Session 2014-15
House of Commons
15th 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
214 CHILCOT INQUIRY DELAY 7:7:14
21That 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
29That 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
8That 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
15That 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
19That 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
22That 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.
221 CONSERVATIVE PARTY PROPOSALS TO CHANGE THE LAW ON INDUSTRIAL ACTION 7:7:14
18That this House believes that Conservative Party 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
16That 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
11That 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
8That 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
15That 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
31That 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.
229 MARK CAVENDISH IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE 2014 7:7:14
14That 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
11That 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
12That 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.
234 NATIONAL RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AWARENESS WEEK 8:7:14
35That 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
19That 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
15That 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
12That 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
11That 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
27That 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.
241 HIGHWAYS AGENCY 8:7:14
16That 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
17That 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
15That 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.
245 DETENTION OF ANDARGACHEW TSEGE IN ETHIOPIA 9:7:14
13That 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
25That 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.
As an Amendment to Jeremy Corbyn's proposed Motion (Collective Punishment Of Palestinians):
1Line1, leave out from 'House' to end and add 'notes that after 13 years of Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and as many as 600 rockets fired in 2014 alone, Israel is compelled to defend itself; further notes that Israel does its utmost to protect civilian life by sending warning messages and launching precision guided missile attacks; further notes that it is Hamas that cynically locates its terrorist infrastructure deep in civilian areas; and supports the UK Government's strong condemnation of the appalling attacks being carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians.'. 14:7:14(a1)
247 USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN INTENSIVE FARMING 9:7:14
29That 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
13That 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
20That 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.
250 ISRAELI MILITARY STRIKES ON THE GAZA STRIP 10:7:14
20That this House regards Israel's latest attack on the Gaza Strip, Operation Protective Edge, as a disproportionate escalation of violence against Palestinians; notes that since the end of Operation Cast Lead on 19 January 2009 Israel has killed 490 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip; calls for an immediate end to Israeli military strikes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and military incursions into Palestinian population centres in the West Bank, both of which constitute collective punishment and are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention; calls for an immediate end to retaliatory rocket attacks from Gaza; and urges Israel as the occupying power to de-escalate the conflict.
251 CHILDREN AND THE COUNTRYSIDE 10:7:14
19That this House is deeply concerned that over 35 per cent of children have never visited the countryside and that a child's chance of visiting the countryside has halved in a generation, with children from disadvantaged backgrounds being particularly badly affected; recognises that children who spend time in natural environments obtain better health and educational outcomes, performing better in reading, mathematics, science and social studies; and congratulates the hon. Members who are leading the John Clare Trust's 150 Poems challenge, which will raise vital funding to enable more schools to participate in opening up the woodlands, forests and meadows of our beautiful countryside to many more children.
252 COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF HILL 112, 10 TO 12 JULY, NORMANDY 10:7:14
18That this House notes with pride this week the 70th Anniversary, 10 to 12 July, of Operation Jupiter in Normandy and the battle of Hill 112, the holding of which was described by Rommel as the key to the whole of Normandy, as part of the Allied victory, which was successfully conducted through the courage and bravery of the 43rd Wessex Division, including the 112th Field Regiment RA, the 59th AT Regiment, the 7th and 9th Royal Tank Regiments, together with the infantry Battalions of 7th Hampshire's, 4th and 5th, Dorset's 4th and 7th Somerset Light Infantry, 4th and 5th Wiltshire's, 5th Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry, 1st Worcester's, 2nd Glasgow Highlanders, 7th Seaforth Highlanders, the 9th Cameronians, the Royal Scots Greys and 46th Highland Brigade, 15th Scottish, 53rd Welsh and 4th and 11th Armoured Division, supported by Typhoons and Mustangs, with parallel operations by the North and South Staffordshire Regiments, Canadian and Polish Divisions and those from East Lancashire, Royal Warwickshire and 49th West Riding and all others who successfully repulsed the Waffen SS/Hitler Youth 9th, 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions (Panthers and Tigers) and the 102 Tiger Tank Regiment and L.E.H.R. Division; and congratulates the Mayor and community of Fontaine Etoupefour who, with Andre Nové organised, a commemoration this week of the battle in and around Hill 112, Maltot and Éterville.
