Session 2014-15
House of Commons
5th February 2015
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
697 HEALTH CARE AND ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONS (S. I., 2014, No. 3139) 15:1:15
6That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (Fees) (Amendment) Rules Order of Council 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 3139), dated 26 November 2014, a copy of which was laid before this House on 1 December, be annulled
730 CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION WEEK 2015 26:1:15
50That this House notes that 25 to 31 January 2015 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which is aimed at raising awareness of the causes and symptoms of cervical cancer and improving prevention efforts; further notes that eight women are diagnosed with, and three women die from, cervical cancer every day, despite the fact that it is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and cervical screening; further notes that, although all women aged 25 to 64 are invited to a free cervical screening test every three to five years, over 20 per cent, particularly those from disadvantaged areas, do not attend for screening; asks that relevant community and age-specific information is made available to women about cervical cancer symptoms, prevention and related issues; recognises what it considers to be the excellent work of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust in supporting women and their families; and asks hon. Members, clinicians and policymakers to join the fight to eradicate cervical cancer.
731 EYE HEALTH RESEARCH 26:1:15
31That this House expresses concern that funding for eye health research has hit crisis point; notes that already more than 40 people lose their sight every day in Britain, currently less than two per cent of combined national medical research funding is spent on the eye and that some three million over 65s, equating to one in six elderly people, will have a degree of sight loss by 2050 that will have a significant impact on their daily lives; further notes that sight loss currently costs the UK economy £22 billion annually and many of the 3.8 million people living with diabetes are at serious risk of poor eye health; and calls on the Government to make eye health a higher priority in the UK.
734 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING SYSTEM 26:1:15
45That this House condemns the Government's unfair cuts to local authorities; notes that between 2010-11 and 2015-16 the councils covering the 10 most deprived areas of England as measured by the index of multiple deprivation are losing £782 on average per household while the councils covering the least deprived areas are losing on average £48; further notes that the Audit Commission has confirmed that councils in the most deprived areas have seen substantially greater reductions in Government funding as a share of revenue expenditure than councils in less deprived areas; and calls on the Government to introduce a fairer funding system for local government in the next local government finance settlement.
735 PROTECTION OF ABORTION SERVICES 26:1:15
20That this House is extremely concerned about the threatening and intimidating behaviour exhibited by anti-abortion activists targeting clinics; draws attention to the relentless protests outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service Clinic in Blackfriars, where activists carrying enormous, disturbing and graphic posters are continuously menacing staff and patients; notes that activists are handing expectant mothers horrifying leaflets and filming conversations with members of the public without asking for consent; further notes that the activists have disguised their activities as prayer vigils, or as peaceful protests, but in reality they are taking advantage of the protections afforded to these activities; is concerned that police have not acted in fear of interfering with protesting rights; recognises that these groups are legally entitled to protest; feels that these particular protests are tantamount to harassment; and demands that the police act immediately to protect the clinic and enforce a buffer zone.
739 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND NET MIGRATION TARGETS 27:1:15
68That this House recognises the enormous cultural, academic and economic contribution that international students studying at UK universities make to the country; is concerned at the dramatic drop in students enrolling to study at UK universities from some of the UK's major international trading partners; believes that the public does not generally view international students to be migrants and does not wish to see their number reduced; and urges the Government to exclude university students from efforts to bear down on immigration including by removing university students from any target to reduce net migration.
743 NHS DIABETES INFORMATION PRESCRIPTIONS 28:1:15
22That this House supports the NHS recommendation that GPs give diabetic patients A4 print-outs detailing necessary steps in managing their condition effectively; is concerned that only a third of people with diabetes have their condition under good control; commends innovative measures, like this one, taken by the NHS to improve that figure; and calls on the Government to consider further steps to assist patients in managing their conditions, such as recruiting more specialised nursing staff for community hospitals and GP surgeries.
