Session 2014-15
House of Commons
1st September 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
275 2014 OPEN WINNER RORY MCILROY 21:7:14
11That this House notes that the 2014 Open was won by Rory McIlroy, continuing the amazing recent form of Northern Ireland's golfers in winning a series of the greatest golfing tournaments in the world; and acknowledges that this latest win comes just weeks after Royal Portrush has been confirmed as a venue for The Open in a few years' time, which should allow the greatest players in the world from locations other than Northern Ireland to perform at the 21st century's home of golf.
276 VALUATION OF STERLING 21:7:14
3That this House, noting the launch of the Pound Campaign, a non-partisan group to initiate debate on the effects of the UK exchange rate on British manufacturers and exporters, recognises that exporting is vital for Britain and fundamental to generating sustainable UK economic growth; further recognises the need to boost and strengthen manufacturing to rebuild a healthy broad-based economy; notes the persistence and scale of the UK trade deficit on goods and that Britain has not had an overall trade surplus since 1983 as a result; further notes the link between the level of UK exchange rate and the profitability of manufacturing and exporting for UK-based companies; and therefore calls on the Government to investigate the impact of the current rise in the exchange rate of the pound on the sustainability and profitability of UK-based manufacturers and exporters.
277 GOVERNMENT POLICY ON DERELICT AND ABANDONED BUILDINGS 21:7:14
9That this House recognises the devastating effect that derelict and abandoned buildings can have on a community, both commercially and on its landscape; notes that such sites can pose a serious health and safety risk, especially as an attraction to homeless and younger people; further notes the effect of land banking as a barrier to regeneration and to sustainable development; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislative proposals to allow local planning authorities to tackle sites in their communities including allowing an administration charge to be levied against property owners to cover costs of safeguarding and assessing the site and to introduce a land value tax on vacant sites, similar to that already imposed in Denmark and discussed in the Barker Review 2003, in line with the value of business rates which would be payable if a permitted development had already taken place.
278 NEWPORT NATO DECLARATION 21:7:14
5That this House hopes that the Newport Declaration from the NATO summit to be held in South Wales in September 2014 will include a realistic non-triumphalist assessment of NATO's role in Afghanistan and a welcome for the new strengthened unity of NATO nations in resisting the belligerence of President Putin's incursions into neighbouring states.
279 INQUIRY INTO CHILD ABUSE AND THE CROWN DEPENDENCIES 21:7:14
10That this House, being conscious of the numerous cases of previously concealed child abuse in which individuals have been able to use their status as public figures to deter victims and to prevent or disrupt investigations of their crimes, and being conscious that in some cases abusers, and those who have concealed abuse, have been able to use their positions in public office and the institutions of the state such as Parliament and Government to shield them and their wrongdoing from proper, lawful scrutiny, recognises that the dangers of such cover-ups occurring are even greater in small, quasi-self-governing communities than at national level, where, even though checks and balances are more extensive, child abuse and cover-ups by the well-connected have still occurred; notes that a local public inquiry in Jersey into child abuse, the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, has not gained the confidence of all victims and witnesses; and calls on the relevant UK authorities, the Secretary of State for Justice, the Crown and the Privy Council, in exercise of their responsibilities and powers to ensure good governance, the rule of law and proper administration of justice in the Crown Dependencies, to empower the overarching UK inquiry into child abuse to include the Crown Dependencies.
280 BRITISH SUCCESS AT INTERNATIONAL BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD 21:7:14
14That this House congratulates the four students selected to represent the UK at the 25th International Biology Olympiad in July 2014 held in Bali in Indonesia, all of whom brought home medals; notes that over 5,000 students took part in the first round of this competition of which 120 students were selected for a further stage after which the top four students were selected from a shortlist of 16 at the British Biology Olympiad final held at the University of Warwick in April 2014; further congratulates the UK team of Adam Heath (Gold medal winner), Josh Dickerson (Silver medal winner), Dia Ghose (Silver medal winner) and Rebecca Peel (Bronze medal winner) on their outstanding success in this year's international competition; recognises that students in the UK can compete against the very best biologists in the world and come back as winners; and further congratulates the Society of Biology and the UK Biology Competitions Special Interest Group, together with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, for their key role in organising this competition.
