Session 2014-15
House of Commons
21st 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
218That 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.
497 BUS DRIVERS' HOURS 10:11:14
31That 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
24That 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.
503 COLOMBIAN PEACE PROCESS 11:11:14
32That 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
17That 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
26That 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.
511 WORLD DIABETES DAY 2014 11:11:14
29That 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.
513 SUGAR CONTENT IN FRUIT DRINKS 17:11:14
24That 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
9That 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
12That 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
20That 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.
517 NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COUNCIL REGISTRATION FEES 18:11:14
14That this House recognises the dedication and hard work of nurses and midwives; notes with concern the decision to raise the cost of the mandatory registration fees for members of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to £120 a year; further recognises that this figure represents a rise in fees of 53 per cent in three years; acknowledges that this is a further strain on workers who have already experienced the value of their pay cut between eight and 10 per cent since 2010 during the public sector pay freeze; believes that any further requirement for regulators including the NMC to pay a fee to the Professional Standards Authority could lead to further increases in members' registration fees; and calls on the Government to seek urgent talks with the NMC to address this issue and provide assistance.
518 MERGER OF BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN AND BREAKTHROUGH BREAST CANCER 18:11:14
17That this House welcomes the announcement that Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Campaign will merge in Spring 2015; recognises that united, they will become the single largest breast cancer research community in the UK, responsible for addressing the critical gaps in breast cancer knowledge and research; supports their shared ambition that by 2050 no one will die from breast cancer; congratulates both charities and all their supporters on their efforts to beat breast cancer thus far; and wishes them every success for the future.
519 COMMUNITY WORK PLACEMENTS SCHEME 18:11:14
8That this House is appalled that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have no proper oversight or monitoring of the Community Work Placements scheme and is unable to provide the most basic information about it; points out that the programme is a mandatory one which forces unemployed people to take jobs, such as litter collecting, or lose their benefits; notes that the DWP has been unable to say how many people are on the scheme, what the breakdown by constituency is, or how many people have refused to participate and had their benefits cut; is shocked that six contracts to administer the scheme have been given to G4S, which was responsible for the security fiasco at the 2012 London Olympics; and demands that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions compiles forthwith a cost-benefit analysis and a human inventory of this costly and discriminatory scheme.
520 FOREIGN EXCHANGE MARKETS AND BANKS 18:11:14
8That this House condemns the manipulation of the foreign exchange market by bankers at RBS, HSBC, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase and UBS; welcomes the decision by the Financial Conduct Authority to fine those banks £1.1 billion; and furthermore calls on the Government to regulate the foreign exchange market and all benchmarks that are used as the basis for fixed income, currency and commodity trading.
521 MEDICS WORKING IN GAZA DURING AND SINCE OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE IN GAZA 18:11:14
18That this House applauds the exemplary work of all health professionals in Gaza, be they medics, social workers, occupational therapists, ambulance teams and others who continue to look after the 12,000 injured, including 3,374 children, long after the media have taken their cameras away from the one vantage point permitted them during Israel's Operation Protective Edge attack on Gaza in August and September 2014; notes the death toll of 2,200 Palestinians, 1,500 civilians including 500 children, and 71 Israelis, five civilians; further notes that many of the injured are now permanently disabled and will require a lifetime of physical and psychological rehabilitation; commends all those who have donated their services to looking after the people of Gaza; deplores in particular the conduct of the Israeli authorities in refusing entry to Gaza of medical personnel from abroad including the indefatigable and determined Norwegian surgeon Dr Mads Gilbert who repeatedly works in Gaza whilst it is under attack, and who is the latest victim of such unjust treatment; and calls on the Government to press the Israeli government to respect international law and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and to lift the siege on Gaza.
522 VODAFONE AND RURAL OPEN SURE SIGNAL PROGRAMME 18:11:14
14That this House celebrates that Vodafone's Rural Open Sure Signal Programme has the potential to improve mobile telephone coverage to 3G standard for many not-spots in rural and island areas where a conventional mobile telephone signal does not reach, but where there is broadband, can utilise that broadband connectivity with femtocell technology of Open Sure Signal to provide localised coverage of a 500 metre radius to 3G standard; praises Vodafone for developing this initiative and calls on other companies to investigate the possibility of similar schemes; and looks to the expansion of, particularly, rural broadband to further help the development of more such schemes.
523 STARS IN OUR SCHOOL CAMPAIGN 19:11:14
13That this House welcomes the Stars In Our School campaign and supports its core aim of celebrating school support staff; notes the vital work undertaken every day by teaching and classroom assistants, learning support assistants, librarians, science technicians, crossing patrol officers, cleaners, caretakers, catering staff, parent support advisers, examination officers, administrative assistants, finance officers and school secretaries, all of whom are represented by UNISON; further notes that school support staff add huge value to schools and children's education; believes that schools today cannot function without support staff; further notes that on 28 November 2014 celebrations will be held in schools across the country to recognise the contribution made by school staff; and calls on the Government and local authorities to do all they can to ensure that school support staff are better rewarded for the work they do, with proper career structures and better pay, terms and conditions.
