Session 2014-15
House of Commons
5th 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
544 HUMAN RIGHTS IN ERITREA 24:11:14
38That 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.
548 SCOTTISH SUNDAY MAIL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTING 25:11:14
21That 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
27That 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.
557 DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY MAINTENANCE WORK 26:11:14
14That 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.
559 CHRISTIANS IN PAKISTAN 26:11:14
22That 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.
561 EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS AT SODEXO 26:11:14
23That 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.
564 NORTH KOREA AND HUMAN RIGHTS 26:11:14
23That 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
19That 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.
573 YOUNG WORKERS AND LEVEL OF NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE 27:11:14
33That 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.
582 UK TEXTILE INDUSTRY 1:12:14
20That 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.
584 REDUCTIONS IN STAFFING ON EAST COAST AND GREAT WESTERN RAIL SERVICES 1:12:14
27That 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
29That 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.
586 JOHN'S CAMPAIGN AND THE RIGHT TO STAY WITH DEMENTIA PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL 2:12:14
24That this House notes that there are 800,000 people in the UK with dementia and that one in three people over the age of 65 will develop the condition; praises the families and carers of patients with dementia who are vulnerable and can often be distressed and disoriented; further notes an article in The Observer newspaper on 30 November 2014 by Nicci Gerrard whose father, Dr John Gerrard, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in his mid-seventies and died in November 2014; further notes that his family were restricted in the amount of time they were able to spend with him in hospital when he was admitted in February 2014 for a separate condition; further notes that his family were not able to provide a continuation of his normal life when in hospital, such as talking and reading to him and that as a result when he came out of hospital his Alzheimer's had worsened; and calls on the Government to support the same rights for families and carers of dementia sufferers as parents of sick children and allow for family representatives to stay with the patients at any time of the day as dementia sufferers can struggle to understand and communicate with strangers in unusual surroundings.
587 SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT IN BURMA 2:12:14
20That this House condemns the continuing use of rape as a weapon of war and the recent escalation in military attacks in Kachin, Northern Shan and Karen States; notes the recent report by the Women's League for Burma detailing evidence of the continuing use of rape and sexual violence; calls for a nationwide ceasefire and an end to the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war by the Burmese army; further calls on the Government to urge the government of Burma to engage in genuine political dialogue with ethnic nationalities without preconditions; further calls on the Government to urge the government of Burma to uphold its obligations under international law to end impunity and ensure accountability; further calls on the Government to urge the government of Burma to amend the constitution of that country to remove the current disqualification of Burmese citizens with foreign children becoming President; further calls on the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict to address the issues in Burma highlighted by the Women's League for Burma's Report; and further calls on the Government to support an independent international investigation into rape and sexual violence in Burma and to provide funding to women's organisations from Burma which document sexual violence by the Burmese army and assist survivors.
590 HUMANIST MARRIAGES 2:12:14
18That this House supports humanists and their right to a legal marriage ceremony which reflects their beliefs and is performed by someone who shares them; urges the Government to lay down regulations for legislation of humanist marriage in a timely manner; notes that this would be a modest reform in line with existing marriage laws for Jews and Quakers and not a fundamental change; recalls the Government's pledge to support strong and stable families and its support for the institution of marriage; believes humanist marriage would greatly strengthen families in England and Wales by allowing couples to start their lives together in a deeply meaningful and personal ceremony; further notes the experience of humanist marriage in Scotland where its introduction led to a net increase in marriage in the context of a general decline; and encourages the Government to support humanists' rights to have independent legal wedding ceremonies outside registry offices like those allowed for persons of religious belief.
592 ENABLE SCOTLAND'S BETHECHANGE CAMPAIGN 3:12:14
5That this House welcomes the launch of Enable Scotland's new campaign, #BeTheChange, and supports its core aim to challenge bullying and eliminate offensive language about people with a learning disability; notes that Enable Scotland is a member-led charity of and for people with a learning disability, who told Enable Scotland it was time to challenge this hateful language experienced by 90 per cent of them; recognises the need for a campaign specifically focusing on anti-bullying measures for people with a learning disability; understands that the #BeTheChange campaign will encompass two main strands, a school resource for teachers to raise awareness and promote positive attitudes to learning disability and a public awareness campaign to tackle abusive language in wider society; acknowledges that the #BeTheChange campaign is the culmination of two years of Enable's work towards developing a learning disability-specific anti-bullying campaign with support from other key partners; and encourages people to take the #BeTheChange challenge and declare that they will help to end the use of abusive language towards people with learning disabilities.
