House of Commons
7th November 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

400 DEATHS OF MIGRANTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 28:10:14
Jeremy Corbyn
Katy Clark
Mr Dennis Skinner
Dr Julian Huppert
John McDonnell
Mark Durkan
*36
Ann Clwyd Mr Gordon Marsden

That this House is appalled at the loss of 2,500 migrants in the Mediterranean since January 2014; commends all those who have tried to rescue these desperate people, many of whom are victims of war, environmental disaster and civil unrest; is shocked that from 1 November 2014 the Italian sea rescue operation Mare Nostrum will cease and only be replaced by border patrols within 30 miles of the coast; and accordingly calls on the Government to support a proper humanitarian protection operation to help save the lives of these desperate victims of human-created disasters.

402 GIVINGTUESDAY 28:10:14
Dr Julian Huppert
Sir Peter Bottomley
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Jim Shannon
Sir Alan Meale
*25
Mr Ronnie Campbell

That this House celebrates the contribution of charities and voluntary groups to society; notes the status of the UK as one of the most charitable nations in the world; acknowledges the generosity of millions of people in supporting charities by giving their time and money; believes that giving and helping others unites people across the globe as well as strengthening society at community level; welcomes the introduction of the global giving day #GivingTuesday to the UK by the Charities Aid Foundation and Blackbaud; urges businesses, charities and individuals across the country to participate in #GivingTuesday; and calls for hon. Members to take action in support of a good cause on 2 December 2014.

404 DOG TRAINING DEVICES 28:10:14
Sir Alan Meale
Mark Durkan
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Mr David Anderson
David Simpson
Martin Caton
*17
Mr Gordon Marsden

That this House notes recent publicity regarding dog training devices which either pinch animals' collars or inflict electronic shock upon them; is aware that all the major animal welfare charities and training organisations are now calling for the sale and use of such devices to be prohibited, a view shared by the National Assembly for Wales; and calls on the Government to immediately extend the ban throughout the rest of the UK.

436 THREATS TO THE WELFARE AND SURVIVAL OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS 28:10:14
Mr Virendra Sharma
Jim Shannon
Mr Adrian Sanders
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Mr David Anderson
Sir Alan Meale
*51
Andrew Rosindell Mr Gordon Marsden Mike Wood

That this House is concerned about the abuses and threats faced by elephants in India and South-East Asia; notes that these animals are highly endangered; is disturbed that elephants are snatched from the wild to supply animals for tourist events and festivals; notes that to prepare them for use in tourist attractions and festivals baby and juvenile elephants are beaten, isolated and deprived of food and water to break their spirits and subdue them; further notes that Asian elephants are subject to ivory poaching and illegal trafficking; respectfully calls on the Indian and South-East Asian governments to take immediate measures to bring such ill-treatment to an end; and calls on United Kingdom tourists not to support any attractions that involve captive elephants.

438 PROPOSAL FOR A PUBLIC SERVICE USERS BILL 28:10:14
Geraint Davies
Sir Alan Meale
Graham Stringer
Mr David Anderson
Ms Diane Abbott
Mrs Mary Glindon
*49
Jenny Chapman

That this House notes that public services have been privatised and outsourced without giving a voice to the public service users affected by those decisions; recognises that the public needs real powers to object to sell-offs, access information and hold private providers to account for their performance; and calls for the introduction of a Public Service Users Bill which would make the in-house option the default, require public consultation before privatisation or outsourcing and promote transparency, accountability and social value in public service contracts.

444 REVIEW OF DRUG POLICY 30:10:14
Mike Wood
Caroline Lucas
Dr Julian Huppert
Paul Flynn
Jeremy Corbyn
Mr Michael Meacher
*21
John Pugh Ms Diane Abbott

That this House notes that it is two years since the final report of the UK Drug Policy Commission highlighted the need for a fresh approach to drug policy; further notes that the Commission concluded that there was insufficient evidence to judge the effectiveness of drug policy which costs each taxpayer about £400 per annum; is alarmed that crimes related to drugs cost the UK £13.3 billion every year; reminds the Government of the Commission's recommendation that the direction of drug policy needs to be considered in a cross-party environment; and calls on the Government to initiate a cross-party review of both the current drug strategy and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

