Commons business papers

Contents

Published: Friday 16 October 2020

Early Day Motions tabled on Thursday 15 October 2020

Early Day Motions (EDMs) are motions for which no days have been fixed.

The number of signatories includes all members who have added their names in support of the Early Day Motion (EDM), including the Member in charge of the Motion.

EDMs and added names are also published on the EDM database at www.parliament.uk/edm

[R] Indicates that a relevant interest has been declared.

New EDMs

1016Effect of sodium valproate and foetal valproate syndrome

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Jon Trickett

That this House is concerned that 300 children every year are born with foetal valproate syndrome as a result of the drug sodium valproate being prescribed to women during pregnancy; expresses shock that between 1973 and 2016 no explanation of side effects linked to the drug, such as kidney and heart malformations in children, were provided to these pregnant women before they were prescribed sodium valproate; notes that despite the introduction of a Valproate Toolkit in 2016 to provide information about the drug to patients and healthcare professionals, the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review of July 2020 found that women are still becoming pregnant while on Sodium Valproate without any knowledge of the risks; pays tribute to the work of the Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust for its work raising awareness of this issue; and calls on the Government to apologise to the thousands of families affected and to immediately establish a task force in order to implement the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review 2020 in full.

1017Dr Ken Thomson OBE and Institute of Directors Scotland Director of the Year Awards 2020

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Martyn Day

That this House congratulates Forth Valley College's Principal Dr Ken Thomson OBE who has won the Regional Director, Central Scotland award at the coveted Institute of Directors Scotland Director of the Year Awards 2020; recognises that the awards acknowledge the best in business across 12 key director categories, as well as seven regional and two special awards; further congratulates Mr Thomson who was awarded an OBE for services to education, economic development and the communities of central Scotland in 2019; notes that Mr Thomson was also shortlisted for the Public Sector Director of the Year award at the event; and wishes Mr Thomson and all the winners every success in the UK finals.

1018Brass for Africa

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Owen Thompson

That this House congratulates Brass for Africa on its inspiring work to transform the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in Uganda, Rwanda and Liberia through brass music and life-skills education; applauds the work of the charity's Composer in Residence Alan Fernie in composing and recording a special lockdown piece called As One in support of the charity; notes the inspiring video brings together young musicians from Brass for Africa with Loanhead Brass Roots and Newtongrange Junior Band, all playing from their own homes; and welcomes the ongoing efforts of musicians to use their talents to lift spirits in these difficult times and recognises the huge educational, community and personal benefits of music.

1019East Lothian businessman appointed MBE

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Kenny MacAskill

That this house congratulates Bruce Turner, managing director and chairman at PureMalt in Haddington on receiving an MBE; understands that the award is recognising his services to business and the economy in East Lothian; notes that Bruce started at PureMalt in 1972 and has committed ever since to his team and creating products to be enjoyed across the world; and wishes Bruce and his team at PureMalt all the best for the future.

1020Dunbar resident awarded medal for 40 years of service to the RNLI

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Kenny MacAskill

That this house congratulates Dunbar resident Ian Wilson for being awarded a medal recognising his 40 years of dedication to service to the RNLI; notes that Mr Wilson has served across the UK and has taken part in a number of rescue missions including a mission in East Lothian during dangerous stormy conditions which resulted in the safe return of two young surfers; and understands that Mr Wilson's commitment and hard work as a volunteer over the years has made a positive difference to the communities he has served in and wishes Ian all the best.

1021East Lothian GP appointed MBE

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Kenny MacAskill

That this house congratulates Dunbar resident Dr Carey Jane Lunan GP on being awarded an MBE as part of the Queen's birthday honours; understands that Dr Lunan has been recognised for highlighting that the covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people living in Scotland's most deprived areas and advocated a need to emphasise access to general practice services and care building trust between GPs and patients to allow for greater understanding of the complex challenges that may be faced and supporting patients with the care they need; notes Dr Lunan's contribution in the role that general practice can play in addressing inequalities during the covid-19 pandemic and how her work supported many people across Scotland who required the most support during the challenges that resulted from the pandemic; and wishes her all the best in the future.

