Session 2014-15
House of Commons
9th July 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
188 PATIENT CHOICE AWARDS 30:6:14
21That this House notes that there are more than 1.2 million people in the UK on long-term warfarin treatment, many of whom are receiving excellent care and support in managing their condition; welcomes the first Patient Choice Awards event held in Parliament by the Anticoagulation Self-Monitoring Alliance to celebrate the excellent work that healthcare professionals are doing across the UK to support people on long-term warfarin wishing to self-monitor their blood clotting levels; congratulates the award winners for delivering the highest quality of care and professionalism for their patients; and calls on the Government to work closely with NHS England and clinical commissioning groups to ensure that the option of self-monitoring is made available to as many people on long-term warfarin as possible.
189 WILDLIFE CRIME 30:6:14
93That this House welcomes the Government's increased focus on tackling international wildlife crime demonstrated through the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade and subsequent declaration signed by 41 countries, as well as the UK Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade; and urges the Government to now deliver a thorough, domestic, strategic plan for tackling wildlife crime offences within the UK.
190 RELEASE OF CHINESE RIGHTS LAWYER GAO ZHISHENG 30:6:14
41That this House expresses concern about the imprisonment of Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and the lack of information about his physical and psychological wellbeing; notes that as a result of his work advocating for victims of human rights violations, including religious minorities, Mr Zhisheng has disappeared and been imprisoned and tortured; further notes that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Mr Zhisheng's detention to be a violation of international law; recognises that according to the calculations of some legal experts, Mr Zhisheng should be released on 22 August 2014; and calls for the timely and unconditional release of Mr Zhisheng without any further restrictions on his personal freedoms.
191 SECTION 75 AND THE MILITARY COVENANT IN NORTHERN IRELAND 30:6:14
18That this House notes the Report published by the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Veterans Transition Lord Ashcroft, in which he made two key recommendations in relation to the provision of support services to armed forces veterans in Northern Ireland, namely that the Government should amend section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act to enable service leavers and veterans to receive the recognition and provision they deserve and appoint a security-vetted Armed Forces Champion in Northern Ireland to enable service leavers and veterans to claim entitlements without fear for their personal security; believes that section 75 can in certain circumstances be an impediment to full implementation of the Military Covenant in Northern Ireland; and calls on the Prime Minister to act upon these key recommendations and to implement them without delay.
192 REVENGE PORNOGRAPHY 30:6:14
32That this House is deeply concerned at the growth of revenge porn, which typically sees individuals publishing online explicit and intimate photographs and videos of ex-partners; notes that whilst the images are often taken with full consent, their dissemination is not; further notes that the dissemination of these images have ruined lives, destroyed careers and caused untold psychological damage; understands that currently there is no specific legislation to deal with the problem; and urges the Government to bring forward legislative proposals to criminally sanction individuals who breach the privacy of others through these vengeful acts.
193 INCOME THRESHOLD FOR FAMILY VISAS 30:6:14
21That this House is aware that as a result of rule changes British citizens wishing to sponsor their non-EU husband or wife to join them in the UK must now earn at least £18,600 per annum; is concerned that these rules have priced out some citizens from being able to live with their spouse or partners because of their low earnings in employment; believes that the less well-off should not be discriminated in such a way; and calls on the Government to immediately stop such unfair practices.
194 MENTAL HEALTH IN THE UK 30:6:14
38That this House is aware that in the UK approximately one in four people experience a mental health problem in any given year, circumstances which demand that as a priority sufferers should get the support and respect they need; and pays tribute to the mental health charity MIND which has published a manifesto calling on law makers to set in place measures to improve the lives of everyone affected by this condition, including reductions in stigma and discrimination, priorities for treatment, speedy access to crisis care, increased funding and the implementation of a national strategy towards improving the wellbeing of those suffering from such conditions.
195 UN WORLD REFUGEE DAY AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS 30:6:14
38That this House notes that 20 June 2014 has been designated by the United Nations (UN) as World Refugee Day; further notes that according to official UN figures there are consistently over 10 million more internally displaced persons in the world than refugees; and therefore calls on the UN to rename 20 June 2014 as World Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Day.
196 MANDATORY HOMING FROM LABORATORIES OF DOGS, CATS AND OTHER ANIMALS WHICH ARE NO LONGER NEEDED 30:6:14
42That this House notes that there is currently no law protecting dogs, cats and other animals once they have outlived their use in laboratories; and supports the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in calling on the Government to issue a policy statement that the homing of cats, dogs and other animals no longer required should become a mandatory requirement for laboratories where possible and that laboratories should be required to work with reputable animal shelters and organisations to find homes for these animals.
