Contents

Published: Wednesday 25 November 2020

Early Day Motions tabled on Tuesday 24 November 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

1177Short respite breaks for terminally ill children and their families

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 6

Steve McCabe

Catherine McKinnell

Caroline Lucas

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Sir George Howarth

Stephen Timms

That this House recognises that short breaks for respite are a lifeline for terminally ill children and their families; notes new evidence by Pro Bono Economics which estimates that parents of children who need respite delivered by children’s palliative care providers experience significantly less stress as a result of receiving breaks; further highlights that these short breaks result in better physical and mental health for parents, a reduction in families needing NHS primary care and mental health services, and in parents needing to take fewer days off work as a result of sickness; understands that many families who need short breaks are currently unable to access them; and urges the Government to fill the £434 million gap in annual funding for social care services for all disabled children in England and their families by creating an annual ring-fenced grant as part of the 2020 Spending Review.

1178Share Alike in East Kilbride

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 1

Dr Lisa Cameron

That this House recognises the selﬂess eﬀorts of Annmarie Campbell and Share Alike in East Kilbride; commends the dedication of the Share Alike team for providing of over 24,600 meals, 860 period poverty packs, 21 new baby and mother packs, 226 mental health packs and 42 new home starter packs during the covid-19 restrictions; thanks the volunteers involved in the community food distribution program; commends the dedication of everyone involved in providing essential food parcels to those most in need throughout the constituency; acknowledges the selﬂess commitment to alleviating food poverty and loneliness by maintaining vital links between Share Alike and the most vulnerable in the community; praises the action taken by Share Alike and partner volunteer organisations towards reducing waste and encouraging local supply of food produce; applauds the dynamic approach of Annmarie and Share Alike to improve existing services, developing and pioneering new ways of delivering key, essential support to those in need through extending the wellbeing operations in the community; respects the commitment to the community support programme provided by Share Alike who recently secured a three year lease in a prime town centre location for a wellbeing cafe under a new charity umbrella organisation called Take Five; and shows respect to the overwhelming work co-ordinated and inspired by Annmarie Campbell and everyone at Share Alike for their eﬀorts to provide a sense of belonging, safety and wellness throughout the community by promoting mental health awareness and making sure anyone who needs help receives it.

1179Red Wednesday and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 2

Fiona Bruce

Jim Shannon

That this House marks 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls and Red Wednesday, a day which highlights the plight of those who are persecuted for their religion and beliefs; notes that many already marginalised religious and belief communities have faced intensified discrimination since the outbreak of covid-19; expresses concern that some of these communities have been blamed for the virus and that this scapegoating has contributed to the reports of individuals being attacked, denied aid or otherwise prevented from accessing life-saving humanitarian interventions; further expresses concern that refugees, internally displaced people and prisoners of conscience are particularly vulnerable during the pandemic; condemns the use of the virus by China and other states as an excuse to further violate the rights of marginalised religious or belief communities; recognises that women from marginalised religious or belief communities face the above pressures but also encounter unique persecution and challenges due to their gender; expresses deep concern that these women have become much more vulnerable since the outbreak of covid-19 resulting in increased cases of domestic violence and kidnapping and forced marriage, as seen in the case of 14-year-old Maira Shahbaz and 13-year-old Arzoo Raja in Pakistan; and urges the UK Government and the international community to act to mitigate the impact that covid-19 has had on freedom of religion or belief globally and, in particular, on women and girls who are doubly discriminated against because of their gender and their beliefs.

1180Re-open churches for public worship

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 4

Mr Gregory Campbell

Gavin Robinson

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Carla Lockhart

That this House notes the discussions taking place between the Government and the devolved legislatures on a greater degree of consensus on how various restrictions are implemented in the run up to Christmas; and calls on the Government to include in the discussions the issue of the re-opening of churches for public worship, during what is for many people a very significant and important time of year.

1181Conflict in Ethiopia

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 1

Layla Moran

That this House is deeply concerned about the escalation of conflict in Ethiopia; condemns the deliberate killing of innocent civilians; sends its sincerest condolences to all those who have tragically lost loved ones as a result; notes the estimated 4,000 refugees per day fleeing Ethiopia; further notes the UNHRC’s warning of a full-scale humanitarian crisis if the conflict continues without imminent de-escalation; calls on the Government to use all diplomatic means it can to assist de-escalating the violence and resolving the underlying conflict; and therefore also urges the Government to ensure the Official Development Assistance budget is maintained to ensure Ethiopian civilians receive adequate support and aid.