1022Drug deaths

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Grahame Morris

That this House is concerned that deaths related to drug poisoning registered in England and Wales rose to a record 4,393 in 2019; notes that two-thirds of drug poisonings are due to drug misuse; further notes that half of the deaths involved an opiate, although cocaine deaths are also rising at an alarming rate; recognises that the highest death rates are in areas suffering greatest deprivation; and calls on the Government to tackle the problem through immediate increased investment in treatment services, encouragement of harm reduction initiatives and expansion of opiate-overdose antidote Naloxone provision.

1023Hertfordshire local government

Tabled: 15/10/20 Signatories: 1

Daisy Cooper

That this House notes the opposition by the residents of Hertfordshire to the proposal by Hertfordshire County Council to create a single unitary authority for its 1.2 million residents; further notes that such a proposal has been rejected by the leaders of all ten District and Borough Council Leaders in the county; takes the opportunity to remind the Government that Covid-19 has shown that localised solutions are often the most effective; notes that the spirit of devolution is that democratic decisions affecting people’s lives should be made where they are most effective and have greatest impact; and calls on the Government to express its opposition to any such plan for an unwieldy and arbitrary super-council in Hertfordshire.

Added Names

Below are EDMs tabled in the last two weeks to which names have been added. Only the first 6 names and any new names are included.

948Support for Further Education colleges

Tabled: 1/10/20 Signatories: 12

Robert Halfon

Sir Mike Penning

Caroline Lucas

Bob Blackman

Sir Peter Bottomley

Stephen Farry

That this House recognises the unique role that colleges play in supporting people, employers and communities to thrive and central role in rebuilding the economy; endorses the vision of the Independent Commission on the College of the Future for a strategic and expanded role for colleges in empowering people with opportunities for lifelong learning, boosting business productivity and innovation, and strengthening every community; welcomes the Government's Lifetime Skills Guarantee to allow adults to retrain and reskill through fully-funded technical college courses and the £1.5 billion capital fund to repair and upgrade college estates; but notes with concern that the recent National Audit Office report into the financial sustainability of colleges in England cites a 7 per cent real-terms decrease in funding per learner aged 16 to 19 between 2013-14 and 2018-19; further notes with concern that adult funding was cut by 40 per cent in the first half of the last decade and has been fixed in cash terms since then; recognises that colleges can only play their full role through long-term sustainable funding and a long term strategy which enjoys cross-party support; and calls on the Government to celebrate and support colleges by ensuring that colleges are empowered to deliver their full potential for people, productivity and place through adequate and sustainable funding and a new trust-based relationship with colleges seen as key strategic partners.

956Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Tabled: 1/10/20 Signatories: 3

Bob Blackman

Martin Vickers

Craig Whittaker

That this House notes the acts of aggression by Armenia commencing on 27 September 2020 and continuing to escalate each day which further intensifies the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan which is rooted in Armenia's illegal military control over Azerbaijan's Nagorno Karabakh region and adjacent seven districts that in the early 1990s led to the death of 30,000 people and the fleeing of more than 1 million internally displaced persons from their homes, and risks dragging both Turkey and Russia into a wider conflict; calls on the UK Government to condemn Armenia for blatantly violating the ceasefire regime signed in 1994 and for using large-calibre weapons, mortar launchers and artillery in an intensive attack on the positions of the armed forces and civilians of Azerbaijan; and further calls on the Government to urge for the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the illegally occupied territories of Azerbaijan as stated in UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993.

962TSB branch closures and financial inclusion

Tabled: 5/10/20 Signatories: 11

Patricia Gibson

Patrick Grady

Owen Thompson

Drew Hendry

Chris Stephens

Steven Bonnar

That this House condemns the decision of TSB Bank to close its branches in Kilbirnie, Largs and Saltcoats in North Ayrshire; recognises that this follows the closure of Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank branches across North Ayrshire and Arran; understands that local communities, particularly elderly and disabled residents, will suffer because of this decision; notes that the commitment to ensure 94 per cent of customers remain within 20 minutes travel time of a branch does not consider those without access to private vehicles; is concerned that forcing customers into lengthy journeys by public transport in order to bank places people at greater risk during a global health pandemic; believes these branch closures will adversely affect local businesses and town centres at a time when many are already struggling; further understands the impact for bank staff who may face redundancy at a time when the economy is damaged by the uncertainty of Brexit and the global health pandemic; and is extremely disappointed by the lack of action from the Government in working with high street banks to deliver banking hubs for communities and thereby ensure financial inclusion and urges TSB Bank to reconsider these closures, so that North Ayrshire and Arran communities are not deprived of the opportunity to bank locally.