524 ROYAL MAIL'S PARTNERSHIP WITH MISSING PEOPLE 19:11:14
10That this House welcomes the Royal Mail's partnership with the charity, Missing People; understands that postmen and women across the country will assist the charity to locate vulnerable missing children and adults, significantly increasing the number of people committed to help find them; notes that 124,000 UK postmen and women will be involved in this while out on their postal rounds; acknowledges that this will be the first time that an organisation has made its business-wide communication channels available to the charity, Missing People; and further welcomes the fact that this partnership will effectively double the number of people receiving child rescue alerts.
525 SELF CARE WEEK 2014 19:11:14
14That this House notes that 17 to 23 November 2014 is national Self Care Week, an annual event that focuses on providing internal support for self care across communities and families; further notes that this year's theme is Self Care for Life - Be healthy this winter, owing to the rising demand on health services during the winter months as a result of weather-related illnesses; recognises that the NHS reports that adults usually have two to four colds a year while children are likely to have three to eight, and that it is imperative to take necessary self care during the coming months; encourages hon. Members and staff to consult the NHS Choices website which has guiding principles to help people take care of themselves; and commends the awareness work of the Self Care Forum in providing people with good information on what self care is and its benefits.
526 WOMEN BISHOPS 19:11:14
9That this House welcomes the adoption by the Church of England of legislation which will allow women to be ordained as bishops in 2015; praises the work and words of the Archbishop of Canterbury who said that men and women are equally icons, witnesses and vessels of Christ for the world; notes that the first women priests were ordained in 1994; and is looking forward to welcoming the first women bishops.
527 ACTION AGAINST LECTURERS AND STAFF AT BRADFORD UNIVERSITY 19:11:14
5That this House condemns the bullying tactics employed by the management of Bradford University in trying to force lecturers and staff to accept reductions to their pension rights and benefits; notes that while staff are taking action short of striking, including a marking boycott, the management is threatening to deduct all of their pay; also notes that, additionally, the threat is to remove death in service benefits from those involved so that if someone dies while taking action their family will receive nothing; further notes that the university is also intent on including staff on protest in any legal action brought against Bradford University by a student suing over lack of education; believes that these heavy-handed threats over justifiable concerns are reminiscent of Victorian mill owners and have no place in the modern workplace, far less a place of education and thinking; and urges the Secretary of State for Education to intervene to instruct the management to remove intimidation as a policy and to talk with their staff representatives in a constructive and enlightened manner rather than bring shame and opprobrium on Bradford University.
528 MASAI'S ANCESTRAL LAND 19:11:14
7That this House expresses concern at the attempt to evict the Masai from their traditional lands or require them to relocate to make way, in Tanzania, for a big game hunting reserve for the royal family of Dubai; condemns any attempt to change the Masai land rights against their will, which would amount to a present-day Highland Clearance; notes that the sale of the land would rob the Masai people of their heritage and directly or indirectly affect the livelihoods of 80,000 people; and congratulates the international campaign Stop the Serengeti Sell-off led by Avaaz in meeting its target of securing two million signatures; and calls on both Dubai and Tanzania to respect the wish of the Masai to keep their lands and to oppose expropriation.
529 SHEHZAD MASIH AND SHAMA BIBI 19:11:14
11That this House condemns the beating, torture and burning alive in a furnace of the Christian couple Shehzad Masih and Shama Bibi in Kot Radha Kishan, Punjab, after they were unable to repay a loan to their employer, Yousuf Gujjar; notes that this heinous crime is not unique, as scores of people have been murdered violently over mere allegations of committal of blasphemy; calls on the government of Pakistan to ensure that this employer and any other perpetrator of violence, as well as imams from local mosques inciting the crowds against the unfortunate couple, are brought to justice, unlike in the case of similar previous attacks; and furthermore urges the Government to halt military and civil aid to Pakistan until religious minorities are protected in that country in accordance with international standards.
530 SUGAR IN FOOD AND DRINKS (LABELLING AND ADVERTISING) 19:11:14
25That this House notes that one in four people in Britain is obese, with two-thirds of the population overweight, and the growth of NHS costs associated with obesity and diabetes; further notes the link between added sugar in processed foods and drinks and obesity; further notes that the maximum amount of added sugar the World Health Organisation recommends per day is six teaspoonfuls for women and nine for men, and that the promotion of high sugar products is often as low fat products; and calls on the Government to support moves to express added sugar in teaspoonfuls on product packaging and to restrict the advertising of high sugar products as low fat products.