197 WESTMINSTER ABBEY DISABILITIES PROTEST 30:6:14
24That this House congratulates Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) and ILF Fight Back and Occupy London for their protest on 28 June 2014 occupying the grounds of Westminster Abbey and calling on the Government to halt its plans to abolish the Independent Living Fund in view of the impact this would have in undermining the potential of disabled people living independent and full lives within the community; regrets the refusal of the Dean of Westminster Abbey to even talk to the disabled protesters; but lends its support to DPAC and ILF Fightback's ongoing campaign to save the Independent Living Fund.
199 TRADING STANDARDS 1:7:14
23That this House welcomes the publication of the Trading Standards Workforce Survey which shows that the number of trading standards staff in local authorities has been halved since 2009; values the work that trading standards officers do in their local communities to protect vulnerable elderly residents from rogue traders and scams, prevent young people from accessing age restricted products like tobacco, alcohol and knives and ensure consumers receive accurate information on what they are buying, protecting them from food fraud and unsafe goods; applauds trading standards professionals for maintaining a high level of service despite shrinking resources; further welcomes the Government's commitment to consumer protection as represented by the Consumer Rights Bill; and encourages the Government to continue working with trading standards and local authorities to find long-term solutions to the problem of constrained resources for local authority trading standards services.
200 POWERS OF HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS 1:7:14
33That this House notes with grave concern the proposal in the 2014 Budget to grant powers to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to gain direct access to citizens' bank accounts without judicial oversight; further notes the evidence given to the Treasury Committee and the Committee's recommendations in its Thirteenth Report, Budget 2014 (HC 1189); is concerned by the continuing failure of HMRC to manage and store data in a manner commensurate with such powers; believes that the granting of such powers would constitute an unprecedented reduction in the rights of citizens and their right to fair protection from the state by reintroducing Crown Preference without due process; and therefore calls on the Government to abandon these plans.
202 TRANSATLANTIC TRADE AND INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP, DEMOCRACY, RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW 1:7:14
47That this House notes that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership includes investor-state dispute settlements that are being designed in secret, so enabling multi-national companies to intimidate and sue governments for lost profits due to Government policies designed to protect the public as consumers or workers or to change the level of public ownership, that such settlements will be decided in private by arbitration panels, not in open court, that such actions and arrangements threaten to compromise the UK's established democracy, human rights and the rule of law and that the shared fruits of trade should not be at the expense of the social and economic justice that democracy demands; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that all proposed arrangements are fully scrutinised by Parliament and that no arrangements are made which compromise established standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
203 DIVERSITY IN THE MEDIA 1:7:14
22That this House commends the work of Lenny Henry, who has continuously campaigned for increased diversity in the media; notes that Mr Henry gave evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee during its review of the future of the BBC prior to the Charter Renewal in 2016-17; is disappointed that between 2006 and 2012 the proportion of people working in the media from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds decreased by 30.9 per cent; states that the BBC has a responsibility to ensure that it allocates appropriate funding and support to make sure it is a diverse organisation that is representative of the British population; and calls on the Government and the BBC to accept the recommendations of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to ensure that diversity in the media remains a top priority.
204 DESTRUCTION OF PALESTINIAN HOMES IN THE WEST BANK BY ISRAEL 2:7:14
34That this House notes with concern that, despite being a clear and egregious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel recently announced that it will return to a policy of demolishing the homes of Palestinians suspected and convicted of involvement in terrorism and other violence; deplores and denounces the decision of the Netanyahu-led government in Israel for resuming this questionable practice which human rights group B'Tselem has stated harms only innocents and not the accused; further notes that in 2005 an Israeli military report concluded that the policy of punitive home demolitions did not act as an effective deterrent against terrorism; affirms Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention that the destruction of private property is permitted only where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations; believes that the demolition of homes of innocent family members of people accused of crimes constitutes collective punishment; further believes that Israeli government statements on this matter exposes the absence of the rule of law under Israel's occupation and that revenge, demonisation and absolute disregard for the lives and rights of the Palestinians under its control now defines Israeli activities in the occupied Palestinian Territories; urges the Government to condemn Israel's actions as cruel, inhumane and a degrading punishment; calls for urgent action to be taken to oppose these policies; and further calls on the Government to pressure the State of Israel and ensure accountability for any violations that occur as a result of its renewal of demolitions.
205 POST-16 TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL AND COLLEGE IN NORTHUMBERLAND 2:7:14
6That this House condemns the decision of the Northumberland County Council Labour administration to scrap free travel for post-16 students travelling long distances to and from school or college from September 2014 and replace it with charges ranging from £600 a year for council-provided transport to the full adult fare of £3,000 to £4,000 a year for students using public transport services, such as those travelling from Berwick-upon-Tweed to colleges in Newcastle; notes that this will have a damaging effect on the education and career prospects of many of the county's young people, particularly in rural and remote areas, will greatly increase the cost of living for families with teenagers and, with the leaving age rising to 18, will discriminate heavily against students from poor areas and their families; and calls on Northumberland County Council to reverse its decision and the Government to review national policy on support for post-16 students' travel costs.