965Supporting open-access rail operators during the covid-19 outbreak

Tabled: 5/10/20 Signatories: 24

Ian Mearns

Caroline Lucas

Apsana Begum

Kate Osborne

John McDonnell

Mick Whitley

That this House notes that, unlike the franchised train operating companies, the UK’s open-access rail operators, including Hull Trains and Grand Central, have received no financial support package from the Government; further notes that passenger footfall and revenue across the railways remains below pre-covid 19 outbreak levels; is concerned that as a result of the covid-19 outbreak, Grand Central has announced the closure of its North West Project and commenced a restructure which puts a number of posts at risk of redundancy; and calls on the Government to agree a support package as a matter of urgency for open-access rail operators to enable those operators to continue to operate and to protect the jobs and conditions of all their staff.

971TSB Closures in Midlothian

Tabled: 6/10/20 Signatories: 13

Owen Thompson

Martyn Day

Jonathan Edwards

Steven Bonnar

Drew Hendry

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House condemns TSB Bank’s decision to close its Dalkeith and Penicuik branches; recognises that this follows a long succession of bank closures in Midlothian; notes that there are no alternative TSB branches nearby to serve the busy communities of Dalkeith and Penicuik, and that the Post Office cannot be expected to pick up the pieces; further notes that, although Midlothian is Scotland’s fastest growing region, many customers will now have to travel to Musselburgh or Cameron Toll in Edinburgh for their banking; recognises that there remains a strong need for choice between face to face and other forms of banking, and for cash and counter transactions; and calls on banks to work to do everything they can to make it easier for their local customers to access their services and not close the doors permanently during a time of crisis during which many businesses are already struggling.

972Tackling child food insecurity

Tabled: 6/10/20 Signatories: 11

Robert Halfon

John McDonnell

Mohammad Yasin

Tracey Crouch

Andrew Selous

Holly Mumby-Croft

That this House believes no child should go hungry; welcomes Government action to provide Free School Meals over the school summer holidays; recognises that families are still struggling to afford food, that 11 per cent of parents and 6 per cent of children have directly experienced food insecurity in the last month and that food bank usage is expected to be 61 per cent higher in winter 2020-21 than last year; believes that further action to protect vulnerable children is needed; calls on the Government to implement the recommendations in the National Food Strategy Part 1 to increase the value of and expand eligibility for Healthy Start vouchers, expand eligibility for Free School Meals, and extend the Holiday Activities and Food programme; and notes that alongside minimising child food insecurity these recommendations will also address inequalities, improve the long-term health and resilience of the population, reduce childhood obesity, improve children’s academic performance, support parents to stay in work during the holidays, and ease the strain on the welfare system.

988VAT on period pants

Tabled: 8/10/20 Signatories: 5

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Claudia Webbe

Ian Lavery

Jim Shannon

Sir Peter Bottomley

That this House recognises the work done by WUKA Wear who have worked hard to promote the use of reusable menstrual products; references research carried out by WUKA Wear which found that 4.3 billion menstrual products are used each year, all of which goes to landfill or ends up in the ocean; notes that reusable period pants, which are environmentally friendly are an effective method to combat this; believes that period pants should have the 20 per cent VAT removed; notes with regret the Government’s recent announcement which suggests they will consider removing VAT on period pants for children under the age of 14 and with size limitations, which reinforces harmful body ideals and negates the reality that menstruation can occur after the age of 14; further recognises that all menstrual products are essential items and should be exempt from VAT; and calls on the Government to reconsider its position and remove the 20 per cent VAT on period pants and all other menstrual products.