1182The situation in Iran

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 1

Layla Moran

That this House recognises the people of Iran are suffering terribly as a result of covid-19; acknowledges that it is vital that medical aid and other humanitarian assistance reaches them; notes that the coronavirus crisis does not stop at any border; and therefore calls on the Government to work with its partners and allies to ensure that there is a coordinated international response to the pandemic; further calls on the Government to work with international and EU partners to revive the Iran nuclear deal as a step toward greater stability in the region; urges the Government to secure the indefinite release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other UK-Iran dual nationals held in Iran; and further notes that the violation of individuals’ human rights is never acceptable, and that the UK, Iran and others must work together to ensure this does not occur.

1183German teacher of the Year

Tabled: 24/11/20 Signatories: 1

Kenny MacAskill

That this House congratulates Suzanne Ritchie, a Modern Languages teacher from North Berwick High School on winning the German Teacher of the Year award from the German Embassy; acknowledges the embassy’s recognition of her outstanding dedication and tireless support of the teach of the German language; notes her desire to give her pupils a sense of wonder in the teaching of languages; and echoes deputy head of culture and education at the German Embassy Dr Susanne Frane’s recognition of Miss Ritchie’s impressive commitment inside and outside of [her] classroom every day.

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.

1129Closure of Suicide Forums

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 33

Richard Burgon

Mick Whitley

Ian Lavery

Kate Osborne

Jeremy Corbyn

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

That this house notes with sadness the death of Joe Nihill, a popular young man and former army cadet from Whinmoor in East Leeds who, following three bereavements, tragically took his life at 23 years old after accessing online forums that encourage suicide; is concerned that these forums, which contain content that both promotes suicide and recommends methods of suicide, can constitute a real danger to people, particularly people suffering with severe mental health problems; calls on the Government to significantly expand funding for mental health treatment and support, particularly for young people; congratulates his family for their inspiring campaign to prevent what happened to Joe happening to other people; and calls on the Government to assess the harm caused by forums that encourage suicide and look at what can be done to stop such promotion by such online promotion.

1133Living Wage Week in Scotland

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 5

Alison Thewliss

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

Allan Dorans

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House recognises that 9-15 November is Living Wage Week 2020; appreciates that the real living wage of £9.50 per hour is determined each year by the Resolution Foundation on an analysis of the wage that employees need to earn in order to afford the basket of goods required for a decent standard of living, and includes housing, childcare, transport and heating costs; welcomes the increase in the real living wage of 20p per hour; understands that 45,600 employees in Scotland have seen their pay rise due to the increase in the real living wage this year; acknowledges that there are 1,892 Living Wage Employers in Scotland; celebrates that Scotland has the highest proportion of living wage employees of any part of the UK; notes that Living Wage Employers come from the public, private and third sector; believes that there is still much work to be done before all people can learn a real living wage; notes that employment law is reserved to Westminster, yet commends the Scottish Government on it's efforts to promote fair work; calls on the UK Government to raise the minimum wage to the level of the real living wage; further calls for the UK Government to take on real Living Wage accreditation across it's own departments; thanks all who have signed up to be Living Wage employers, in particular the 180 who accredited in Scotland during lockdown; and encourages those who have not signed up to do so for the benefit of society as a whole.

1134International Day of People with Disabilities

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 41

Dr Lisa Cameron

Sir Peter Bottomley

Mike Hill

Jamie Stone

Jim Shannon

Colum Eastwood

That this House recognises 3 December is the International Day of People with Disabilities, a day to celebrate disabled people and champion their abilities; supports the United Nation’s work surrounding this campaign, notes this year’s theme is entitled not all disabilities are visible, which aims to spread awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent such as mental illness, learning difficulties, head injury and other non-visible conditions; acknowledges that over 15 per cent of the world’s population live with a disability and that during these unprecedented times, they are likely to be disproportionately affected; acknowledges the work the all-party Parliamentary group on Disability has done to raise the profile of disability across the House; further acknowledges the fantastic work charities have done to support disabled people globally, including Leonard Cheshire, Sense and Sense International; encourages the wider promotion and protection of disability rights; understands the importance of combatting the stigma surrounding disability; and urges parliamentarians to work for an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable society for people with disabilities leaving no one behind in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