206 OBESITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS 2:7:14
24That this House notes that obesity and being overweight have been identified as major public health challenges, that obesity is a risk factor in the development of a vast range of related conditions, including osteoarthritis, that an estimated eight and a half million people in the UK currently live with osteoarthritis, a number likely to rise due to the spread of obesity, that obese patients tend to have a worse outcome from joint replacement surgery in the short term compared to those with a healthy weight and that weight loss can have a substantial, positive impact on pain levels endured; welcomes Arthritis Care's recommendation that weight loss should be advocated as a first-line management approach and packages of support should be put in place based on assessments of need that are personalised to the individual and holistic; and calls on the Government to support this campaign in order to help people who have and who will develop arthritis.
207 HOSPITAL CAR PARKING (No.7) 2:7:14
14That this House notes that hospital parking charges can be a huge burden on patients and visitors at a vulnerable time in their lives; further notes that Nottingham City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre charge £4.00 for one hour of parking, that Royal Free Hospital, Guy's Hospital, St Thomas's Hospital, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital charge £6.00 for two hours of parking, that Royal Free Hospital, Guy's Hospital, St Thomas's Hospital and South Bristol Community Hospital charge £12.00 for four hours of parking, that Royal Free Hospital charges £72 for one day of parking and £504.00 for one week of parking; recognises that these charges are disproportionate and onerous for patients; therefore condemns these hospitals and others which charge similar fees; and urges the Government to consider ways to reduce the cost of hospital parking.
208 DEMOLITION AND CHANGE OF USE OF PUB BUILDINGS 2:7:14
17That this House believes that permitted development rights are leaving pubs in England vulnerable to demolition or conversion to a range of retail uses without planning permission; further believes, in light of evidence from the Campaign for Real Ale, that two pubs a week are converted to supermarkets, and that these planning loopholes are contributing to the loss of valued community amenities; is concerned that local people are being denied a say in the future of their neighbourhoods; and so urges the Government to bring forward amendments to the General Permitted Development Order 1995 so that any demolition or change of use involving the loss of a pub would require planning permission.
209 DARFUR 3:7:14
16That this House condemns the expulsion of Pamela DeLargy, United Nations Population Fund country chief in Sudan and the suspension of the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Jebel Marra, Darfur; calls on the government of Sudan to allow unhindered humanitarian access and better co-operation with UN and international staff operating in the country; recognises that these removals are the latest involving foreign aid workers in a country where more than two million are displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance; notes the increased pressure on humanitarian resources as a consequence of the deteriorating security situation and around 700,000 newly displaced persons in Darfur and the arrival of more than 80,000 South Sudanese refugees into the country; understands that whilst Sudan's need for aid increases, donor funding has fallen in each of the last three years; and stresses that the UK Government and international community need to ensure the UN appeal for Sudan is adequately funded and that increased resources be made available to meet growing humanitarian needs.
210 CEREDIGION CARERS ALLIANCE 15TH ANNIVERSARY 3:7:14
7That this House applauds the work of the Ceredigion Carers Alliance in its 15th year in supporting local carers in Ceredigion; acknowledges the impact and invaluable role the Alliance plays in local communities and in maintaining the rights and providing a voice for people who volunteer, and in some cases devote their lives to helping others in need of physical, emotional or social care; notes the excellent contribution the Ceredigion Carers Alliance has made in enabling, guiding and supporting the work of volunteers; and hopes that Ceredigion Carers Alliance will continue to remain a driving force for carers in Ceredigion for many years to come.
211 DEMENTIA CARE 3:7:14
19That this House calls for the pharmaceutical industry to redouble its efforts to find an effective treatment and care for dementia and to set a deadline for a cure to be found by 2025.
212 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOL SUPPORT WORKERS' PAY 3:7:14
25That this House recognises that local government and school support workers provide an excellent and essential service to the public; expresses concern about levels of local government pay; further recognises that local government workers have endured a real terms 18 per cent reduction in basic pay since 2010; believes that low pay in local government is resulting in significant economic hardship for them and their families; supports the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for 2014-15; notes that this would deliver the Living Wage for the 500,000 lowest paid local government workers; further notes that 55 per cent of the cost of the claim could be met through increased tax and national insurance income and reduced spending on in-work-benefits; and therefore calls on local government employers to accept the NJC claim and offer a pay award which includes an emphasis on fair rewards for the lowest paid and hard-pressed sections of the workforce.