744 PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY OF THE DRAFT HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY (MITOCHONDRIAL DONATION) REGULATIONS 2015 28:1:15
16That this House expresses its support for families with inherited conditions such as mitochondrial disease; welcomes the ongoing work across the four administrations on the UK Rare Diseases Strategy; further expresses concern that the Government appears to want Parliament to endorse the draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 before all preclinical safety checks recommended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have been properly concluded and peer-reviewed; notes that there has been a lack of consultative engagement with people in Northern Ireland regarding the regulations compared with the rest of the UK; calls on the Government to address the safety concerns raised by a range of eminent scientists; further calls on the Government to confirm with the European Commission and the European Court of Justice that the regulations are fully compliant with the Clinical Trials Directive and further to confirm their compliance with UK law; and further notes that a motion expressing concern about the regulations is being considered for full debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
745 MILK PRICES AND THE POWERS OF THE GROCERIES CODE ADJUDICATOR 29:1:15
12That this House notes with great concern the negative consequences that falling milk prices are having on British dairy farmers; and further notes that the Prime Minister outlined at Prime Minister's Questions on 21 January that the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) will be given the power to levy fines, and that the Government will look to see if the GCA's remit can be extended so it can look more closely at the UK's vital dairy industry and those organisations involved.
746 THE BIG RIDE FOR PALESTINIAN CHILDREN 29:1:15
21That this House salutes Red Spokes for organising the Big Ride, a sponsored bicycle ride by some 1,000 cyclists from Edinburgh to London to be held from 1 to 9 August to raise money for the Middle East Children's Alliance, a non-profit organisation which is dedicated to helping deprived children who are war victims in Gaza; and hopes that not only will this venture be financially successful but will draw increased attention to the plight of Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank.
748 SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN BURMA 29:1:15
20That this House condemns the rape and murder of Maran Lu Ra, aged 20 and Tangbau Hkawn Nan Tsin, 21, by members of the Burma Army; notes that these two women were Kachin teachers working with the Kachin Baptist Convention; further notes that local police have taken no action; further notes that the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand has documented over 70 cases of gang-rape, rape and attempted sexual violence by Burma Army troops in Kachin and northern Shan states since the Burma Army broke a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army in June 2011; also notes that the government of Burma signed the Declaration to End Sexual Violence in Conflict last year but has failed to implement its provisions; calls on the Government to urge the government of Burma to stop immediately the military offensives in these ethnic areas and bring the perpetrators of sexual violence to justice; and further calls on the Prime Minister to enact provisions in the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative to send a team of experts to Burma to hold an inquiry and investigate this case.
749 NAMING OF PIETER SCHELTE VESSEL 2:2:15
11That this House notes that Shell UK Ltd has awarded the Swiss-based Allseas Group SA the contract for the removal, transportation and load-in to shore of the topsides of three of its Brent platforms that are situated on the UK Continental Shelf; further notes that Allseas will use its newest vessel the Pieter Schelte for the task; further notes that the vessel operates under a Panamanian flag of convenience and is named after the Company owner Edward Heerema's father who served as a Waffen SS officer and was jailed for war crimes at the end of the war; further notes that events were recently held throughout the UK to commemorate the Holocaust and crimes committed against humanity during the war; believes that communities throughout the UK will be outraged that a vessel named in honour of a Nazi officer is to be utilised in the North Sea; and calls on the UK and Scottish Governments to protest to Allseas Group SA and Shell UK Ltd with the demand that until such times as there is a change of name, this vessel does not operate.
750 CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE UNFCCC COP21 2:2:15
10That this House believes that climate change is one of the greatest threats of our generation; urges the Government to agree to legally binding targets at the 21st Session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in Paris later this year to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; and further believes that the Government should work with its international partners to ensure that both developed and developing nations do the same and accept their common but differentiated responsibilities to stop the planet warming by more than two degrees.
751 ATTACK ON MR ALAN BARNES AND FUNDRAISING BY MS KATIE CUTLER 2:2:15
26That this House recognises, thanks and congratulates the magnificent initiative of Ms Katie Cutler, and the response of the people of Gateshead, the North East and the UK, which has raised over £300,000 so far, to the vicious and callous assault on Mr Alan Barnes who was attacked and had his collarbone broken outside his home on 25 January 2015; and believes Ms Cutler's initiative and the public response demonstrates the very best in human nature and has provided a wonderful opportunity for the community to assist Mr Barnes.