989Census 2021

Tabled: 8/10/20 Signatories: 8

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Claudia Webbe

Caroline Lucas

Ian Lavery

Jim Shannon

Tahir Ali

That this House notes that the ONS England and Wales Census as it appeared in 2011 did not allow for non-white citizens to identify as British; acknowledges that while the formal categories are not intentionally exclusionary, this oversight tells people of colour that they are unable to identify as solely British and may only identify by the heritage of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents; agrees that the questions regarding ethnicity in the 2011 Census and as they are proposed to appear in the 2021 Census are outdated and do not reflect the complexity that is ethnicity in the UK; notes that people from multiple ethnic backgrounds are the fastest growing demographic in the UK and thus questions on ethnicity in the Census must change to reflect this and accommodate the various combinations of multiple ethnic backgrounds in the UK; recognises that many citizens of multiple ethnic backgrounds do not identify by their ancestors ethnicity but by their Britishness; calls on the Government to update the 2021 questions regarding ethnicity to accommodate this and allow Black, Asian, and Mixed-Race citizens to identify as British on the 2021 Census and as such, the options available for the Black ethnic category will read as follows, British, African, Caribbean, Any other Black / African / Caribbean background, please describe, and similar would appear for other ethnic categories.

990Import and production of foie gras

Tabled: 8/10/20 Signatories: 4

Sir Mike Penning

Caroline Lucas

Jim Shannon

Sir Peter Bottomley

That this House condemns the production of foie gras by force-feeding ducks and geese which causes severe physical and psychological pain for the animals involved, welcomes the continued ban on production of foie gras in the UK and calls on the Government to ban the import of this so-called delicacy as of 1 January 2021.

995All In One Education

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 15

Amy Callaghan

Chris Law

Patrick Grady

John Nicolson

Martyn Day

Brendan O'Hara

That this House congratulates newly formed charity All In One Education on gaining membership of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and achieving charitable status; notes the charity is formed of teachers, campaigners, university and cultural professionals who have come together from across Scotland to address the lack of intersectional teaching in schools across the UK; understands intersectionality refers to the nature of social categorisations such as race, class, gender and ability which create overlapping systems of discrimination in societies; commends All In One Education’s aim to develop free lesson plans for educators and pupils to bring perspectives from BAME, women’s history, LGBTQIA+, differently abled, colonial and other groups to light; recognises the importance of learning social studies from these perspectives in enabling young people to analyse complex issues and engage meaningfully with both their studies and the world they live in; thanks All In One Education for highlighting systemic inequalities and promoting diversity in education; and urges Governments across the UK to do more to support the development of teaching resources with intersectionality at the core.

996TSB Closures in Glasgow North West

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 7

Carol Monaghan

Chris Law

Patrick Grady

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House condemns TSB Bank’s decision to close its Anniesland, Drumchapel and Partick branches; recognises that this follows a long succession of bank closures in Glasgow North West constituency; notes that there are no easily accessible TSB branches nearby to serve the busy communities of Anniesland, Drumchapel and Partick, and that the Post Office cannot be expected to pick up the pieces; recognises that there remains a strong need for choice between face to face and other forms of banking, and for cash and counter transactions; and calls on banks to work to do everything they can to make it easier for their local customers to access their services and not close the doors permanently during a time of crisis during which many businesses are already struggling.

997Extension of Furlough Scheme

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 8

Christine Jardine

Daisy Cooper

Jim Shannon

Mike Hill

Jamie Stone

Layla Moran

That this House welcomes the partial U-turn by the Chancellor in extending the furlough scheme to local lockdown areas; recognises that businesses ordered to close must be supported; notes that this new support is limited to only certain parts of the UK when it is needed across the country; further notes that support offered only accounts for two-thirds of income and many in the hospitality industry will be put in precarious financial positions as a result; and calls on the Government to produce a clear and proactive support strategy and to expand furlough as a matter of urgency across the whole economy until June 2021.