213 BAHRAIN JUSTICE SYSTEM 3:7:14
23That this House notes the lack of reform in the administration of criminal cases in Bahrain despite the acceptance of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry Report in 2011; is concerned by the failure of the Bahraini government to implement a number of the recommendations made by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry specifically to address the culture of impunity and inequality of Bahrain's justice system; further notes the 2014 Human Rights Watch Report that highlights the continued prosecution and conviction of defendants, including human rights activists, political figures and medical personnel, on charges based on the exercise of rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly; is further concerned by the harsh sentences given by court judges for insulting the king and the ratification of recent penal code amendments in February 2014 that increase the sentence for such charges; expresses disappointment at the inadequacy of Bahrain's attempt to investigate and prosecute security personnel accused of torture and calls on the Government of Bahrain to hold human rights offenders accountable; calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners including Ibrahim Sharif, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Hassan Mushaima, Naji Fateel and Abdulwahab Husain; is further concerned at the failure of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to list Bahrain as a country of concern in its 2014 Human Rights Report; and further calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to condemn human rights abuses in Bahrain and list it as a country of concern in order to promote accountability and transparency within Bahrain's justice system.
214 CHILCOT INQUIRY DELAY 7:7:14
15That this House deeply regrets the delayed publication of the Iraq Inquiry report which has deprived the victims of the Iraq conflict of their right to hear the inquiry's conclusions on the conduct of those who demanded their sacrifice and deprived the UK Parliament and people, at a time of renewed turmoil in Iraq and crisis in the Middle East, of its assessment of the lessons learnt; notes that the delay is attributable to official demands that the inquiry censor the evidence it wished to cite in support of its conclusions; considers that such censorship was unnecessary given that the inquiry's task was to report to the Prime Minister of the day; therefore urges the inquiry to submit a full and uncensored report to the Prime Minister to be used as the basis for the Maxwellisation process for those criticised; and calls on the Prime Minister to assume his responsibility for arranging presentation of the report to Parliament and publication before the end of 2014.
215 PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF THE RAILWAYS 7:7:14
21That this House believes that the interests of passengers, taxpayers, rail workers and the wider economy would be best served by ending the UK's complex and fragmented system of privatised railways and introducing an integrated, publicly-owned and accountable railway.
216 DISPUTE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA (EAST SEA) 7:7:14
7That this House notes the escalation of tensions in the South China Sea (East Sea) following the deployment of the Chinese oil rig HD981; welcomes the statement of 8 May 2014 by the spokesperson of the EU High Representative and the recent statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on these incidents; and calls on all parties to exercise restraint, refrain from any unilateral action which could threaten peace and stability in the region and use peaceful means, according to relevant international laws, in particular the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea between ASEAN and China to resolve the dispute.
217 EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNCIL 7:7:14
10That this House condemns the decision by nine Conservative councillors in Northumberland to call an extraordinary meeting of the Council at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £45,000 to seek to overturn a democratic decision taken by a Labour council which has to make savings of £130 million over the next four years because of Government cuts; notes that the decision to call the meeting was taken against the advice of senior officers at the Council and may leave the Council open to legal challenge at a further cost to the public purse; further notes that cuts in Northumberland so far have meant 1,500 job losses and cuts in services to the value of £259 per family; and calls on Northumberland Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to explain why they consider £45,000 spent on a meeting which has been described by senior officers at the Council as 'an exercise in Punch and Judy politics' is a good use of scarce public funds.
218 PROSOPAGNOSIA 7:7:14
11That this House welcomes the research being undertaken by the Centre for Face Processing Disorders at Bournemouth University which seeks to aid the development of potential remediation techniques for prosopagnosia, otherwise known as face-blindness; understands that an estimated one in 50, or one and a half million people in the UK, suffer from the developmental form of prosopagnosia; notes that there has been an improvement in the awareness of prosopagnosia since its formal recognition; and supports further efforts to promote public and professional awareness of the condition.
219 CHILD MAINTENANCE SCHEME 7:7:14
15That this House is deeply concerned about changes to the Child Maintenance scheme; notes that the charging scheme will deter lower income families from claiming and will increase child poverty; recognises that the four per cent now deducted by the Government from the final amount that goes to the child sees the Exchequer profiting at the expense of the child; further notes that the contractor has been unable to cope with call volumes and regrets that the Child Maintenance Options service has been privatised; and urges the Government to bring this work back in-house, to be run by experienced Department for Work and Pensions staff.
