Session 2014-15
House of Commons
17th 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
454 PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS (S. I., 2014, No. 2848) 30:10:14
187That 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.
495 MUSLIM SUPPORT FOR THE POPPY APPEAL 2014 10:11:14
12That this House recognises the contribution of many Muslim soldiers to victories in both world wars; welcomes the efforts being made in the Muslim community to encourage the wearing of poppies in remembrance of all those who paid the ultimate price for freedom; notes the design and launch of a new poppy headscarf for Muslim women to wear in support of this cause; appreciates that these efforts will undoubtedly enhance community relations; and believes they will also help to counter the deplorable actions of a small number of extremists, who in no way represent the views of the overwhelming majority of Muslims, who have symbolically burned the poppy in the name of Islam in recent years.
496 FIRST WORLD WAR CHAPLAINS 10:11:14
16That this House recognises the courage and bravery of the chaplains in the First World War; notes that the chaplains preached the Gospel, taught sound Christian moral values and faithfully cared for the soldiers; and recalls with gratitude that 185 chaplains laid down their lives in the war.
497 BUS DRIVERS' HOURS 10:11:14
20That this House notes that bus drivers work four hours more but are paid 14 per cent less a week than the average UK worker; further notes the two different sets of regulations applying to bus drivers, domestic and European, limit driving to 5.5 hours and 4.5 hours respectively before legal entitlement to a break; believes that the current mix of bus drivers' hours regulations prevents effective enforcement and forces bus drivers to work longer than is either safe or healthy; supports the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' Union campaign for European regulations on drivers' hours to cover all commercial journeys by passenger carrying vehicles in the UK; and calls on the Government to reform bus drivers' hours regulations to ensure that bus drivers are legally entitled to a break after 4.5 hours of continuous driving, with no reduction in pay, which would be a significant step toward ending the culture of excessive working hours for low pay that has taken root since deregulation of the UK bus industry in 1985 when bus drivers' pay was seven per cent above the average weekly wage.
498 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL 10:11:14
10That this House recognises the significance of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall; notes that before the momentous events of 9 November 1989 at least 138 people were killed trying to flee to West Berlin; further notes that there are many victims of the Stasi who still suffer from the trauma caused by their mistreatment at the hands of the East German Secret Police; believes that the dissidents in East Germany who bravely protested against the oppressive GDR regime dealt a decisive blow for freedom by exposing the realities and contradictions of life under Communist rule; and calls on the Government to increase its efforts to promote freedom and democracy throughout the world.
500 LABOUR SOLIDARITY WITH KURDS 10:11:14
10That this House notes the appeal from Labour Solidarity with Kurds for an urgent and significant increase in support to people defending the world against the vilest fascism of our age in the form of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS); further notes that this appeal supports the use of British jets in air strikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq; asks that heavy weapons are dispatched to Kurdish forces in Kobani and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; recognises that Kurds and Iraqis will play the most decisive role in ground operations, are not currently asking for the assistance of British and other western ground troops but that a global fight of this kind cannot rule this out in the future; acknowledges the strength of their appeal for increased aid to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to cope with the strain of over a million refugees from Syria and internally displaced people from Arab Iraq, and for the Iraqi government in Baghdad to end the economic blockade against the Kurdistan Region; and believes that such views should command support on the right, centre and left of the British political spectrum.
501 COALITION LEGISLATION AND SOCIAL ACTION, RESPONSIBILITY AND HEROISM BILL 10:11:14
2That this House believes that a coalition bill will become a major landmark in legislative futility; further believes that the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill described by the hon. Member for Beaconsfield, a former Conservative Attorney General, as utter tosh is designed to create volunteers and heroes by legislation; salutes the intention of Lord Lloyd to move against all three clauses of the bill so that only the title will remain; is alarmed that responsible bodies warn that the bill could do harm, including the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers who say the bill will put vulnerable people at risk and the leading law firm Slater and Gordon who described the bill as pointless and potentially dangerous; calls on the Government to avoid the derision from judges that a former Conservative Solicitor General said will be provoked and drop this lamentable headline-seeking example of crude populism.
502 FUTURE OF DUTCH HOUSE PUBLIC HOUSE 10:11:14
6That this House is concerned about the number of public houses that are being closed to be demolished to make way for housing, or other forms of businesses, against the wishes of the neighbouring communities; welcomes the decision of the Royal Borough of Greenwich to reject the planning application from McDonald's to close the Dutch House Public House and turn it into a drive-through takeaway restaurant; congratulates the residents of the Horn Park estate on their successful campaign to keep the Dutch House open; recognises the importance of the Dutch House, which the local community have had registered as an asset of community value which is frequented by many local people, including groups of people with learning difficulties who have found the pub and its customers to be an extremely safe and welcoming environment; is extremely concerned that McDonald's application will generate an increase in the number of vehicles turning right across the A20 dual carriageway to gain access to the drive-through restaurant; urges the owners to maintain the site as a public house or to find a new owner that will maintain it for that purpose; further calls on McDonald's to accept the view of the local community and to remove their threat to the future of the Dutch House; and further calls on the Government to act to protect public houses from threats of this kind in the future.
