the democratic system; notes also the invaluable role these people carry out in briefing the international community regarding what is happening in other corners of the world; and calls on the Government to do everything in its power to convince the Egyptian authorities of the travesty of this case and the damage it is doing to the democratic process.
171 SECURITY AND RENT LEVELS FOR PRIVATE RENTED TENANTS 24:6:14
14That this House notes that nine million people in England rent privately and that private renting is becoming the new norm; further notes that in Brighton, Pavilion constituency the private rented sector (PRS) is roughly double the national average, accounting for 32.7 per cent of households at the 2011 Census; recognises that renting at extortionate rates is often the only choice for people on low incomes, for young families and for working people on average incomes; acknowledges the many good landlords, but condemns rogue landlords who fail to undertake basic maintenance or repairs, leaving many tenants in expensive substandard housing; believes that the norm of short-term contracts leaves PRS tenants without security in their homes, at risk of eviction and of unfair rent increases; further notes that this volatility is particularly harmful for families with children who often have to move schools as a result; further believes that longer-term renting could work better for both renters and landlords; further as the latter could reduce void periods and expensive re-letting costs; calls for five-year stable rental contracts to be the default, to give good tenants the option to stay in their homes; and also further calls for action to tackle unaffordable rents, including smart rent controls, a radical increase in housing supply including building a mass programme of sustainable, energy-efficient council housing and the establishment of a living rent commission to explore ways of bringing rent levels in line with the basic cost of living.
172 EDUCATING CHILDREN ACROSS THE WORLD 25:6:14
4That this House recognises the concern felt among people that there are approximately 57 million children across the world who currently do not receive any level of education; notes that 24 million of these children also have some form of disability or special needs; and commends the Year 8 students of Banbridge High School who organise annually a Send My Friend To School initiative to raise awareness of this vital issue.
173 ACTIVE LIFESTYLES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 25:6:14
6That this House welcomes the work of the GO Run For Fun Foundation, which gets children aged between five and 10 years running and adopting a more active lifestyle across the UK; congratulates the Foundation for having 20,000 children participate since August 2013 and for being on track to get 100,000 children running by 2016; expresses deep concern that there is a physical inactivity crisis in the UK, with around half of all seven-year olds, and three-quarters of all 12-year olds, not achieving the minimum recommended amount of daily activity; notes the importance of an active lifestyle in reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease and in promoting self-esteem and psychological wellbeing; draws attention to a recent report from the All-Party Commission on Physical Activity which shows that inactivity causes more deaths than smoking and costs the UK economy £20 billion each year; further notes that GO Run For Fun is an inclusive, cost-effective and high-impact response to the inactivity crisis, which builds the foundation for future participation in physical activity and encourages lifestyle change; calls on the Government to endorse GO Run For Fun and provide financial support to extend the reach of the programme; and further calls on hon. Members and local government to help secure financial backing for GO Run For Fun events in their area and strengthen links with local schools and sports clubs to ensure the long-term impact of the programme.
174 NORTHERN AND TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS RAIL SERVICES 25:6:14
13That this House is concerned at the contents of the consultation document for the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express rail franchises; is dismayed that the proposals will result in fare rises, service and timetable cuts and the loss of hundreds of essential rail jobs; is further concerned that not only will there be the loss of hundreds of decent, relatively well-paid, skilled jobs in the north but also that passenger service and safety will be worsened by the introduction of driver-only operation, the sacking of train guards, conductors, station destaffing and ticket office closures; is also concerned that these type of cuts will particularly impact on disabled, older and women passengers; supports the numerous passenger surveys and research which demonstrate that passengers value highly proper staffing of trains and stations; and calls on the Government and local authorities, including those that constitute Rail North, to stop these cuts and protect the interests of passengers and the communities who rely on these rail services.
175 PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH 25:6:14
14That this House recognises that pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease and is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK; acknowledges the extremely low five-year survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients, which is the worst survival rate for any of the 21 most common cancers; notes that these low survival rates are in part due to the disease being diagnosed at too late a stage for surgical intervention; further notes that pancreatic cancer research is currently underfunded and amounts to less than one per cent of the National Cancer Research Institute site-specific annual spending, despite being responsible for five per cent of all cancer deaths each year; further recognises that greater investment is urgently needed in pancreatic cancer research to develop treatments and earlier diagnostic tools for this disease; and therefore calls on the Government to increase research funding to tackle pancreatic cancer to provide hope and support for patients with this dreadful disease.
