Session 2014-15
House of Commons
1st December 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
238That 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.
540 LEWIS HAMILTON'S SECOND F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 24:11:14
18That 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
22That 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.
543 FOR OUR DAUGHTERS CAMPAIGN 24:11:14
25That 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
31That 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.
546 WORK-RELATED STRESS AMONGST PRISON OFFICERS 25:11:14
12That 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
12That 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
12That 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.
551 COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS 26:11:14
10That 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
8That 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.
556 ROYAL MAIL UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION AND OFCOM 26:11:14
18That 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.
558 GOVERNMENT PRACTICE IN TABLING MOTIONS FOR MONEY RESOLUTIONS 26:11:14
37That 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
8That 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
10That 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.
563 RETAINING THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION IN RURAL AREAS 26:11:14
11That 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
10That 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
7That 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
8That 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
7That 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.
570 TALBOT HOUSE AT POPERINGE 26:11:14
7That 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.
572 EDUCATION (S. I., 2014, No. 2765) 27:11:14
9That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2765), dated 14 October 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 16 October, be annulled.
573 YOUNG WORKERS AND LEVEL OF NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE 27:11:14
11That this House condemns the epidemic of zero-hours contracts and low pay for workers in the UK; regrets that the current national minimum wage is set at just £5.31 for 18 to 20 year olds, £3.79 for 16 to 17 year olds and just £2.73 for apprentices; notes that workers under 21 years old are disproportionately employed in highly casualised sectors where zero-hours contracts are frequently used; further notes that this prevents many young workers from being able to budget from week-to-week or save for their futures; believes that employers should not be able to exploit young people in this way and that legislation must ensure that no worker has to work on a zero-hours contract; and calls for the adult rate for the national minimum wage to apply to every worker of 16 years of age and above, except on the basis of proven inability to pay, following full disclosure of company profits and executive pay levels.
574 SAM BURGESS AND BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF 2014 27:11:14
2That this House is dismayed by the exclusion of England rugby league player Sam Burgess from this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year; recognises the incredible 18 months Sam has had in international rugby league with England during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and in the National Rugby League in Australia, culminating in his winning the man of the match Clive Churchill medal during the 2014 NRL Grand Final, the toughest rugby competition of either code and one of the most watched TV programmes on Australian television in 2014; further recognises that Sam is a genuine public personality appearing regularly in broadcast and print media, he was the first British player to be named Rugby League International Federation Player of the Year and has been placed on the six-man Golden Boot Shortlist for a second consecutive year; notes other footballers on the shortlist play their sport in competitions outside the UK; therefore fails to understand the rationale behind his exclusion; calls on rugby league fans to email BBC Sport to make their feelings known; and supports the campaign for rugby league fans to boycott the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and to refuse to vote unless he is included in the shortlist.
575 LONDON CITY AIRPORT 28:11:14
10That this House notes with concern proposed measures by City of London Airport to revise flight paths in and out of the airport; recognises that, under the proposals, air traffic will be concentrated over a narrower corridor, affecting many residents profoundly; further notes the lamentable lack of engagement with elected representatives and residents' groups; and calls on City Airport to devise a more equitable solution to address the distribution of aircraft noise.
577 SCHOOL STANDARDS AND FRAMEWORK 28:11:14
5That the draft School Admission Code, which was laid before this House on 30 October 2014, be not made.
579 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING 28:11:14
2That this House believes that under the guise of austerity, central government is slowly but surely putting an end to local government as we know it; notes that from 2010-11 to 2015-16 core central government funding to local authorities has been slashed by 40 per cent whilst local government responsibilities increase; further notes that demand for council services is growing and that people are suffering under government policies harming the poorest and most disadvantaged such as the bedroom tax, cuts to tax credits and benefits and the increase in VAT; further notes the recent National Audit Office report criticising the Government for failing to properly assess the effects of further cuts to funding of councils by central government and the cross-party Local Government Association warning over plans to stop funding local welfare assistance schemes that 'If the Government pulls the plug on funding, many local authorities will be unable to afford to make up the difference at a time when we are tackling the biggest cuts to council funding in living memory', which will cause three-quarters of councils to scale back or scrap their schemes; and therefore calls for the cuts to local government funding to be reversed and for local government to be protected from further cuts to enable local authorities to provide cherished community services as well as vital social services such as support for looked-after children, care-leavers, users of adult social care, older people, homeless people, low-income families in crisis, disabled people, those with special educational needs and emergency help to survivors of domestic violence.