445 NALOXONE AVAILABILITY 30:10:14
Mike Wood
Caroline Lucas
Dr Julian Huppert
Jeremy Corbyn
Grahame M. Morris
Ian Lavery
*17
Mr Gordon Marsden

That this House notes that there were 765 deaths involving heroin or morphine in 2013, a sharp rise of 32 per cent from 579 deaths in 2012; further notes that many of these fatalities could have been prevented by the use of naloxone as an intervention; recognises that naloxone is a safe and effective medicine which can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses; recalls that in May 2012 the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended that naloxone should be made more widely available; is concerned that regulations to give effect to the ACMD recommendations in England are not planned to be implemented until October 2015; further notes that in Scotland and Wales successful pilots have resulted in national programmes to make naloxone widely available but there has been no such development in England; and calls on the Government to prioritise the roll-out of naloxone across the whole of the UK.

450 HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION 30:10:14
Dr Alan Whitehead
Dr Julian Huppert
Peter Aldous
Mr John Leech
Chris Williamson
Martin Horwood
*40
Ms Diane Abbott

That this House notes that there are estimated to be one million houses in multiple occupation (HMO) units in England housing some of the UK's most vulnerable citizens; further notes that according to the Department for Communities and Local Government, HMOs are frequently 'old and highly inefficient in terms of energy use' and that a recent report for the EAGA Charitable Trust, Housing in Multiple Occupancy: Energy Issues and Policy, has found that problems with damp, mould and associated health concerns are frequent for those living in HMOs; regrets that there are currently no legislative drivers to improve the energy efficiency of HMOs and the lives of their residents; further notes with interest that Bath and North East Somerset Council requires HMOs to reach energy performance certificate band E as a condition of licensing under the Housing Act 2004; therefore supports the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Energy Performance Certificates and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) Bill introduced on 21 July 2014 by the hon. Member for Southampton Test, which will bring HMOs within the scope of the minimum energy efficiency standard for the private rented sector under the Energy Act 2011 and build on the example set by Bath and North East Somerset Council by requiring all local housing authorities to make a minimum energy efficiency standard a mandatory condition of HMO licensing; and urges the Government to introduce these legislative changes as soon as possible.

454 PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS (S. I., 2014, No. 2848) 30:10:14
Hilary Benn
Lyn Brown
Kate Hoey
John McDonnell
Ian Lavery
John Cryer
*129
Mr Shaun Woodward Steve McCabe Jenny Chapman Mr Roger Godsiff Mr Gordon Marsden Gemma Doyle

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Firefighters' Pension Scheme (England) Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2848), dated 23 October 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 28 October, be annulled.

456 CLOSURE OF AL-AQSA MOSQUE 3:11:14
Mr George Galloway
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Ronnie Campbell
Mr David Anderson
Martin Caton
Mrs Mary Glindon
*8
Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House condemns the closure of Haram al-Sharif and the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem by Israeli authorities in yet another attack on Palestinians and Arabs; considers this action to be totally unjustified and highly provocative; believes that the move has nothing to do with security but amounts to further persecution of Palestinians and Arabs wishing to pray at the holy site; notes that Israel continues to press ahead with its illegal settlement programme and will build 1,000 Jewish-only housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, in flagrant breach of United Nations' resolutions and criticism by its biggest supporter and contributor, the US; is convinced that these actions clearly demonstrate that Israel has no interest in a peaceful and negotiated settlement; and urges the Government to protest in the strongest terms to its counterpart in Israel and to convey its support to the Palestinian authorities.

457 SODASTREAM FACTORY MOVE 3:11:14
Mr George Galloway
Mr Roger Godsiff
*2

That this House congratulates the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and Oxfam whose pressure has led to the Israeli-owned SodaStream soft drinks company's decision to move its factory from the occupied West Bank; recalls that the actress Scarlet Johansson severed her links with Oxfam after being expensively hired by SodaStream; notes that the factory move comes after retailers across Europe and North America dropped the company's brands and that as a result its share price tumbled; and believes that the boycott movement's widespread support is forcing companies and governments to take positive action against Israel.