176 NATIONAL WALKING MONTH 2014 25:6:14
4That this House recognises that walking can improve physical and mental health, provides opportunities for families to spend time together walking to school, encourages people to discover their local area, cuts carbon and can save people money; notes that the Living Streets National Walking Month campaign took place during May 2014 to inspire people to walk more; and calls on the Government to support Walk to School Week and Walk to Work Week, which encourages people of all ages to walk more when going about their daily activities.
177 CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION IN UK SLAUGHTERHOUSES 25:6:14
4That this House calls on the Government to bring forward legislative proposals for the mandatory installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) in UK slaughterhouses; notes that a 2014 YouGov poll found that, of those who expressed a view, 87 per cent support mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses; expresses concern that eight of the nine slaughterhouses secretly filmed by Animal Aid have breached the law, a failure rate of 89 per cent; believes that the introduction of compulsory CCTV in UK slaughterhouses will increase animal protection and allow those caught on film breaking the law to be prosecuted; furthermore thanks the supermarkets for already insisting on CCTV in their slaughterhouse suppliers and welcomes the support of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for the use of CCTV in slaughterhouses as a useful monitoring tool; further notes that plant operators who operate CCTV are keen to demonstrate to FSA officials the high standard to which their operatives work; and further believes other UK slaughterhouses should follow this best practice to maintain the UK's position as a world leader on animal welfare standards.
178 CONTINUED USE OF TORTURE WORLDWIDE 25:6:14
12That this House notes with grave concern that, despite a global ban on torture, torture has been reported in 141 countries since 2009; is dismayed that governments continue to carry out this barbaric practice while continuously denying it; wishes to raise greater awareness of the International Day in support of victims of torture on 26 June 2014 and the Stop Torture campaign led by Amnesty International to protect individuals from the risk of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment carried out by state officials, particularly in the focus countries of Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines and Uzbekistan; calls for all governments to have effective safeguards against torture, to respect the absolute prohibition against torture and to bring to justice all those responsible for acts of torture; recognises the contribution made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) through its Strategy for the Prevention of Torture work which focuses on preventing torture globally; urges the FCO to ensure that the strategy is applied consistently and that its staff are adequately trained; and further calls on the Government to ensure accountability for any alleged UK involvement in torture.
179 PAPAL KNIGHTHOOD FOR THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR BOOTLE 25:6:14
12That this House warmly congratulates the hon. Member for Bootle on being awarded a well-deserved papal knighthood in recognition of his political career ad majorem dei gloriam.
180 MR PAUL WESTWOOD AND ZIMBABWE 25:6:14
7That this House regrets that two years ago Paul Westwood and his family, now resident in the UK, were forced to flee Zimbabwe, despite him being a loyal permanent resident of Zimbabwe; notes that his car business in Zimbabwe was seized by Temba Mliswa, Zimbabwean MP for Hurungwe West in 2009; further notes that Mr Westwood suffered a substantial financial loss because of this and is worried about his former employees, some of whom have been with the firm for decades; is very disturbed that Mr Westwood and his family were allegedly threatened with violence, rape and death to hand over their business; supports Mr Westwood in seeking legal redress in the Zimbabwean courts for the seizure of his business; further notes allegations of corruption against Mr Mliswa; believes that a case has been made that Mr Mliswa improperly used his country's indigenisation law for his own personal gain and that he hid behind his uncle Mr Didymus Mutasa, Minister for Presidential Affairs, to escape proper accountability; is sceptical of Mr Mliswa's apparent claim that he had presidential permission to seize Mr Westwood's business; further notes that President Robert Mugabe has given his office full permission to expose all perpetrators of corruption and commends President Mugabe on his stance; and urges President Mugabe, the Zimbabwean parliament, Zanu-PF and all other relevant authorities in Zimbabwe to investigate Mr Westwood's case and the allegations against Mr Mliswa, punish any guilty parties and provide appropriate and timely compensation to Mr Westwood and his family.