998St George’s Crypt 90th Anniversary

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 5

Hilary Benn

Jim Shannon

John McDonnell

Fabian Hamilton

Rachel Reeves

That this House congratulates St George’s Crypt in Leeds on 90 years of service to the homeless and disadvantaged; notes that the Crypt has been providing this support since the vicar of St George’s Church, the Reverend Don Robins, first opened the doors of the Crypt in 1930 to take in destitute people forced into unemployment and poverty by the Great Depression; applauds the way in which the Crypt has been working tirelessly through the lockdown to ensure the safety and security of those it accommodates who would otherwise be at risk of rough sleeping; notes its total abstinence addiction therapy project called The Growing Rooms which provides therapy sessions, volunteering and accommodation and the construction of a 14 bed scheme for people with significant alcohol dependency; and welcomes that all this work has been done in close partnership with Leeds City Council.

999Treatment of football supporters during the covid-19 outbreak

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 30

Ian Byrne

Claudia Webbe

Apsana Begum

Kate Osborne

Ian Lavery

Mr Clive Betts

That this House is opposed to the introduction of a charge of £14.95 per game to view the 150 Premier League matches not part of the existing broadcast deal; notes that these matches are currently being televised free of charge; acknowledges that football is being played behind closed doors due to covid-19 and whilst this may be difficult economically for football clubs it is also an effective way to keep our communities safe; recognises that current measures mean that up to 380,000 match going fans are missing out on seeing their team each week which is reducing their usual social contacts and affecting their mental wellbeing; acknowledges that fans are being asked to pay to view additional games that they are legally prevented from attending; agrees that the introduction of this charge ignores the social, economic and welfare plight of many in our communities, especially those now faced with Tier 3 restrictions; recognises that the introduction of this charge ignores the magnificent initiatives set up by football fans across the country during this pandemic such as foodbank collections, shopping deliveries, PPE production and distribution; agrees that football supporters have been exemplars of public citizenship in their communities during this crisis; calls on the Government to challenge and lobby the Premier League, it’s Member Clubs and the broadcasters to provide access to the 150 fixtures on free to air channels; and further calls on the Government to commence it’s promised fan led review on football governance as a matter of urgency.

1001Gift Aid Emergency Relief Campaign

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 19

Patrick Grady

Chris Law

Sir Mike Penning

Martyn Day

Owen Thompson

Stuart C McDonald

That this House marks the annual Gift Aid Awareness Day which fell on 8 October 2020; appreciates that Gift Aid Relief is the practical application of the long-established principle that donations to charities should not be taxed; recognises that the charitable sector is in the middle of the biggest financial crisis it has ever faced, with huge falls in income at the same time as increased demand for services; considers that a Gift Aid Emergency Relief Package would go a long way to keeping vital charitable services running; calls on the UK Government to increase Gift Aid from 20% to 25% for two years from the start of the 2020-21 tax year; further calls on the UK Government to introduce changes to the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme to remove barriers for entry to ensure wider access across the voluntary sector and increase the amount that can be claimed from £8,000 to £10,000; and believes that the cost of such measures need not be prohibitive given that the National Audit Office estimates that £560m of eligible Gift Aid is unclaimed each year and that charities are likely to see an overall fall in donations in the current challenging economic circumstances.

1003Future of Hull-Zeebrugge Ferry Jobs and Services

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 9

Ian Mearns

Paula Barker

Ian Lavery

Grahame Morris

Kate Osborne

Jim Shannon

That this House is concerned by P&O Ferries’ plans to close the Hull-Zeebrugge route on which it is the sole operator and sell four roll-on roll-off ferries with the potential loss of eighty-one seafarer jobs in Hull and Dover; notes that P&O Ferries signed Critical Freight Grant contracts with the Government worth £14.5m to maintain six roll-on roll-off ferry routes during the Covid-19 lockdown, including a £1.2m payment to keep the Hull-Zeebrugge route running; further notes that over six million passengers and an estimated twenty million road freight units have been moved on P&O’s Hull-Zeebrugge fleet since 2001; is concerned by the lack of investment by the Port of Hull owner, ABP in lock and other infrastructure that would improve the viability of Hull-Zeebrugge freight and passenger services; recalls that P&O Ferries cut 1,000 maritime jobs from their UK operations in the summer; believes that the loss of this route would have dire economic and environmental consequences for Hull and the UK’s continental supply chain; and calls on the Government to use all policy levers, including a re-designed Waterborne Freight Grant to save UK seafarer jobs and critical freight capacity by attracting a new operator on this route.