1136Health and safety protections for gig economy workers

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 14

Kirsten Oswald

Chris Stephens

Sir Peter Bottomley

Mike Hill

Paula Barker

Jim Shannon

That this House welcomes the finding of the High Court that the UK Government has failed to properly implement EU health and safety directives and has failed to transpose important EU health and safety protections into UK law; notes that the case was taken to court by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) because workers not classed as employees have to date been denied the right to refuse unsafe work and the right to personal protective equipment (PPE), putting them in serious danger throughout the pandemic; further notes that the judgment means that workers in the gig economy are entitled to the same EU-derived health and safety rights as employees; congratulates the IWGB for securing this ruling on the back of a public crowdfunding initiative; reminds the Government of its undertakings that it has no intention of lowering the standards of workers’ rights after the UK leaves the EU; and calls on the Government to act now to provide a clear statutory extension of health and safety protections to gig economy and other precarious workers.

1138Potential merits of statutory bereavement leave

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 13

Patricia Gibson

Mike Hill

Paula Barker

Jonathan Edwards

Jim Shannon

Chris Law

That this House supports the introduction of statutory bereavement leave for those who suffer the loss of an immediate family member; recognises that bereavement has a tremendous impact on physical and mental health; acknowledges that while many employers voluntarily offer compassionate leave for staff who have lost a close relative, this decision remains entirely at the discretion of employers; notes that concerns about the introduction of statutory bereavement leave on economic grounds are unfounded, with new research commissioned by Sue Ryder revealing that the cost of bereavement to the UK economy is an estimated £22.9bn a year, due to presenteeism, absenteeism and reduced employment; understands that if just a fraction of the costs associated with bereavement could be mitigated through better support by employers it would provide a considerable boost to the economy; agrees that although statutory bereavement leave will incur some short term costs, ultimately it would lead to significant savings for the UK economy through reduced staff absence, higher employee productivity and less reliance on health and welfare support post-bereavement; welcomes the UK Government’s recent introduction of two weeks statutory bereavement leave for parents who have lost a child under the age of 18 years old which recognises the impact of grief and the need for statutory protections; and calls on the UK Government to build on this progress and introduce statutory paid bereavement leave of two weeks for those who have suffered the loss of an immediate family member.

1140Demolition of Palestinian homes

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 5

Tommy Sheppard

Tahir Ali

Chris Law

Caroline Lucas

Brendan O'Hara

That this House strongly condemns Israel’s destruction of the entire Palestinian village of Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa; is appalled that 73 people, including 41 children, have been made homeless in the largest incident of forced displacement in the West Bank for years; notes that 2020 has seen the highest level of Palestinian home demolitions in four years, despite the covid-19 pandemic, which has left over 800 people homeless many of who are children; is alarmed that JCB equipment is being supplied to Israeli forces for the destruction of Palestinian structures, and that the UN Human Rights Office has listed the British company as sustaining illegal settlements; and calls on the Government to immediately ban all UK trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and take action to prevent equipment supplied by British companies, including JCB, from operating in them.

1144A National Resilience Programme

Tabled: 16/11/20 Signatories: 5

Stephen Metcalfe

Sir Peter Bottomley

Jim Shannon

John McDonnell

Carol Monaghan

That this House notes the importance of physical activity to keeping older people healthy and resilient; further notes that one in three older people did less physical activity during the first lockdown in March 2020 and that within three days of not using muscles people can experience significant decreases in muscle mass and quality which might be the difference of an older person being able to get out of a chair by themselves or not; highlights the proposal by The Physiological Society and Centre for Ageing Better for the introduction of a National Resilience Programme to bring together a package of measures to support older people through covid-19 restrictions, keeping them healthy and resilient over winter 2020; and notes that an effective programme should incorporate a tailored exercise package focused on older people with key covid-19 risk factors, clear guidance on a healthy balanced diet, support to build communities to counter loneliness in order to improve mental health, and a plan to enlist help of relatives, care workers and other professionals to re-build older adults’ confidence and support them to stay active and keep well.