254 SCRUTINY OF NOMINEES FOR EU COMMISSIONER 14:7:14
8That this House notes that the next EU Commissioner to be nominated by the UK will have an important role, not only in the particular policy area where they will have the lead, but also more generally in promoting the UK's national interest and vision for reform in Europe; further notes that Parliament currently has not had the opportunity to scrutinise the Government's candidate before their nomination is confirmed; and calls on the Government to ensure that such pre-appointment scrutiny takes place before the nomination of the next EU Commissioner by the UK.
255 SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES ON LIVING ANIMALS REPORT 2013 14:7:14
12That this House notes the publication of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals 2013 report; expresses concern that despite a reduction of 0.38 per cent on the 2012 figure, 4,017,578 animals were used in scientific procedures in Great Britain in 2013; further notes that the number of procedures increased by 0.28 per cent, meaning animals are being used in more than one procedure; further expresses concern that these are the last statistics before the General Election and in contrast with the pledge, in the Coalition Programme for the Government to 'work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research', there has been an overall increase of more than 10 per cent since that time; is disappointed with the slow progress being made on this issue; and supports the National Anti-Vivisection Society in calling on the Government to set targets on reduction and increase transparency in research using animals, as part of moves to eventually end the use of animals in experiments.
256 MOVING TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY, REDUCING WASTE AND IMPROVING RECYCLING 14:7:14
7That this House believes that moving to a zero-waste, circular economy will deliver great economic and environmental benefits to the UK including job creation, reduced dependence on imported resources, protection of the UK's air, water, land, sea, rivers and green spaces and a reduction in carbon emissions; broadly welcomes the European Commission document, Towards a Circular Economy, published on 2 July 2014, whilst reiterating the importance of the waste hierarchy and the need to prioritise the reduction of resource consumption in absolute terms, waste prevention, reuse and then recycling; calls on the Government to embrace the proposed 70 per cent recycling target by 2030 and landfill ban for recyclable waste by 2025 as steps in the right direction, but to go further by supporting a ban on incineration as well as landfill of recyclable and compostable waste by 2020; notes that the zero waste plans of Wales and Scotland already include targets and policies to recycle 70 per cent of waste by 2025; further believes that England can do equally as well; further calls on Ministers to provide the necessary funds and support to enable local authorities to improve infrastructure for collection, reuse and re-processing; further notes proposals to allow local authorities to keep landfill tax receipts; and urges Ministers to push for design standards to make products longer lasting and easier to repair, including through extending the Ecodesign Directive to include resource efficiency.
257 MEFLOQUINE HYDROCHLORIDE 14:7:14
6That this House is alarmed that the drug mefloquine hydrochloride, better known by its brand name Lariam, continues to be prescribed to an estimated 2,500 British servicemen and women every year before they are sent out to visit a malarial country; notes the drug has long been known to cause a range of negative side effects, including ringing in the ears, depression, loss of memory and hallucinations and is aware that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has received more than 2,000 accounts of adverse reactions to the drug's use; and calls on the Ministry of Defence to immediately cease prescribing it to UK personnel in its charge and to investigate a full review of its use.
258 INDETERMINATE SENTENCES FOR PUBLIC PROTECTION 14:7:14
4That this House notes that there are 5,206 prisoners in the UK who are still serving indeterminate sentences for public protection, which were abolished by the Government in 2012; further notes that 3,575 of these prisoners have already passed their tariff and that, since the Parole Board releases roughly 400 inmates every year, it will take nine years for the Board to clear this backlog of cases; further notes with dismay that many prisoners serving indeterminate sentences fail to gain places on appropriate courses which would progress their rehabilitation, and that, as a result, such prisoners have little hope of release; further notes that each prison place costs £40,000 every year, making indeterminate sentences highly costly; and calls on the Government to increase funding to the Parole Board to clear the backlog of indeterminate prisoners, starting with those given initial tariffs of two years or less.