1004Service Medal for British nuclear test veterans

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 10

Carol Monaghan

Jonathan Edwards

Chris Law

Patrick Grady

Jim Shannon

Allan Dorans

That this House honours the UK service personnel who participated in the British nuclear testing programme in Australia and the South Pacific from 1952 to 1967; notes that over 20,000 British personnel were present during the atomic tests and were exposed to ionising radiation with little or no personal protective equipment; acknowledges that British nuclear test veterans have long campaigned for the official recognition of their great and ongoing sacrifice, and compensation for health conditions resulting from exposure to the high-levels of ionising radiation; understands that the UK is the only country which performed nuclear tests that is yet to formally recognise the contribution of its nuclear test veterans; and urges the Government to award service medals, without delay, to our nuclear test veterans, whose numbers are now sadly dwindling.

1005Hair Discrimination

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 9

Wera Hobhouse

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Jamie Stone

Sarah Olney

Ed Davey

Layla Moran

That this House believes that hair policies enforced by schools and employers either officially or unofficially are an all-too-prevalent form of racial discrimination; notes with alarm cases of black children being sent home from school because of their afros, black boys being told to cut off their dreadlocks, black women being turned down for jobs because they wear their hair in braids or cornrows, and black employees being told to chemically straighten their natural hair; calls on the Government to develop new guidance for schools and employers to prevent hair discrimination in policies and practices; further calls on the Government to launch an awareness campaign to help schools and employers understand their obligations not to discriminate in relation to hair, and to help individuals understand how to uphold their rights not to be discriminated against; and urges the Government to conduct a review to determine whether any further changes, including legal changes, are necessary to prevent hair discrimination.

1006National Hate Crime Awareness Week

Tabled: 12/10/20 Signatories: 7

Jim Shannon

Paul Girvan

Claudia Webbe

Bob Blackman

Sir Mike Penning

Allan Dorans

That this House notes the commencement of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2020; takes the opportunity to remind people that there is always a choice to be kind and further encourages an understanding that a gentle answer turns away wrath; underlines our intention to ensure that social media platforms grasp the responsibility to prevent bullying and hate speech by any means possible whilst balancing the right to free speech; and supports the aims of saying no to hate crime and supporting our communities.

1007Shelling of Shushi cathedral

Tabled: 13/10/20 Signatories: 6

Fiona Bruce

Jim Shannon

Alan Brown

Brendan O'Hara

Martyn Day

Andrew Rosindell

That this House expresses concern on reports of the shelling of Shushi cathedral in Nagono-Karabakh by the Azerbaijan military; condemns this attack on a civilian site; further condemns the military targeting of a cultural heritage site, an act which constitutes a war crime under international law; expresses great relief that the children in the cathedral were not physically harmed, although they suffered great stress; sends thoughts and prayers to the journalists who were hospitalised by later shelling and all those who have suffered due to the conflict; and urges the Government to condemn those attacks and to make representations on them to the Government of Azerbaijan.

1009Covid-19 impact on mental health

Tabled: 13/10/20 Signatories: 9

Jim Shannon

Paul Girvan

Sir Mike Penning

Wera Hobhouse

Allan Dorans

Jonathan Edwards

That this House notes the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on mental health; further notes the concerns of mental health charities on the level of isolation of many; thanks the churches and voluntary organisations who have put phone call and garden visits into operation, where permissible, for people who are isolated and lonely; calls on the general public to take note of those in their family and neighbourhood that are struggling and to make frequent contact, also remembering that there are helplines that can be called for advice such as Samaritans and Nightline; further calls upon the Government to make additional funding available for those vital charities who step in at times of crisis to provide a listening ear; and thanks all those who volunteer and help others in their community in this difficult time.