281 IMPROVING MANAGEMENT IN THE UK 21:7:14
15That this House welcomes the launch of Management 2020, the report of the Commission on the Future of Management and Leadership, which was set up by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Management and the Chartered Management Institute; further welcomes the Commission's recommendations to improve management and leadership across the UK to support long-term, sustainable economic growth; supports its recommendations to help embed employability in the education system and to encourage employers to report on how they are engaging with education, providing work experience and their targets for recruiting young people and those returning from career breaks; supports its call for new exchange networks to promote secondments and the exchange of ideas and people between business and education, Civil Service and business, small and medium-sized enterprises and multinationals; further supports the recommendations for employers, that they focus on how they define their social purpose, inspire and develop their people and grow the potential of the next generation; and calls on employers to use the Management 2020 Benchmarking Tool to assess their current performance and identify areas for improvement, to help create a Better Managed Britain.
282 CANNED HUNTING OF LIONS 21:7:14
18That this House notes that according to the Campaign Against Canned Hunting well over 8,000 lions are being bred in captivity to supply the canned hunting trade that entails captive-bred lions being kept in confined areas to be shot by paying hunters using rifles, bow and arrow and pistols; further notes that at least some of the funding for this barbaric practice is derived from UK volunteer agencies that are often unaware of the destiny of these lions; further notes that on 15 March 2014 people in 62 cities in 21 countries marched on the streets to protest against canned hunting; further notes that on 13 February 2014 a world summit was held in London to halt the illegal trade in wildife products; further notes that precedents for concrete action include the EU ban on imports of seal skins from Namibia and Canada because they are based on animal cruelty; calls on the Government to ensure that preservation of the UK's world wildlife heritage is given the high level priority that it so clearly deserves; and further calls on the Government to ban the import of African lion trophies and body parts.
283 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 22:7:14
9That this House notes that across the country, parents will be preparing for the long summer school holiday by arranging and paying for additional childcare required as a result of having a long holiday block between July and September; further notes that the timing of this and some other school holidays is based on centuries-old traditions rather than the needs of children and their parents in modern Britain; further notes that children in receipt of free school meals and from other low-income households have been proven to fall behind their peers during the long summer school holiday, exacerbating the disadvantage they already experience; and therefore calls for the calendar of school holidays to be examined with a view to being amended to better serve children, young people and families.
284 DEATHS OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS 22:7:14
26That this House notes the widespread cross-party questioning of Israel's wholly disproportionate and brutal attack on the Palestinian people of Gaza as expressed in the Chamber on 21 July 2014; further notes that thousands of people marched in protest in London at this attack on 19 July 2014; further notes that an even greater number will attend another demonstration on 26 July 2014; further notes the Gaza weekend death toll of more than 150 Palestinians with a disproportionate number of women and children; further notes the repetitive Israeli media spin about targeting militants; acknowledges the strength of character of Palestinians and their medical workers including Dr Mads Gilbert who describes the situation vividly, 'the rivers of blood will keep running the coming night' and who calls upon leaders to spend 'just one night' in Gaza which would 'change history'; and calls on the Government to do everything in its power to end the slaughter of the Palestinian people.
285 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BURMA CAMPAIGN 22:7:14
43That this House recognises with respect and gratitude all who fought in the war in Burma 70 years ago; notes that this was the longest land campaign of the Second World War; salutes the memory of nearly 40,000 British and Commonwealth Service personnel who died in the fighting, as well as the thousands more killed in captivity; and commends the work of The Not Forgotten Association, a tri-service charity for the wounded in keeping alive the memory of such sacrifices.
286 CONTINUED FEMICIDE OF WOMEN IN IRAQI-KURDISTAN 22:7:14
6That this House notes with grave concern that honour killing and suicide has become a phenomenon that is considered the biggest threat to women's lives and health in the Kurdistan region of Iraq; further notes that as a result many women are killed or have committed suicide while to date there has been no more than 10 convictions as illustrated in official statistics and the observance of International Human Rights agencies; acknowledges that there exists huge ignorance and disinterest in the prevention of such atrocities against women; further notes that areas for improvement include the allocation of a reasonable budget to tackle violence against women, more shelters and services to support and protect women, a just system in which perpetrators can be tried or proper attempts to implement the anti-DV Law that has been in force since 2011, the abolition of legislation that discriminates against women causing more violence for example allowing polygamy for men, rights of divorce belonging to men, unequal inheritance, punishing women for adultery, abortion and similar; further notes that allowances are made for tribal deals on honour killing cases which often prevent justice from prevailing and result in zero convictions; further notes that more focus is required on the widespread existence of child marriage and traditional bride exchanges between families; and urges the Government to raise these points with its counterpart in Iraqi-Kurdistan with a view to protecting women and young girls to ensure their safety and to allow this newly developing region to acquire the respectable acceptance of the international community.