593 INTERSERVE CLEANERS AT WATERLOO STATION 3:12:14
9That this House is concerned at the comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations between the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and cleaning contractors, Interserve at Waterloo Station which has resulted in industrial action; is dismayed that the breakdown results from the unwarranted victimisation and dismissal of RMT members, ignorance of basic employment rights and failure to follow agreed procedures by Interserve, the underpayment of wages and the bullying and harassment of staff; notes that Interserve is contracted to work at Waterloo Station by Network Rail, a publicly-owned company; supports the demands for dignity and respect at work and for the London Living Wage to be the minimum paid to any employee in London; calls on Interserve to work to resolve this dispute; and further calls on Network Rail to bring pressure to bear on Interserve and also to bring these workers back in-house as the best means of protecting their employment rights.
594 VAT AND THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR 3:12:14
7That this House notes the continuing problems faced by the hospitality sector across the UK; further notes the differential in VAT rates across Europe; and calls on the Government to recognise the beneficial effect of a VAT reduction in the hospitality sector, not just for business owners and customers, but to the wider economy as a whole as the nation seeks to move out of recession, and to implement such a reduction in advance of the 2015 tourist season.
595 DAIRY COUNCIL CEREMONY OF THE CHRISTMAS CHEESES 2014 3:12:14
3That this House congratulates The Dairy Council in staging the 2014 Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, which forms the beginning of the Chelsea Pensioners' traditional Christmas celebrations; further congratulates in-pensioner, Ray Pearson, who was given the honour of cutting the cheese at this historic ceremony; notes that dairy products are a nutrient-rich food for people of all ages as part of a balanced diet; welcomes the work of the Royal Hospital in ensuring that dairy products play an important role in the diet of the Chelsea Pensioners; and calls on the Department of Health to take steps to promote the consumption of nutrient-rich food such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.
596 COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS 3:12:14
7That this House expresses great satisfaction that nearly 1,000 Commonwealth citizens will take-up Commonwealth Scholarships funded by the Government in the 2015-16 academic year; congratulates the young recipients on their success in gaining such awards; underlines the distinctive importance of the scheme for Commonwealth visibility and cohesion, for its central place in soft-power strategies for extending UK international influence and promoting democratic values and for the outstanding contribution that alumni make to economic and social advancement in developing countries; welcomes the promising start made by the new Endowment Fund providing Commonwealth Scholarships in low- and middle-income countries; and calls on the Government both to maintain its level of support for the plan in real terms and to promote it among the UK's partners when Commonwealth education ministers meet in the Bahamas in June 2015.
597 HUMANIST MARRIAGES IN THE UK 3:12:14
7That this House is aware that the Government has recently concluded its consultation on whether to give legal recognition to humanist marriages in the UK; notes that in Scotland people are able to choose marriages which accord with such deeply-held beliefs; believes that the legal recognition of humanist marriages would be uncontroversial and would remove unreasonable unfair restrictions and disparities which currently exist in different parts of Britain; and calls on the Government to act sensibly and swiftly in its determination on this matter.
598 BREAKTHROUGH BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN AND ACCESS TO LIFE-EXTENDING DRUGS 3:12:14
7That this House is aware of the organisation Breakthrough Breast Cancer's demand for a fair price campaign which calls for fairer access for sufferers of cancer to life-extending drugs; notes that although many of the treatments are very expensive and consequently have been rejected for routine use by the NHS, in England many are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund, a body whose tenure is due to expire in 2016; acknowledges that the Government controls the nation's drugs budget and negotiates with the pharmaceutical industry on pricing across Britain; and calls on the Government to work with the NHS, industry and charitable organisations to find a long-term solution to ensure that a person’s life cannot simply be priced away on any simple cost analysis.