459 US-UK MUTUAL DEFENSE AGREEMENT 3:11:14
Caroline Lucas
Jeremy Corbyn
Kelvin Hopkins
Martin Caton
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
*30
Mr Roger Godsiff Mr David Anderson

That the Amendment, done at Washington on 22 July 2014, to the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the government of the United States of America for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes (Cm. 8947), a copy of which was laid before this House on 16 October 2014, should not be ratified.

460 OCCUPATIONAL CANCERS 3:11:14
Andrew George
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Sir Peter Bottomley
Sir Alan Meale
Jim Shannon
*26
Mr Roger Godsiff Mr Gordon Marsden

That this House notes with concern the huge human and financial cost of occupational cancers, with an estimated 8,000 lives lost and around 13,500 new cases registered each year in Britain and a national economic cost the Health and Safety Executive puts at double-figure billions annually; further notes the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health's No Time to Lose campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of this significant health issue, suggests solutions to tackle the problem and helps businesses to deliver effective prevention programmes; and calls on the Government to support proactive regulator activity in this area, more research and the creation of a national carcinogen exposure database.

461 FUNDING FOR PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CLUBS 3:11:14
Mr Gareth Thomas
Paul Flynn
Sir Alan Meale
Mr David Anderson
Mr John Leech
Ian Lavery
*9
Ms Diane Abbott Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House notes the unfairness of the funding for rugby clubs from Premiership Rugby for newly-promoted clubs; further notes media reports that London Welsh RFC will receive just £1.5 million this season while other rugby teams will receive £4 million; further notes that together with other funding from Premiership Rugby, newly-promoted clubs will receive just 30 per cent of the funding received by established Premiership Rugby clubs; believes that this creates a huge financial disadvantage for promoted clubs; further notes that newly-promoted clubs in the top tier of French rugby receive additional financial help to be competitive; further believes that this unfair funding makes it extremely hard for newly-promoted clubs to compete with established clubs; and further notes that the UK and EU competition authorities should investigate Premiership Rugby to assess whether UK competition and anti-cartel rules are being broken.

462 ROAD SAFETY WEEK 2014 3:11:14
Mark Durkan
Ms Margaret Ritchie
Sir Alan Meale
Jim Shannon
Dr William McCrea
Paul Flynn
*31
Sir Alan Beith Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House notes that five people are killed and 61 seriously injured on UK roads every day; further notes that the only acceptable number of deaths and serious injuries on UK roads is zero; congratulates Brake, the road safety charity together with sponsors RSA and Specsavers, on coordinating Road Safety Week from 17 to 23 November 2014 as a focus of efforts to reduce casualties; further notes that thousands of community groups, schools, emergency services and companies will be holding events as part of that Week to raise awareness about road safety; further notes that the campaign this year calls on all road users to look out for each other, acknowledging that streets are shared spaces that require mutual tolerance and respect, and drivers especially exercising care, consideration and patience to protect those on foot and on bikes; and calls on policymakers to promote this vision and take positive steps to make it a reality by reducing speeds and making roads safer for walking and cycling.

465 ILO CONVENTION ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AT WORK 3:11:14
Katy Clark
Mrs Linda Riordan
Ian Lavery
John McDonnell
Grahame M. Morris
Mr Ian Davidson
*29
Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House notes the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November 2014; further notes with concern that gender-based violence is present in every society in the world and that globally one in three women will be beaten or sexually abused in their lifetime and that this occurs everywhere, even in the workplace; further notes that while some International Labour Conventions, particularly No. 111 on gender equality and Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 200, refer to the issue of violence against women, they do not adequately address all forms of gender-based violence at work including prevention and protection of affected workers; and calls for the Government to take action on the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by giving its support to the creation of a new ILO Convention specifically on gender-based violence at work and by requesting that this be on the agenda of the next meeting of the ILO Governing Body.