287 RAIL LINK FOR LEEDS-BRADFORD AIRPORT 22:7:14
2That this House notes that Leeds-Bradford International Airport (LBIA) has been poorly served for years in terms of being connected to other towns and cities in the wider region; further notes that the Leeds City Region, with an economic output of £55 billion in 2013, has the largest city region economy outside London; believes that a rail link will provide global connectivity for local businesses and help the Leeds City Region remain a vibrant and competitive area; further notes that the highly successful Grand Depart of the 2014 Tour de France showed the world what Yorkshire has to offer; further notes that this is likely to lead to further business from abroad and tourism visits, particularly with Yorkshire winning the title of Europe's Leading Destination in 2013, beating the likes of Berlin, London and Madrid; further notes that LBIA's passenger throughput is expected to reach 5.1 million in 2016 and support 3,400 full-time equivalent jobs; welcomes comments by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for aviation, the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby, on a recent visit that a rail link is obviously desirable; and encourages him to provide a further boost for local jobs and the regional economy by setting out a timescale for his plans.
289 NATIONAL ROAD VICTIM MONTH 22:7:14
6That this House commends the national road safety charity RoadPeace for organising National Road Victim Month every August to remember those killed or injured on our roads; notes that August is a particularly poignant month since the first person ever killed in the UK by a car, Bridget Driscoll, died on 17 August 1896; further notes that there is an increased risk of children being injured or killed while on holiday from school and encourages increased caution; further notes that, according to Department for Transport figures for the year ending June 2013, there were 1,730 deaths and a further 21,800 serious injuries on UK roads; therefore supports the Secretary of State for Justice in launching a full review of all driving offences and penalties and announcing tougher punishments; and calls on the Government to go even further and suspend licences of those on bail for criminal driving offences, ensure driving bans do not run concurrently with prison sentences, and bring forward proposals to create a new offence for drug driving.
290 NEW GENERATION TRANSPORT TROLLEYBUS SCHEME 22:7:14
2That this House notes the £173 million New Generation Transport (NGT) trolleybus scheme promoted by Metro and Leeds City Council; feels that it is not the best option for improving public transport in Leeds; is concerned that NGT may not provide value for money in the long run due to shorter life expectancy of rolling stock, as one of the key aims of the project was reducing the number of people driving on the A660 corridor; is further concerned at NGT plans which imply that the reduction in car usage would be minimal; is particularly concerned, given plans to secure a legacy from the 2014 Tour de France going through Leeds, that NGT would pass along the most-cycled route in Leeds and that the NGT business case projects a decrease in cycling; further feels that scheme has been imposed on Leeds after the Labour government decided in 2007 that Leeds could only have a bus-based solution; therefore demands the public inquiry be allowed to consider not whether NGT should go ahead or not, but what the best public transport solution is for Leeds; while welcoming the government investment, also demands the £173 million be allowed to be used for the alternative decided on; further feels that ultimately Leeds must have parity with major cities such as Manchester, Sheffield and European counterparts; and therefore urges the Department for Transport and Leeds City Council to consider the views of local residents and urgently rethink their plans.
291 GIRL SUMMIT 2014 22:7:14
8That this House welcomes the international Girl Summit held on 22 July 2014; notes that the Female Genital Mutilation is a criminal, horrifying and inhumane practice; congratulates the Prime Minister on this initiative; acknowledges the work done by the community campaigners such a Leyla Hussein; hopes that outstanding work done by the hon. Member for Battersea which started with the establishment of the APPG and FGM, continues; and urges the Government to adopt in full the recommendations of the Home Select Affairs Committee to eradicate this horrific abuse for good.
292 NICE DRAFT GUIDELINE ON OBESITY 22:7:14
7That this House acknowledges the draft guideline, Identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in children, young people and adults, on 11 July 2014, by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on obesity; recognises that the advice set out by the report is to widen the range of people who would be eligible for weight loss surgery on the NHS to those recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 30 or over; believes that surgical solutions to obesity and diabetes should be offered as a very last resort in the most extreme cases, not as a simple solution offered to the masses; finds that prevention is better than cure and that monitoring sugar intake and leading an active and healthy life could not only save patients from potentially life threatening health conditions but would save the NHS billions of pounds of unnecessary expenses; and calls on the Government to increase efforts to tackle obesity and diabetes through sport and healthy eating to ensure that bariatric surgery does not become an easy answer to weight problems for hundreds of thousands of people.