531 ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 19:11:14
5That this House notes with concern the threat to freedom of association and the right to protest posed by the facilities company Mitie at the Royal Opera House in its letters to staff which state that protesting against Mitie falls under the category of bringing the company into disrepute; calls on the company to withdraw the disciplinary letters Mitie sent to 11 workers for protesting; condemns this threat to the basic human rights of its staff; and urges the Royal Opera House to disassociate itself from Mitie's unacceptable practices.
532 ROLE OF INTEGRATED EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND 20:11:14
5That this House notes that integrated education has a major role in overcoming the legacy of division and sectarianism in Northern Ireland; further notes that furthering integrated education is a legal duty and was part of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement; supports the determination of the cross-community integrated education movement to develop schools and institutions on the basis of integration and sharing to build understanding and trust across religious, political and cultural traditions; acknowledges that the First and Deputy First Ministers have said that if they had a blank sheet of paper, then they would have a fully integrated education system; warmly welcomes the recent promise by SDLP Deputy Leader Dolores Kelly to promote, incentivise and develop integrated education so that it becomes the most attractive choice for parents and children; and encourages politicians and opinion-formers from all parties and none to support integrated education in Northern Ireland.
533 WILL POOLEY AND SIERRA LEONE 20:11:14
7That this House recognises and is inspired by the selfless work of the British nurse Will Pooley in the heart of the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone; recalls that he went there to travel and then volunteered to work in a hospital to fight the disease, before contracting Ebola; notes that his life was saved in a state-of-the-art ward in the Royal Free Hospital in London by infectious disease specialists, in contrast to the rudimentary health provisions in Sierra Leone; believes that this outstanding young man represents the best in British health training and the ideals of the NHS and is a credit to it and his family; and hopes that it will not be long before he is able to rescue his motorbike and travel round Sierra Leone, which will be the signal that this deadly disease is defeated.
534 ADA LOVELACE AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE 20:11:14
7That this House commends the contribution to computer science by Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace who was born in London in 1815 and was daughter of Lord and Baroness Byron; notes that Ada Lovelace is considered to be the first computer programmer because of her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer and her notes on the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine; further notes that Ada's mother promoted an interest in mathematics and logic in her daughter; notes that Ada's vision for computing expanded beyond calculations and inspired modern computing in the work of Alan Turing a century later; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.
535 PERFORMANCE OF BT OPENREACH 20:11:14
5That this House notes with concern the number of businesses and households who have experienced telecommunication problems because of the failure of BT Openreach contractors to install telephone landlines and repair faults within a reasonable timeframe; recognises that reliable telephone and broadband connections are crucial for businesses and families across the UK; further notes the frustration and difficulties experienced by those who have been left without a telephone line or broadband access; further notes that people cannot complain directly to Openreach but must go through their service provider often causing further inconvenience to consumers; and calls on Ofcom to ensure that the minimum targets imposed on BT Openreach are met and their performance is monitored to ensure that future customers do not experience the levels of poor service that have been reported.
536 ROAD SAFETY WEEK 21:11:14
3That this House welcomes National Road Safety Week, 17 to 23 November 2014; notes the contribution of many public and private sector organisations to the reduction in road casualties over several decades; further notes particularly the decision this week of the Scottish Parliament to lower the drink drive blood alcohol limit; further notes the inquiry by the Transport Safety Commission, UK Transport Safety - who is responsible?; is concerned that the number of road deaths in Great Britain in the 12 months to June 2014 has shown an increase; and calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to improve safety for all road users.
537 CELEBRATING THE UK CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 21:11:14
2That this House recognises that yet again in a pan-European survey of the chemical industry's reputation, the UK chemical industry has the highest reputation with those who drive public opinion with top or second places in 15 of the 16 separate measures; and congratulates the sector which adds £60 million every day to the UK economy, and its representative body, the Chemical Industries Association, on its work within local communities and its contribution to the UK.
538 SUPPORT FOR THE NORTH SEA OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY 21:11:14
5That this House welcomes the news that Andy Samuels has been appointed as the future chief executive of the Oil and Gas Authority; recognises this appointment as an important step in the implementation of the Wood Review recommendations to maximise oil and gas recovery in the North Sea; notes that the oil and gas industry plays a significant role in the UK's economy; and calls on the Government to continue to support the industry by encouraging new exploration and production projects.
539 ELECTRICITY PRICES IN BRITAIN (DISTRIBUTION COSTS) 21:11:14
8That this House recognises that distribution costs form one of the largest components of electricity bills; notes that this varies considerably across the 14 areas and regions of England, Scotland and Wales; expresses concern that this differential is unjustified and further adds to the burden placed on many households; further notes suggestions that these costs be flattened out to a single standard charge for every customer across Britain so necessary investment and maintenance work is spread across the regions, resulting in a fairer outcome; and calls on the Government, stakeholders and regulators to examine and review this matter in more detail.