Session 2014-15
House of Commons
25th 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
232That 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.
512 BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND 2014 17:11:14
15That 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
32That 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.
515 NHS STAFF PAY 17:11:14
16That 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
24That 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
20That 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
27That 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
12That 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
12That 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
29That 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
20That 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
31That 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
19That 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
20That 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
17That 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
6That 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
13That 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
17That 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
35That 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
12That 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
9That 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
20That 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
17That 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
11That 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
19That 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
6That 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
10That this House welcomes the news that Andy Samuel 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
18That 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.
540 LEWIS HAMILTON'S SECOND F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 24:11:14
11That this House congratulates Lewis Hamilton on his victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; applauds him on winning a second Drivers' World Championship; considers Mr Hamilton a role model for young people; and wishes him many more successes in future world championships.
541 DIABETES PRESCRIPTIONS 24:11:14
8That this House is deeply worried by reports that NHS patients are having vital diabetes prescriptions refused or restricted; is aware these prescriptions are vital to provide diabetics knowledge of their blood-sugar reading to prevent serious health problems; notes these refusals and restrictions are reportedly part of cost-saving measures; further notes the Department of Health has previously requested that access to such prescriptions is not restricted; and calls on the Government to ensure these dangerous and counter-productive practices are stopped and diabetics have access to necessary medication.
542 CRASH FOR CASH ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 24:11:14
7That this House notes with concern the sharp rise in deliberate crash for cash road traffic accidents; recognises that organised gangs are the main cause of this increase, with a recent report by Aviva highlighting a 21 per cent growth in organised fraud in 2013; further notes that over 50 per cent of motor injury claims fraud is of an organised nature, with over 6,500 suspicious injury claims being related to known fraudster rings; further notes that these offences are particularly frequent in major urban centres such as Manchester, North London, Luton and Birmingham; recognises the costs imposed on society by such practices, including £400 million of added costs in the price of car insurance; further recognises that treating short-term, minor whiplash injuries with a course of rehabilitation rather than the granting of cash compensation would disrupt the operations of these gangs; and calls on the Government to act urgently in this regard to undercut this criminal practice.
543 FOR OUR DAUGHTERS CAMPAIGN 24:11:14
15That this House notes that For Our Daughters, a national charity which campaigns against sexist violence and homicide and commemorates those who have died, reports that at least three to four women and girls die each week in the UK as a result of all forms of male violence; further notes that the annual death rate is worse than in the Northern Ireland conflict and exceeds annual troop losses in Iraq and Afghanistan; further notes that the gender-neutral and compartmentalised way in which government statistics have for years been collated and presented seriously obscures the extent to which females are subjected to sexist violence; believes that urgent action is needed to tackle homicide and life-threatening assaults against women and girls; therefore calls on the Government to develop the UK-wide strategy to end violence against women and girls so that it challenges the sexism and attitudes of contempt which foster it, to bolster cross-party and inter-departmental structures to progress this work, including requiring the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to report regularly to Parliament and to set clear time-limited targets to reduce and then end domestic and sexual homicides; and further calls on the Government to require all police, health and social services to record, monitor and publish gender-specific data about violent crime, in particular homicide and assaults in which there is potential threat to life, and designate domestic and sexual violence as a sixth National Policing Priority, thus ensuring that intelligence and resources can be shared.
544 HUMAN RIGHTS IN ERITREA 24:11:14
21That this House condemns the human rights abuses perpetuated by the government of Eritrea, including arbitrary arrest and detention and compulsory military service imposed on all able-bodied men, women and even children, which has led to an unprecedented exodus of Eritreans, now reaching 5,000 a month, fleeing their country as refugees to Europe on a precarious journey, including the recent tragedy at Lampedusa, which is costing hundred of lives; notes with concern the collusion between the government of Eritrea and the international mining companies from the UK, Canada and Australia, which is using the forced labour of Eritreans for work in extractive industries in conditions which have been described as abject slavery by Human Rights Watch and other campaigning non-governmental organisations; and calls on the government of Eritrea to honour the international human rights treaties to which it is a party and allow, without further prevarication and delay, a visit from the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
545 COMMUNITY PHARMACIES 25:11:14
1That this House recognises that the NHS has to be smarter and enable people to access health more efficiently and cheaply; further recognises that community pharmacists, who receive six million visits each day, could play a greater role if they could access medical records and ensure that information is not fragmented or incomplete; notes that NHS England is undertaking a proof of concept exercise to consider the merits of access to care records and issues of informed consent, liability and accuracy of records, with the results due in March 2015; and encourages Members of both Houses to join a round table meeting on 2 December 2014 in Portcullis House with the London Central Local Practice Forum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to discuss the merits of the case for sharing patient records for the NHS, taxpayers and patients.
546 WORK-RELATED STRESS AMONGST PRISON OFFICERS 25:11:14
4That this House welcomes the independent report into work-related stress amongst prison officers commissioned by the Prison Officers' Association and conducted by Professor Dr Gail Kinman, Dr Andrew Clements and Jacqui Hart from the University of Bedfordshire; is deeply concerned at the findings of the report which irrefutably demonstrate the crisis which the prison system is now in, and the huge burden being carried by the staff and their families and the resultant impact upon prisoners and public safety; notes that the level of stress amongst prison officers is clearly in excess of that in other comparable services, that 65 per cent of prison officers often thought about leaving the prison sector, and that the Prison Service is failing to meet the widely recognised benchmarks of the Health and Safety Executive for wellbeing at work; further notes with concern the current record levels of the prison population, and the accompanying increase in prisoner suicides and assaults on staff; and calls on the Government to conduct an urgent inquiry into the prison system and the terms and conditions of those trying to professionally carry out an important public service under the most difficult of circumstances.
547 WARM HOME DISCOUNT SCHEME - EXCLUSION OF NORTHERN IRELAND 25:11:14
3That this House notes with concern the exclusion of pensioners resident in Northern Ireland from the Warm Home Discount Scheme since its inception in 2011; recalls that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), in its Fuel Poverty Statistics Methodology and User Manual, has described fuel poverty as a partially devolved matter and has stated that the purpose of the Warm Home Discount Scheme is to reduce fuel poverty in the UK; acknowledges that, despite having high levels of fuel poverty amongst pensioners, Northern Ireland is the only region of the UK that is excluded from the scheme; and calls on DECC Ministers to enter into discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive in order to agree the extension of this important scheme so that pensioners in Northern Ireland can enjoy the benefits of this annual rebate on the cost of household energy bills.
548 SCOTTISH SUNDAY MAIL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTING 25:11:14
5That this House recognises the campaigning efforts of the Scottish Sunday Mail in exposing the human rights abuses by British American Tobacco throughout its worldwide supply chain.
549 DIDSBURY IN BLOOM PROJECT 25:11:14
1That this House recognises the success of Didsbury in Bloom, which has won the prize for Best Urban Community in the North West and has been nominated for the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom national final; commends the project, which involves the local community volunteering together to sustainably improve the local area; supports Didsbury in Bloom's bid for success at the national final; and congratulates Heather Stemp, chair of the Didsbury group, and the rest of the group, for their ongoing success, commitment and dedication to making the community of Didsbury more beautiful, green and environmentally-friendly.