294 TUITION FEES AND THE FUNDING OF EDUCATION 22:7:14
8That this House notes the introduction and rapid increase in tuition fees in further and higher education since 1998 and acknowledges with concern the findings of the Third Report of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee session 2014-15, on Student Loans; further notes that tuition fees and associated marketisation have decisively failed to create a sustainable funding system for universities; further notes that, in order to fund tution fees, the Government can now expect to loan in excess of £10 billion per year, much of which it will never recover; further notes the extreme negative impact of fees and privatisation on the stability of universities and colleges, access to education, student poverty and the conditions of academic and other staff; further notes that the number of people studying part-time has dropped by 40 per cent since the tripling of home undergraduate tuition fees in 2010; further notes that tuition fees no longer exist in Germany; believes that the choice being presented to the public, between an inaccessible and debt-driven market and a free system open only to a social elite, is no choice at all; believes further that progressive taxation is the only fair and workable way to fund education; supports the conclusions of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee's report that an overhaul of the system is needed; calls for an urgent review of education funding led by those who work and study in education; and further calls for the abolition of all tuition fees in further and higher education.
295 APPOINTMENT OF CLERK OF THE HOUSE 1:9:14
75That this House believes that the recommendation of Ms Carol Mills to be Clerk of this House should be subject to, and contingent upon, a pre-appointment hearing and report by a select committee.
296 NORTHERN IRELAND NATIONAL INSURANCE 1:9:14
4That this House recognises that people working in Northern Ireland at ages 14 and 15 between 1947 and 1957 paid national insurance contributions but that these do not count towards their pension as this is calculated by taking into account contributions made from age 16 only; acknowledges that this impacts Northern Ireland disproportionately as the working age in Great Britain changed from 14 to 15 in 1947, 10 years before it was changed in Northern Ireland; and calls on the Government to look at measures to address this discrepancy.
297 DR ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE 1:9:14
5That this House commends the contribution to medical science by Elizabeth Garrett Anderson who was born in London in 1836; notes that in 1865, Dr Anderson was the first Englishwoman to qualify as a doctor after passing the Society of Apothecaries' examinations; praises Dr Anderson's work in 1866 to establish a dispensary for women in London; further notes that in 1870 Dr Anderson was made a visiting physician to the East London Hospital and in 1872 she founded the New Hospital for Women in London, which was staffed entirely by women; further notes that Dr Anderson helped found the London School of Medicine for Women in 1874 and was appointed dean in 1883; further notes that because of Dr Anderson's pioneering work an Act was passed in 1876 that permitted women to enter medical professions; further notes that during her retirement in Aldeburgh in Suffolk, Dr Anderson became the first female mayor in England in 1908; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.
298 LEEDS RHINOS 2014 CHALLENGE CUP VICTORY 1:9:14
1That this House congratulates Leeds Rhinos on its victory in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final, defeating Castleford Tigers 23-10 at Wembley Stadium; further congratulates both teams on a superb match which showed rugby league at its best; commiserates with Castleford Tigers on its loss despite showing great tenacity in the final; commends Leeds Rhinos on winning its 12th Challenge Cup Final, its first after a 15 year break since then having been runners up six times; particularly extends its congratulations to both Kevin Sinfield MBE for getting to lift the trophy as he caps off a decorated career, and winger Ryan Hall for winning the Lance Todd trophy as Man of the Match; notes that it is particulary fitting for the Rhinos to win the Cup in the year that Leeds celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first rugby match in the city; recognises the great dedication of players, coaches and backroom staff; also recognises the great dedication and loyalty of the 77,914 Yorkshire fans who travelled to Wembley for Challenge Cup Final day; and hopes this victory will provide a springboard for more Rhinos silverware in the very near future and inspires a generation of new rugby league players in Leeds and around the country.