220 COMPENSATION FOR BLACKLISTED WORKERS 7:7:14
15That this House welcomes the introduction of the Construction Workers Compensation scheme through which workers blacklisted by the far-right organisation the Economic League can claim a measure of recompense; notes that under the fast-track process, where compensation is up to £20,000, applicants do not have to prove actual loss but only that their names were registered by the Economic League; further notes that the full review process, with compensation up to £100,000, is where there is evidence that employers used the League's register to actively blacklist; points out that the scheme has been agreed between trades unions and employers; and urges all workers who were unfairly and illicitly blacklisted to claim under the scheme, which is independently arbitrated by a former High Court judge.
221 GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS TO CHANGE THE LAW ON INDUSTRIAL ACTION 7:7:14
13That this House believes that Conservative plans to further restrict the rights of public sector unions to take industrial action are once again a blatant attack on working people and are also anti-democratic and counter-productive; deplores the proposal that union leaders will have to prove that over half their members support a strike; points out that the right hon. Member for Horsham, who is proposing the law, was elected on less than 40 per cent of the electorate and that his party nationally was supported by less than a quarter of those entitled to vote; reaffirms the right of union members to withdraw their labour on a simple majority of those balloted; and supports the action by unions protesting about performance-related pay, pension cuts and the running down of public services.
222 PRIVATISATION OF NHS CANCER CARE 7:7:14
10That this House strongly opposes plans to privatise cancer care; is appalled that four GP-led clinical commissioning groups in Staffordshire are involved in the likely outsourcing of services worth more than £1.2 billion; believes that this opening of the most sensitive and critical areas of the NHS to the private sector demonstrates that there is no limit to the willingness of this Coalition Government to replace them with those from profit-driven operators; notes the evidence from the respected Nuffield Health organisation that, since the Coalition took power in 2010, private firms' share of the NHS spend has increased from 12 per cent to 18 per cent, and is now more than £1.77 billion; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to commit to the excellence of NHS care by denying private companies the opportunities of profiteering from cancer and terminal care.
223 FUTURE FUNDING OF TRIDENT NUCLEAR PROGRAMME 7:7:14
7That this House does not believe that the British public would approve of spending £100 billion on renewing Trident while welfare and health provision is being slashed; notes that the Ukrainian government is using crowdfunding to pay for its border drone system; and urges the Government to use a similar method to finance the nuclear programme so that only those who believe it necessary or desirable would pay for it.
224 TOUR DE FRANCE 7:7:14
7That this House congratulates the organisers, the riders and the millions of spectators who made the opening stages of the Tour de France in Yorkshire such a stunning success; notes the crucial role in this triumph of Gary Verity, the chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, who came up with the idea while shaving before starting his day job as a sheep farmer; commiserates with Mark Cavendish who was injured in a fall in the last few metres of the race to the line in his mother's home town of Harrogate; and wishes the reigning Tour de France holder Chris Froome, and all other competitors, all the best in one of the world's greatest sporting events which started in one of the world’s greatest places.
225 KILLINGS OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN 7:7:14
9That this House notes that over the last 13 years a Palestinian child has been killed every three days by Israel; points out that 1,518 Palestinian children have been killed by Israel's occupation forces since the start of the second intifada in September 2000, and that over the same period at least 6,000 children were injured; further notes that since the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers on the illegally-held West Bank and their subsequent funerals, seven Palestinians have been killed, four of them teenagers, two of them shot by Israeli snipers; and urges the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to use whatever influence he has with Israel to stop the wholesale arrests and detentions of Palestinian civilians and the likely re-occupation of Gaza, which can only lead to countless more deaths.
226 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND CONTROL OF EXCESSIVE TEMPERATURES 7:7:14
22That this House welcomes the introduction of mandatory cooling breaks for players in World Cup matches in circumstances where the temperature exceeds a specified level; notes that FIFA was required to introduce such control measures in order to comply with Brazilian labour law which would have seen them fined in the region of $90,000 dollars for each game played without a break; recognises that relief from excessive temperatures has a positive effect on productivity, concentration and general well-being; further notes that excessive temperature in the workplace is not something that applies only in tropical climates but regularly affects millions of workers in a wide variety of factories, call-centres, schools, forms of transport and offices in the UK; and therefore supports the campaign of the TUC-backed Cool It! coalition initiated by the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union in calling for a specific maximum working temperature to be set in legislation, beyond which the employer would have a legal responsibility to introduce appropriate control measures.
227 PRIVATELY-EDUCATED PUPILS AND THEIR FUTURE EARNINGS 7:7:14
4That this House deplores the inequality in the British education system which ensures that children from private schools will have earned £200,000 more than state school pupils by middle age, according to a survey carried out by the Sutton Trust; points out that these independent schools are bastions of privilege where predominantly affluent families can buy their children's financial success in later life by paying high fees for education; calls for an open access scheme to be imposed where all young people from disadvantage backgrounds are admitted for free to such schools; and demands that the Government removes the charitable status from all private schools as they are clearly anything but charitable.
