Session 2014-15
House of Commons
26th 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
234That 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
20That 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
36That 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
11That 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.
516 PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE 17:11:14
28That 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
25That 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
33That 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
13That 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
15That 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
31That 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
22That 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
41That 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
24That 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
26That 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
21That 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
8That 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
18That 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
21That 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
42That 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
14That 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
12That 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
23That 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
21That 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
17That 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
27That 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
8That 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
13That 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
20That 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
17That 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
17That 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
14That 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
22That 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
29That 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
6That 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
10That 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
8That 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
10That 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
4That 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.
550 BROADBAND IN THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS 26:11:14
2That this House notes that many Government services are now only delivered online; congratulates the Government on providing funds to enable the roll-out of fibre optic cables and broadband in the Highlands and Islands and that the project is on schedule to complete in 2016-17; further notes, however, with concern that neither Openreach nor Highlands and Islands Enterprise will say which houses will benefit, leaving communities unable to plan for the choice between commercial and community provision; and calls on the Government to require the providing partners to be open and transparent.
551 COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS 26:11:14
3That this House recognises that current research shows that around 489,000 people will be alone on Christmas Day; particularly recognises that loneliness adds to health challenges for many elderly people in communities around the country; and applauds Community Christmas for its attempts to ensure that all who wish to will have a welcoming place to enjoy Christmas lunch.
552 ROBOTIC SURGERY FOR KIDNEY CANCER OR BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS 26:11:14
2That this House believes that all cancer patients deserve the most appropriate treatment through the NHS; expresses concern about the proposed clinical commissioning policy for kidney and bladder cancer from NHS England which proposes to stop altogether robotic-assisted surgical treatments for patients with bladder and kidney cancer; notes that awareness of bladder and kidney cancer is low and that the conditions need more research; recognises that a proven treatment operation has been available for some time and is concerned that the cessation of these services will limit treatment options for patients; and calls on NHS England to look again at its draft commissioning policies and listen carefully to responses received through a public consultation.
553 RETIREMENT OF THE RT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF LEICESTER 26:11:14
1That this House notes the decision of the Rt Rev. Tim Stevens, the Church of England Bishop of Leicester, to retire following over 16 years' service; applauds the tireless work he has undertaken with all faiths and communities in Leicester; recognises the lasting legacy that his work will leave behind; and wishes him all the best in the future.
554 SIR JOHN CASS CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL, TOWER HAMLETS 26:11:14
1That this House notes that Sir John Cass Church of England state school in Tower Hamlets has repeatedly been classed as outstanding by Ofsted, has excellent examination results, a high degree of integration between pupils from different communities and high levels of satisfaction amongst parents, pupils and teachers; further notes that the school management had already identified problems with a website set up by a sixth form society and was dealing with the problem, although it accepts that the speed of its response could have been swifter; and believes that the decision by Ofsted to put this outstanding school into special measures is, in the words of Melanie Phillips, a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and is politically motivated.
555 PURPOSE AND PERFORMANCE OF OFSTED 26:11:14
1That this House believes that Ofsted has been drafted into the Government's anti-terror strategy, a role which it is singularly ill-equipped to fulfil; is appalled that the organisation is now the arbiter of what are, and what are not, supposed to be British values, a role for which its inspectors are not trained; notes that Ofsted has no working definition of extremism and no idea of how the Government's Prevent strategy might be implemented in schools; further believes that the whole notion of British values, as opposed to universal human values, is a nonsense; further notes that Ofsted head Sir Michael Wilshaw has judged that in six Tower Hamlets faith schools pupils may be vulnerable to extremist influences, without providing a scintilla of evidence and without Ofsted being able to define what extremism is; and is firmly of the view that schools should not be compelled to promote anything other than a balanced and comprehensive education for all pupils whatever their ethnic background.
556 ROYAL MAIL UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION AND OFCOM 26:11:14
9That this House calls on Ofcom to review urgently and reform the current mail competition regime which is endangering the continuation of the Universal Service Obligation on Royal Mail to deliver to every address in the UK; and believes that access charges are far too low for its competitors which consequently cherry-pick highly profitable, cheap intra- and inter-city deliveries, dumping mail for outlying areas back into Royal Mail and so threatening its future.
557 DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY MAINTENANCE WORK 26:11:14
8That this House notes that on the mainline railway and London Underground maintenance contracts have been brought in-house to improve efficiency, safety and quality of service; is therefore concerned that the new operators of the Docklands Light Railway, Keolis/Amey, are sub-contracting the maintenance and electrical team to MJ Quinn, which could result in not only a poorer service and less safe Docklands Light Railway, but also worse staff conditions, job insecurity and a loss of skills; and calls on the Mayor of London and Keolis/Amey to ensure that all Docklands Light Railway maintenance work is instead carried out in-house.
