Session 2014-15
House of Commons
27th October 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
372 EXPULSION OF UN HUMAN RIGHTS DIRECTOR FROM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 20:10:14
21That this House is gravely concerned by the continuing assault on human rights in Congo, and in particular the Kabila regime's decision to expel Scott Campbell, director of the UN's Joint Human Rights Office in Congo, for publishing a report implicating the Congolese National Police in the summary execution of at least nine civilians and the enforced disappearance of 32 others in Kinshasa between November 2013 and February 2014; notes that Save the Congo has described this as Kabila's latest attempt to silence human rights defenders in Congo; supports Save the Congo's call to the Minister for Africa to make urgent representation to the Kabila regime over these issues; and urges the Government to report to the House on the results of the representations as soon as practical.
374 CHILD ABUSE INQUIRY 20:10:14
20That this House notes the instigation of an independent inquiry into historic child abuse by the Home Office which aims to investigate concerns that public bodies and other institutions have failed in their duty to protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse; further notes that the terms of reference as set out by the Home Secretary propose that the inquiry will not take evidence from individual victims, instead collating previous reviews to produce a lessons learnt report; believes that, unless revised, this approach will severely compromise the ability of the inquiry to achieve its stated aims; calls for the terms of reference to be amended to focus on hearing evidence from survivors of organised abuse; further calls for the inquiry to include the creation of a dedicated police team at the National Crime Agency to take evidence alongside the inquiry to investigate and prosecute offenders; further calls for the inquiry to stipulate that it will hold those who have failed in their professional duty, covered up allegations, or been obstructive to account; and further calls on the Government to find a new chair of the inquiry who has palpably demonstrated its willingness to challenge all quarters of the establishment to ensure that it can achieve its aims of providing justice to the victims of historic child abuse.
375 EAST TIMOR MEDIA ACT 20:10:14
17That this House notes that the East Timor (Timor-Leste) Parliament has voted to create a Media Act governing press freedoms; further notes that this bans outlets from employing journalists who have not been approved by a government-funded panel; further notes that it would require all foreign journalists to submit to the approval of this panel before entering the country; recognises that these provisions amount to dramatic restrictions on the freedom of the press in East Timor; further notes that Article 41 of the East Timor Constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of the press; further notes that the President and Court of Appeal of East Timor have both found the law to be unconstitutional; further notes that the Parliament is now required to revise or withdraw the law; therefore condemns this law and supports the call of the National Union of Journalists and International Federation of Journalists for the Government to make representations to East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão stressing the need to respect the right of journalists to freedom of expression guaranteed by East Timorean and international law; and urges the Parliament of East Timor to withdraw the bill immediately.
376 UK PENSION SCHEMES INVESTMENT IN CLUSTER MUNITIONS 20:10:14
22That this House notes that the UK is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions; believes that the UK should not directly or indirectly support the manufacture of cluster munitions; further notes that the UK pension firms often make investments through third party funds managed by external bodies not bound by UK law; further notes that this includes the Local Government Pension Scheme; further notes that primary responsibility of local authority pension schemes is the return from investment; calls for the Government to investigate providing a framework to advise councils how to approach ethical issues; and calls on the Government to explore ways to prevent UK pension forms investing in the overseas manufacture of cluster munitions.
377 OCCUPY MOVEMENT IN PARLIAMENT SQUARE 20:10:14
11That this House notes with regret that, at a time when all political parties are encouraging greater democratic engagement, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 is being used to prevent the use of Parliament Square by the Occupy movement as a venue for a week of discussion and debates on the nature of our democracy; further notes with concern that the Act and local byelaws are being used to hinder this exercise in people's democracy by banning the use of amplification, banners and even tarpaulins for participants to sit on; calls for a halt to arbitrary and disproportionate police action; and urges all the relevant authorities to co-operate with Occupy to facilitate rather than hinder democracy on Parliament's doorstep.
378 QUALITY CONTRACT FOR BUS SERVICES IN TYNE AND WEAR 20:10:14
9That this House welcomes the plan for a quality contract for bus services in Tyne and Wear which will allow fares to be capped, services to be protected and London-style smart and simple Oyster-style ticketing to be introduced; congratulates the Tyne and Wear Combined Authority for being the first city region to seek to introduce London-style bus regulation and encourages other city regions to follow Tyne and Wear's lead; and condemns multi-millionaire Brian Souter's campaign of threats and misinformation in order to protect Stagecoach's monopoly profits at the expense of low income bus users.
379 GOUGH WHITLAM 21:10:14
19That this House deeply regrets the death of Gough Whitlam, the former Labour Prime Minister of Australia; notes his rare blend of principle and pragmatism exemplified by his withdrawal of Australian troops from Vietnam; further notes his dismissal by the Governor General under Crown powers; expresses the hope that Mr Whitlam's legacy and memory will long be cherished and celebrated; and offers condolences and sympathy to his family and many friends.