754 WAGE INEQUALITY 3:2:15
9That this House notes that the average FTSE 100 CEO is now paid 143 times as much as their average employee; recalls that as recently as 1998 this ratio was only 47 to 1; further notes that in some cases in the UK this ratio is now as high as 800 to 1; is aware that this is happening at a time when average wages are little better than stagnant; is concerned that such inequality damages the social fabric and indeed democracy itself; believes that such inequalities, which have only recently developed, have no economic justification; further notes that the High Pay Centre has called for a debate on more radical measures to address the widening income discrepancy in the UK, including introducing a maximum pay ratio and appointing workers' representatives to company boards; commends Switzerland for offering its people a vote, in November 2013, on capping executive pay at 12 times what the lowest-paid worker at a company received; and urges the Government to consider measures that would reduce such gross inequalities in the future.
755 CANCER CHARITIES IN THE UK 3:2:15
20That this House notes that every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer; further notes that within an individual's lifetime risk of cancer is predicted to rise in the future; further notes that the UK's cancer survival rates still lag behind best performing countries in Europe making it vital that we do more to improve outcomes for patients; praises the work of charities such as Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support for the sterling work they do in this field; and calls on the Government to give such charities whatever help necessary to aid them in their efforts.
756 MEANS TESTING FOR FEMALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 3:2:15
14That this House believes all women suffering domestic violence should have the right to safe accommodation when at risk of harm; notes that employed women are means tested at the point they attempt to access accommodation resulting in some women having to self-fund their time in refuges; further notes that domestic violence often includes financial abuse that prevents some women from having access to money; believes women's immediate safety should be prioritised above their ability to access private funds at a time of personal crisis and serious risk of physical harm; further believes that the Government's call to end violence against women and girls: strategic vision should recognise the risks posed by means testing employed women; and calls for the means testing for eligibility of public funding to include an assessment of the economic impact of abusive and controlling relationships.
757 DEFENCE SPENDING 3:2:15
27That this House believes that the UK faces a growing and ever more complex range of current and future threats, many of which were unforeseen, such as the Ukrainian crisis; calls on the next Government to adopt effective and properly resourced diplomatic, development and defence policies to meet these threats; and supports the UK devoting at least two per cent of its gross domestic product to defence, including a one per cent per annum increase in the defence equipment budget.
758 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN BURUNDI 3:2:15
14That this House expresses deep concern about the arrest of Bob Rugurika, Burundian journalist and director of the African Public Radio (Radio Publique Africaine), on several criminal charges, including conspiracy to murder, following his interview of a man claiming to have participated in the recent murder of three Italian nuns and who implicated senior state officials in the crime; calls for his immediate release and for all charges against him to be dropped; further calls for charges pressed in May 2014 against prominent human rights defender Pierre Claver Mbonimpa following comments he made on the radio about allegations that youth groups affiliated with Burundi's ruling party were receiving arms and military training, and which include threatening state security, to be dropped; is alarmed by the enduring deterioration of the political climate, the increasing clampdown on political dissent and fundamental freedoms and the subsequent risk of destabilisation of Burundi, ahead of the elections planned later this year; and further calls on the Government to make firm and direct representations and to press for continued, strong representations by the EU and the UN on the matter of these arrests and on the issue of the persistent intimidation and harassment of political opponents, journalists and human rights activists in Burundi.
759 PETER GRESTE AND IMPRISONED EGYPTIAN JOURNALISTS 3:2:15
20That this House welcomes the release of Al-Jazeera journalist, Peter Greste, after 400 days in an Egyptian jail; commends the efforts of all those in Britain and internationally who have helped to raise the repression of journalists in Egypt, including the National Union of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists; continues to urge the Egyptian authorities to release Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamad along with the 10 local journalists who remain imprisoned; remains deeply concerned about the treatment of domestic journalists who are being targeted, threatened and attacked by the Egyptian government simply for trying to do their jobs; and calls on the Government to continue to make representations to bring to an end this travesty of justice and freedom of the press.