558 GOVERNMENT PRACTICE IN TABLING MOTIONS FOR MONEY RESOLUTIONS 26:11:14
27That this House notes that the Affordable Homes Bill, which seeks to combat the worst effects of the Government's under-occupancy penalty, also known as the bedroom tax, was approved by the House on Second Reading by a remarkable 306 to 231 votes on 5 September 2014; regrets, however, that Conservative Ministers have chosen to abuse the privilege of executive power by resorting to deploying a rarely-used underhand device of not tabling a motion for a Money Resolution for the Bill, in their attempt to sabotage it and thereby defy the clearly-expressed will of the House; further notes that the Deputy Prime Minister has made it clear that a motion for a Money Resolution will be tabled for the Conservatives' EU Referendum Bill once a Money Resolution is agreed to for the Affordable Homes Bill which precedes it; and therefore calls on the Government to table a motion for a Money Resolution to allow the Affordable Homes Bill to proceed beyond the Committee stage.
559 CHRISTIANS IN PAKISTAN 26:11:14
2That this House condemns the ongoing kidnappings, rape, torture, violence and killings of Christians in Pakistan; notes that hundreds of Christian girls are taken from their homes and families and forced to convert to Islam each year; further notes that the country's blasphemy laws have devastating effects on religious minorities, particularly Christians; and considers that this is something which must be condemned.
560 AFGHAN WOMEN 26:11:14
3That this House supports the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework and in particular the commitment to Afghanistan and ensuring that Afghan women have full human rights in education, health, employment and participation in all walks of life.
561 EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS AT SODEXO 26:11:14
13That this House is dismayed at global outsourcing company Sodexo's behaviour towards staff working on its contract providing catering services on behalf of Transport for London (TfL); notes that the company has recently had an unusually large number of grievances and tribunal claims raised against it and was found by an employment tribunal to have unfairly dismissed Rail, Maritime and Transport trade union representative Petrit Mihaj for his trade union activities; is concerned that Sodexo, despite being a large undertaking, made it clear that it was unwilling to reinstate or re-engage Mr Mihaj in any capacity or at any location and stated it would flout such a tribunal order if made; further notes that, accordingly, the employment tribunal judge hearing his case decided not to order reinstatement or re-engagement; calls for Sodexo to reinstate or re-engage Mr Mihaj at the earliest opportunity and for TfL and the Mayor of London to support this position; and further calls for the law to be reviewed with a view to ensuring that tribunals can enforce reinstatement orders.
562 INNOVATIVE INVERCLYDE YOUTHS 26:11:14
1That this House congratulates Ellie Wilkie, Ellie Stevenson and Claire Higgins from Inverclyde for winning the Grand Prize of a trip to Silicon Valley at the Appathon nationwide competition coordinated by Founders4Schools, which recognises innovative app ideas and prototypes and aims to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship in young people; notes that the award represents a significant achievement for these three young women and reflects the quality of the education they have received at Notre Dame High School in Greenock; recognises that this achievement reflects the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit which exists in Inverclyde; and applauds initiatives such as Appathon for spurring interest in technological innovation and development nationwide amongst young people.
563 RETAINING THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION IN RURAL AREAS 26:11:14
2That this House notes with concern Royal Mail's recent comments raising doubts on its ability to continue to deliver its Universal Service Obligation (USO); further notes that the least profitable routes are often those serving rural areas, such as the Lake District, and that any threat to end the USO could add strain to already under-resourced rural services and could be deeply damaging to remote communities and the rural economy; and therefore strongly calls on Ofcom to bring forward its planned review of end-to-end competition as a matter of urgency, so that fair competition can be achieved and the vital USO is retained.
564 NORTH KOREA AND HUMAN RIGHTS 26:11:14
1That this House welcomes and fully endorses the findings and recommendations of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea; further welcomes the June 2014 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the UN General Assembly; urges the Government to take a lead within the EU and the wider international community during the current UN General Assembly session in support of Recommendation 1218 of the Commission of Inquiry that calls for the referral of individuals responsible for crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court; and calls on the Government to request that the government of Switzerland immediately freezes all North Korean assets held in Swiss bank accounts and redistributes these funds to North Korean refugee groups, whilst respecting UN Security Council Resolution 2094 on the ban of the supply, sale or transfer of luxury goods to North Korea.