As an Amendment to John Cryer's proposed Motion (Gough Whitlam):
2Line3, after 'Vietnam;', insert 'acknowledges that indigenous affairs was a policy area the Whitlam government prioritised, empowering indigenous people via a policy of self-determination, land claims, and other social justice issues.'. 22:10:14(a1)
380 CARERS IN THE UK 21:10:14
32That this House is aware that there are currently more than six and a half million carers in the UK providing unpaid care and support to ill, older or disabled relatives and friends, many of whom get no or only limited help to do so; notes that most have to give up work, either partially or completely, to fulfil their roles and consequently experience debt and financial hardship in their lives; realises that if they were to desist from their tasks it would cost the Government £326 million per day - £119 billion per year - to deliver these services; and calls on the Government to introduce measures to end carers' financial hardship, prevent carers' health breakdowns and to find other ways to help them in their magnificent endeavours.
381 MODERN LAWS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE 21:10:14
21That this House notes that legislation concerning the breeding and selling of animals in the UK needs updating to bring them into line with the Animal Welfare Act 2000 so as to significantly raise the minimum standards governing the breeding industries in Britain; and calls on the Government to introduce modern comprehensive laws to cease the illegal trade in animals, with improved enforcement, monitoring and a legal accountability set in stone to ensure proper welfare conditions apply to any breeder.
382 DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES 21:10:14
8That this House notes that currently there is no requirement in law to carry out any consultation on applications for development certificates for home owners seeking to extend and alter their property by way of basement extensions; and calls on the Government to revisit planning laws to examine whether such a deficit is either sensible or in the best interests of home owners.
383 RESPONSE TO HOMOPHOBIA ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT 21:10:14
16That this House condemns the fact that a gay couple was ordered by a bus driver to leave a London bus as a result of their sexual orientation and that the couple were subject to sustained homophobic abuse; recognises that this is in direct contravention of the Equality Act 2010 which prohibits any sort of discrimination or victimisation in wider society including on public transport; welcomes the urgent investigation undertaken by TFL into this matter; and urges the Greater London Authority to conduct a thorough review of the level of equality and diversity training for the staff of all public bodies and executive agencies.
384 IMPROVEMENTS TO THE A1 CARRIAGEWAY 21:10:14
17That this House recognises the tireless work over many years of the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed to bring much needed improvements to the A1; notes the Government's decision last year to undertake a feasibility study into considering improvements to the carriageway north of Newcastle; further notes the economic and safety benefits that this would bring; and calls on the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, as the Minister responsible for infrastructure spending, to include funding for the dualling of the A1 in the forthcoming Autumn Statement.
385 BURN INJURY AWARENESS DAY 21:10:14
24That this House notes that 22 October 2014 marks Burn Injury Awareness Day which seeks to raise awareness of the damage caused by burn injury and encourage its prevention; recognises the important work that the British Burn Association does in the field of burn injury through disseminating knowledge in this area to the general public, researching the scientific, clinical and social aspects of burn injury and promoting education in all aspects of burn care; further notes that 330 people are seen in emergency departments with a burn every day in England and Wales, 110 of which are children and that burn injury often creates scars which surgery and treatment can never remove; and calls on the Government to invest in research into burn injury prevention and to improve support for those affected.
386 PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH 2014 22:10:14
20That this House notes that November 2014 is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month across the UK and that 13 November 2014 has been designated the first World Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day; congratulates all pancreatic cancer charities and their supporters for the various activities being carried out to raise awareness of the disease during November 2014, including Purple Lights For Hope which aims to light up as many public landmarks as possible on 1 November; recognises that pancreatic cancer is the fifth largest cause of cancer deaths in the UK and is predicted to overtake breast cancer as the fourth largest by 2030; further notes that 8,800 people are diagnosed with, and around 8,600 die from, pancreatic cancer each year; acknowledges that the disease has the worst five-year survival rate of the 21 most common cancers, at less than 4 per cent a figure which has remained virtually unchanged over the past 40 years; and urges the Government to do all it can to bring about long overdue improvements to pancreatic cancer awareness, diagnosis, treatment, care and research.
387 NATION OF LIFESAVERS CAMPAIGN 22:10:14
13That this House is aware that every year in the UK approximately 30,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital environment, 80 per cent of which happen in people's homes, with only one in 10 of recipients surviving to be later discharged from a hospital; commends the British Heart Foundation's National Lifesavers Campaign which aims to train people, especially amongst the young, in life-saving (CPR) skills; and calls on the Government to give this organisation its full support and to take action to encourage schools to include such learning as part of all children's education.