181 INCREASE IN SELF-HARM AMONGST MALE PRISONERS 25:6:14
11That this House is alarmed by the stark increase in the number of male inmates self-harming in prisons across England and Wales since 2010; notes that in 2013 there were 23,183 incidents of self-harm amongst male and female prisoners across the prison estate with 17,213 of those incidents involving male prisoners; is concerned that since 2004, incidents of self-harm among male prisoners across the prison estate have increased steadily year on year, with an increase of almost 3000 reported incidents in 2013 compared to the figure of 14,436 in 2010; is further concerned that the Government refuses to acknowledge the growing problem of self-harm among male prisoners across the prison estate; further notes that with an increased prison population and fewer trained staff more incidents are likely to lead to serious injury or suicide; and calls on the Government to review the current situation in the prison estate in England and Wales and open serious talks with staff, governors and trades unions to resolve this worrying issue and ensure that prisons are properly staffed so inmates can receive the support they need.
182 BURMA 25:6:14
7That this House supports the call for action for peace in Kachin State signed by 55 organisations worldwide; further supports calls from 80 organisations for Burma to scrap proposed legislation that would unlawfully restrict the right to freely choose a religion; notes that it has been over three years since the Burma Army broke a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army; calls on the government of Burma to cease its attacks in Kachin State; further notes since June 2011 over 120,000 Kachin people have been displaced and over 200 villages have been destroyed; condemns the human rights abuses and breaches of the Geneva Conventions in Kachin State, especially the use of sexual violence; acknowledes the need for further peace talks between the Burmese government, the Burma Army, Kachin Independence Organisation and the Kachin Independence Army; welcomes Charles Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon's call for the rights of all ethnicities and religious faiths to be protected and his message of peace; call on the Government to provide humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced people in Kachin and Northern Shan States; and further calls on the Government to establish an independent investigation into the use of rape and sexual violence.
184 LIVING STREETS REPORT 26:6:14
2That this House recognises that walking to school can improve the physical and mental health of children, young people, parents and carers, provides the opportunity for parents and carers to spend quality time with their children and reduces carbon emissions and congestion; notes Living Streets' report Putting Pupils First and its recommendations to make the walk to school safer and easier and the success of the Living Streets Walk to School campaign in encouraging increased numbers of children, young people, parents and carers to walk to school; and calls on the Government to develop a fully resourced cross-Government national action plan for sustainable school travel as part of a national strategy to support walking with clear ministerial leadership including the promotion of practical measures including walking zones, Park and Stride and School Route Audits and tackling policy and legislative barriers to walking including inconsiderate parking, the provision of safe crossing points and slower vehicle speeds.
185 THE PLUNKETT FOUNDATION CO-OPERATIVE PUBS REPORT 2014 26:6:14
2That this House welcomes the growth of community-owned co-operatives owning and running pubs in the UK, highlighted in a new report by The Plunkett Foundation; recognises that co-operative pubs make a significant contribution to the well-being of rural and urban communities across the UK; further recognises that communities with the right support can save their local pubs as well as enable people to take action on a range of different issues; notes that with the changes taking place in the pub sector and the number of pubs being sold and closed by the large indebted pubcos, that co-operative pubs are becoming even more important as one way for communities to save pubs and an increasingly important business model; urges the Government to promote co-operative pubs as viable ways of saving pubs from closure; and calls on the Government to review the protection afforded to pubs in the planning system and commit to reducing the barriers for communities so that it is as easy to start a co-operative pub as any other form of business.
186 FESTIVALS ON PRIVATE LAND 26:6:14
1That this House notes that a festival which has a stage, plays music or serves alcohol requires a licence from the local council; further notes that a festival on private land without a stage or similar does not need any formal permission and can go ahead regardless of the number of people attending the event; and urges the Government to reconsider the legislation in this area and enable councils to consult with local communities before any events are allowed to take place, especially in small villages where the number of people attending the event exceeds the local population.
187 WAR WIDOWS' PENSION 26:6:14
7That this House is deeply concerned about the anomaly whereby war widows awarded a pension between 31 March 1973 and 5 April 2005 lose their entitlement if they co-habit or re-marry, whereas those widowed before and after those dates do not; and calls on the Government to rectify this unfair discrimination, affecting some 4,000 widows, by allowing all of them to keep their pensions for life, as advocated by the War Widows' Association of Great Britain.