299 NATIONAL PARKS WEEK 2014 1:9:14
1That this House welcomes National Parks Week 2014, running from 28 July to 3 August; sees the UK's national parks as valuable assets to the UK which are enjoyed by millions of visitors each year from all corners of the globe, as well as local British people; celebrates the diverse and varying environments found in our national parks; notes that they are havens for wild flora and fauna, have breath-taking scenery, contain thousands of years of historical heritage and represent opportunities for education, exercise, cultural enrichment, physical and mental peace and spiritual activity and a home for thousands of businesses; further notes that businesses in the national parks make a significant contribution to the British economy and break new ground with environmentally sustainable business practices and technologies; and recognises the hard work that thousands of people undertake to make our national parks a success, including farmers, business people, local residents, national park authorities, tourists and environmentalists.
300 NATIONAL GALLERY'S VISITOR SERVICES AND SECURITY 1:9:14
4That this House commends the knowledge, experience and dedication of the visitor and security services staff at the National Gallery; is concerned that the National Gallery is privatising up to 400 of its staff; does not support the decision to use a private company to manage services that include ticketing, security and information; notes in the past when front-line services have been privatised, experienced staff have left and that new staff have not had the knowledge nor training to provide the same standard of experience; believes that visitor and security services should remain in-house to ensure that world-famous art can be viewed and enjoyed by the public in an educational environment; and calls on the Government to ensure that funding is in place so valuable skills and knowledge of the current staff are not lost.
301 FORCED CHILD ADOPTION 1:9:14
4That this House recognises the suffering that forced child adoptions during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s caused, which took place owing to social pressures on women who had children outside marriage; notes the unacceptable adoption and care practices of the past, such as not giving information about welfare services including housing and financial help which were available at the time, and not questioning whether women putting their children up for adoption had given informed consent; further recognises the negligence of previous governments, with regard to ensuring that the care provided for unmarried mothers was appropriate and that they and their children were not mistreated or discriminated against, resulting in many women suffering traumatising pre and post-natal experiences and children being denied contact with their birth parents; further notes that the Australian Prime Minister has in 2014 apologised to the victims of forced adoptions in Australia; and therefore calls on the Government to apologise in order to go some way towards helping the parents and children who were victims of these practices.
302 MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY TREAT ME RIGHT CAMPAIGN 1:9:14
6That this House commends the Multiple Sclerosis Society for organising the Treat Me Right campaign; supports the campaign and believes that all licensed multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments should be available on the NHS making everyone eligible for them; notes that people with MS should have fair and equal access to the right treatments at the right time; further supports the goal that all people with relapsing remitting MS should be invited to talk with a specialist about their treatment, in light of new disease modifying drug options in 2014; agrees that accessible information about treatment options, and support to be equal partners in decision-making, should be available to all people with MS; further notes that this year marks a potential revolution in MS treatments for relapsing remitting MS due to the now nine MS drugs approved for use on the NHS; further notes that up to 80 per cent of people with MS retire within 15 years of diagnosis, severely shortening the working lives of young adults and incurring costs to the labour market and economy; and states that there are more than 100,000 people living with MS in the UK and that the Government needs to ensure that the NHS has the right treatment available as it can make a huge difference to their lives, helping control relapses and managing symptoms.
303 LATER LIFE AMBITIONS CAMPAIGN 1:9:14
6That this House welcomes the launch of the Later Life Ambitions campaign and supports its core aim of ensuring a fair, active life for pensioners; notes there are now more people in the UK aged 60 years and above than under 16 years, which will have enormous social and economic consequences for this country; further notes that over 10 million people alive in the UK today are expected to live to be 100 years old; calls on the Government and local authorities to do all they can to tackle the social and economic challenges facing older people and to ensure a positive, ambitious future for further generations; and acknowledges the work of Later Life Ambitions in raising awareness of older people's issues.
304 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT 1:9:14
1That this House congratulates The Royal Anglian Regiment on the 50th anniversary of its formation on 1 September 1964 from the former County Regiments of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire; declares its appreciation to former and current members of the Regiment for their service both at home and overseas; registers with approval that anniversary celebrations were held at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, on 31 August 2014 during which new Colours were presented by HRH the Duke of Gloucester, the Regiment's Colonel-in-Chief; and wishes The Royal Anglian Regiment continued success in the years ahead.
305 FAMAGUSTA 1:9:14
7That this House supports the immediate return of the city of Famagusta to its lawful citizens, displaced following the invasion of Cyprus in 1974, in advance of any comprehensive solution being found to the country's illegal occupation of parts of the island by Turkey; and believes that such a confidence-building measure, which is supported by the United Nations, would act as a bridge towards the securing of a united Cyprus which would then help to bring political, economic and social cohesion to the whole country and its people who range from all this country’s ethnic backgrounds.