388 EU PORT SERVICES REGULATION 22:10:14
11That this House notes the outcome of the latest EU Council of Ministers meeting on transport on the proposed EU Regulation on market access to port services and financial transparency of ports; further notes that it is the Government's stated preference, 'that proposals for regulation applicable to the UK in this area - in which earlier proposals have twice been rejected by the European Parliament - should not be taken forward'; also notes that the Government did not oppose the general approach text of the Regulation at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting on 8th October 2014 is concerned that the provisions and concessions secured by the Government in its negotiations may be removed by the European Parliament or undermined by the European Court of Justice and the European Commission; further notes that the UK port industry is not persuaded that the legislation is acceptable despite these concessions; further notes the continuing opposition of the UK port industry and trade unions to the proposed Regulation in its totality; calls on the Government to ensure that this proposal is debated and voted on the floor of the House, as recommended by the European Scrutiny Committee, within the next three weeks; and also calls on the Government to abide by the will of the House in all future legislative stages of this Regulation.
389 JEAN-BERTRAND EWANGA 22:10:14
16That this House expresses its gravest concern at the sentencing of the hon. Jean-Bertrand Ewanga, an Opposition Member of the Democratic Republic of Congo's Parliament, to one year of imprisonment on charges of insulting the President, the Government and Parliament, based on his declaration against the extension of constitutional presidential terms limits at a rally in August 2014; notes that Save the Congo considers him to be a prisoner of conscience, alongside the hon. Eugène Diomi Ndongala, on the basis of his opposition to the current government of Democratic Republic of Congo; and urges the Government to make representations to secure the immediate release of these parliamentarians and other Opposition prisoners jailed on politically-motivated charges in Congo.
390 SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS 23:10:14
10That this House is aware of the importance of science to the nation; notes, however, that in many schools, chemistry teachers do not even have a chemistry degree, there also being an acute shortage of specialist science subject leaders; further notes that evidence shows that teachers who have a specialist background in the subject they teach have a positive impact on a child's education, particularly in science; and calls on the Government immediately to invest in this sector to ensure children are offered science education at a more qualified and specialised level.
391 GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN SCIENCE 23:10:14
10That this House is aware that science helps to drive the UK's economy, with the nation being home to a number of extremely innovative high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises and companies, and our universities being well regarded for their production of world class research, while also at the same time delivering high levels of education and training for the benefit of both national and regional companies; notes, however, that UK investment in science has been held flat since 2010 whilst our international competitors are actively and strategically increasing their overall spend in these areas; and urges the Government immediately to make a long-term commitment to our knowledge and economy by raising its investment in research and development to at least that of the EU average by the end of the next Parliament.
392 MODERN SLAVERY 23:10:14
11That this House believes that British citizens would prefer that the goods and services they purchase from UK companies were free as far as possible from involvement in aspects of modern slavery in either their production or supply; notes that the Government's current proposed legislation is limited in its objectives to ensure that UK supply chains are slavery-free; and calls on the Government, where necessary, to strengthen mechanisms to end this blight in our society.
393 DRIVING AND DIABETES 23:10:14
10That this House welcomes the new report from the Transport Research Laboratory on the forgotten risk of hypoglycaemia among drivers with type 2 diabetes; notes with concern its findings that drivers are not being provided with adequate advice to prevent hypoglycaemic incidents which, as a result of road safety risks associated with debilitating symptoms, can cause them to lose their driving licence and sometimes livelihood; further notes that hypoglycaemia is a side effect of certain types of oral medication for type 2 diabetes; and calls on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, employers and health care providers to ensure drivers are receiving the right treatment and advice to prevent hypoglycaemia and manage diabetes effectively in order to keep them healthy and on the road.
As an Amendment to Robert Flello's proposed Motion (Driving And Diabetes):
1Line2, leave out from 'diabetes' to end and add `and notes how infinitesimally small the number of road accidents involving people with diabetes are when compared for example to the number of injuries and deaths involving cyclists; but would not conclude on the basis of the data that people with diabetes, however they are treated, should have their driving licences withdrawn, any more than the riding of bicycles should be banned from the public highway as it would suggest if reducing accidents is the primary purpose behind this report.'. 24:10:14(a1)
394 ST MUNGO'S BROADWAY PAY DISPUTE 23:10:14
6That this House supports workers at the homeless organisation St Mungo's Broadway in defending their terms and conditions and the service that they deliver to some of the most vulnerable in our society; condemns the significant pay rises to the executive including one to the Chief Executive of over £30,000; contrasts this rise with a claim that front line pay must be removed from collective bargaining and cut by 19 per cent, thus ignoring the union representing the majority of the workforce and imposing these unnecessary changes via a retrospective consultation and following the provision of highly questionable financial information; notes that the future of supported housing should not be left in the hands of individuals who undermine front line worker pay whilst raising their own salaries and who attempt to justify this by claiming they are simply following the market; and calls on the executive and board of St Mungo's Broadway to honour their recognition agreement with Unite and act to resolve this dispute immediately.