228 TOUR DE FRANCE LE GRAND DÉPART 2014 7:7:14
30That this House celebrates the success of the Le Grand Départ of the 101st Tour de France and the first three stages, Leeds to Harrogate, York to Sheffield and Cambridge to London; echoes comments that this was the grandest Grand Départ in the history of the Tour; congratulates Welcome to Yorkshire and its CEO, Gary Verity, for a successful bid, supported by Leeds City Council and others; thanks race director Christian Prudhomme for his faith in Yorkshire's bid; congratulates Sir Rodney Walker and Nicky Roche and TdFHub2014Ltd, councils along the route and the 12,000 volunteer Tour Makers for delivering three fantastic stages of the race; agrees that this has been a wonderful advertisement for Yorkshire and the UK, boosting local economies and the UK economy by at least £100 million; further congratulates local communities, businesses, farms, hotels, pubs, cafes, restaurants, places of worship and community and village halls who all worked hard to provide entertainmnet, food, drink and fun for spectators; notes that over four and a half milion people are estimated to have lined the route across the three days; hopes that Le Grand Départ 2014 will inspire the next generation of UK cycling stars and welcomes the new annual three-day Tour of Yorkshire race starting next year; believes that a real legacy must and will be delivered, including through concerted strategies to get more people cycling in the UK and improvements for cyclists on our roads; and sends its best wishes to the competitors, organisers and all involved for the remainder of Le Tour 2014.
229 MARK CAVENDISH IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE 2014 7:7:14
9That this House commends British and Manx cycling hero Mark Cavendish for his sportsmanship with regard to stage one of the Tour de France in Yorkshire, for acknowledging blame for the crash, and for apologising to Simon Gerrans, the other rider involved; notes his courage in finishing the stage in his mother's home town of Harrogate, despite suffering a dislocated shoulder and ligament ruptures; further notes and commends his comments comparing his situation to that of friends who have been injured serving in the armed forces, and applauds his support for the charity Help for Heroes; believes that his behaviour is an example to other sports and that some sports stars, coaches and managers would do well to follow Mark Cavendish's shining example of sportsmanship alongside talent and ambition, and hopes that this inspires young people who want to go into sport to adopt a similar attitude as well as aspiring for sporting success; and further wishes Mark a speedy recovery and hopes to see him succeed, including winning stages of the Tour de France in the future.
230 GREEN INVESTMENT BANK SECOND ANNUAL REVIEW 8:7:14
6That this House welcomes the results published in the Green Investment Bank's second annual review; recognises that in 2013-14 the Green Investment Bank invested in 18 new green projects and committed £668 million in new capital; congratulates the Green Investment Bank on continuing to grow by taking its total capital commitments to £1.3 billion of profitable investments; further recognises that, for every £1 invested, the Green Investment Bank mobilised approximately £3 of additional private capital; acknowledges that, once built, the investments to date will create 3,500 construction jobs, provide renewable power to over three million homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking over 1.6 million cars off the road; further congratulates the Green Investment Bank on investing across the whole of the UK; and supports the Green Investment Bank in continuing to invest in the UK's green future.
231 BLACK COUNTRY DAY 8:7:14
8That this House congratulates the four Black Country boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton and local business organisations and representatives for pioneering the special Black Country Day on 14 July of each year which reflects that region's distinctive dialect, food and humour as well as the anniversary of the introduction of the Newcomen steam engine in 1712 which made the Black Country the centre of the workshop of the world; and calls on residents, schools, businesses and organisations on that day to fly the Black Country flag which symbolises the region's historic chain-making and glass manufacturing industry, representing its glorious past and current resurrection as a manufacturing powerhouse.
233 CORNWALL COUNCIL'S TREATMENT OF A WOMAN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES 8:7:14
2That this House notes that Cornwall Council was sent a draft parliamentary motion critical of the Council and its Chief Executive Andrew Kerr in relation to the treatment of a woman with learning disabilities; further notes that after receiving the draft the Council, apparently in revenge, commenced a baseless investigation into the father of the woman for sexual abuse despite knowing he had never been alone with her; further notes that the investigation has now been dropped; deplores the suffering caused to the family by the council officer responsible, Dr Brickchand Ramruttun; reminds Cornwall Council of the need to respect the proceedings of Parliament; and calls for the Care Quality Commission to investigate urgently the behaviour of the authority in respect of this case.