466 SEED SOVEREIGNTY 4:11:14
Ms Diane Abbott
Mark Durkan
Sir Peter Bottomley
Jeremy Corbyn
Ms Margaret Ritchie
David Simpson
*20
John Pugh Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House notes that access to seed resources is central to small-scale farmers' ability to maintain resilient and productive livelihoods; further notes that, in facing the effects of climate change and changing global market forces, it is essential that poor farmers in Africa and elsewhere are supported to access and develop sustainable, productive and affordable seed resources through community-controlled initiatives; further notes that just three corporations now control 53 per cent of the global seed market, whilst farmers are experiencing dangerous levels of the debt and vulnerability as such corporations come to control their seed supply; further notes that UK aid is currently supporting initiatives such as the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition that promote plant variety protection laws such as in Ghana that fail to protect poor and indigenous farmers and are likely to increase the market dominance of transnational seed corporations; further notes that the Department for International Development committed in 2005 to end policy conditionality for UK aid recipients, yet seed policy reforms required from some recipient states as part of aid commitments under the New Alliance appear in practice to undermine this commitment; and calls on the Government to support community-controlled initiatives to assist farmers to access sustainable, affordable and productive seed varieties instead of initiatives that increase corporate control of seed markets.

469 MISSING STUDENTS IN GUERRERO, MEXICO 4:11:14
Jeremy Corbyn
Mark Durkan
Sarah Teather
Caroline Lucas
Sir Peter Bottomley
Katy Clark
*31
Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House is shocked at the disappearance of 43 students from their college, Ayotzinapa, in Guerrero, Mexico on 26 September 2014; sends its sympathies and solidarity to their families and teachers; calls for the Mexican government and authorities to take all possible action to locate the missing students and bring to justice those responsible for their abduction; is deeply concerned that their disappearance comes after more than 25,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since 2006; acknowledges that the disappeared often include the very vulnerable such as poor migrants, indigenous people, peasants, children and women; highlights the concerns of UK parliamentarians, Amnesty International and other bodies regarding the human rights situation in Mexico as exemplified in a seminar held just last week organised by the APPG Mexico and APPG Human Rights and attended by Mexico's Deputy Ambassador and others; offers its support to all those in Mexico who stand up for human rights and justice against corruption and violence; calls on the Government to support further dialogue between UK parliamentarians, Mexican government officials, relevant Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and human rights organisations on human rights reform as a matter of the utmost urgency.

471 INEQUALITY IN POVERTY REDUCTION 4:11:14
Martin Horwood
Jeremy Lefroy
Fiona O'Donnell
David Simpson
Mr Mike Weir
Jim Shannon
*25
Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House notes Oxfam's latest report entitled Even it up: Time to end extreme inequality; further notes that the report highlights that, in 2013, seven out of 10 people lived in countries where economic inequality is worse than 30 years ago; further notes that the report states that extreme inequality is a barrier to poverty reduction, that economic inequality hurts everyone, and that it drives inequalities in health, education and life chances while compounding inequality between women and men; recognises that poverty and inequality are not inevitable but the result of policy choices; understands that a diverse range of people and organisations, from Pope Francis to the International Monetary Fund, are speaking out on the issue of inequality; further recognises the need for further discussions; welcomes the call from Oxfam that, with the right political and economic choices, this House can help reduce extreme economic inequality; further notes the recommendations in the report; and wishes Oxfam continued success with its campaign.

472 BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO 4:11:14
Jim Sheridan
Ian Lavery
Sir Andrew Stunell
Mr David Anderson
Steve Rotheram
Pat Glass
*49
Mr Roger Godsiff

That this House notes that Oxfam America, Human Rights Watch and the Farm Labour Organizing Committee (FLOC), being an affiliate of the US equivalent of the TUC, have highlighted onerous conditions faced by migrant farm workers in the tobacco fields of North Carolina and the American South, including exploitation, long hours, child labour and other human rights abuses; further notes that Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) is a major purchaser of the tobacco produced in those fields but refuses to grant freedom of association or workers representation to those workers, and that British American Tobacco plc (BAT) is the largest shareholder and a major customer of RAI; believes that only when migrant farm workers have a recognised organisation will their complaint about their working and living conditions be effectively addressed; further believes that BAT has a responsibility to ensure that its supply chain is free of human rights abuses and that FLOC's proposals to RAI can achieve that goal in the US; therefore calls on BAT to use its influence with RAI to reach an agreement with FLOC forthwith; further calls on the Government to ensure provisions within the Modern Slavery Bill would prohibit such human rights abuses; and further calls on the Government to raise these issues in trade discussions with US counterparts.