1010Uyghur asylum seekers

Tabled: 14/10/20 Signatories: 7

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Layla Moran

Jim Shannon

Sir Peter Bottomley

Wera Hobhouse

Stephen Farry

That this House notes reports from human rights groups which state that the Chinese Government is interning over one million Uyghur people in re-education camps across the Xinjiang Autonomous Region; further notes reports from the camps which allege that detainees are being kept in squalid conditions and are forced to renounce their religion or face torture; expresses serious concern at emerging research which alleges that the Chinese state is forcing Uyghur women to be sterilized; condemns the detention of Uyghur diaspora returning to Xinjiang by the Chinese Government; notes that other European Governments such as the Government of Sweden has announced that it will grant refugee status to all Uyghur asylum-seekers from China; calls on the Government to automatically grant refugee status to all Uyghur people fleeing to the UK as a result of religious persecution from the Chinese state.

1011Dundee Year of the Older Person

Tabled: 14/10/20 Signatories: 5

Chris Law

Stewart Hosie

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House celebrates Dundee’s Year of the Older Person; commends those at Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action and Dundee City Council who have worked to bring this celebration together; notes that it is believed to be the first celebration of its kind ever in Scotland; recognises that 2020 has been particularly tough for older people; further recognises the important contributions that older people make to our society every day; and hopes that the Year of the Older Person will help involve more older people in the process of building a city that is more in touch with the needs of its older population.

1012East Lothian resident given honours for Scottish-Italian relations

Tabled: 14/10/20 Signatories: 3

Kenny MacAskill

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

That this House congratulates Mary Contini of Dunbar on being appointed an OBE in the Queen's birthday honours; understands that Mary has been recognised for her services to the Scottish Food Industry and Scottish-Italian Relations; notes that Mary is the Herald's Magazine food columnist and a runs a weekly column in the local East Lothian Courier sharing her expertise of the food sector and insight into the industry; further notes that her businesses which have included Valvonna and Crolla Caffe Bar focus on using ingredients sourced from artisan producers and farmers in both Italy and Scotland that support high welfare practices; notes her positive contribution to the food industry and her community; and wishes Mary all the best in the future.

1013Child poverty

Tabled: 14/10/20 Signatories: 5

Apsana Begum

Claudia Webbe

John McDonnell

Jim Shannon

Stephen Farry

That this House expresses concern that new child poverty data, published by the End Child Poverty Coalition on 14th October 2020, reveals that more than half of children in some constituencies are living in poverty after housing costs are factored in; notes that the highest rates of child poverty are in London and Birmingham and that there were high levels of children in poverty in working households before the pandemic; and calls for an urgent Government plan to end child poverty including an uprating of housing assistance in line with inflation, retaining the £20 uplift in universal credit introduced at the start of the pandemic, ending the benefit cap and the two-child limit on benefits, investing in all children with an increase to child benefit, and extending free school meals to all families in receipt of universal credit and people with No Recourse to Public Funds.

1014Democratic process and and attacks on Kurds in Turkey

Tabled: 14/10/20 Signatories: 6

Chris Stephens

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Sir Peter Bottomley

Jonathan Edwards

Owen Thompson

That this House notes that the Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants for 82 members of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), including current and former democratically elected mayors, and the party’s current Central Executive Board; further notes that the HDP is the third largest political party in Turkey; notes that in 2019 the HDP won 65 municipalities in local elections and that the Turkish State has arbitrarily taken control of 51 of those municipalities; is deeply concerned that at least 200 democratically elected HDP representatives including 7 MPs are imprisoned; believes that this mass incarceration amounts to a violation of fundamental rights including the rights to political association, political participation and freedom of expression; is further deeply concerned that this undermines the rights of the Turkish people to have their democratic will upheld; and calls on the Foreign Secretary to express these concerns to his Turkish counterpart as a matter of utmost urgency.

1015TSB Lochee bank branch closure

Tabled: 14/10/20 Signatories: 5

Chris Law

Allan Dorans

Jim Shannon

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Jamie Stone

That this House condemns TSB’s decision to close its Lochee branch; notes that the decision will leave the proudly independent community in Lochee without a bank, following other closures over the last decade; expresses concern on the effect that the closure of the bank and removal of the cash machine may have on footfall on the local high street; expresses further concern for the many elderly or vulnerable people who may have to travel further for their banking requirements; recognises that physical banking is still the easiest method of banking for many vulnerable people; calls on TSB to reverse its decision to close the last bank in Lochee; and further calls on banks to look at alternative arrangements to ensure that local communities across the country are not deprived of access to physical banking.