234 NATIONAL RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AWARENESS WEEK 8:7:14
22That this House congratulates the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) on holding its second national Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness (RA) week from 16 to 22 June 2014; notes that the autoimmune disease RA affects over 690,000 people throughout the UK; further notes the important work that NRAS does to raise awareness of this disease and provide support to those affected; welcomes the publication of a new NRAS report on the impact of chronic fatigue; further notes the report's findings regarding the high impact of chronic fatigue on worklessness and quality of life; and calls on the Government to better prioritise the management of chronic fatigue within long-term conditions and strategies and to reform the work capability assessment descriptors to properly capture the impact of chronic fatigue.
235 GATESHEAD CARERS ASSOCIATION 8:7:14
12That this House expresses its congratulations to Gateshead Carers Association on its week of events in Carers Week 2014 to promote carers, the unsung heroes in Gateshead, who provide unpaid help and support to a relative or friend who could not otherwise manage because of frailty, illness or disability; praises the 2014 Gateshead Carers Association annual Party in the Park in Gateshead's Saltwell Park, showcasing 25 local organisations supporting carers and the people they care for including Gateshead Alzheimer's Society, Thrive, Gateshead Crossroads and the Stroke Association; welcomes the new initiative of a Carers Allotment to give cares vital respite from caring and a place to meet other carers in a friendly welcoming environment, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, Gateshead Housing Company, the Community Foundation and Gateshead Council; notes that Gateshead Carers Association has been Sainsbury's Team Valley Charity of the Year in 2014 and was presented with a cheque for £4,000 in Carers Week; and celebrates the contribution of the 6.5 million people caring across the UK despite the emotional strain, money worries and health impacts this can cause carers.
236 SECOND CHANCE INITIATIVE 8:7:14
8That this House acknowledges the importance of sustained and meaningful employment in reducing instances of reoffending; expresses its support for the Second Chance initiative to enhance employment opportunities for ex-offenders which is spearheaded by the Citizen Trust working in the community and at HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs; welcomes the creation of the Second Chance Charter with a nationally recognised kitemark, which will identify employers willing to consider offering employment to suitable ex-offenders without discrimination on the basis of past records.
237 MISUSE OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS 8:7:14
4That this House notes the impending prosecution by the Equality Commission (EC) of the managers of a bakery for declining to bake a cake with a gay rights slogan; opposed to discrimination, regrets the fact that the law is being used in such a draconian fashion to target people with Christian beliefs; deplores the use of taxpayers' money to further the agenda of the activists; and calls on the Minister for Equality to issue guidance to the EC to prevent this prosecution from being carried forward.
238 ASDA EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES 8:7:14
7That this House condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the tyrannical employment practices of Asda, whose branch in Longsight, Manchester, has bullied and bludgeoned a staff member, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, for more than two years, placing his livelihood in jeopardy throughout this period, subjecting him to intolerable pressure and blatantly violating their own employment procedures; in particular condemns Allan Edwards, Asda Director of Public Affairs, who, in correspondence with the right hon. Member over a prolonged period, has procrastinated and dodged in order to fob off extremely justified concerns; and calls on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to investigate these immoral thugs, who clearly believe that they are immune from decency because of the company's huge wealth.
239 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SPENDING TARGET 8:7:14
13That this House welcomes the presentation of the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill and looks forward to its second reading on 12 September 2014; highlights the cross-party consensus on development aid which underpins the UK's commitment to fulfilling the UN target to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on official development assistance; and further welcomes the Bill's intent to enshrine this level of development spending in law.
240 TRAVELLER SITES IN HARLOW 8:7:14
3That this House notes that over 100 travellers are currently parked illegally on three sites in Harlow; further notes that they are illegally moving between multiple sites in Harlow; is pleased that Essex Police are issuing the travellers on Third Avenue in Harlow with a Section 61 notice that will require the travellers to leave their current site; recognises the hard work of Harlow Council to resolve this issue; thanks Harlow residents for their ongoing patience on this matter; and therefore urges Essex Police to issue further Section 61 notices on the remaining illegal sites.
241 HIGHWAYS AGENCY 8:7:14
9That this House agrees with the findings of the Transport Select Committee, expressed in March 2014, that the case for the removal of the Highways Agency from the direct control of accountable Ministers has not been made; believes that the proposed changes of the status of the Highways Agency to a Government-owned company is the first step towards full privatisation and will lead to road tolls, increased cost to the public and a detrimental impact on the environment and road safety; regrets that the option to maintain the Highway Agency as Executive Agency of Department for Transport but with funding certainty was not even considered; further believes that these proposals are not driven by evidence but the ideological belief that the private sector is better than the public sector; and calls on the Government to accept that there is no desire amongst the British public for a costly privatised road network and that the Highways Agency, properly resourced and at arms length as it was originally intended to be, rather than a Government owned company, would be a considerably more efficient and cost-effective solution to delivering the aims of the infrastructure investment in the Strategic Roads Network.