599 CONTINUED DETENTION OF ANDARGACHEW TSEGE 3:12:14
20That this House remains extremely concerned about the case of British citizen and Ethiopian political opposition activist Andargachew Tsege, abducted on 23 June 2014 while in transit in Sana'a airport, Yemen, on his way to Eritrea and extradited to Ethiopia; is very disappointed that after more than five months in detention, his whereabouts are still unknown and meaningful consular access has not been facilitated by the Ethiopian government; notes that over the past decade Human Rights Watch and other domestic and international human rights organisations have documented patterns of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest and detention, ill-treatment and torture in many official and unofficial detention facilities throughout Ethiopia; is dismayed that the Ethiopian government has not provided an unequivocal guarantee that it will not carry out the death penalty imposed in previous in absentia proceedings; calls on the Government to do more to ensure that it obtains regular consular access and that Mr Tsege receives a fair trial; and further calls on the Government to review its aid programme to Ethiopia, including any funding given to the security sector, as a matter of urgency.
600 BRITISH BEER AND PUB ASSOCIATION 3:12:14
15That this House condemns the disgraceful campaign of misinformation by the pubcos' trade association, the British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA) who are misrepresenting Clause 42 in the Small Business, Employment and Enterprise Bill and falsely presenting predictions of its effect; notes that BBPA have misrepresented predictions of the discredited London Economics study by claiming that study said it 'would' lead to closures when it says 'may', that they have presented only the top figure of a scale of predictions that are misrepresenting these figures when they do not actually apply to Clause 42 but were based on immediate MRO; further notes this report was exposed as being based on 'confidential data' supplied by pubcos and that the conclusions are invalid in failing to understand the legal position of leases; further notes previous false and misleading statements made by the BBPA in 2013 including by the Chief Executive to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and claiming on television that the Government's own figures show that there are more pubs that are closing that are free-of-tie than that are closing that are tied, when the reality is that the Government had no pub closure figures, nor do CGA Strategy collect pub closure figures; believes the BBPA is now thoroughly discredited and not trusted in Westminster and Whitehall and as such can no longer fulfil its role as a representative body; and calls on BBPA members to review their membership and for the BBPA to be replaced by a new credible association.
601 EU BAN ON INDIAN MANGOES 4:12:14
4That this House welcomes reports that the EU's ban on the importation of Indian mangoes may soon be lifted, following an investigation by the EU's Food and Veterinary Office; is deeply concerned that this ban has had a devastating impact on businesses in the UK and India; notes the importance of this report, with no revision otherwise permitted until December 2015; and calls on the Government to support the removal of this importation ban.
602 WASTEWATER NETWORK BLOCKAGES 4:12:14
6That this House congratulates Welsh Water on its Let's Stop the Block Campaign which aims to reduce the number of everyday items being put down toilets which can cause environmental damage and increase the risk of sewage flooding in homes; notes that it costs Welsh Water £7 million and 28,000 staff hours a year to clear blockages in its wastewater network; further notes that costs for other water utility companies could be significantly higher; commends water companies running similar campaigns in their operating areas to help protect both the environment and customers; and calls on the Government to urge manufacturers properly to label goods such as wet wipes, nappies and cotton buds that are causing the blockages.
603 PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND READING 4:12:14
3That this House is appalled that one in four children in England cannot read well at age 11 and that the damning statistic rises sharply to two in five among low-income families; commends the report by the campaigning group Read On, Get On in highlighting this failure; notes that some areas and constituencies in the country, like London, come out well, whereas Bradford West is in the lowest 25 per cent of achievers; believes that the likelihood of being able to read well should not be determined by income or postcode; points to the example of the London Challenge, which dramatically increased educational outcomes in secondary pupils in the capital; and calls on the Government to form a similar challenge to ensure that all primary children, whatever their background, circumstances or location, are able to read well as they leave primary school.
604 DEMOCRACY AND ELECTIONS IN TUNISIA 4:12:14
9That this House welcomes the democratic progress in Tunisia, standing proud as the guardians of the Arab Spring in North Africa; recognises the important milestones of peaceful and credible elections in October and November 2014 and anticipates a further such second-round presidential ballot in December 2014; congratulates all those who have participated in Tunisia's democratic process; notes the security and economic challenges which Tunisia continues to face; and calls on the Government and the international community to continue supporting these areas as well as the consolidation of the democratic process, including through the work of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and other such organisations.
605 ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS (S. I., 2014, No. 2916) 5:12:14
3That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2916), dated 4 November 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 6 November, be annulled.