565 IMMIGRATION CHECKS ON PRIVATE SECTOR TENANTS 26:11:14
1That this House notes the introduction on 1 December 2014 of the pilot scheme of the requirement for private sector landlords to conduct immigration checks on their tenants; believes that this will lead to new fees from letting agents to all of Britain's nine million private tenants on moving to conduct these checks; considers that almost no undocumented migrants will be caught, as they will move into illegal tenancies, and in so doing will create a new market for illegal and exploitative landlords; further notes that this requirement will encourage discrimination in the lettings process; and further believes that it is morally objectionable to remove from any person access to shelter, just as it would be to remove access to water or to emergency medical care.
566 PHEASANTS AND PARTRIDGES REARED TO BE SHOT 26:11:14
1That this House notes with concern that every year some 50 million pheasants and partridges are mass-produced to be shot for so-called sport, and that a large number of the breeding birds are confined for the whole of their productive lives in crowded metal battery units, known in industry circles as raised laying cages; further notes that these units cause the birds to suffer high levels of injury and premature death, despite them now being enriched; observes that many of the birds are fitted with restrictive face masks that attempt to limit the damage resulting from birds attacking one another because of the stresses caused by these unnatural, confined and unpleasant conditions; further observes that the law and tax regime recognise the game bird industry as primarily a sport rather than a means of food production; agrees with shooting industry spokespeople who have said in the past that the cages not only represent a major welfare problem but are harmful to the reputation of shooting; further notes that a recent YouGov poll found that 70 per cent of respondents oppose the use of cages; believes that there is no justification for causing unnecessary suffering to animals; further observes that the shooting industry can afford to pay for decent conditions for these birds and believes that it has a responsibility to do so; and calls on the Government to introduce a ban on raised laying cages for breeding pheasants and partridges.
567 ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN BAHRAIN 26:11:14
2That this House opposes the vast demographic change instigated by the Bahraini government; expresses deep concern that, since the uprising in 2011, the process to expedite the granting of citizenship to individuals with other ethnicities from outside Bahrain solely in order to marginalise and outnumber the majority Shia Muslim population in Bahrain has increased significantly; recalls with concern that documents have suggested that since 2001 on average over 8,000 such individuals have been granted citizenship every year, exhausting a welfare system where Shia Muslims currently wait in excess of 17 years for social housing; further expresses disappointment at the continued failure to cease and reverse this violation; and urges the Government to make strong representations to try and prevent this unlawful ethnically-orientated process, instigated and maintained by the Bahraini government.
568 CLUB COSY CEREDIGION 26:11:14
2That this House values the innovative work of Ymlaen Ceredigion in delivering its Club Cosy scheme in West Wales; recognises that this pilot project has been devised to reduce fuel poverty by supporting the creation, development and long-term sustainability of fuel clubs in off-mains gas areas; supports its major aim in providing a toolkit for similar schemes across the UK; further recognises that the recently launched scheme is funded via the Welsh Government, delivered on behalf of the Ceredigion County Council; and applauds the fact that the scheme will be incorporating Ymlaen's specialist work on energy efficiency and behaviour change.
569 LONG WOOD COMMUNITY WOODLAND 26:11:14
2That this House congratulates the efforts and achievement of Long Wood Community Woodland near Lampeter in its conservation of a sustainable woodland, which uses timber felled onsite alongside an onsite sawmill where it is transformed into products in its woodland workshop; applauds the innovative ideas that also provide long-term skilled employment for local people, training opportunities and apprenticeships alongside producing high-quality products for local consumers, bringing income to the local area and ensuring a sustainable timber source for future generations; and notes that not only is local biodiversity increasing, local amenities and education opportunities in the area have also begun to benefit from this project.
570 TALBOT HOUSE AT POPERINGE 26:11:14
2That this House recognises the invaluable service provided to British troops in the Ypres Salient by those at Talbot House from 1915 onwards; notes the way in which Talbot House provided these troops with a refuge where they could have a hot meal, write letters home, have a warm bath, and even be baptised or confirmed, as well as providing a space for variety shows; applauds the work of the Talbot House Trustees and the Anglo-Belgium Association in maintaining the house for visitors and ensuring that the heritage of Talbot House lives on; further recognises the significant historical importance of Talbot House and the importance of remembering the role it played in the war for off-duty troops; and calls on the Government to pledge financial support to Talbot House so it too can properly be recognised as part of the Great War centenary.
571 UK CITIZENS AFFECTED BY 2013 LEVY ON CYPRIOT BANK DEPOSITS 26:11:14
2That this House deplores the actions of the Cypriot government in allowing the bank accounts of British citizens to be raided in 2013; notes that a number of law-abiding citizens were unfairly affected; condemns the actions of Laiki Bank in particular, and the unacceptable way in which it has dealt with complaints since the merging with the Bank of Cyprus; and calls on the Government to make its case to the Cypriot government.