760 SIR PETER HAYMAN 3:2:15
3That this House condemns the deliberate cover-up of the unnatural sexual proclivities of senior civil servant Sir Peter Hayman by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1980; deplores that the damning security services report into his behaviour, which stretched back to at least 1966, was kept secret on the instructions of the then Prime Minister Thatcher and has only now been revealed through media pressure; notes that Hayman was a member of the notorious Paedophile Information Exchange which preyed on children and kept voluminous and explicit records of his sexual activities and fantasies, many of them involving children, that he also posted pornography to himself in Canada, a crime which was discovered, but he allowed a junior member of staff to take the blame; and calls on the Government to posthumously strip the 1971 honour given to this deeply dishonourable man.
761 DISABILITY MATTERS PROGRAMME 3:2:15
18That this House welcomes the launch of the Disability Matters programme, an innovative new programme aiming to tackle the inequalities that disabled children and young people face in their daily lives by providing free, practical online resources for those who work or engage with disabled children, young people and their families; calls on UK employers to support their workforce to be disability aware in light of a recent survey by the Disability Matters programme, which found that a quarter of British adults were not confident communicating with disabled children; notes that survey also found that 86 per cent of British adults say, if they had a disabled child, they would worry they would find it harder to get a job; and further notes that the Disability Matters programme will help everyone to reflect on their own attitudes and to improve their communication and problem-solving skills around the challenges and barriers that disabled people and their families face in their lives.
762 PASSENGER SAFETY AND PRIVATE HIRE INDUSTRY REGULATION 3:2:15
17That this House is concerned that Smartphone apps such as Über are circumventing the law governing the taxi and minicab industry; supports the existing regulations whereby private hire vehicles (PHVs) may only pick up passengers when pre-booked rather than from a rank or in response to being hailed; recognises that such regulations provide passengers with important safety protections against unregulated drivers who have not undergone extensive criminal record and medical checks, or had to pass a formal taxi driving assessment like licensed taxi drivers; welcomes Transport for London's public opposition to any move to confuse the distinction between the two services; notes with concern that, in spite of this, Transport for London is failing to carry out its licensing and enforcement functions and is allowing PHVs to operate within the immediate hire market; believes that this is primarily due to the absence of a statutory definition of plying for hire; further believes that this will undermine public confidence in a safe and secure licensing regime and will ultimately undermine the viability of the current taxi service; and calls on the Government to bring forward urgent legislation which provides such a clear statutory definition to protect the distinction between taxis and PHVs.
763 BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION 3:2:15
20That this House is aware of the work of the British Heart Foundation which continually promotes an understanding of heart defects and disease, particularly amongst the young in our society; applauds their efforts in raising enormous amounts of money to fund essential life-saving medical research; calls on the Government to positively respond to their magnificent efforts by matching this excellent organisation's 2015 total of funds raised.
764 GLENCORE MINING 3:2:15
18That this House expresses concern at the actions of Glencore, the global mining company, with specific reference to the lockout of 450 workers at the Glencore-owned profitable Sherwin alumina plant in Gregory, Texas; further expresses concern that Glencore are being investigated by the US National Labor Relations Board with regard to unfair treatment of workers; notes that the Sherwin plant is being investigated by the US National Labor Relations Board under a charge of unfair labour practices; and urges Glencore to act to end the lockout by returning to negotiations with the workers.
765 SAFE NURSE STAFFING LEVELS 4:2:15
5That this House commends the Safe Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill, being brought forward in the Welsh Assembly by the Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, which aims to ensure that there is a safe number of nurses at all times on Welsh hospital wards; and notes that similar legislation in other countries has brought huge benefits to patients and nurses, including a reduction in mortality rates, shorter hospital stays, lower re-admission rates, fewer medication errors and fewer hospital-acquired infections.
766 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS 4:2:15
7That this House is aware that the Government’s own statistics show that the average primary school teacher works for at least 60 hours per week, a workload which has increased by 10 per cent since 2010, with many of those employed in this field considering leaving their profession; notes that much of this increase is connected with high levels of administration and accountability programmes which deflect teachers away from their tasks of educating children in their care; and calls on the Government to respond to teaching trade unions who recently advocated an eight-step programme in response to the Education Department’s Workload Challenge survey.
767 LLANERCH COLLIERY DISASTER 6 FEBRUARY 1890 4:2:15
10That this House notes that 6 February 2015 commemorates the 125th anniversary of the explosion at the Llanerch Colliery, Abersychan, Pontypool, when 176 men and boys lost their lives; and takes this opportunity to pay tribute to those thousands of people who have sacrificed their lives in the coal mining industry in this country.