580 VICTOR AKINBILE 28:11:14
4That this House applauds the Serjeant at Arms on his appointment of Victor Akinbile, the first ethnic minority representative from the office of the Serjeant at Arms to sit in the House of Commons chamber in parliamentary history; and supports further measures to increase diversity in House of Commons staff, whilst continuing to hire on merit, to reflect the multiculturalism of the UK.
581 FUNDING FOR CHILD CONTACT CENTRES 28:11:14
6That this House commends the work carried out by the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC); applauds the safety and quality of the national network of 403 child contact centres and their invaluable work in providing safe environments for children, parents and carers to have contact during difficult family situations; notes the NACCC's adaptability during difficult and complex reforms within the family justice system in order to ensure that their member centres continue to provide a stable support system for families in distress; further notes with concern the NACCC's urgent need for core funding in order to continue to provide support, organisation and development for contact centres across the UK and the families who use them; is deeply concerned at reports that the NACCC will not be able to remain fully functional for long into New Year 2015 unless its funding stream is confirmed by early December 2014; and calls on the Government urgently to review the financial situation of the NACCC in order for the charity to continue to carry out its vital work for the most vulnerable families in society.
582 UK TEXTILE INDUSTRY 1:12:14
5That this House applauds the innovation and creativity of the UK's modern textile industry; congratulates the entrepreneurial leadership and hard-working skilled professionals that make the industry so successful; notes the great contribution that the industry makes to the UK's national wealth and export success; and calls on the Government to offer more assistance to the industry, in particular by offering more support for exports and by addressing the skills gap.
583 GREENHEAD COLLEGE, HUDDERSFIELD 1:12:14
1That this House congratulates the staff and students of Huddersfield's Greenhead College on its having been rated the UK's top sixth form college, ahead of more than 2,000 state and independent schools; notes that Greenhead has been consistently rated Outstanding in Ofsted inspections and was awarded the status of Beacon College by the last administration; and recognises the huge contribution the college makes, along with other award-winning institutions such as Huddersfield University, which was the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2013, in enriching Huddersfield and the surrounding area.
584 REDUCTIONS IN STAFFING ON EAST COAST AND GREAT WESTERN RAIL SERVICES 1:12:14
13That this House notes with concern that government and train operating company plans for implementing the multibillion pound Intercity Express rolling stock programme which will ultimately be funded by the taxpayer and fare-payer could see significant staffing cuts on East Coast and Great Western services; is dismayed that new rolling stock being introduced from 2017 could have the buffet car removed, meaning that hot food and meals will only be available in first class whilst other passengers will be forced to rely on a trolley-only service for long, often crowded, journeys so more seats can be crammed onto inter-city services, and perturbed that this upstairs-downstairs catering service is under consideration when passengers already pay the highest rail fares in Europe; is alarmed that driver only operation is also proposed for this rolling stock which would downgrade the train guard's safety operational role and increase risks to passengers by restricting responsibility for safe operation of the train to the driver; further notes that passenger safety and service will be further jeopardised if the new rolling stock is used as cover for de-staffing stations, particularly train dispatch staff; further notes the threat to skilled maintenance workers' jobs in these proposals which would further impact on passenger safety and service and exacerbate the rail industry skills crisis; and calls on the Government to reject any contracts for East Coast and Great Western services which propose any such cuts to rail staff.
585 CLOSURE OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS 1:12:14
10That this House regrets the latest announcement from Trinity Mirror newspapers that approximately 50 editorial and non-editorial jobs will be lost as seven newspapers in the south of England, including the Harrow Observer, Reading Post and Surrey Herald, are to be closed; notes that the proposals will mean that the county of Berkshire will be served by a digital-only model; further notes that the latest closures come on top of the closure of 150 local newspaper titles since the financial crisis of 2008, with many more reducing the frequency of publication or the range of locally-specific news coverage; is concerned about the loss of such assets to local communities and the important democratic function they serve in reporting on public life including local and national election campaigning; welcomes the recent cross-party stakeholder seminar organised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to consider policy responses; and joins the National Union of Journalists in calling for a short, sharp cross-party and inter-departmental government inquiry into securing a future for the industry, in order to protect the public interest and defend jobs in quality local journalism.