473 NATIONAL ISLAMOPHOBIA AWARENESS MONTH 2014 5:11:14
Greg Mulholland
Sir Peter Bottomley
Andrew George
Jim Shannon
Mark Hunter
Mr Mike Hancock
*7
Mr John Leech

That this House expresses its full support for National Islamophobia Awareness Month in November 2014; is deeply concerned at October 2014 figures from the Metropolitan Police that anti-Muslim hate crime had risen 65 per cent in the previous 12 months; notes that these are only figures for London and is concerned at the wider possible picture around the country; further notes Teesside University's research published in June 2014 that the majority of victims tend to be women; stands with the British Muslim community in total opposition to such attacks, particularly from extremist individuals and far-right groups; commends the work of the Tell MAMA project run by the Faith Matters charity to monitor anti-Muslim hatred; further notes recent comments from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, that we are seeing an upsurge in racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic comments; strongly condemns all such comments and acts, whether occurring online or physically; warns against demonisation of minority communities that may perpetrate such attitudes, such as sweeping generalisations of an incredibly diverse community or assigning collective blame because of the actions of some individuals; strongly commends grassroots organisations, mosques, scholars and university Islamic societies positively engaging and empowering young British Muslims; urges better monitoring of religiously aggravated hate crime with only 24 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales currently doing this; and calls for strengthening the cross-government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group and supporting the Muslim Council of Britain in its work as the democratic voice of the 2.8 million-strong British Muslim community.

474 TERM TIME ABSENCE AND THE NAHT GUIDANCE 5:11:14
John Hemming
Jim Shannon
Mr Mike Hancock
Mr John Leech
*4

That this House welcomes the production of Guidance for Head Teachers on the way in which decisions should be made about term time absence requests; believes that the u-turn from the Government in accepting the merits of having such guidance is also to be welcomed; notes, however, the excessive overcrowding that is now happening at certain holiday sites in the UK and the hazards that arise at these places for young children; further believes that policy decisions should be evidence-driven and notes the Government evidence that indicates that a small amount of absence for primary school children for holidays slightly improves their achievement level at Key Stage 2; further believes that further progress is needed in staggering holiday periods to avoid conflict; calls for Ofsted not to place unreasonable pressures on schools to refuse requests for holiday absence; believes that parents are primarily responsible for the care of children and the state should avoid intervening without research evidence to just this; and further calls for the focus on absence to shift from ordinary families to those cases of persistent absence where there is research evidence that the absence is causing harm to the child's education.

477 MIGRANTS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEARCH AND RESCUE 5:11:14
Mr George Galloway
Mr John Leech
*2

That this House utterly condemns the shameful decision by the Government not to support European search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean; notes that 400 migrants a day are pulled from the waters and that at least 2,500 more are known to have drowned so far this year while many more deaths go unrecorded; points out that Britain was militarily involved in some of the countries from which refugees flee, like Iraq and Libya; considers the justification given by the Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Baroness Anelay of St Johns, that funding rescue missions might 'pull' migrants into attempting crossings is both wrong and morally indefensible; believes that the real reason is the toxic nature of the current immigration debate fostered by UKIP which has made the concept of EU rescue patrols politically unacceptable; and calls on the Government to reverse this inhumane and contemptible decision which has placed party politics over the deaths of desperate people and join with other EU countries in saving thousands of men, women and children from drowning at sea.

479 THE NEED FOR NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES 5:11:14
Mr George Galloway
Mr Mike Hancock
Mr John Leech
*3

That this House is deeply concerned that there will be one million fewer affordable homes in 2018 than there were in 1980, while the population has grown by seven million people; notes that there are 1.68 million households on social housing waiting lists in England and Wales; points out that rents are being subsidised through housing benefit by almost £24 million a year, or about 30 per cent of the entire UK welfare bill; and urges the Government to fuel a massive social house-building programme amounting to around three million affordable homes by 2030, which would not only provide the needed housing but would substantially cut the welfare bill.