503 COLOMBIAN PEACE PROCESS 11:11:14
15That this House believes that the peace talks underway between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) should continue unhindered; condemns a recently uncovered plot by far right groups to assassinate members of the FARC negotiating team working in Havana and members of Colombians for Peace; notes that the members of Colombians for Peace who are the target of the assassination plots are Piedad Cordoba and Dr Carlos Lozano, both also spokespersons of the Patriotic March; is dismayed that at this time of heightened insecurity and increased threats against those who are outspoken in trying to bring about peace in Colombia there have been cuts to personal security for those most threatened such as Piedad Cordoba and Dr Carlos Lozano; urges the Foreign Secretary to speak to the Colombian government to increase the security of those individuals as well as that of Senator Ivan Cepeda; calls on the Colombian government to condemn the uncovered assassination plots; and further urges the British Embassy in Bogota to publicly condemn the uncovered assassination plots.
504 ABORTION SERVICES IN BLACKFRIARS 11:11:14
8That this House is extremely concerned about the significant upsurge in anti-abortion activism targeting clinics; would like to draw attention to the ongoing protests outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in Blackfriars where activists are staging large protests of over 20 people, a mix of men and women activists carrying graphic posters; is concerned that activists are also routinely entering the surgery, causing great distress to staff and patients and are specifically targeting the mother and baby clinic, handing expectant mothers graphic leaflets and that they are directly approaching women and passers-by, and filming conversations with members of the public without informing or asking for consent first; notes with concern that the practice now feels so intimidated that it has asked to close the service down; further notes that these protests are particularly concerning because they are obstructing women from receiving the medical help that they are entitled to; while recognising that these groups are legally entitled to protest, feels that they should not be allowed to harass those women who decide to seek this sort of treatment; and calls on the relevant authorities to take immediate action to stop the protestors from harassing patients and staff on a routine basis.
505 UK REPRESENTATION AT THE VIENNA CONFERENCE ON THE HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 11:11:14
11That this House welcomes the third conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna on 8-9 December 2014 and the international momentum to understand and further the humanitarian agenda; notes with concern the catastrophic and global consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, from initial blast, heat and radiation to climate disruption and nuclear famine over decades, and the need for international engagement from both nuclear and non-nuclear armed states to forge a dialogue on this issue; further notes that 145 countries attended the conference in Mexico earlier this year; further notes with regret that the UK and the four other nuclear-armed members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty-P5- have so far boycotted the previous two conferences; further notes that the US has now confirmed its attendance at the Vienna conference; and urges the UK to confirm its participation in the Vienna conference in December and play its part in shaping the discussion and initiative on the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons.
506 CATALAN CONSULTATION ON INDEPENDENCE - 9 NOVEMBER 2014 11:11:14
3That this House congratulates the people of Catalonia for voting on a consultation on the political future of the country; celebrates that more than two million people exercised their right to vote on a consultation that passed without any significant incidents; notes that an overwhelming majority - 81 per cent of the turnout - voted for independence from Spain; condemns the fact that the consultation was suspended by the Spanish authorities; recognises the difficulties that had to be overcome by both the organisers and the 40,000 volunteers to deliver this consultation; considers that the UK, the EU and the wider international community should support an official referendum; invites the Spanish and Catalan governments to enter negotiations; and suggests both governments should emulate the successful Edinburgh Agreement between the UK and the Scottish Governments so that an official and legal referendum on independence of Catalonia is offered to the people of Catalonia without delay.
507 EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULING ON EU BENEFITS CLAIMANTS 11:11:14
2That this House welcomes the European Court of Justice ruling on 11 November 2014 which confirms that the UK has the sovereign right to restrict the benefits that can be claimed in this country by citizens of other EU member states; further welcomes the clarity the judgment provides on the restrictions the UK can place on those from other member states who attempt to claim benefits without seeking work; notes that the ruling confirms that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU is not applicable to special non-contributory cash benefits; and therefore calls on the Government to strengthen restrictions on the benefits that can be claimed by EU citizens who come to the UK with no intention to find work.