259 WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN 15:7:14
11That this House congratulates the 30 local authorities which have been awarded White Ribbon Campaign accreditation for involving men in challenging violence against women and girls; believes that men have responsibility to challenge the violence of some men against women and girls by challenging the outdated attitudes and negative gender stereotypes which underpin abuse; recognises that the White Ribbon Campaign is the largest charity to engage men in action to eradicate abuse and violence against women; notes that a further 25 local authorities are currently seeking accreditation and that the Campaign also involves sports clubs and sporting bodies, music venues, companies and trade unions in working with their male supporters, customers and employees; and calls on the Government and other public and private institutions to work with the White Ribbon Campaign to show men that they can, and must, be part of the solution to end the epidemic of violence against women and girls.
260 EDUCATION (PUPIL REGISTRATION) (ENGLAND) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2013 15:7:14
2That this House acknowledges the Department for Education's desire to tackle persistent absenteeism; notes that it removed maintained schools' discretionary right to grant leave during term time for family holidays and restricted other leave to exceptional circumstances through the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013; further notes that in 2012-13 persistent absentees had less authorised absence for family holidays (1.8 per cent of total absences) than other pupils (8.5 per cent); further notes that no evidence was gathered as to the reason why parents took holiday in term time and that no assessment of the impact of the statutory instrument (SI) was undertaken; further notes that campaign group, Parents Want a Say, has reported an impact on children with disabilities, families dealing with bereavement and trauma, parents in professions with restricted holidays as diverse as police, paramedics, bus drivers, farmers, campsite owners, carers and families with low incomes as well as business staffing requirements and the tourism industry; further notes that there is no right of appeal on the issue of a fine for unauthorised absence and that parents refusing to pay the fine are being taken to court with little hope of the individual circumstances of their case being considered; further notes that this is having a detrimental impact on the relationship between parents and schools; further notes that there is widespread public concern about the level of government interference in family life; considers it likely that blanket bans by local authorities and/or schools are against public authorities' obligations under the Human Rights legislation; and calls on the Government to repeal the SI.
261 RURAL 4G NETWORK 15:7:14
1That this House believes that the roll-out of the 4G mobile network is potentially insufficient; further believes that the Government has not done enough to ensure the expansion of 4G networks into rural areas; notes that these same areas, that also suffered a lack of 3G coverage, are detrimentally and disproportionately affected; feels that 4G, due to its high data speeds, offers an internet connectivity solution where internet cabling may not reach; further notes that countries such as Finland, Sweden and Estonia, with much lower density of population, are able to offer nationwide 4G networks capable of covering 99 per cent of the population, while the UK covers only 72 per cent of the population and is not expected to meet the 98 per cent population coverage target until the end of 2017; and calls on the Government to take a more proactive role in ensuring that the residents of rural areas are sufficiently covered by mobile data networks as they offer an immense development possibility for these areas.
262 CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS AND CHILD ARRANGEMENT ORDERS 15:7:14
1That this House notes that a parent is entitled to apply for a child arrangement order; further notes that the Children Act 1989 emphasises that the child's welfare shall be the court's paramount consideration and the welfare check-list that a court must have regard to in making a decision regarding a child arrangement order; further notes that it is extremely important that the criminal record of an applicant, whether a parent or not, must be made clear at this stage to ensure the court is in full possession of the necessary information to make an informed decision for the welfare of the child; and calls on the Government to emphasise that the criminal record of an applicant must always be taken into account by courts in making decisions regarding child arrangement orders to help prevent violent and abusive parents gaining child arrangement orders.
263 CONDUCT OF LORD BLENCATHRA 15:7:14
1That this House believes that the lenient punishment of Lord Blencathra proves that the Lords is not fit to discipline its members; notes that Lord Blencathra admitted at a hearing in 2012 to lobbying for the Cayman Islands for payment of £12,000 a month but explained that he was lobbying the Government not Parliament; observes that he failed then to reveal the existence of a contract he had signed; is astonished that the Lords Commissioner for Standards, at a second hearing held when the contract details were leaked, accepted Lord Blencathra's assurance that although he had signed a contract for lobbying he had no intention of carrying out lobbying on behalf of the tax haven; congratulates The Independent and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism for publishing the secret contract that exposed an egregious breach of the rule that forbids legislators from hiring out their services; and further believes that the failure to suspend Lord Blencathra from the service of the Lords will further deepen public cynicism on the conduct of parliamentarians.