480 ASIYA BIBI 5:11:14
Jim Shannon
David Simpson
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Gregory Campbell
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Mark Durkan
*10
Mr Gordon Marsden

That this House deeply regrets that the death sentence passed on Asiya Bibi four years ago under Pakistan's blasphemy law has not been lifted; notes with concern that hundreds of other victims of these laws, including the Briton Mohammad Asghar, are still languishing in jails under threat of death by fellow prisoners and prison guards; denounces the repeated patterns of deliberate and false accusations of blasphemy by private individuals who then use it as an excuse to broadcast the hate material from the mosques, and attacking whole non-Muslim communities; and calls on the Pakistani government to ensure the safety of their non-Muslim citizens.

483 EAST LANCASHIRE CAMRA 5:11:14
Mr Nigel Evans
Andrew Griffiths
Greg Mulholland
Jim Fitzpatrick
Sir Malcolm Bruce
Lorraine Fullbrook
*11
Mr John Leech

That this House notes the success of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) as a campaigning organisation; further notes that this success is built on its membership and the strength of its branch network; further notes that in 2014 East Lancashire CAMRA celebrates its 40th anniversary, along with having one of its branch members, Stephen Dilworth, as the landlord of the national CAMRA Pub of the Year, The Swan with Two Necks; and congratulates John Webster, the Chairman of East Lancashire CAMRA and its membership on its 40th anniversary.

485 CAP PAYMENTS AND BULLFIGHTING 5:11:14
Sir Alan Meale
Mr Adrian Sanders
Mr Mike Hancock
Kelvin Hopkins
Mr John Leech
*5

That this House is aware that under the current Common Agriculture Policy, annual payments are being made to farmers from EU countries that breed bulls for use in bullfights; notes that this provision is estimated at approximately £110 million per year, with £13.5 million alone from the proportion of the UK budget; believes that bullfighting for fiestas is abhorrent as it involves the torture of animals in public display, a practice which flies in the face of Britain's own Animal Welfare Act 2006 and of the European Convention on animals kept for farming purposes, which specifically states that animals should not suffer pain, injury or distress; believes that such financial allocations are a clear violation of these laws; and calls on the Government to immediately cease such payments forthwith.

488 YOUTH SERVICES 6:11:14
Mr Gerry Sutcliffe
Sir Peter Bottomley
Graeme Morrice
*3

That this House believes that all young people across the UK should have access to a statutory funded, wide-ranging and universal youth service with ring-fenced funding from central government which is delivered by local authorities working closely with schools and youth voluntary organisations; notes the importance of youth services being delivered by professionally qualified youth workers, who offer young people the benefit of wide-ranging information, advice, guidance and support; recognises that a statutory funded, wide-ranging and universal youth service will deliver not only a safe and secure environment for young people to thrive, but in addition, embed critical life skills that enable young people to positively contribute to society both socially and economically; additionally recognises that for many young people, especially the most vulnerable and those from disadvantaged communities, the provision of a statutory funded, universal and wide-ranging youth service will support their journey into further and higher education, employment or training; further believes that a statutory funded, wide-ranging and universal youth service will constitute value for money in that such a service will lead to many young people not having to access higher tiered and more costly interventions later in their lives; and further believes that responsibility for youth services within central government should rest with the Department for Education.

494 VOTING AGE 16 7:11:14
Naomi Long
*1

That this House believes that the time is right to lower the voting age to 16; recognises the contribution to society made by 16 and 17 year olds which is currently unrecognised in respect of their democratic rights and that many youth-led organisations have been campaigning for the voting age to be reduced, and that lowering the voting age could play a huge role in helping people engage with the political process, in establishing and embedding good voting behaviour for future, and would make citizenship lessons in school all the more relevant; and therefore calls on the Government to legislate to lower the voting age to 16 for all public elections in the UK.

Prepared 7th November 2014