508 JAILING OF DAVID TAM BAYOH IN SIERRA LEONE 11:11:14
4That this House condemns the jailing and beating of the campaigning radio journalist David Tam Bayoh in Sierra Leone, who criticised the Sierra Leonean government's Ebola response; notes that the country's state of emergency empowers President Ernest Bai Koroma to arrest any person without a court order and that Bayoh was arrested by an order signed by the President; further notes that Bayoh, who suffers from high blood pressure, is detained without charge in a hugely overcrowded jail; points out that around a third of the amount pledged by the EU to Sierra Leone to combat Ebola will come from the UK's £205 million aid package; and urges the Government to use its considerable influence with Sierra Leone to free Bayoh so that he and other journalists are free to work and keep track of the hundreds of millions in aid pouring into a country which ranks near the top of global corruption indexes.
509 RAILWAY STATIONS IN BRADFORD 11:11:14
2That this House believes that a new Bradford Central railway station would provide a 24-hour gateway to the city centre and join a district divided into two halves with two different rail stations; points out that such a station would be vital in stimulating business investment in the city, particularly if the proposed High Speed 3 route links to Bradford; notes that after some delay, Westfield is now building an extensive shopping mall in the city which will attract custom not only from Bradford but from West Yorkshire and further afield; further notes that Westfield designed and funded the new Shepherd's Bush station as part of its London development and that the company's Stratford shopping centre is also connected with a new station; and calls on the Government in partnership with Westfield, Bradford Metropolitan District Council and other relevant bodies to make available the funding to provide the new station and its infrastructure as a matter of urgency.
511 WORLD DIABETES DAY 2014 11:11:14
10That this House notes that 14 November 2014 is World Diabetes Day which engages millions of people globally in recognising the escalating health threat that diabetes poses; further notes that every four minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with diabetes and consequently the NHS spends £1 million an hour on diabetes and its related complications; commends the 53 hon. Members who attended the Health Challenge and had a diabetes test on 15 October 2014 for Diwali at Westminster in support of diabetes awareness; and calls on hon. Members to show their support on 14 November 2014 by not eating sugar for 24 hours.
512 BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND 2014 17:11:14
1That this House notes that 24 to 30 November 2014 is the third annual Book Week Scotland; recognises that Book Week Scotland is a week-long celebration of books and reading; further notes that the theme this year is Love and Libraries; welcomes that people of all ages can get involved in Book Week Scotland by making reading pledges, voting for their favourite Scottish character and sending love letters to their local library; celebrates that every Primary 1 child in Scotland will receive a Bookbug Primary Family Pack to help create a lasting link between reading at school and home; further celebrates that during Book Week people of all ages will come together in libraries, schools and community venues across Scotland to share their love of books and reading; and encourages as many people as possible to get involved with Book Week Scotland 2014.
513 SUGAR CONTENT IN FRUIT DRINKS 17:11:14
2That this House is alarmed by Action on Sugar's report that a quarter of supermarket fruit drinks contain more sugar than the equivalent volume of Coca-Cola; notes that these drinks are commonly advertised as healthy and targeted at children; further notes a quarter of the products tested met or exceeded the maximum daily adult intake recommended by the World Health Organisation; is concerned such products are contributing to record levels of tooth decay, obesity and type 2 diabetes among children; and calls on the Government to implement legislation to reduce levels of sugar content in food and drink products.
514 NEWLY-INSTATED YEMENI GOVERNMENT 17:11:14
1That this House supports the newly-instated government in Yemen and urges an end to the increasing levels of violence; applauds Prime Minister Khaled Bahhah's calls for all factions to stop fighting and comply with the political agreement made on 2 November 2014; is concerned that dozens of people continue to be killed in sectarian violence; notes some of these armed groups are associated with al-Qaeda; further notes the US is considering evacuating its embassy in the wake of this violence; and calls on the Government to take all possible measures to support the Yemeni government and prevent Yemen from descending into wider sectarian conflict.
515 NHS STAFF PAY 17:11:14
1That this House acknowledges that NHS budgets remain constrained as the Government steers the country towards greater prosperity; recognises that frontline NHS staff continue to provide excellent service after years of pay restraint; and therefore calls on the Government to fund in full the recommendations of the independent NHS pay review body, paid for by restraining the pay of very senior NHS managers, eliminating waste in procurement spending, the efficient managing of budgets and continued efficiency savings.
516 PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE 17:11:14
1That this House notes that, whilst the introduction of vaccinations has been effective in reducing levels of pneumococcal infection in children, pneumococcal infection remains a significant public health risk, particularly among other vulnerable groups, including those aged 65 and over; expresses concern that around 84,000 people are hospitalised due to pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia in the UK every year, with around half of these cases amongst those aged 65 and over; further notes that an estimated £269 million is spent on hospitalising adults with pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia each year, of which around £135 million relates to those aged 65 and over; welcomes the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's intention to conduct a review of the adult vaccination programme, considering the latest evidence on the epidemiology and cost effectiveness of adult pneumococcal disease vaccination; and expresses concern that this review is intended to take six months, potentially placing more vulnerable adults at risk.