1155Virtual participation in debates

Tabled: 17/11/20 Signatories: 56

Dawn Butler

Jonathan Edwards

Jamie Stone

Mohammad Yasin

Sir Peter Bottomley

Wera Hobhouse

That this House notes with deep concern that some Members have not been able to take part virtually in debates, which means that those Members have been disenfranchised; further notes that this, in effect, disenfranchises those constituents who are left without a voice in House of Commons debates; recognises that several Members are shielding from coronavirus or are clinically vulnerable; believes in the equal right of all Members to participate in Commons proceedings; and calls on the Government to ensure that the remote participation motion is open to debate for all Members and held as a free vote.

1160National Consumer Week 2020

Tabled: 18/11/20 Signatories: 11

Patricia Gibson

Jim Shannon

Sir Peter Bottomley

Ben Lake

Hywel Williams

Liz Saville Roberts

That this House commends National Consumer Week 2020 which runs from the 16 to 22 November; pays tribute to the excellent work undertaken by Advice Direct Scotland which runs Scotland's national consumer advice service, consumeradvice.scot, Trading Standards Scotland and Citizens’ Advice Scotland to protect and support consumers; understands that this year’s campaign will focus on Online Shopping and Deliveries; notes the increasing numbers of consumers shopping online due to the covid-19 outbreak and applauds efforts to encourage consumers to shop online safely, know their rights, be wary of unfair delivery charges and be on guard against counterfeit goods; and acknowledges the importance of helping consumers recognise and avoid online shopping scams while supporting legitimate businesses, as well as providing advice and support if something does go wrong.

1162Safeguarding the small brewers relief scheme

Tabled: 18/11/20 Signatories: 29

Geraint Davies

Ian Mearns

Jim Shannon

Navendu Mishra

Olivia Blake

John McDonnell

That this House notes the positive impact that the small brewers relief scheme has had on the survival and growth of the UK’s small independent breweries; notes that this could be undermined by the Treasury’s proposed changes to the scheme to reduce the 50 per cent rate from 5,000hl to 2,100hl and to put it on a cash basis; further notes that this is threatening small breweries at a time when they are struggling through the covid-19 crisis and they have not received the same level of support as the wider hospitality sector including the business rates holiday; and calls on the Government not to change the small brewers relief scheme or to introduce the cash basis but to instead initiate support for small brewers in line with the wider hospitality sector.

1163Anniversary of the Bhopal poisonous gas leak

Tabled: 18/11/20 Signatories: 20

Navendu Mishra

Paula Barker

Kim Johnson

Mick Whitley

Barry Gardiner

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

That this House remembers the terrible disaster that took place on 2 December 1984 in Bhopal, India, when a major poisonous gas leak from the Union Carbide pesticide plant resulted in more than 600,000 people being exposed to the highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas, thousands of people dying and many more suffering serious and life-changing injuries; notes that Amnesty International has stated that more than 100,000 people now live with contaminated water supplies and exposure to the chemicals, as well as a range of health problems and chronic illnesses caused by the disaster; further notes that current owners, Dow Chemicals, need to rectify the environmental damage and properly compensate the victims and their families; and commends the work of the Trades Union Congress and Unison Union in campaigning on this issue and calls on those responsible to be brought to justice so that the victims who have been waiting 36 years for justice finally receive closure.

1164Global Islamophobia

Tabled: 18/11/20 Signatories: 26

Apsana Begum

John McDonnell

Zarah Sultana

Ian Byrne

Jeremy Corbyn

Mary Kelly Foy

That this House draws attention to Islamophobia in the UK and worldwide; supports Islamophobia Awareness Month; draws attention to the fact that Rohingya Muslims have been driven out of Myanmar and now seek refuge in Bangladesh; that two mosques were simultaneously attacked in New Zealand in 2019; that Uyghur Muslims are being persecuted in Xinjiang, China; that German Muslims were killed in a far right attack in February 2020; that two women were stabbed in a racially-aggravated attack in Paris in October 2020, in a country that in 2010 banned the wearing of niqab in public spaces; recognises that Islamophobia is prevalent in the UK, with year on year figures for racially or religiously aggravated hate crimes rising by 34 per cent in June 2020; that the UK Government’s Prevent programme is viewed by many to foster discrimination against Muslims; recognises that these incidents together illustrate the global nature of Islamophobia, and are only the most high profile examples of it; believes that the Government must stand up to Islamophobia in the UK and abroad; that it must support those countries and groups that are victims of racism; that it must seek to diversify curriculums in our schools to reflect the lived experience of all pupils, in order to combat racism at as early a stage as is possible; and calls on the Government to investigate the cause of rising hate crime, in order to instigate new policy to tackle it.