395 FUEL POVERTY ACTION'S ENERGY BILL OF RIGHTS 23:10:14
11That this House welcomes the Energy Bill of Rights put forward by Fuel Poverty Action as people-centred proposals to end the scandal of fuel poverty; endorses the campaign for a right to affordable energy to meet basic needs, a right to community and publicly-owned energy generation, a right to energy that does not threaten the climate, water, air or the local environment, and a right to properly insulated, well-repaired housing; believes that these are reasonable, achievable goals offering a clear alternative to centralised profit-driven energy policy; welcomes in particular the proposed right not to be forced to have a pre-payment meter, which often leave vulnerable people in the cold and dark; further welcomes the demand for a fair energy pricing system without standing charges, which can hit the poorest hardest by imposing an unfair burden on people who use less energy to save money and cut carbon emissions; calls on the Government to recognise that, this autumn, many constituents are turning on heating for the first time and finding that, before they can access any gas, they must start paying huge arrears that built up over the summer while they were not using heating; and urges Ministers to consider the Energy Bill of Rights as part of a radically more ambitious approach to tackling fuel poverty and transforming our energy system in the public interest.
396 PRISON CRISIS 23:10:14
8That this House is concerned by recent reports regarding the rise of suicides in prisons in England and Wales over past 12 months; is alarmed that self-inflicted deaths have risen by 69 per cent in 2013-14 resulting in 88 deaths in custody - the highest level for 10 years; notes that the latest annual report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nigel Hardwick, highlights the increasing pressures in the prison system caused by shortages of experienced staff and resources coupled with the growing size of the prison population; further notes that the Howard League for Penal Reform estimate that prison officer numbers are down by 41 per cent in public sector prisons since 2010; is aware that there has also been an increase of 14 per cent in the rate of assaults by male prisoners; believes that the rise in the prison population to almost full capacity has put unsustainable pressure on both staff and inmates; and calls on the Government to launch an independent enquiry into the current crisis in the prison system and to urgently commit to further staffing in all prisons in England and Wales to ensure the safety of prisoners and staff.
397 DEPORTATION OF MR LIAQUAT ALI 24:10:14
5That this House opposes the imminent deportation from the UK to Pakistan of Pakistani citizen Mr Liaquat Ali, because it is believed that his life will be in danger as he is highly likely to be targeted by anti-Shia militants, due among other things to his faith and ethnicity; notes Mr Ali's very high political profile as a political activist in the UK as a promoter of Hazara interests and founder of the Hazara United Movement, and as editor of an internet television channel which has brought about electronic threats to his life, including letters delivered to his parents' house in Pakistan; appreciates that, based on these and other facts put forward in his asylum claim to the UK Border Agency (UKBA), there exists a very real risk of persecution for a Convention reason and treatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights if he were to return to Pakistan; and calls on the Government urgently to make strong representations to UKBA in relation to this very serious case.
398 REGIONAL PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2014 27:10:14
3That this House applauds the success of the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference on 17-18 October 2014, which discussed the role of the Indian diaspora in Europe; notes that the Indian diaspora is the largest ethnic minority group in the UK making up 2.5 per cent of the population; further notes that despite this it contributes over 6 per cent of the UK's GDP; calls for further recognition of the contribution that the Indian diaspora makes to the UK economy and culture; and congratulates the Indian High Commissioner to London, His Excellency Mr Ranjan Mathai, on the success of this important initiative.
399 HATFIELD COLLIERY PARTNERSHIP 27:10:14
7That this House notes that Hatfield Colliery Partnership is now the last deep mine coal mine in the UK not to have announced its closure; further notes that Hatfield, with at least 40 years of reserves of coal, is proud to be the thirtieth largest employee-owned business in the UK; congratulates the National Union of Mineworkers in providing a £4 million bridging loan to the mine to secure a development which will secure 438 jobs until 2016; applauds the determination of the mine to continue in business to supply British coal to the UK's first clean coal power station, due to be completed at Drax in 2020, with over £250 million of public subsidy funding a pipeline to take emissions to the North Sea; recognises that in order to invest in future coal faces Hatfield will need premium contracts from the coal fired power station generators above current world prices which are at a historic low and that most imported coal comes from Colombia and Russia with vastly inferior labour and environmental standards; urges EDF, E.ON, Drax and Scottish and Southern to enter negotiations with Hatfield Colliery to agree such contracts which would be a hedge against future price movements and a demonstration of their corporate social responsibility; and requests the Government to facilitate such negotiations.