242 STATUE OF MAHATMA GANDHI IN PARLIAMENT SQUARE 9:7:14
5That this House welcomes the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on his visit to India that there will be a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square; recognises that this is the culmination of a long campaign to honour this great man; notes that there are two other statues of Mahatma Gandhi in Tavistock Square and Belgrave Road in Leicester; and considers that a suitable location would be between the statues of Peel and Disraeli and near Nelson Mandela, with the Supreme Court behind him and facing Big Ben.
243 SUGARPOVA 9:7:14
3That this House recognises the importance of encouraging people to exercise regularly and to have a healthy, balanced diet to avoid health conditions such as diabetes and obesity; believes that sportsmen and women should act as ambassadors for encouraging sporting activity and leading a healthy lifestyle; finds brands such as Sugarpova, which are marketed by admired sportsmen and women, encourage young people to eat excessive amounts of sugar; and calls on the Government to take action to help people to lead healthier lives and to adopt Action on Sugar's proposal to ban sports sponsorships of unhealthy foods.
244 OCEANS OF HOPE PROJECT 9:7:14
4That this House applauds the fantastic work of the Oceans of Hope project which challenges negative perceptions of multiple sclerosis; and recognises the efforts of its round-the-world crew, which completes its journey at Portsmouth this week.
245 DETENTION OF ANDARGACHEW TSEGE IN ETHIOPIA 9:7:14
2That this House is seriously concerned about the safety of Andargachew Tsege, a British citizen, who was detained and then abducted on 23 June 2014 by the Yemeni authorities while in transit through Sana'a airport on his way to Asmara, Eritrea; understands that he may have been extradited from that country to Ethiopia and since then has been denied consular access; believes that this UK citizen's life and well-being may be in danger during his period of illegal detention; and calls on the Government to insist on his immediate release and repatriation back to Britain at the earliest opportunity.
246 COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT OF PALESTINIANS 9:7:14
3That this House notes that once again Palestine's Gaza region has come under attack by the Israeli Defence Force; further notes that in this wholly unequal cycle of violence 490 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel since the end of Operation Cast Lead in 2009, and three Israelis; further notes that in this current attack Defence 4 Children International Palestine report that eight children have been killed and Palestinian writer and health worker, Mona Elfarra, reports the, not unusual, targeting of health centres including the European Hospital East of Khan Younis where many were both suffering and sheltering; and calls on the Government to do everything within its power to bring about an end to the collective punishment of Palestinans and the occupation that is a virtual death sentence for them.
247 USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN INTENSIVE FARMING 9:7:14
2That this House recognises that the overuse of antibiotics in intensive farming adds to the serious public health threat from antibiotic resistance and the rise of superbugs; welcomes the Government's efforts to reduce over-prescribing by doctors; calls for parallel action to reduce the use of antibiotics by veterinary surgeons and farmers; and further calls on the Government to take steps to ensure that the routine prophylactic use of antibiotics on UK farms is phased out and that specific controls are introduced on the use in livestock of antibiotics that are critically important in human medicine.
248 BIOMETRIC TESTING ON LONDON UNDERGROUND 9:7:14
2That this House is concerned at the imposition by ISS of a biometric fingerprinting system to book on for duty for cleaners on London Underground; is dismayed at the prospect of such Orwellian devices eroding basic civil liberties; is further concerned that the workforce who refuse to surrender their biometric data to the company have effectively been locked out from work; is also concerned that this type of intrusion is occurring in an industry where experience shows that prejudice and racism is rife; supports the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers in its campaign against the use of biometric fingerprinting; and calls on ISS to drop this practice and for the Mayor of London and the Government to take steps to ensure that the civil liberties of all workers are protected in line with the basic principles of dignity at work.
249 STOP THE WAR ON THE POOR CAMPAIGN 9:7:14
1That this House welcomes the Stop the War on the Poor initiative which commemorates Martin Luther King's Poor People's Campaign launched just before his assassination on 4 April 1968; further welcomes the RISE Out of Poverty Act now before the US Congress, which would make the elimination of child poverty the priority of welfare policy and recognises the caring work of mothers and other carers; believes that the UK would benefit from a similar policy since four million UK children, one in three, are living in poverty; notes that Dr King condemned the Vietnam War, accusing Congress of hostility to the poor by spending military funds with alacrity and generosity; further notes that he supported mothers' right to welfare, a living wage and a guaranteed income for all; rejects US-style workfare as it forces unwaged carers to work for their benefits, undermining both the minimum wage and pay equity; and reaffirms humanity's assumption that every child is precious to the whole society, and that every primary carer is entitled to resources and support for their life-saving, life-enhancing caring work.