1165Local Government funding

Tabled: 19/11/20 Signatories: 6

Caroline Lucas

Mohammad Yasin

Jonathan Edwards

Claudia Webbe

Debbie Abrahams

Apsana Begum

That this House thanks local authorities for their leadership during the covid-19 outbreak and for the contribution made by their essential workforces to support communities; notes that, prior to the outbreak, councils were already dealing with a £15 billion reduction to core Government funding since 2010 and a 49.1 per cent real-terms reduction between 2010-11 and 2017-18 according to the National Audit Office; believes that the Government should address in full the financial challenges arising from this decade of unprecedented budget cuts, while also tackling the enhanced financial pressures caused for local authorities by extra costs, loss of income and cash flow challenges associated with covid-19; backs the Local Government Association call for an additional £8.7 billion in core national Government funding in 2021-22 to stabilise the sector and sustain and improve service levels which include: cherished community and essential frontline services, such as adult social care, support for older people, looked-after children, care leavers, people with disabilities or special educational needs, survivors of domestic violence and low-income families in crisis; considers locally-led initiatives to urgently improve equality, sustainability and resilience, such as providing genuinely affordable, energy efficient homes, supporting socially necessary bus services, transforming how waste is collected and sorted and public-backed investment in renewable energy, should also be funded nationally; and therefore calls on the Government to immediately provide local councils with the money to protect and restore spending on community and frontline services to sustainable levels and reset local economies.

1166British Overseas Territories Citizenship

Tabled: 19/11/20 Signatories: 20

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Rachel Hopkins

Claudia Webbe

Kim Johnson

Stephen Farry

Christine Jardine

That this House notes under the British Nationality Act 1981 children born outside of marriage to British Overseas Territories fathers, before the 1st July 2006 are deemed illegitimate and are prevented from inheriting their father’s citizenship by descent; further notes that this does not apply if the child’s mother is from a British Overseas Territory or if the child was born after the 1st July 2006; recognises that Section 65 of the Immigration Act 2014 granted children of British mainland fathers the right to claim citizenship through their father’s descent, but this right was not afforded to children of British Overseas Territory fathers; is concerned by the inconsistencies and discriminations that exist in this law as well as its outdated attitude towards children born outside of marriage; is pleased by the Home Secretary’s recent admission that this law needs to be changed; and urgently calls on this government to introduce the necessary legislation to address the discrepancies in this law.

1167In-person immigration bail reporting

Tabled: 19/11/20 Signatories: 11

Olivia Blake

Rachel Hopkins

Claudia Webbe

Kim Johnson

Apsana Begum

Paula Barker

That this House notes that immigration bail reporting was suspended for the duration of the first covid-19 lockdown in the interest of public health and that individuals were permitted to, and did successfully, report safely from home via phone or text for the duration of the lockdown; further notes that despite the global pandemic, in-person reporting has resumed for the second national lockdown; and calls on the Government to immediately suspend all physical immigration bail reporting until the end of the second national lockdown, and to continue this beyond the national lockdown for any regions with additional covid-19 public health restrictions.

1168Dangers of pavement parking

Tabled: 19/11/20 Signatories: 4

Mr Barry Sheerman

Claudia Webbe

Andrew Gwynne

Paula Barker

That this House recognises the problems caused by pavement parking in communities across the UK; is concerned about the impact of pavement parking on the most vulnerable members of our society, particularly the elderly, those living with sight loss and people with wheelchairs and buggies; notes that pavement parking is already banned across the 32 London boroughs; further notes that the Scottish Parliament passed legislation to ban pavement parking in 2019 which will come into effect in 2021; welcomes Living Streets’ campaign to ban pavement parking in England; is aware that the current rules against obstruction are not fit for purpose and the Department for Transport is consulting on proposals to change them, including a ban on pavement parking; and calls on the Government to act swiftly to put an end to this dangerous practice.