768 FIREFIGHTER AND POLICE PENSIONS 4:2:15
10That this House notes that public service firefighters and police officers who retired in a period from 1998 to 2006 were significantly and knowingly disadvantaged by the failure by the Government Actuary's Department, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office to secure up-to-date actuarial valuations in respect of pension entitlements surrendered on retirement; further notes that maladministration in this matter was established in 2008; further notes that since then the Government Actuary's Department has acted in bad faith by adopting delaying tactics, including a dubious and failed legal challenge to the authority of the Pensions Ombudsman, thereby causing lengthy and unnecessary delay to the resolution of this matter and occasioning a situation whereby many of those affected have not or will not live sufficiently long to see this injustice corrected; and calls on the named departments to accept the imminent ruling by the Pensions Ombudsman and take immediate steps to pay any recommended awards.
769 UNSAFE STREETS 4:2:15
7That this House is aware that in today's modern society, streets are rapidly becoming hostile to the vulnerable in local communities because of fast-moving traffic, inappropriate street architecture, parking and inadequate design; notes that according to recent research half of over 65 year olds feel unsafe around traffic; and calls on the Government to recognise the needs of senior citizens and the vulnerable by bringing together, via planning regulations and guidance, measures to reduce traffic speeds in built-up areas, longer pedestrian crossing times, greater restrictions on pavement parking and the introduction of other measures to make the UK's streets easier to negotiate.
770 SIXTH FORM COLLEGES 4:2:15
7That this House, recognising that sixth form colleges provide better value for money by delivering better outcomes, providing a wider range of courses and educating more disadvantaged students than schools and academies at a lower cost to the public finances, urges the Government to reduce the huge and unfair inequality in funding which exists between the different types of 16 to 18 providers by refunding the VAT and insurance costs of sixth form colleges, as they do for schools and academies, and also to give them 100 per cent capital grant for their buildings, as they do for schools and academies, so that all 16 to 18 year olds receive the same level of investment in their education irrespective of where they study.
772 HEARING LOSS 4:2:15
15That this House is aware that hearing loss is a serious health condition which can and often does have a significant adverse impact on people's health, wellbeing and quality of life, with at present an estimated 10 million people in the UK with such a health prognosis facing the risks of developing other conditions such as dementia or depression; recognises that NHS audiology services provide vital support for people who suffer hearing loss and related adverse conditions, allowing them to retain their independence, maintain relationships and stay in employment, giving them the essential support to help them cope; notes the World Health Organisation's predictions that by 2030 adult onset hearing loss will be in the top 10 disease burdens in the UK; acknowledges the forthcoming publication of the National Action Plan on Hearing Loss; but calls on the Government to request the NHS to commission NICE to prioritise the immediate development of a hearing loss clinical guideline to establish and maintain quality standards for patients suffering hearing loss.
773 GLOBAL DIVESTMENT DAY 4:2:15
5That this House welcomes the growing fossil fuel divestment movement in the UK, consisting of universities, churches, institutions, pension holders and other individuals demonstrating climate leadership by withdrawing financial support from the fossil fuel industry; further welcomes Global Divestment Day taking place on 13 and 14 February 2015; recalls that in June 2014 British Medical Association members voted to end investments in the fossil-fuel industry and increase investment in renewable energy, because of the serious health threat posed by unmitigated climate change; notes the Unhealthy Investments report from UK health-based non-governmental organisations, which calls for other health organisations to end investment in the 200 largest publicly-listed fossil fuel companies, over a period of five years; acknowledges the work of Carbon Tracker in highlighting financial risks of investment in high-carbon assets and the carbon bubble; further notes that the Governor of the Bank of England is among numerous high-profile figures agreeing that the vast majority of fossil fuel companies' reserves cannot be burned if the internationally agreed goal of limiting global temperatures to below two degrees above pre-industrial levels is to be achieved; considers that hon. Members have a responsibility to demonstrate leadership on climate change; and calls on the Trustees of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Scheme to quantify and review the Fund's investments in fossil fuel industries in light of both their contribution to advancing climate change and the risks facing those industries from effective climate regulation.