1171Book Week Scotland 2020

Tabled: 23/11/20 Signatories: 3

Patricia Gibson

Allan Dorans

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

That this House welcomes Book Week Scotland 2020, an annual celebration of books and reading across Scotland, from 16th to 22nd November 2020; recognises that this event, which is now in its ninth year, is organised by the Scottish Book Trust with support from partners, and represents Scotland’s biggest celebration of reading and writing; understands that, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the week cannot go ahead as normal, however thanks to the tireless work of organisers, libraries and various community groups throughout Scotland, notes that the celebration will go ahead in a digital format instead, continuing to provide a diverse and engaging programme of activities to celebrate books and reading; notes that this year’s theme is the Future, and that the annual writing project has created a free book, with 50,000 copies distributed to libraries, schools and other community venues across the country, as well as being available to download online; understands that during the covid-19 pandemic, many people have turned to books as a welcome escape, and even in the digital age books remain as relevant and popular as ever; further recognises Scotland’s rich literary heritage and welcomes this event as it seeks to inspire the next generation of Scottish writers, poets and authors; and wishes the event every success in its goal to celebrate the joy of reading.

1172Charity lotteries and the Gambling Review

Tabled: 23/11/20 Signatories: 2

Daisy Cooper

Sir Mike Penning

That this House welcomes the Government’s intention to review the Gambling Act 2005, especially in light of the need to tackle problem gambling; notes the huge success of charity lotteries in raising funds for a wide range of good causes across the country, which is particularly important given the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on charity fundraising; notes that charity lotteries, although classed as a gambling product are widely considered low risk from a problem gambling perspective; and calls on the Government to recognise this distinction between charity lotteries and the rest of the gambling sector as it reviews the Gambling Act 2005 and ensure that policy on that matter is differentiated accordingly.

1173VisitScotland first national tourist organisation to join Tourism Declares Initiative

Tabled: 23/11/20 Signatories: 7

Brendan O'Hara

David Linden

Alan Brown

Drew Hendry

Gavin Newlands

Allan Dorans

That this House welcomes VisitScotland’s commitment to playing a leading role in the development of Scotland as a globally-recognised responsible destination by becoming the first national tourism organisation in the world to join the Tourism Declares Initiative; congratulates partners comprising one hundred travel groups, businesses and individuals including Wild Scotland and Sail Scotland who have declared under the banner Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency; commends the formation of that Initiative which recognises the importance of balancing business survival with a sustainable and responsible recovery from the covid-19 outbreak; and notes that that Initiative encourages positive contributions towards addressing climate change ahead of COP26 including reducing emissions, working with communities and focusing on responsible, green tourism, in line with Scottish Government’s targets to become net-zero by 2045, and the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030, as well as a long-term commitment to increase promotion of public transport and active travel.

1174Public sector pay freeze and hon. Members pay rise

Tabled: 23/11/20 Signatories: 5

Sir Mike Penning

Gavin Robinson

Mr Gregory Campbell

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

Jonathan Edwards

That this House calls on the Government not to bring in a public sector pay freeze; notes that public sector workers, including our armed forces, have done the country proud during the covid-19 pandemic crisis and all too often have gone beyond the call of duty and put their lives at risk; and further notes that if such a pay freeze is contemplated hon. Members should be included in such a freeze as they are also public sector employees.

1176VAT Retail Export Scheme

Tabled: 23/11/20 Signatories: 2

Tracey Crouch

Sir Peter Bottomley

That this House expresses its concern at the Government's decision to abolish the VAT Retail Export Scheme, otherwise known as tax-free shopping, from 1 January 2021 with inaccurate determinations having been made of the impact of that decision; acknowledges that since that decision was announced, businesses have been facing the challenges posed by new covid-19 restrictions and that that decision will worsen that situation; believes that by implementing that decision thousands of job losses could be caused around the UK; recognises that since that announcement, France has lowered its threshold for international shoppers to claim back VAT and Ireland has extended its scheme to include the UK, making the UK the least competitive market in Europe for international shoppers; notes that no businesses have spoken up publicly in favour of that move but many have warned of its consequences; calls on the Government to avoid causing significant damage to the retail and hospitality sector in the UK and to not bring forward the required legislation to implement that decision; and further calls on hon. Members to vote to annul any Statutory Instrument on that matter if it is laid before this House.